Jaws - 40th anniversary of the movie

[Smilin Ed H]

Here's a great piece on Jaws and its significance:

http://fridaynightboys300.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/clive-james-new-essay-collection-and.html

First saw this many years ago and it scared the crap out of me - especially the slow build up at the start and the attack on the beach.

[KDS]

The link didn't bring up anything about Jaws.

Jaws is easily my favorite movie of all time.  It's one of the most perfect movies ever made.  Perhaps that's why it seems to be one of the few classic movies of the 70s / 80s that isn't destined (or doomed depending on the situation) to be remade. 

[Mike's Beard]

It's come close at least once with a female Quint and Ving Rhames playing Brody. Wouldn't that have been great? 

[BrianAlDaveFan]

Jaws is easily my favorite movie of all time.  It's one of the most perfect movies ever made.

I agree that it's one of the most perfect movies ever made. ("Robocop" is as well - the original, of course!)
I would love to see "Jaws" in theaters this month.
(Go to Fathomevents.com to see if the re-release is near you - and no, I am not an employee of any movie company!)

[Smilin Ed H]

The link didn't bring up anything about Jaws.

Jaws is easily my favorite movie of all time.  It's one of the most perfect movies ever made.  Perhaps that's why it seems to be one of the few classic movies of the 70s / 80s that isn't destined (or doomed depending on the situation) to be remade. 

Bugger. Mea culpa. Here it is:

http://fridaynightboys300.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/jaws-40-years-on.html

[Lee Marshall]

sh*t Ed!!!  Does that mean we can't go swimming again this summer?   I went out west to work radio in Winnipeg in 1976.  The Promotions Director had a goldfish sitting on her desk in a little goldfish bowl.  'His' name was Jaws.

Oh the memories.

[Smilin Ed H]

I'd love to see it on the big screen.

[Rocky Raccoon]

Jaws is such a fantastic film.  There are too many thrillers that put everything into the shock factor and don't put any effort in writing a great script or memorable characters.  Jaws is a completely different animal (a shark to be exact).  The performances, Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Murray Hamilton.  My favorite part of the movie isn't any of the shark attacks or the famous score or the immortal catchphrase "We're going to need a bigger boat".  It's Robert Shaw's breathtaking monologue as Quint.  Scenes like that are the kinds of scenes that make me love the movies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9S41Kplsbs

[Smilin Ed H]

Jaws is such a fantastic film.  There are too many thrillers that put everything into the shock factor and don't put any effort in writing a great script or memorable characters.  Jaws is a completely different animal (a shark to be exact).  The performances, Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Murray Hamilton.  My favorite part of the movie isn't any of the shark attacks or the famous score or the immortal catchphrase "We're going to need a bigger boat".  It's Robert Shaw's breathtaking monologue as Quint.  Scenes like that are the kinds of scenes that make me love the movies.

A fantastic scene!

[KDS]

It one of the many documentaries on Jaws, they revealed that Quint's Indianapolis monologue was taken from two takes.  In one of those takes, he's completely sh#t faced, drunk.  And you can't tell the difference. 

Jaws, back when special effects took a back seat to acting, character development, and storytelling.  Sadly, its the other way around now. 

[Mike's Beard]

What's weird is that I don't consider Robert Shaw to be a good actor in anything else I've seen him in but his portrayal of Quinn has to be one of the best performances in cinema ever.

[rab2591]

It one of the many documentaries on Jaws, they revealed that Quint's Indianapolis monologue was taken from two takes.  In one of those takes, he's completely sh#t faced, drunk.  And you can't tell the difference. 

Jaws, back when special effects took a back seat to acting, character development, and storytelling.  Sadly, its the other way around now. 

I watched a documentary on John Milius; Spielberg told a story about how when he was working on Jaws, he wanted a scene about the USS Indianapolis but couldn't write it himself. Milius came back 2 days later with a, I think, 25 minute long scene of just the Indianapolis story. Blew Spielberg away, of course they had to trim the story down a heck of a lot, but nonetheless the brilliance is still there. I would love to read that original 25 minute version though.

[KDS]

It one of the many documentaries on Jaws, they revealed that Quint's Indianapolis monologue was taken from two takes.  In one of those takes, he's completely sh#t faced, drunk.  And you can't tell the difference. 

Jaws, back when special effects took a back seat to acting, character development, and storytelling.  Sadly, its the other way around now. 

I watched a documentary on John Milius; Spielberg told a story about how when he was working on Jaws, he wanted a scene about the USS Indianapolis but couldn't write it himself. Milius came back 2 days later with a, I think, 25 minute long scene of just the Indianapolis story. Blew Spielberg away, of course they had to trim the story down a heck of a lot, but nonetheless the brilliance is still there. I would love to read that original 25 minute version though.

I think Richard Zanuck, one of the producers, said that when Jaws 2 was originally going to be a prequel about Quint and the Indianapolis.  But that was shot down because the studio wanted the recognizable characters from the original. 

[Mike's Beard]

I think they still should make the Quint prequel.

[KDS]

There was some talk about an Indianapolis movie a few years ago.  Mel Gibson was supposed to be the captain of the ship.  But, I haven't heard anything about it in years. 

There was a halfway decent made of TV movie about it called Mission of the Shark from 1991. 

I think the great missed opportunity for a Jaws sequel was "Jaws 3, People 0."  Richard Zanuck said after the second movie, there was really no point in making another serious Jaws movie, so he wanted to get with David Zucker (who did Kentucky Fried Movie, and wound up directing Airplane, Top Secret, and the Naked Gun movies) to direct a parody. 

I liked Jaws 2, but I would've taken a parody over Jaws 3 and Jaws: The Revenge. 

[Mike's Beard]

I thought Jaws The Revenge was a parody.

Mrs.Brody : This Great White shark is going to hunt me and my family down no matter what and there's nothing I can do to stop it.
Audience: MOVE TO SOMEWHERE LIKE NEBRASKA YOU STOOOPID WOMAN!

[RangeRoverA1]

It one of the many documentaries on Jaws

Do you know if there is a single complete docu on "Jaws" on YT?

I've been a Jaws fan since 5 y.o. We had VHS cassette of it & sequel. 3D with Dennis Quaid isn't bad either. But you're all right to say Quint was bright character. I was so enraged those idiots made him die instead of that stupid 4-eyed know-it-all 'academic'. It's weird the pirate-looking guy would die half cut by shark. waist down, the teeth go deep into his belly. some blood. So, so wrong.

[RangeRoverA1]

As for remakes, why not? Just for comparison's sake. 'Female Quint' sounds insane, but sth. other would be good. I like comparing old v new version.

[KDS]

It one of the many documentaries on Jaws

Do you know if there is a single complete docu on "Jaws" on YT?

I've been a Jaws fan since 5 y.o. We had VHS cassette of it & sequel. 3D with Dennis Quaid isn't bad either. But you're all right to say Quint was bright character. I was so enraged those idiots made him die instead of that stupid 4-eyed know-it-all 'academic'. It's weird the pirate-looking guy would die half cut by shark. waist down, the teeth go deep into his belly. some blood. So, so wrong.

Both were originally supposed to die. 

Hooper was supposed to die in the shark cage.  But the little person who tangled with the real great white during filming had a heart attack and couldn't complete his scene.  They had great footage of a real shark ripping the empty cage apart.  Since this was well before CGI, they changed the ending so Hooper escapes the cage and lives. 

Both characters also die in the book.  But the Hooper character is much different and had an affair with Brody's wife. 

Not sure if there are any docs on Youtube, but if you can find the 30th Anniversary DVD, it has a great two hour doc. 

[RangeRoverA1]

Not sure if there are any docs on Youtube, but if you can find the 30th Anniversary DVD, it has a great two hour doc. 

Thanks for advice! I'll ask my friends here & outside if they can find me an avi format of this doc.

[KDS]

RangeRover,

This is a pretty good one.  Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC3bh0Yj-Fs