Mystery/Thriller The JAWS Appreciation Thread

[Gamingboy]

One movie that never gets enough respect is Jaws. Yes, it is currently no. 92 on IMDB, putting it right above The Sting and right below Touch of Evil, but even that seems low (by which I mean "too high a number" or "underrated") compared to just how goddamn good that movie is. It CREATED the modern suspense thriller and was the first honest-to-goodness summer blockbuster. Yet I always get this feeling that the sequels and the 10,000 "Monster of the Week" TV movies (turn on Sci-Fi channel on any given weekend and you will probably know what I'm talking about) have dulled the greatness of the first "Jaws" movie. So I think we should share our appreciation for Jaws right here, in an appreciation thread.

 

[The Amazing Lee]

It is a great great movie and is definitely what I consider to be one of the best Horror/thrillers out there. It's witty, funny and most importantly it leaves you at the edge of the seat throughout the whole movie.

You never truely know when Jaws is going to pop up, even with John Williams' music cues...which at times build up a great atmosphere for the movie. By adding that simple yet haunting "Duuh DUN!" he was able to tell audiences when to expect danger but at the same time, he was able to trick the audiences by using and not using the theme to create even more tension.

 

[WompuM]

Possibly the greatest movie with the worst sequals.

 

[Brian Braddock]

Simply put, Jaws is my favorite movie. Talk about an iconic classic - seem to remember there was a similiar thread a few years back.

Jaws: Often imitated - never bettered.

(and before any smart-ass makes the quip - no, I'm not Brian Singer)

 

[Jochimus]

Best fish story EVAH!

 

[Carmine Falcone]

ROBERT SHAW GODDAMNIT! ROBERT ****ING SHAW GODDAMNIT!

If Quint isn't one of the coolest movie characters ever created I don't know who is. In the same leauge as Dirty Harry Callahan atleast.

 

[TLH]

PLEASE come to Blu-ray

 

[The Shredder]

I absolutely love JAWS.

Such a great film, and one of the few movies I'll actually watch (if time permits) every single time I see it played on TV.

 

[Shifty]

If you can find the novel in a library, I recommend you read it. A whole subplot was dropped with the mayor, Hooper/Mrs.Brody.

 

[Leto Atrides]

Love this movie. On some level, I find that the second half is more of an adventure movie than horror/thriller/whatever. It's a like Jurassic Park in that aspect, pretty much any other director would have made a full out moster horror movie. But Spielberg, in tandem with John Williams, makes it adventurous. Especially the chase aspects of it, and Williams' Korngold fanfare when they're cruising around.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

The third act in Jaws is the best 40 minutes of any movie ever made as far as I'm concerned. It is merely good prior to that, but everything that happens after they leave on the Orca is a thing of beauty.

 

[BizarroAids]

"Smile you son of .." BOOM!

I'm not old enough to have seen it in the theaters...but I would have loved to seen the crowd reaction to that. I wonder if it got claps and cheers as some movies do now.

It's a classic, when I saw it for the first time as a kid, I remember being terrified of the ocean, but this movie only sparked my interest in sharks.t:

 

[Cain]

One of the greatest horror features in history. So well written and directed I really miss this type of Spielberg film. You could see the hear and soul all over it that his current blockbusters just don't have.

 

[The Shredder]

"Smile you son of .." BOOM!

I'm not old enough to have seen it in the theaters...but I would have loved to seen the crowd reaction to that. I wonder if it got claps and cheers as some movies do now.

From what I've heard from the various documentaries detailing the production of JAWS, that was indeed the case. I believe Spielberg changed the way the shark was killed from the book version, for that very reason. He wanted the audiences cheering. And from all accounts, that's exactly what happened.

 

[ANTOINE X]

I will always remember this movie. Its funny some times how some of the movies with really simple story got that far... Well I don't think there's gonna be any remakes of that movie so for those who would like to see a modern JAWS go check Open water 1&2 it's not so bad t:

 

[Brian Braddock]

Actually, there have been a view scares in terms of a remake over the years.

With the remake trend growing even more popular with studios nowadays; I expect it to happen at some point.

 

[Leto Atrides]

From what I've heard from the various documentaries detailing the production of JAWS, that was indeed the case. I believe Spielberg changed the way the shark was killed from the book version, for that very reason. He wanted the audiences cheering. And from all accounts, that's exactly what happened.

Yeah, Peter Benchley initially objected as shooting a scuba tank wouldn't make it blow up like that, but decided Spielberg knew what he was doing.

 

[The Shredder]

Yeah, Peter Benchley initially objected as shooting a scuba tank wouldn't make it blow up like that, but decided Spielberg knew what he was doing.

Speaking of deviating from the book. I would absolutely love to know exactly who was the director, that was referred to on the E! True Hollywood Story of JAWS, that kept insisting the use of a killer whale, and not a shark. One of the producers mentioned this story, and said that Benchley finally had enough during the meeting, and stood up yelling, "It's a shark! It's a shark, damnit!"



Needless to say, Spielberg was then brought in shortly thereafter.

 

[nite-owl]

I love Jaws it's one of my favourite movies and the rides great too.

 

[Shifty]

Adjust for inflation it would've made $881,182,300 at the box office with 2008 numbers.

Plus it was the first film to have a wide release and national marketing campaign. Before Jaws movies would open in some theatres in select cities and expand into more cities week after week depending on well the film was doing. Universal gambled and of course it paid of big.

Today there are movies that open in the big markets and then in a week or two expand nationally or slowly build if its an indie but every film that opens wide each week is because of Jaws.

 

[Brian Braddock]

Speaking of deviating from the book. I would absolutely love to know exactly who was the director, that was referred to on the E! True Hollywood Story of JAWS, that kept insisting the use of a killer whale, and not a shark. One of the producers mentioned this story, and said that Benchley finally had enough during the meeting, and stood up yelling, "It's a shark! It's a shark, damnit!"



Needless to say, Spielberg was then brought in shortly thereafter.

Lol - kinda like Brody trying to convince the council members that there is a shark in the divers photo in Jaws 2.

 

[Han-Solo]

Great Films


1 and 2 are the best

 

[The Shredder]

Lol - kinda like Brody trying to convince the council members that there is a shark in the divers photo in Jaws 2.

Haha

That's true. Makes you wonder if Benchley told the producers after Spielberg declined to return for the sequel, "I know what a shark looks like, cause I've seen one up close! And you better do something about this one (IE possibly another director who wants to make a movie about a killer whale and not a shark), cause I dont intend to go thru that hell again!"

 

[Han-Solo]

we need a Jaws 5

 

[Jochimus]

we need a Jaws 5

That's...debatable.