Day 179: Jaws (1975)

We are once again continuing our theme of Shark Week here on our blog and we are proud to bring you a review of a classic. For today’s film, we are exploring the godfather of all shark movies, the one that made sharks a big hit, the film Jaws. It’s just another summer on the tourist summer island of Amity, but this one isn’t exactly like the rest of the ones in the past as the town is about to find out. One night, a girl is eaten by a shark and the new sheriff in town Brody (Roy Scheider) wants to close down the beach before it gets too out of hand. The only problem is that the mayor of the town doesn’t want to close the beach cause they’ll lose money, but too many deaths and close class leave them no choice but to hire the shark hunter Quint (Robert Shaw). The film also stars Richard Dreyfuss (Mr. Holland’s Opus) as Hooper, Lorraine Gary (1941) as Ellen Brody, Murray Hamilton (The Graduate) as Vaughn, Carl Gottlieb (The Jerk) as Meadows, Jeffrey Kramer (Halloween II) as Hendricks, Susan Backlinie (The Great Muppet Caper) as Chrissie, and the film was directed by Stephen Spielberg (E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial).

It was crazy to watch this movie and realize that I had never really seen this film because I didn’t recognize a lot of it. Then again, it was back in the 80’s, I was a little kid, and probably didn’t pay attention to most of it. I can definitely see why people hold this film in such high regard because it is that awesome of a film. Even though for most of the film, the robotic shark they had didn’t work it didn’t take away from the film because the suspense is amazing. You’re kind of seeing the action like a beach goer would and what I mean by that is you don’t see the shark, but you see people go under and lots of blood. That would scare the crap out of anyone not being able to see what is going on. The film has some iconic scenes in it like the sequence where the dog goes missing to the scene where Brody is dumping the chum and the shark pops out of nowhere, but my favorite is the scene where they’re sitting around. They’re getting drunk and they are telling war stories to each other, showing off each other’s scars too. The thing I love about the scene is that it seems so natural that it doesn’t look fake or rehearsed. It just seems natural to see these guys finally bond while on the hunt. Robert Shaw to me is an absolute highlight of the film, he is the bad ass shark hunter who kind of laughs at the town when they finally come to him. The battle sequence alone between the three and the shark alone is worth watching the film so I suggest checking this one out for sure. I am going to give the film an A+ for a final grade.

Day 173: Jurassic Park (1993)

Haven’t you ever wondered what Dinosaurs were really like millions of years ago? For quite some time, we haven’t really known anything substantial about them, we can only really speculate as to how they were by studying their bones. What if you were given the chance to see how they act in certain environments or how they feed daily? Wouldn’t you love the chance and ability to see that for yourself? In the film Jurassic Park, Mr. Hammond (Richard Attenborough) builds a Jurassic theme park on a deserted island off the coast of Chile that he plans to open to the public that contains dinosaurs. The only problem is that he needs to convince a lawyer and some paleontologists that the park is indeed safe for the public. While on a preview tour of the island, something goes terribly wrong and some of the carnivorous dinosaurs are set free to roam and hunt on the island. The film stars Sam Neill (Event Horizon) as Grant, Laura Dern (Wild) as Ellie, Jeff Goldblum (Independence Day) as Malcolm, Bob Peck (The Kitchen Toto) as Muldoon, Martin Ferrero (Heat) as Gennaro, BD Wong (Jurassic World) as Wu, Joseph Mazzello (The Social Network) as Tim, Ariana Richards (Tremors) as Lex, Samuel L. Jackson (Avengers: Age Of Ultron) as Arnold, Wayne Knight (Seinfeld) as Nedry, and the film was directed by Stephen Spielberg (E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial). 

I have to be honest in saying that I have no idea why it took me 23 years to see Jurassic Park. Well, I am lying with that statement because to be honest when I was 11, Dinosaurs didn’t really interest me enough like they do know. The film is another brilliant look in why man should never play God for anything! I don’t care what it is or what idea we come up with, but we should never play God. If the movies have taught us anything is that it usually ends in disaster. Which is evident with the film I watched today which is simply brilliant. I only have one question for all of you out there and that is am I evil for wanting Lex to get eaten by the T-Rex in one my favorite scenes of the whole entire film? She does everything you are not supposed to do when a T-Rex is approaching your vehicle and that is do not make noise and do not flash a light in it’s face. The film has everything from a Dilophosaurus to a Velociraptor and those sequences alone with those creatures are worth seeing. The action sequences are amazing, the dinosaurs themselves are amazing, but the CGI is totally obvious in the beginning part of when they first arrive at Jurassic Park when Grant sees the Brachiosaurus. The cinematography is amazing with all the shots of the island and the dinosaurs that inhabit it, but other than the CGI thing, the film was absolutely amazing and enjoyable. I cannot wait to see the rest of the series in the coming future. I am going to give Jurassic Park and A for a final grade.