Monday 25 October 2021

Castle Vanian Halloween Special: Creature Features: Jaws (1975)

 It seemed pretty obvious that Jaws would be our #1 movie for Creature Features (I mean… it wasn’t going to be Zombeavers, was it?) but do you want to break it down for everyone?

Jaws is here because the film endures. It caused a sensation in its day simply because it kept people out of the water, even though it was just this science fiction movie. People suddenly became aware that there were these massive sharks out there and they could come that close to land and for the summer of 1975, the beaches were empty. Isn’t it funny the power a movie can have?

This is what really shot Spielberg to the top, showed the kind of talent he had. After that… it was just hit after hit. It’s the number of films that, even if he wasn’t director, he was producing.

Like Gremlins?

Like Gremlins. He’s gotten more serious as he’s gotten older but he’s still out there winning awards.

You mentioned that Jaws hit theatres in 1975. Even you were too young to see it then. When did you first see Jaws and what were your first thoughts? Have your thoughts changed at all?

I saw Jaws 2 before I saw Jaws. I didn’t see Jaws until about ‘78 or ‘79. My dad took us all to see the Jaws double bill at the Monico. I’d seen Jaws 2 and I loved it. It was a great film. But you don’t’ realize until you see the first one how much better it was.

It was the first time I really became aware of music in movies. Growing up, the first soundtrack I really became aware of was that dum-dum…dum-dum. As a six-year-old, my dad only had to shout “Shark!” at me and I was out of the water – much to his amusement!

There are some people who argue that Jaws isn’t actually a horror movie because it’s not supernatural or particularly spooky. They’re inclined to call it a drama or a thriller. What do you say to that?

You think someone’s head coming through the bottom of a boat isn’t horrific? It might not be a traditional horror movie in the sense that there aren’t any supernatural beasties, but it’s absolutely a horror movie.

The shark is actually still quite convincing, considering it was kind of a piece of crap to work with.

They were clever though. They never showed you too much of the shark. Spielberg always referred to it as a “weighty turd.” It didn’t work half the time and when it did, they had to run over and do the shot as quickly as possible.

They also shot real footage of sharks and blended the two together. There absolutely were real sharks in it, just not with the actors.

I can see how it would have created a hysteria around sharks, even though sharks only kill about a dozen people everyone year. (Horses kill more, by the way.) We’re both big on animal rights so how do you marry that fact with the fact that we unanimously picked a movie that resulted in the deaths of thousands of sharks?

That’s what the author, Peter Benchley, said. He said that he would never have written it if he’d known what would happen to the sharks as a result. Like the sharks don’t have a hard enough time as it is being hunted, especially by certain Asian countries. Thank god for the Australians, who fiercely protect their waters. I wish more would.

Yes, the shark is a killer. But it’s also just an animal that wants to live. It’s far less dangerous than a hippo. You can make any animal into a killer. It added to the great white’s mystique.

It’s a movie. It’s not real. It’s a story. If you act on that story and you think going out and hunting this beautiful fish is okay, you’re a fucking idiot. Don’t read any further, just delete me from your friend’s list because we’re not friends list. I’ve got no time for people who hunt for the sake of cruelty.

Jaws is particularly relevant at the moment because of the mayor, Murray Hamilton's Vaughn, and his insistence on opening the beaches when it obviously wasn’t safe. Wanna touch on that one?

Isn’t it funny that history is repeating itself in that way? The pandemic is the shark. Why? Greed. That, and the fact that people just don’t like to be told no. People are dying, people are being attacked – but let’s get back to those concerts – ahem, beaches.

There are a surprising number of similarities between a 1975 movie about a killer shark and the pandemic ripping across the planet right now. It’s the BUT I WANNA. Human nature hasn’t changed in all that time. It’s always “I’m alright, Jack, and fuck you.” Damn the consequences – until there are consequences and then it’s BUT I DIDN’T KNOW.

I wanted to ask about the casting…

There’s no role in the movie that was badly cast. It catapulted Richard Dreyfus and Roy Scheider straight to the A-list. I don’t know if Scheider was ever that comfortable being a celebrity, but you never really saw him as a main actor until he moved to TV and Seaquest DSV.

Robert Shaw was already huge by the time Jaws came along. It’s sad that he died just three years after its release, at only 51.

They all play their parts. Brodie as the island city police chief that doesn’t like water. Dreyfus, who hunts sharks for a living. Scheider, who studies them. They’re the perfect trinity.

The wife, the mayor, and the kids all play their roles very well too. The little brother always blackmailing the big brother so he can go along is so realistic.

One of the most memorable moments is when Mrs. Kintner (Lee Fierro) slaps Brody after her son dies because he knew it was dangerous to go in the water – but when he tried to close the beach, no one would let him! Isn’t that a bit unfair?

It is, but he’s the figurehead. He’s in charge and he’s responsible. Even though The Money told him that he can’t do it, that he can’t shut the beaches, even though he lost all control, he still took the blame. And it still happens to today. Just look at American politics. It’s never the person who made the decision who takes the blame.

That theme is one of the most recognizable tunes in horror. You sort of touched on it before…

John Williams has been one of the most prolific composers of the last 50 years. You’re talking about the man who’s responsible for Star Wars, E.T., Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and so much more. Everything he’s done is instantly recognizable. I can name any of the movies he’s worked on, and you’d be able to hum the music. Williams is that good.

The music for Jaws is primeval. It’s from when we first started walking upright. It’s synonymous with danger. It gets faster and louder and builds until the shark attacks, then it fades away in a ripple. It’s something you feel as much as you hear.

Even though you’ve got this killer shark biting people in half, Jaws is incredibly tame by today’s standards. I’d say it’s still one of the most popular horror movies out there, though. Even youngsters know to mimic a shark when that music plays. Why do you think Jaws endures and how well do you think it holds up against more sophisticated modern movies?

Here’s the thing… human beings have always had a fear of the ocean. It’s like the quote goes, “Beneath us lies a world of gliding monsters.” It’s the unknown. You can’t see what’s under there. And everything down there eats each other. We’re not at the top of the food chain down there. You might be armed with a spear gun but if a killer whale decided to play with you, you’re in deep shit.

Great whites typically aren’t interested in us, we know that. The only time we end up getting nibbled on is when they think we’re something else. There are other sharks that will hunt humans like bull sharks and makos, but not the great white. The shark is a very misunderstood creature that’s best just left alone. That’s the sadness of Jaws. It’s like when Steven Irwin died and there was a mass killing of sting rays, which was against everything he ever stood for. Just. Leave. Them. Alone.

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