| | Jaws 35th Anniversary: How One Shark Changed Summer Movies | |
| | Author | Message |
---|
KK
Location : New York Super Powers : poastwhore Number of posts : 8316 pennies : 7853 Rep : 354
| Subject: Jaws 35th Anniversary: How One Shark Changed Summer Movies Fri Jun 18, 2010 10:05 am | |
| a very impactful movie. one of the best ever.
Jaws 35th Anniversary: How One Shark Changed Summer Movies In the summer of 1975, the movie "Jaws" made people across America stop thinking it was safe to go into the water.
Instead, they went to the movies to get scared half to death by a wunderkind director named Steven Spielberg, a testy mechanical shark and perhaps the most menacing musical score in the history of cinema.
"Jaws" debuted on June 20, 1975. Universal Studios gambled that by unleashing the movie in wide release to theaters across the country, then an uncommon practice, and coupling the release with a massive TV ad campaign, the film would be big. They were wrong.
It was huge.
"Jaws" played in theaters for months and earned more than $470 million, thus becoming the first summer movie blockbuster, according the book "Blockbuster: How the Jaws and Jedi Generation Turned Hollywood into a Boom-Town" (Simon & Schuster, 2004).
The picture remained the biggest box-office hit of all time until George Lucas bumped it from the top spot two years later with another summer smash, "Star Wars."
What makes the story even more remarkable is that "Jaws" was a movie plagued by production problems.
Spielberg, who had previously directed only one feature, "The Sugarland Express," was running behind schedule and way over budget. The movie was filmed on Martha's Vineyard and shooting lasted nearly 160 days, instead of the scheduled 55, and cost more than double its original $4 million budget, according to "America's Film Legacy: The Authoritative Guide to the Landmark Movies in the National Film Registry" (The Continuum International Publishing Group, 2010).
To make matters worse, the film's title player, the actual shark, was a malfunctioning mess that rarely worked. In the "Making of Jaws," a documentary produced for the movie's 30th anniversary, Spielberg talked about the frustration he felt with the nonfunctioning Great White.
But those mechanical mishaps may have been the most important technical snafus in movie history.
The frequent delays allowed for the script to be continually refined. And because his primary special effects prop wasn't working properly, Spielberg had to improvise. As a result, the shark (nicknamed Bruce, after the director's lawyer) didn't make its first full appearance onscreen until 81 minutes into the 124-minute movie.
In keeping images of the shark off-screen for most of the film, Spielberg employed a strategy often used by the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, wrote film critic Roger Ebert in his book, "Great Movies II" (Random House, 2005).
"A bomb is under the table and it explodes. That is surprise," Ebert quotes Hitchcock. "The bomb is under the table but it does not explode. That is suspense."
Spielberg leaves the toothy shark under the table for most of the movie, Ebert explains, and the payoff is one of the most effective thrillers ever made.
The eerie suspense, combined with the crisp cinematography and John Williams' unforgettable score, made "Jaws" a spine-tingling sensation.
The astounding success of "Jaws" opened the eyes of studio executives to the moneymaking ability of summer movies. It may be hard to believe today, but in 1975, the summer months were considered a dumping ground for movies, according to the industry compendium "George Lucas's Blockbusting" (Harper Collins, 2010).
"In the early 1970s, the only movies that got simultaneous wide release were big-budget turkeys that the studios wanted to play off quickly before word [got out]," according to "George Lucas's Blockbusting."
After "Jaws," studios reversed course and started programming big-budget, high-concept films for the summer. And instead of slow burning, word-of-mouth "platform" release patterns, Hollywood started rolling out its high-profile films in wide release, for maximum impact.
For better or worse, "Jaws" and its fellow 1970s phenomenon "Star Wars" ushered in the modern era of movies as mass commercial commodities, so-called tentpole pictures that could sell as much merchandise as movie tickets, according to "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls," (Simon & Schuster, 1998). "Jaws" merchandise included t-shirts, plastic fins for swimmers and a game.
One can only wonder how it all would have turned out if the shark had actually worked the way Spielberg wanted it. | |
| | | c/thru
Blurts : What is this decade called ? Location : almost Mile High Hobbies : Freedom Tracker Humor : floating under a delicate layer of apathy Super Powers : can turn water into ice Number of posts : 3049 pennies : 3303 Rep : 123
| Subject: Re: Jaws 35th Anniversary: How One Shark Changed Summer Movies Fri Jun 18, 2010 7:08 pm | |
| many lists claim "Jaws" has the #1scariest movie ever .... right up there with the Exorcist | |
| | | Edelweiss
Location : in total denial Humor : yes Number of posts : 405 pennies : 536 Rep : 65
| | | | Joebert
Age : 63 Location : @ Computer Hobbies : Sleep/Photography Humor : Seinfeld (show) has it all! Super Powers : Faster than a speeding bulet...is that bad? Number of posts : 3905 pennies : 3262 Rep : 97
| Subject: Re: Jaws 35th Anniversary: How One Shark Changed Summer Movies Sun Jun 20, 2010 8:22 pm | |
| Hard to believe it's been that long ago. | |
| | | KK
Location : New York Super Powers : poastwhore Number of posts : 8316 pennies : 7853 Rep : 354
| Subject: Re: Jaws 35th Anniversary: How One Shark Changed Summer Movies Sun Jun 20, 2010 10:04 pm | |
| - c/thru wrote:
- many lists claim "Jaws" has the #1scariest movie ever .... right up there with the Exorcist
i still jump when ben gadners heap pops out | |
| | | c/thru
Blurts : What is this decade called ? Location : almost Mile High Hobbies : Freedom Tracker Humor : floating under a delicate layer of apathy Super Powers : can turn water into ice Number of posts : 3049 pennies : 3303 Rep : 123
| Subject: Re: Jaws 35th Anniversary: How One Shark Changed Summer Movies Mon Jun 21, 2010 1:34 am | |
| - Edelweiss wrote:
- c/thru wrote:
- many lists claim "Jaws" has the #1scariest movie ever .... right up there with the Exorcist
I'm not scared of Sharks
Urs keeps an eye out for me yeah, but how's he at cleaning up split-pea soup ? | |
| | | Edelweiss
Location : in total denial Humor : yes Number of posts : 405 pennies : 536 Rep : 65
| Subject: Re: Jaws 35th Anniversary: How One Shark Changed Summer Movies Sun Jun 27, 2010 4:34 pm | |
| [/quote] yeah, but how's he at cleaning up split-pea soup ? [/quote] you have a good memory | |
| | | Joebert
Age : 63 Location : @ Computer Hobbies : Sleep/Photography Humor : Seinfeld (show) has it all! Super Powers : Faster than a speeding bulet...is that bad? Number of posts : 3905 pennies : 3262 Rep : 97
| Subject: Re: Jaws 35th Anniversary: How One Shark Changed Summer Movies Mon Jun 28, 2010 11:30 am | |
| I remember when that movie came out, I was doing a lot of water skiing, Every time I junmped off the boat I wondered what I might be jumping on. | |
| | | KK
Location : New York Super Powers : poastwhore Number of posts : 8316 pennies : 7853 Rep : 354
| Subject: Re: Jaws 35th Anniversary: How One Shark Changed Summer Movies Mon Jun 28, 2010 12:17 pm | |
| - Joebert wrote:
- I remember when that movie came out, I was doing a lot of water skiing, Every time I junmped off the boat I wondered what I might be jumping on.
stollen from JJC | |
| | | Sponsored content
| Subject: Re: Jaws 35th Anniversary: How One Shark Changed Summer Movies | |
| |
| | | | Jaws 35th Anniversary: How One Shark Changed Summer Movies | |
|
Similar topics | |
|
| Permissions in this forum: | You cannot reply to topics in this forum
| |
| |
| Latest topics | » the last person the person here wins by Admin Sun Jun 26, 2011 10:38 pm
» Interesting stuff by KK Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:54 pm
» Random Stuff... by Jats Sat Jun 25, 2011 5:58 pm
» anyone still here ? by KK Fri Jun 10, 2011 6:01 pm
» Happy Birthday C/Thru!! by Lady Snipe Dragon Fri Jun 03, 2011 12:51 pm
» vintage movie gifs by Jats Thu May 26, 2011 8:46 pm
» Oprah Memorial service by Joebert Wed May 25, 2011 5:54 pm
» Bristol Palin earns $262K for teen pregnancy work by Joebert Wed May 25, 2011 1:31 am
» whatever you feel like by Joebert Tue May 24, 2011 10:21 pm
» Trumped by Joebert Tue May 24, 2011 10:08 pm
» pick a royal wedding hat by Joebert Tue May 24, 2011 10:01 pm
» so which one of you wants to throw down? by KK Thu May 19, 2011 7:37 pm
» the photo of the year's wiki page by alivegenieII Wed May 18, 2011 6:13 pm
» Congratulations on popping C9's flaming & smite war cherry by Lady Snipe Dragon Tue May 17, 2011 11:29 pm
» President 0bama’s approval rating hits a new low by KK Sun May 15, 2011 5:32 pm
» New Books on Ward by alivejeanie Sat May 14, 2011 3:25 pm
» New Holidays ? by Lady Snipe Dragon Mon May 09, 2011 8:50 pm
» Fleamailman, care to explain this ? by c/thru Sun May 08, 2011 10:25 pm
» Happy Mothers Day.. by c/thru Sun May 08, 2011 8:12 pm
» SuperBowl countdown by Guest Sat May 07, 2011 10:14 pm
» International Womens Day 2011 by Guest Sat May 07, 2011 10:06 pm
» wuzz up suckas by KK Sat May 07, 2011 9:40 pm
» INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT of 2004 by KK Sat May 07, 2011 8:39 pm
» Victron Energy and their Portfolios by KK Tue May 03, 2011 7:47 pm
» I voted today by KK Tue May 03, 2011 7:45 pm
» Flax Milk & your omegas by KK Tue May 03, 2011 7:43 pm
» Happy Easter 2011 by Lady Snipe Dragon Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:37 am
» Spanish scientists search for fuel of the future by KK Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:31 pm
» Amen !!! VIP LINKS by KK Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:28 pm
» Youtube changed their type of linking codes.. by c/thru Fri Apr 15, 2011 10:07 pm
» YOU balance the Federal Budget by c/thru Fri Apr 15, 2011 10:05 pm
» Interesting Images.. by c/thru Fri Apr 15, 2011 10:00 pm
» Avacs by KK Tue Apr 12, 2011 10:13 am
» Oil near $112 as attacks damage Libyan oil fields by KK Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:52 am
» Stamp gaffe tears Kate and William apart It may come as a shock, but Kate Middleton and Prince William have 'split' less than one month before they are due to tie the knot. by KK Tue Apr 05, 2011 9:45 pm
|
|