Jaws

[Trekker4747]

Discovery Channel's Shark Week has inspired me to watch the movie Jaws.

God, this is a great fucking movie. The characters are so much fun and well played by the actors (Shaw, Scheider and, of course, Dreyfuss (. Heh heh. They're all going to die! This was no boating accident!).

I was going to suggest that, after all of these years, it'd be interesting to see Spielberg try and do a "new" Jaws (call it a sequel, a remake whatever) but with Shaw and Scheider dead and Dreyfuss in, ahem, less than ideal physical shape perhaps not.

And, of course, we cannot forget about Jaw's/Bruce's iconic Williams theme.



But, it's still an awesome, awesome movie.

Sequels? What sequels? I've never seen or heard of these "Jaws Sequels" you talk about.

 

[Neroon]

I really would not want to see any kind of a remake, because the problems they experienced ended up adding to the effectiveness of the movie. All of the problems with the mechanical sharks meant they couldn't show the shark very much ... which added to the sheer terror. You know how it works, your mind fills in hte gaps creating what truly scares you.

True story: I saw this in the theater when it first came out in 1975 and I had just come out of 7th grade. My parents took us to see it in a theater in Dayton. Shortly befpre the movie started, these two cute high school looking girls came in and sat in the two seats just to my right. In the scene where the head pops out of the wreck and scares Hooper. Well, the girl immediately to my right instinctively grabbed my arm, and needless to say it made me jump. Trouble is I had a bag of loose candy in my lap... which needless to say went everywhere. She spent the rest of the film apologizing. Like I was upset. As it turned out, her friend had left after the opening scene, because it scare her so much.

It was a great film.

 

[tomalak301]

I really would not want to see any kind of a remake, because the problems they experienced ended up adding to the effectiveness of the movie. All of the problems with the mechanical sharks meant they couldn't show the shark very much ... which added to the sheer terror. You know how it works, your mind fills in hte gaps creating what truly scares you.

True story: I saw this in the theater when it first came out in 1975 and I had just come out of 7th grade. My parents took us to see it in a theater in Dayton. Shortly befpre the movie started, these two cute high school looking girls came in and sat in the two seats just to my right. In the scene where the head pops out of the wreck and scares Hooper. Well, the girl immediately to my right instinctively grabbed my arm, and needless to say it made me jump. Trouble is I had a bag of loose candy in my lap... which needless to say went everywhere. She spent the rest of the film apologizing. Like I was upset. As it turned out, her friend had left after the opening scene, because it scare her so much.

It was a great film.

Darn, and I thought you were going to score a date with her. Would have been a more awesome movie going experience.

 

[Trekker4747]

I really would not want to see any kind of a remake, because the problems they experienced ended up adding to the effectiveness of the movie. All of the problems with the mechanical sharks meant they couldn't show the shark very much ... which added to the sheer terror. You know how it works, your mind fills in hte gaps creating what truly scares you.

True story: I saw this in the theater when it first came out in 1975 and I had just come out of 7th grade. My parents took us to see it in a theater in Dayton. Shortly befpre the movie started, these two cute high school looking girls came in and sat in the two seats just to my right. In the scene where the head pops out of the wreck and scares Hooper. Well, the girl immediately to my right instinctively grabbed my arm, and needless to say it made me jump. Trouble is I had a bag of loose candy in my lap... which needless to say went everywhere. She spent the rest of the film apologizing. Like I was upset. As it turned out, her friend had left after the opening scene, because it scare her so much.

It was a great film.

Man. That's the best story ever!

And, yeah, I agree that the limitations with the mechanical shark and the real shark footage added to suspense of the movie/not seeing the shark which would probably be ruined today. (If the movie was made by George Lucas we all know that by now there'd be a Special Extra Super Edition of Jaws out with a CGI shark shown in almost every scene.)

It's just that Jaws is such a fantasticly well done movie. Movies like this just aren't made anymore. Is there any movie character out there like Quint? Any scene like the comparing scars/story of the Independence and then trio singing inside the Orca?

It's just a great, great, movie. I never get tired of it.

(Though I do want to punch the Mayor in his stupid fat head. )

 

[Neroon]

I felt some compassion for him, when he responded to Brody ... "my boy was on that beach, too".

This film is a perfect example of the movie being MUCH better than the book that inspired it.

BTW... anyone who watches "House", this is where "Bad Hat Harry Productions" comes from.

 

[Samurai8472]

I think one of the many scenes that stick in my head is the stupid fishermens face

Fisherman: Yeah but what kind? What kind of shark?
Hooper: Tiger shark.
Fisherman: A what?

lol

What I dont understand is Quint is almost sane when he says

Quint: We're gonna draw him into the shadows, draw him in the shallow water,
gonna draw him in and drown him. We're headin' in, Brody!
Martin: Thank Christ! Ever have a Great White do this?

Then Quint floors the engine so much that they break down and well you know the rest.A bit stupid and rash

(If the movie was made by George Lucas we all know that by now there'd be a Special Extra Super Edition of Jaws out with a CGI shark shown in almost every scene.)

I'll be standing by with my Back to the future 2 quote

"Shark still looks fake"

 

[Trekker4747]

I felt some compassion for him, when he responded to Brody ... "my boy was on that beach, too".

Yeah, but this was after so much happened. Four people (the female swimmer in the begining, the Kintner boy, Ben and the teenager at estuary) had died, and their shark expert had said the bite-radius of the capture tiger shark didn't match the remains they had, nor did it have any human remains in him and the tooth of a Great White had been found in a damaged boat. His chief of police -most responsible for everyones lives- had tried to close the beaches several times only to be turned down because of the mayor's economic interests to the town.

Brody had tried and tried in vain to get the mayor to close the beaches, hire Quint and find the shark but the mayor refused to let anything happen that might endager the town's Summer tourist season. He comes across as an arrogant asshole, and probably not too much unlike a lot of mayors. It took Brody a killing or two too long to smack the mayor down and force him to allow Quint to find the shark.

Fantastic movie though. That it has layers like this in the bureaucratic nonsense of the town is one of many interesting aspects of it.

What I dont understand is Quint is almost sane when he says

Quint: We're gonna draw him into the shadows, draw him in the shallow water,
gonna draw him in and drown him. We're headin' in, Brody!
Martin: Thank Christ! Ever have a Great White do this?

"Cage goes in the water. You go in the water. Shark in the water, our shark? [singing]Farewell and adieu to you, fair Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu, you ladies of Spain. For we've received orders for to sail back to Boston. And so nevermore shall we see you again."

The "working class" vs. "high class" interplay betwen Quint and Hooper plus the small ammount of respect he shows Brody, "Chief" is very interesting too.

 

[Sephiroth]

jaws will forever be one of the greatest movies

 

[Brikar99]

Definitely love this movie. Just great film-making. Excellent performances, great score, good direction, and the shark is pretty effective, I think. Sure, it looks "fake", but it's that good kind of fake. I hadn't watched this movie in years before I got the recent 30th Anniversary DVD, and I jumped when the shark comes out of the water. My roommate, who'd never seen the movie, did the same.

I enjoyed it much more than the book it's based on. What a rare thing that is.

 

[Samurai8472]

What I find funny is all the technology from Hopper and it still didn't help. They had to go low tech(Quints boat) then when all options are deleted they try the cage(which I saw on Mythbusters ) that fails too.

I like all kinds of tech, so I would have gone the expensive route.

 

[Sephiroth]

What I find funny is all the technology from Hopper and it still didn't help. They had to go low tech(Quints boat) then when all options are deleted they try the cage(which I saw on Mythbusters ) that fails too.

I like all kinds of tech, so I would have gone the expensive route.

but in the end, thats what they ended up doing

 

[Jack Bauer]

The Jaws sequels are the crapiest sequels ever. None of them even come close to emulating the style and scariness of the original. Jaws scared the shit out of me when I finally saw it on VHS. I was too young to see it in the theater.

 

[WillsBabe]

Jaws is one of my favourite movies. It's Speilberg before I lost faith in him. It's petty much the perfect movie for me and I really don't think it needs remaking.

 

[Nardpuncher]

I was only 2 when it came out but saw it dozens of times on VHS.

When I watch the DVD now I think fondly of what it must've been like back in that summer...going to the beach with buddies then heading into the theatre on a hot night and getting chills. Plus Star Wars was around the corner...well, not that anyone knew that then....but I'm reminiscing on the 70s.

 

[BillJ]

On HDNet Movies, Saturday @ 8pm EST.

 

[JuanBolio]

I felt some compassion for him, when he responded to Brody ... "my boy was on that beach, too".

Yeah, but this was after so much happened. Four people (the female swimmer in the begining, the Kintner boy, Ben and the teenager at estuary) had died, and their shark expert had said the bite-radius of the capture tiger shark didn't match the remains they had, nor did it have any human remains in him and the tooth of a Great White had been found in a damaged boat. His chief of police -most responsible for everyones lives- had tried to close the beaches several times only to be turned down because of the mayor's economic interests to the town.

Brody had tried and tried in vain to get the mayor to close the beaches, hire Quint and find the shark but the mayor refused to let anything happen that might endager the town's Summer tourist season. He comes across as an arrogant asshole, and probably not too much unlike a lot of mayors. It took Brody a killing or two too long to smack the mayor down and force him to allow Quint to find the shark.

Oh, man, you should read the original novel. The Mayor has mafia ties that are forcing him to keep the beaches open, and Hooper fucks Brody's wife.

 

[HRHTheKING]

It's the best movie ever made IMO.


A remake is unnecessary. If they wanted to create a new JAWS movie, then a story based on Quint on the USS Indianapolis would be the best concept. That was the original idea Spielberg had for JAWS 2. Another concept could be based on the Jersey Shore killings of 1916, the events which inspired the first JAWS movie.

I'd love to see both concepts produced, if they were handled properly.

 

[Trekker4747]

It's the best movie ever made IMO.


A remake is unnecessary. If they wanted to create a new JAWS movie, then a story based on Quint on the USS Indianapolis would be the best concept. That was the original idea Spielberg had for JAWS 2. Another concept could be based on the Jersey Shore killings of 1916, the events which inspired the first JAWS movie.

I'd love to see both concepts produced, if they were handled properly.

Ohhh. Those both sound like really great ideas, especailly the Indianapolis one.

 

[Neroon]

Oh, man, you should read the original novel. The Mayor has mafia ties that are forcing him to keep the beaches open, and Hooper fucks Brody's wife.

Perfect examples of why the movie is so much better than the book. None of that had any relevance to the story. Especially Hooper and Mrs. Brody's affair.

 

[Trekker4747]

Oh, man, you should read the original novel. The Mayor has mafia ties that are forcing him to keep the beaches open, and Hooper fucks Brody's wife.

Perfect examples of why the movie is so much better than the book. None of that had any relevance to the story. Especially Hooper and Mrs. Brody's affair.

Yeah, seems like Benchly's novel has a lot of extra nonsense in it that just isn't needed. Hooper and Mrs. Brody? Silly and out of line.