I know this was supposed to be up a week ago, and I’m really, really sorry. Last week, and even the beginning of this week, was extremely crazy. I promise that by tomorrow I will be back on track with my reviews. Okay, with apologies out of the way, last week’s horror movie Tuesday (which I did watch on Tuesday if that counts for anything) feature was the original shark attack movie, 1975’s Jaws. In case you want to do a little catching up before reading my review, here is the trailer.
The male-led movie stars Roy Scheider as Police Chief Brody of tourist driven Amity Island, Richard Dreyfus as an Oceanographic Institute shark specialist Hooper, and Robert Shaw as shark hunter extraordinaire, Quint.
Jaws opens with a group of teenagers having a party on the beach compete with a bonfire and red Solo cups. Naturally, a guy and girl decide to sneak of for a little private night swim. The girl makes it to the water, but the guy gets to about five feet from the water before passing out drunk in the sand. Once he comes out of his drunken stupor the girl is nowhere to be found. A few days later her chewed-up remains wash up on the shore, leading to the first clue that there could be a shark in the shores off Amity Island.
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photo courtesy of imdb.com |
Since Amity Island’s most profitable business is tourism, and it is the summer season, the Chief’s attempts to shut down the beaches are quickly vetoed by the mayor. Soon enough, the shark attacks again. After a few more attacks it becomes apparent that little Amity Island has a big problem. The rest of the movie follows the town as it deals with tourists, crowded beaches, amateur shark hunters, and a real shark hunter all dealing with the Great White Shark.
Now that I’ve seen Jaws for myself I know why it's a classic. The movie is not just a great horror movie for its plot, it's also filled with rich characters, great thrills, and also great cinematography. Some of the best scenes had almost nothing to do with the shark. My favorite part of the film was when Brody, Hooper, and Quint are all on Quint's boat waiting and trying to catch the shark. During their downtime, the men compare stories and scars, learning more about each other. Somehow, a scene that may sound boring on paper, is an endearing moment between three men waiting and trying to unwind.
Also, what kid hasn’t swum around with their friends and chased them humming the Jaws theme? Its a simple score, but somehow fitting and memorable. The opening scenes with the theme playing and underwater shots set the suspenseful theme for the whole movie. Another great suspenseful aspect is that the audience doesn’t get a glimpse of the killer until halfway through the movie. The underwater approach from the cameras and the blood and splashing are enough to get you jumpy without even seeing the predator. Combine all of this with some classic lines such as “that’s some bad hat Harry” and “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” and it makes a great movie.
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photo courtesy of rottentomatoes.com |
After watching Jaws I can honestly say it's one of my favorite horror movies. It's one that I would definitely recommend renting. It has the rare quality of having a deep storyline and characters as well as great thrills, oh, and great acting on top of it all. It does have the elusive certified fresh 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is impressive. Overall, I loved Jaws and can’t believe I never watched it earlier.
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