JAWS is not in a theatre near you this summer. But it should be. It should be in a theatre near you every summer. JAWS was the first summer blockbuster, made by then 27-year old director Steven Spielberg as his 2nd theatrical film. It also happens to hold a solid place in my TOP 10 list of all time favorite movies, #5 to be exact. Was I predisposed to this affection for JAWS by my parents taking me to see it at the drive-in months before I was born? That's a valid theory. I could say that the reason I've chosen to review JAWS at this time is because it's about to make it's Blu-ray premier (8/14); truth is, I never need a reason to talk about JAWS.
Those who haven't seen the movie, but most likely have heard of it, might think of JAWS as simply a horror movie: scary shark eats people. It is so - much - more. JAWS consistently ranks high on several TOP movie lists because the storytelling is incredibly crafted - the writing, direction, performances, music, editing - all top notch. It was nominated for 4 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won 3: Sound, Score, & Editing. There is an annual JAWSfest event on Martha's Vinyard, where filming took place, which grows larger each year. If your only experience with JAWS is watching one or more of it's sequels, then you don't know JAWS at all.
The suspense, humor, and performances absolutely shine in this movie, making it one of the most entertaining cinematic experiences you could have. The three principle characters - Brody, Hooper, and Quint - are the absolute heart of this story, and the third act hunt is about as good as cinema gets. The infamous 155 day shooting schedule is filled with epic behind-the-scenes stories telling just how this mega blockbuster barely survived production, and is almost (if not in fact) more entertaining than the movie itself, making JAWS an even richer film for those who are interested in the making of it. The Blu-ray set comes exclusively with a fantastic feature-length documetary, The Shark is Still Working, which I've already had the pleasure of viewing at one of it's many film festival screenings.
If you've been putting off seeing JAWS, and you're a fan of GREAT movies, the time is now. There isn't a big enough fish to put on the review reel for JAWS, but if I find one, I'm gonna need a bigger boat...
The suspense, humor, and performances absolutely shine in this movie, making it one of the most entertaining cinematic experiences you could have. The three principle characters - Brody, Hooper, and Quint - are the absolute heart of this story, and the third act hunt is about as good as cinema gets. The infamous 155 day shooting schedule is filled with epic behind-the-scenes stories telling just how this mega blockbuster barely survived production, and is almost (if not in fact) more entertaining than the movie itself, making JAWS an even richer film for those who are interested in the making of it. The Blu-ray set comes exclusively with a fantastic feature-length documetary, The Shark is Still Working, which I've already had the pleasure of viewing at one of it's many film festival screenings.
If you've been putting off seeing JAWS, and you're a fan of GREAT movies, the time is now. There isn't a big enough fish to put on the review reel for JAWS, but if I find one, I'm gonna need a bigger boat...
Jaws (1975)
