Jaws

G

GarCiaRia

100+ Posts
wow, I watched Jaws 1 last night for the first time in over 20 years or so with my 10 year old son. It was showing on AMC. Movie making has come a long way!!! I remember watching in the theater when I was a kid and having horrific nightmares about it. It was more of a comedy this time around. My son got a kick out of it and certainly didn't seem scared or spooked because of the mechanical nature of the shark. I didn't realize how slow the movie was in some parts. We did enjoy the ending though. Not sure if I can make it through Jaws II. He's already asking to watch that one now....
 
Jaws is a classic.

I was watching a documentary on the making of it, and they were talking about how all the reviews praised the film for its Hitchcock-like technique of building tension & suspense by not showing the shark until late in the movie. Spielberg admitted that the only reason for that was they couldn't get the mechanical shark to work and they had to start shooting
smile.gif
 
That clip just oozed awesomeness. The guy taking the life jacket from that woman, giving here a smug look and jumping right into the shark's mouth... now that's genius.

OK seriously though, the original really was great despite the limitations of technology. The U.S.S. Indianapolis story scene is still to this day one of the best scenes in movie history, IMO.
 
Pulled the DVD last week in prep for shark week (the goilfriend love shark week though, when last in sea waters (Belize Caribe), she tried to feed me to a nurse shark before freaking out and insisting 'take me back to the boat').

Jaws is a great film. The tech limits make it better, as many would attest. The opening seen is still chilling, especially the shocked and desperate noises made by the girl as she is being devoured. All of Murray Hamilton's scenes rock. Dreyfus' first scenes on the dock hold to this day ('just a slight difference in semantics that I don't want to get beaten up over') and his interactions with Shaw are priceless. Scheider on the beach as those huge pectoral fins roll in a froth of blood, camera zooming out while dollying in -- classic.

Like the Excorcist, the tech/special effects that made the movie standout at the time of its release now seem clumsy and distracting (though I don't care for ALOT of the CGI that we are forced to endure). Both films have A1 build ups to the fireworks, and I watch those build ups with the same reverie that I had when first seeing the films 30+ years ago.

Shark Attack 3 clip was incredibly good.
 
if I remember right from the special feature on the DVD, I think it was Dreyfus that talked about getting chills just listening to Shaw tell that story.
 
I thought Dreyfus, Sheider, and Shaw all got along famously together. I remember hearing RD say something about that on a special one time, and I seem to remember Speilberg saying that those three hung out and drank together so much it was difficult to get any work done.
 
I just recently saw it on the big screen down here in San Antonio (they play a classic movie at the Bijou Theater once a week or so).

I loved this movie growing up, but have a newfound repsect for this flick after watching it on the big screen. Absolutely amazing.

And Robert Shaw is the **** in this movie.
 
**** Jaws. That movie scared the crap out of me when I was as kid of 9. I thought it was going to be a documentary on sharks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Weekly Prediction Contest

* Predict HORNS-AGGIES *
Sat, Nov 30 • 6:30 PM on ABC

Recent Threads

Prediction Results Threads

2024 Schedules

Back
Top