Mystery/Thriller The JAWS Appreciation Thread

[Erzengel]

I always find myself waffling between Jaws and Raiders as best blockbuster ever. They are both about as close to perfect as you can get.

I'd add Star Wars to that list.

 

[Drizzle]

I wanted to see the rerelease today, but since I don't really have a lot of time to go see movies in theaters right now, I opted to see Inside Out instead and watch this one on Blu-ray when I got home. This movie never gets old.

 

[danoyse]

Just got back from the TCM screening tonight. This is one of my favorite movies, but I’d never seen it in the theater before. It was SO great. The show was completely sold out, and the audience was amazing.

Everyone applauded when Quint first appeared. And they cheered at “You’re going to need a bigger boat”, and at the aftermath of “Smile, you son of a....!”

And even better, people were jumping out of their seats and screaming - the biggest reaction was Ben Gardner’s head falling out of the wrecked boat.

It was perfect. I’ve always wanted to see that in the theater, and I’m so glad I finally got the chance. It looked fantastic on the big screen, and it holds up better than ever now.

 

[Lord]

This is worrying. Though i do see more potential in a new Jaws film than a Back to the Future one. Anyway, i realy hope they're not seriously considering a remake, i wouldn't mind it if they just did a follow up with new characters and motivation that could acknowledge the first film happened, sort of like Jurassic World did.

http://metro.co.uk/2015/09/03/are-universal-pictures-and-steven-spielberg-circling-a-remake-of-jaws-5374414/

I always find myself waffling between Jaws and Raiders as best blockbuster ever. They are both about as close to perfect as you can get.

While they kick started the Blockbuster era, i don't think they have ages as well as other blockbusters, E.T. for example doesn't seem to get as much talked about, but it has barely aged since it was released imao.

The Back to the Future trilogy has also surprisingly not aged much, aside from the instory ideas of 2015 and references, the style and pacing remains exactly the same modern films follow, not even having those slower scenes film back then used to have.

 

[Brian Braddock]

I wouldn't be too concerned - it's only the Metro and they are far from reliable.

 

[Supernova]

Jaws has aged pretty well I think. Still makes people think twice when they go into the water.

 

[Brian Braddock]

Indeed it does. Saw it when I was four, was a HUGE thing for me to get over [wouldn't go into the sea, recurring nightmares etc] and it's now my favorite movie. If [and I do mean if] there is one thing that could be touched up with CG, I think they could do something with the FX where Bruce jumps onto the ORCA [it's funny, FX criticisms aside, for all the criticisms of that scene in regards to believability one only has to watch AIR JAWS on the Discovery Channel to see Great Whites leaping out of the water - I assume that's what they were going for].

 

[antonydelfini]

Jaws and Raiders are timeless.

 

[Lord]

They're great, but i don't think they have aged nearly as well as other films i pointed out, not that it makes them worse films, just means people nowadays in their 8-20s might have a harder time getting into them. I myself watched Raiders only when i was 16 years old and i remember not liking it all that much, i prefered Last Crusade, even though i've come to apreciate Raiders more over the past years.

Classics are classics for a good reason, but the older they are, the harder it is for people who are accostumed to modern films to get into them. For example, i loved Ben-Hur and Casablanca, and i think they have aged very well, but i doubt most people i know would be able to get into them.

 

[Teelie]

I just finished rewatching Jaws: The Revenge a few minutes ago. I hadn't seen it in at least 15-20 years.

It is a great terrible movie. There are some scenes that truly are good, they would have gone well in a shark attack movie not tied down with so much useless clutter related to Jaws and with some better effects.

The ones that spring to mind as the best would be the scene in the sunken ship where Michael is trying to escape Jaws and has several near misses. And then the scene where Jaws comes right up on Jake (Mario van Peebles) in the mini submersible. Who expects a 25-30' shark to just pop up from nowhere in the Bahamas? Most of the water scenes in fact were pretty well done. That is where this movie is at its best.

The obvious exception is the finale which I'll get to.

Having the Brody family and especially Ellen's insistence the shark is stalking her family ruins everything else. The "alternate" ending is the most ridiculous and stupid conclusions in the history of cinema. I can't think of any movie with a more absurd and nonsensical finale. Blowing up the shark with the wodden tip of the boat's bow? How in the hell did they think that was logical in any way at all? What was explosive? This is not helped by the liberal reusing of the exploding shark footage from the first movie.

The original but still ridiculous ending of the shark being impaled on the bow is better (and excessively bloody) though it does not explain why the shark roars (no vocal cords or lungs) as it is zapped by the device. Why would it shoot up out of the water like that instead of trying to swim away or into deeper water? There is no explaining that logic.

All of that said, it was still fun to watch the movie. I would not want to see a remake of Jaws so much as another shark attack movie in the same vein but with the added scene of trying to escape from the sunken ship as it stalks the diver(s). Just maybe a little more plausibly large sunken ship. This one looked too small for a shark that size to enter it let alone swim menacingly around.

 

[Teelie]

I watched Jaws 2 today and while a wholly unnecessary sequel it still stands up well enough compared to other sequels. This movie had no reason to exist except to cash in on the first one and it even treads over many of the same plot points but they made it just different enough to allow it to exist on its own.

You never had to have seen Jaws to understand this movie even as it references it. Everything was neatly contained.

I think if there ever is a reboot of the Jaws franchise (and these days you know they're itching for it) they should incorporate some of the elements from this into it.

Like I said previously though, I would rather they make an unrelated shark attack movie with the same kind of adventure, horror and seriousness of the first movie. One that isn't a blatant rip off of Jaws so much as a call back or homage. And add just a bit from this.

I have no intention of watching the worst of the Jaws movies, Jaws 3D. It was even worse than Jaws the Revenge IMO and that was a bad movie.

 

[Brian Braddock]

I'd watch 3D over Revenge any day of the week, to be honest.

 

[A Necessary Evil]

Jaws 3D sucks, but I absolutely and totally loathe Revenge. 19 was pretty good tho

 

[Brian Braddock]

3D at least has a nice retro early 80's vibe though, a great Alan Parker score and decent actors; its rubbish but its entertaining rubbish. Whereas apart from Seans death, Revenge literally has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, apart from if you watch it like youre watching a comedy.

 

[Dave McFly]

I always liked that guy he was funny

 

[Teelie]

3D at least has a nice retro early 80's vibe though, a great Alan Parker score and decent actors; its rubbish but its entertaining rubbish. Whereas apart from Seans death, Revenge literally has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, apart from if you watch it like youre watching a comedy.

I watched it not quite like a comedy but close to it. There were some really stupid and lazy things done in Jaws 3D, like the entire 3D part where the shark literally does nothing but float into the glass and break it but there is no movement whatsoever. That singular part alone is enough to put it on the bottom of the pile for me.

 

[DarkKnight88]

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Crazy if true.

 

[Silvermoth]

If you want a masterclass in filmmaking, watch the inlet scene.

From the joke of the two kids playing a practical joke, to the shark quietly entering the unmonitored area, to chief Brody going from “oh I have to check it as part of my job” to “oh no, this might be something” to the horror of the kids on the raft and the first proper look at the shark. Perfect scene

 

[Schlosser85]

I never quite got why Brody thought the pond was safe when the ocean feeds straight into it.

 

[Broseph44]

I never quite got why Brody thought the pond was safe when the ocean feeds straight into it.

Well considering hardly anybody really seemed to be using the pond. It was 4th of July weekend. The big attraction was people visiting to go to the beach. I doubt these visitors went on vacation to Amity to go to the pond. And Brody likely assumes the massive amount of people in the water at the beach is more of a target and attraction for the shark then a few people in the pond.

 

[Silvermoth]

[Toy Fair] Funko Goes Horror Crazy With ‘Jaws’ and ‘Pet Sematary’ POP! Vinyl Toys

Funko has spent this morning previewing a TON of upcoming POP! vinyl toys ahead of Toy Fair this weekend, and up next we’ve got a sneak peek at Jaws and Pet Sematary vinyls!

As seen below, the Jaws wave will include not one but two figures of “Bruce” the killer shark, both of them 6″ super-sized POPs: one has an air tank in his mouth, the other does not.

Hooper, Quint and Brody are also getting their own POP! toys.

Oh my gosh they’re so perfect I want them!

 

[HKpowerup]

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.

I love Jaws, it's a classic that will continue to stand the test of time.

I'm surprised you say it doesn't get enough respect, I feel it's one of the most universally loved films of all time, especially amongst the critic and wider film community. I wouldn't put too much emphasis on its IMDB ranking, its Rotten Tomatoes score and likability amongst the critic base speaks for itself.

 

[Silvermoth]

Original 'Jaws' Mold Shark Fully Restored for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures announced on Thursday that the sole surviving full-scale model from the Jaws shark mold has been "fully transformed." The only details awaiting to be added are eyes and teeth.

Nicknamed "Bruce," the fiberglas model is the fourth and final version made from the original mold. It was not used in the film, but instead was created for display at Universal Studios.

The 1975 Steven Spielberg classic is about a seemingly endless aquatic killing machine terrorizing a New England tourist town.

 

[Zorro]

I just did my annual Jaws watch. Well I always do it during 4th of July week but eh just felt like it today

 

[Hobgoblin]

My wife and my brothers girlfriend are the same age (ten years younger than I am) and were discussing movies they grew up with. My wife was making fun of me for assuming she’d seen Jaws because it’s an old movie or something.

She always teases me for being old, so that’s no biggie, but the fact that Jaws is now “so old” that it’s not worth seeing was kinda depressing.