Jaws

I always like how the mayor drives his entourage onto the ferry just to nag Brody, then when they reach the other side, he tells the ferry guy "OK, you can go back now," and you can see the ferry guy just shake his head in annoyance.

Re: withholding and hinting, it's quite striking how quickly everything starts happening. First shark attack happens literally 4 minutes in. But the second one, with the kid, is around minute 17. That one is one of the most frightening shots of the shark, just this blur coming into focus below the water that pulls him under. And then, from a distance, you just see this mass of splashing, thrashing and indistinct fins.

There's also the horrifying moment when they bring Hooper back to see the body, and they basically bring out a small drawer.

I've probably said this before, but I saw or read something once about the famous dolly/zoom shot of Brady during the second attack that pointed out how Hitchcock required x amount of days and x amount of dollars for a similar shot (more than one I think) in Vertigo, and Spielberg just tosses it out there nonchalantly. (Yes, I realize Hitchcock got there first, and that Spielberg's got a 17-year technological advantage.)

http://nofilmschool.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_wide/public/jaws-jaws-jaws.jpg?itok=eYNM5jBw

At the same time, this by today's standards modest movie took significantly longer to shoot than, say, Black Panther, which shows how many problems they had.

See, that shot is a great example of what we were talking about. Scheider there is a movie star, professionally lit and made up. He's two years younger than I am now, but he looks at least 10 years older than me and my friends.

You should read this--thought I posted about it in this thread, but I guess not.

http://i.harperapps.com/covers/9780062229281/x300.jpg

That looks awesome!

Weird to think vertigo was only 17 years old when jaws was released

I feel like there's a Woody Allen joke there somewhere.

That book was pretty good, thanks for the recommendation. Interesting that they even released a contemporaneous account. Usually these sorts of books only appear after a movie flops, a la The Devil's Candy or Final Cut.

Watched this with the family tonight — my wife and kids had never seen it and I hadn’t in years — and everybody was super tense the whole time. This Spielberg kid has potential.

never lets me down, i will never not love this movie

I think Jaws is a stealthy Holocaust movie but I can’t really explain, y/n?

n

n

Nah I’m right sorry

Stevie Spiels wishing for east coast WASPs to have a holocaust of their own, to spread empathic understanding without polemic?

idk

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now you're doing that shit when the url doesn't even show in the thread?

Watched this again last night. They truly don't make em like they used to. I swear Quint's demise goes on longer and grislier every time; the edit from the shark crunching down and him spitting up blood is proper filmmaking.

Scheider is vv good here, funny, smartly ahead of the game, flawed in his being pressured into second guessing, but heroic despite his deep fear, and a great example of a lead character who is also an audience surrogate.

Really like how the Williams score will periodically turn thrilling and glorious when they're chasing down the shark, echoing the overconfidence of the hunting party.

I find it p funny (not a detriment to the film btw) that the Mayor gets shook enough to hire Quint after that fella in the rowboat gets feasted on off in the side pond, but the kid turning into a blood fountain in full view of hundreds of beachgoers has him all, "now let's not be hasty here."

There's a screening at a rep theatre here in a few weeks, Friday night @ 9:30; hope it's as jam-packed as can be.

Hold up, apparently there is an imminent Broadway production about the making of the movie, called "The Shark is Broken"? Starring Robert Shaw's son as Chief Brody?

I think that's played London before

For maximum insanity, a musical I can only hope.

Couldn't make a Friday night screening--about 100 people I was told--but saw this at a rep tonight. The promise of "35mm print" is losing its allure: this one wasn't great.

Besides all the stuff it's actually famous for, I'd rank this as one of funniest films of the '70s. There are at least a half-dozen moments I'd point to to support that.

Not sure if I knew this or not, but I noticed Michael Chapman served as camera operator, a year before he shot Taxi Driver. (Reading up, he did the same on The Godfather.

Zen poetry:

A cloud
in the shape
of a killer shark

[1]I find it p funny (not a detriment to the film btw) that the Mayor gets shook enough to hire Quint after that fella in the rowboat gets feasted on off in the side pond, but the kid turning into a blood fountain in full view of hundreds of beachgoers has him all, "now let's not be hasty here."[/1]

Wasn't it because his own son was in the side pool? Or something like that.

king of the formatting

It's partly that, but the big difference is that after the kid, they think they they've caught the shark; the guy in the rowboat confirms Hooper's contention that they've caught a shark, not the shark.

I wonder if Spielberg had to fight the studio to kill the kid (and presumably remain faithful to the novel)? A lot of blood for a kid dying on screen.

I think when I sort of meant to say was clearly the mayor is deeply shaken and guilt-ridden after the boater is killed, but doesn't seem too guilt-ridden about pushing to keep the beaches open earlier, which leads to the kid being killed. I don't think it's a story flaw or anything, I was going to say that Brody taking all of the blame willingly when the kid's mom confronts him feels a bit off, but in thinking about it he definitely took that blame because he certainly didn't push back hard enough on the mayor, and later he certainly gives the mayor the disrespectful, shoving him around treatment he deserves when making him sign the contract with quint.

This movie has more blood than John Wick 4.

Was curious if either Brody kid had ever gone on to do anything--Jaws is literally the only screen credit for both of them. (They really young kid is so great when he mimics Scheider at the dinner table.) Also, the TV guy who delivers the "A cloud in the shape of a killer shark" line is Peter Benchley!

"The," not "They"

One more: in the IMDB full cast credits, Spielberg is listed as "Amity Point Lifestation Worker (voice)." Will have to listen carefully for that next time. (If there is one...I think I've reached my limit.)

the older Brody kid passed away pretty young, a heart attack. late thirties iirc.

My mother took me on my 10th birthday to see this film during its first run. It still holds up extremely well, thanks mostly to the script and the acting--and the shark's not working for most of the shots.