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Posted

Finished up my viewing of the original theatrical version. It’s basically a perfect movie. It’s still scary, thrilling, and funny after 50 years. 

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Posted (edited)

Absolutely one of my favorite movies. And despite his prolific and brilliant career, still arguably Spielberg’s best achievement given the circumstances of the production, his age, etc.

I’ve watched the making-of docs many times, but if you haven’t, here’s one to check out (in regrettably low video quality; just get the blu-ray)

 

Edited by LonghornSean
Posted
On 6/19/2025 at 11:28 AM, dcbc said:

Finally,

Quinn once was a bond villain.

robert_1.jpg

Mind blown. I've seen FRWL 50 times i bet. Easily a top 2-3 Bond movie for me.  I can't believe I didn't know this. Lol

Posted

Just saw most of the movie about a week ago when it was airing on one of the cable channels, flipped over probably soon after the opening kill. I’m a fan of the film, but I always saw the movie a bit differently than most: I was a horny 7th or 8th grader around the time the book came out, and no authority figure in school knew it contained sex and naughty words and descriptions of how hot Ellen Brody was. I still remember her imagining “Matt Hooper, stiff as a flagpole by the side of the road.” 

So I was incredibly disappointed to learn the film’s Ellen Brody wasn’t going to be played by a hot actress, but by the meh wife of the studio head. WTF? And the movie cut out all the sex between Ellen and Hooper!?! A bummer when you’re 13. 
 

Posted

The Brody’s were the epitome of 70s parenting…

Kids playing outside while they slept

Michael goes snorkeling unsupervised soon after cutting himself on swingset

kids playing in boat day after Kitner attack

Michael boating in pond unsupervised while shark spotters all over main beach, Sean follows him to pond

Mom doesn’t go up to hospital room after son traumatized witnessing another attack. 
 

Coffee ice cream? WTF. 

 

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Posted

I think it's safe to say that no movie has had a bigger impact on me than Jaws.  I think my parents showed it to me when I was about 6.  Great Job mom and dad.

I've never felt safe in a lake, river or much less the ocean.  It's something I can't escape. 

When we go to the beach I'm constantly on edge watching for dorsal fins while my kids play in the surf. I can't have fun because of the anxiety. At the end of the day I'm mentally exhausted. I don't really tell anyone about it because everyone is having fun as they should but a fun, relaxing day at the beach has never happened for me.  

With all that being said, it's a masterpiece of a film.  Spielberg is a genius and I'm so thankful for all those movies I get show my kids.  This one just stuck with me.  I think that just goes to show how great it is.

 

Posted
23 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

She was 46 when the movie was released.  People born back then aged quicker. Robert Shaw was 48. 

So today I learned that I am the same age as Robert Shaw in Jaws. Jesus fucking Christ. 

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Posted
23 hours ago, Wally Pryor said:

Percy Rodriquez nailed the ominous voice in the original trailer. 

"None of man's fantasies of evil can compare to the reality of Jaws."

 

 

A 3 minute trailer that didn't give away everything...crazy.

Posted

we had a DVD copy in the early 2000s, picked up from one of those $5 bins at BestBuy or something...

my niece first watched it when she was about 3 years old... and it became her absolute favorite movie. every time they were over and it was bedtime for her, i'd pile her in our bed and she'd say 'i want the shark movie!' to fall asleep to. that lasted for years lol. no nightmares, never scared of water, watched it by herself in the dark...amazing 😄

of course she also loved The Grudge and used to get in trouble making that sound to terrify her little friends into crying 😆

hmmm this is starting to explain a lot about her 🤔😆

Posted
On 6/20/2025 at 9:11 PM, austingirl said:

If you're in the Austin area, try to catch a Jaws on the Water showing at Volente Beach. You spend the day at the park, then watch the movie while floating in a tube on the water. They have scuba divers going through the water and grabbing people's legs while they watch - it's really funny. They used to have these showings several times every summer, but they didn't do them the last couple of years. It's back now though and hopefully will go back to being an annual thing.

I went to this in 2005 when they boated everyone from Carlos n Charlie's across to Devil's Cove. It was fantastic. I don't know how the Drafthouse handled liability for that kind of deal as I don't remember having to sign anything, but I was pretty wasted so maybe I did. 

Having everyone start to group together on their tubes during the attack scenes, like a real shipwreck, was amazingly awesome.

Posted
On 6/20/2025 at 3:34 PM, mdmost said:

The Ben Garner head scene was filmed and added after the screening because Spielberg wanted another jump scare based on how well the audience reacted to the original print. 

 

Yep.  He paid for the filming of that extra scene it out of his own pocket.  And because filming on the ocean had concluded by that point, they had to film the scene in someone's (I think it was a producer) pool.  They had to pour powdered milk into the pool to make the water appear murky and so that it would seem like the underwater shots that had been done in the actual ocean. 

Posted

Shit I'm sure everyone in this thread knows, but the mechanical shark was such a piece of shit in the salt water that Spielberg could hardly use it. Had to use footage of real sharks, and mostly no shark. Just barrels, music, etc. And the movie is so much better for it. 

Ben Gardner scene was shot in a swimming pool after the fact that they dumped milk into to make it murky.

Shark was named Bruce after Spielberg's attorney. 

 

1 minute ago, Carl Spackler said:

Yep.  He paid for the filming of that extra scene it out of his own pocket.  And because filming on the ocean had concluded by that point, they had to film the scene in someone's (I think it was a producer) pool.  They had to pour powdered milk into the pool to make the water appear murky and so that it would seem like the underwater shots that had been done in the actual ocean. 

God damnit!

Posted
On 6/20/2025 at 2:08 PM, utee94 said:

Had no idea this was the 50th, but we're having folks over tomorrow night and we're projecting the movie on my inflatable screen and we'll watch it from the pool.  Inspired by the old Alamo Drafthouse roadshows of course.  I've ordered the appropriate inflatable sharks and whatnot.  Unfortunately I can't fit a bigger boat, in the pool.

Our teenagers have never seen it, neither have most of their friends who are coming over.  

I don't have any Falstaff beer, but I do have bourbon and saltines.  I'll also have brisket and ribs.  Gonna be a hoot.  Yeah I said hoot.

Jaws night was awesome.  Our kids invited over some friends, and we had about 20 kids in the pool and hot tub watching the movie, after annihilating 13 lbs of brisket and 3 racks of pork spareribs.

We also had a few of our adult friends, including our new next door neighbors who brought over a bottle of Japanese single malt 12 year, that I later found out was like $180.  It was delicious and we destroyed it within about 45 minutes.

 

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Posted (edited)

Watched this with my 7 year old Friday night.  He’s been asking for 2 months and finally got the thumbs up from Mom.  It was perfect.  He was sufficiently enthralled and scared and had a hard time going to sleep, then woke up and we talked about it and he was proud that he made it through and couldn’t wait to talk to his buddies about it.  He want me to watch Jaws 2 with him now.  I have no recollection of that movie so need to revisit it first. 
 

We are going to watch the making of here this weekend to ground things a little bit.  
 

 

Edited by A-Tex Devil
Posted
On 6/21/2025 at 6:20 AM, Underdog said:

The Brody’s were the epitome of 70s parenting…

Kids playing outside while they slept

Michael goes snorkeling unsupervised soon after cutting himself on swingset

kids playing in boat day after Kitner attack

Michael boating in pond unsupervised while shark spotters all over main beach, Sean follows him to pond

Mom doesn’t go up to hospital room after son traumatized witnessing another attack. 
 

Coffee ice cream? WTF. 

 

*Brodys

 

And Jaws is a masterful film.

Posted
5 hours ago, A-Tex Devil said:

Watched this with my 7 year old Friday night.  He’s been asking for 2 months and finally got the thumbs up from Mom.  It was perfect.  He was sufficiently enthralled and scared and had a hard time going to sleep, then woke up and we talked about it and he was proud that he made it through and couldn’t wait to talk to his buddies about it.  He want me to watch Jaws 2 with him now.  I have no recollection of that movie so need to revisit it first. 
 

We are going to watch the making of here this weekend to ground things a little bit.  
 

 

Jaws 2 is underrated IMO. It can’t compare with the original but there’s still some good stuff, especially in the second half which plays kinda like a slasher film. The first half is a bit meh but Brody and Mayor Vaughan stuff is good.

And the performance from the girl playing Tina when the Brodys find her is seriously chilling.

(I watched Jaws 2 a lot growing up, I guess because we had it on VHS)

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Posted

I have seen pieces of Jaws for years, but I don't know if I had seen it straight through since I was a teen, 30 years ago.  I remember liking it, but didn't hold it in high esteem.  I listen to The Big Picture/The Rewatchables, etc, so I am a movie guy and they hold it in such high regard.  So, I saw it at Alamo last month in the theater to get the experience and was blown away by how good it is.  It deserves all of the praise it had received for 50 years now.  

My wife we with me to the Jaws on the Water thing for Alamo a couple weeks ago.  I honestly offered for her to go out of politeness, because I was sure she would say no and I could go with a friend, but she said yes.  I enjoyed it, but her feelings were very mixed, particularly the divers grabbing at her feet.  She liked the movie, though.  It's just not a great way to see it for your first time.

Posted
On 6/20/2025 at 2:08 PM, utee94 said:

Had no idea this was the 50th, but we're having folks over tomorrow night and we're projecting the movie on my inflatable screen and we'll watch it from the pool.  Inspired by the old Alamo Drafthouse roadshows of course.  I've ordered the appropriate inflatable sharks and whatnot.  Unfortunately I can't fit a bigger boat, in the pool.

Our teenagers have never seen it, neither have most of their friends who are coming over.  

I don't have any Falstaff beer, but I do have bourbon and saltines.  I'll also have brisket and ribs.  Gonna be a hoot.  Yeah I said hoot.

Here's to swimmin' with bowlegged women. 

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Posted

So I have the 4K on Vudu/Fandango and after the rewatch I went to the additional stuff and the Jaws 50 documentary was in there.  they must have added it because I have had the digital 4K of Jaws on Vudu for 5 years or so I think so that doc wouldn't have been there.  pretty cool.  

Posted
On 6/19/2025 at 6:38 PM, Elmer_Fudd said:

Watched it a few nights ago.  It's a movie I'll watch several times a year and definitely a top five movie for me.  

I didn't read it, but my wife was telling me she read that Dreyfuss and Shaw didn't really get along and it made the scenes between them two so good due to it.  Has anyone else seen this?

"That's a 20-footer."  "25.  Three tons of him".

Also, the rare occasion the movie is better than the book.

Jaws GIF by hero0fwar

Cautionary Tales podcast had a "Jaws at 50" episode last week.  It goes into the dynamic between Shaw and Dreyfuss quite a bit.  There is a theory that Shaw was going really method to generate actual tension between the two so that it would come through in the performances.  Once they filmed the Indianapolis story scene, Shaw's antagonism of Dreyfuss stopped completely.

Posted (edited)

I recommend this podcast's details surrounding the making of Jaws. i won't spoil it, but I didn't know that Spielberg wasn't the first director. Also, that Robert Shaw came up with the USS Indianapolis story on his own. 

Cautionary Tales - The Shark that Ate Hollywood

HAHA. F me. See above. Don't post when you're eyes are dilated after your annual check up. Lesson learned.

Edited by Saint Tacky
I'm a jackass
Posted
12 hours ago, The Original Greaser Bob said:

giphy+17.GIF?format=1000w

Saw it at Colonies North in San Antonio.

large.jpeg?1620024338

That's awesome. We lived right down the street from this shopping center and I remember walking past after it was closed.

Later I pretty much lived at the Handy Andy and Winn's over there playing video games and trying to get diabetes from all the candy I purchased. 

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Posted
16 hours ago, Saint Tacky said:

I recommend this podcast's details surrounding the making of Jaws. i won't spoil it, but I didn't know that Spielberg wasn't the first director. Also, that Robert Shaw came up with the USS Indianapolis story on his own. 

Cautionary Tales - The Shark that Ate Hollywood

HAHA. F me. See above. Don't post when you're eyes are dilated after your annual check up. Lesson learned.

IIRC, the 1st Director kept referring to the shark as a whale so the producers replaced him.  Another was that Benchley hated the ending but Spielberg convinced him by that time he’d have the audience wrapped around his finger. 

Posted
14 hours ago, The Original Greaser Bob said:

And all the Handy Andy cokes you were drinking.  Best can design ever. 

$_57.JPG?set_id=880000500F

Such memories. The little strip center at Burnet and North Loop had a WInn's and a Handy Andy. 

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Posted
21 hours ago, Saint Tacky said:

Also, that Robert Shaw came up with the USS Indianapolis story on his own. 

That's not entirely accurate. John Milius wrote pages of the Indianapolis monologue for Quint at Spielberg's request. Shaw told Spielberg he couldn't remember that much material so he condensed it down after spending a lot of time reading through it. 
 

Great documentary on John Milius that includes Spielberg telling that story. It's called Milius and you can stream it for free on PlutoTV. Worth a watch, highly recommend. 

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Posted
50 minutes ago, Deej said:

Such memories. The little strip center at Burnet and North Loop had a WInn's and a Handy Andy. 

Our Handy Andy was at Anderson and Rockwood next to the Village, and our Winn's was over at Burnet/Anderson lane in the strip center next to original Dart Bowl.  Played a lot of Asteroids and then Star Wars at that Handy Andy, when I couldn't manage to get over to the Gold Mine in Northcross Mall.

Posted
23 minutes ago, DeepEastTexas said:

That's not entirely accurate. John Milius wrote pages of the Indianapolis monologue for Quint at Spielberg's request. Shaw told Spielberg he couldn't remember that much material so he condensed it down after spending a lot of time reading through it. 
 

Great documentary on John Milius that includes Spielberg telling that story. It's called Milius and you can stream it for free on PlutoTV. Worth a watch, highly recommend. 

I watched Milius some years ago and I don’t recall them mentioning Shaw’s editing of that monologue. 

Posted
3 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I watched Milius some years ago and I don’t recall them mentioning Shaw’s editing of that monologue. 

they mention it in the JAWS 50 doc I believe.  Howard Sackler brought up the USS Indianapols story as a way to explain Quint's hatred of sharks.

spielberg asked Milius to write something up and Milius wrote pages and Shaw said let me work on it/condensed it after reading it.

Posted
1 hour ago, Underdog said:

I believe Charlton Heston was first choice or preference for Brody, thank god they didn’t go that route. 

Heston would have been great.  He'd have pressed Spielberg let him lasso the shark after shark eats Quint and ride on the shark back to the dock to a hero's welcome from the town.

Posted
20 minutes ago, dcar00 said:

Heston would have been great.  He'd have pressed Spielberg let him lasso the shark after shark eats Quint and ride on the shark back to the dock to a hero's welcome from the town.

Old School Yes GIF

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Posted
3 hours ago, Underdog said:

I believe Charlton Heston was first choice or preference for Brody, thank god they didn’t go that route. 

Yep, it would've been much shorter.

Just parted the sea and the shark flops around for a bit and dies.

heston-red-sea.jpg.02055a7972675b5e6236f2d7b7765e20.jpg

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