Tuesday, October 27, 2009

don't go in the water.

That music.  That famous opening sequence.  That terrifying shark.  What am I talking about?  My #5 favorite horror film, Jaws (Spielberg, 1975).  This Oscar award winning thriller based on a best-selling novel, is about a gigantic great white shark that begins terrorizing a small island community during the height of beach season, attacking (and killing) numerous people.

Jaws is considered a watershed in film history as the first summer blockbuster.  It is also looked at as a true classic, launching the career of Steven Spielberg.  It has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, so I suppose you could say people kind of seem to like it.  A lot.  TIME Magazine's film critic said, "Spielberg works self-effacingly, with  subtly correct camera placement and meticulous editing.  He twists our guts with false alarms, giving us the real thing with heart-stopping suddenness," and Roger Ebert boldly called it "One of the most effective thrillers ever made."  I coudln't agree more.  The best part of this movie is that it is suspenseful and brings us face to face with our fears.  Whether you are scared of the sharks or not, we are all afraid of the unknown... what looms in the dark, hides under our bed, or swims around in the water.

Jaws is our worst nightmare... and now it's out to get us.


3 comments:

  1. one of my all time favorites. glad it made it into the top 10.

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  2. "Jaws" is outstanding! I finally got around to seeing earlier this decade. What made it so effective is that Spielberg used the shark sparingly, increasing the suspense.

    By the way, I added you to my blogroll. Keep up the good work!

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  3. I agree with both of you. Jaws is such a classic! I love it. And using the shark sparingly was definitely an excellent choice. When we really see Jaws, he's really not scary... super fake looking.

    And thanks for adding me Malcolm! I'm loving your blog... the trivia questions are awesome.

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