Jaws (1975)

[CraigL]

Title: Jaws (1975)

Tagline: Don't go in the water.

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Adventure

Director: Steven Spielberg

Release: 1975-06-18

Runtime: 124

Plot: An insatiable great white shark terrorizes the townspeople of Amity Island, The police chief, an oceanographer and a grizzled shark hunter seek to destroy the bloodthirsty beast.

Hey all,

Last night i was lucky enough to see a screening of a BRAND NEW print of Jaws here in NYC.

The good news: The print looked absolutely amazing.

The bad news: it utilized the same new sound mix that was used for the DVD,including new foley effects.

It was my first time seeing it on the big screen and was the last on my list of my top 5 movies ever to see there.
It's amazing how much more you can appreciate films when you see them in a theater on a big screen and with an audience. There are so many layers to this film and I'm truly amazed at how commercial it is/was and yet still has action, depth, tension and drama.

After the film was over, there was a Q&A session with one of the producers and Richard Dreyfuss and I got to ask the last question. I told them that I was 26 years old and this was my first time seeing it in a theater. There is a whole generation of movie-goers out there who have never seen it as such and I asked if there was anything special planned for the 30th anniversary next year (re-release?)? The audience applauded and some people in the front started chanting "re-release."

Both of them pretty much dodged the question and never answered it.

Think we'll get one? Or is this how Universal is going to be showing the movie from now on? I just thought it was odd that they would strike a new print just for this one screening if they weren't interested in seeing how it would do for a re-release.

Thoughts? Would you go to see it?

 

[Malcolm R]

I'd LOVE to see it on the big screen.

But given the dismal performance of the "E.T." re-release, I'm not sure Universal/Speilberg would try it again. For the most part, re-releases of older films aren't very successful.

 

[CraigL]

I'm thinking maybe a limited release. ET seemed to be more widespread and have more "fanfare" behind it, with all the toys and whatknot.

Maybe if Open Water does well they'll reconsider.

Neither one mentioned a DVD re-release either.

 

[john mcfadden]

E.T didnt do any business because it was screwed with too much and there was a buttload of press behind it saying so .. but thats just my opinion ....theres loads of films i'd love to see in a theater ...but i have to build one first

 

[Mike Brogan]

I'd love to see this one the big screen, one of my all time favorite movies.

Also, "Jaws" was re-released once before in July 1979. That's when I first saw it and I wouldn't go into Lake Erie for the rest of the summer.

 

[Seth--L]

It could mean nothing. I see lots of repertoire films that are advertised as being a “new” or “restored prints,” but never does a major or even limited re-release come of it. For instance, back in 2000 I saw a "new print" of Raiders of the Lost Ark on the big screen, but there was no 20th anniversary re-release the next year. Two years ago I saw a restored print of The Producers, but that too did not lead to any kind of nationwide re-release. And last year I saw a restored print of Casablanca. I can go on and on.

 

[CraigL]

But this was taken from a different master. I don't know if it makes a difference but I was just assuming that since they used the restored version from the DVD that there was a possibility.

And I said that I thought it was odd since this was the first time I had seen something like this with a brand new print. I didn't say I thought it would definitely happen. Just that it'd be cool if it did.

 

[Gruson]

Well, they BUTCHERED E.T. and I agree, that could have hurt it's business. I will never watch the special edition again.

As for Jaws, I would probably see it but I honestly HATE movie theater crowds these days. Kids crying, people kicking your seat, nonstop chewing noises, weird smells, etc......


Besides, with a 119" screen and a Infocus 7200 projector and full THX 6.1 sound, there is no reason for me to go to the movies. My system always looks and sounds better.

 

[Chad R]

The last movie on my "to see in a theater" list (although the print I saw of Halloween was so execrable I'd go again if a new print was shown).

 

[TonyD]

http://www.thecolonialtheatre.com/index2.html
if you are anywere near phoenixville pa,
jaws is on their upcoming list.
this also happens to be the theater the blob was filmed at.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Just two weeks ago I played a 35mm print of Jaws as part of my Big Screen Classics festival and it had the original mono track - which sounded fantastic in a 1000-seat theatre.

 

[CraigL]

Peter,

Where in Jersey are you? Far from NYC?
I love seeing "classics" on the big screen.

That place in PA is showing Die Hard. Would love to see that as well

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Craig:

The shows I program are at the historic Lafayette Theatre in Suffern, New York. It's about 45-50 minutes from NYC by car. Here's the link to our website, which details the upcoming classics schedule and the "Spectacular Science Fiction" festival on September 10-11-12: BIG SCREEN CLASSICS website

Pete Apruzzese
Director of Film Programming
Big Screen Classics at the Lafayette Theatre

 

[Joe Karlosi]

I wish I had known about the NYC showing, because I certainly would have gone. It's one of my all-time favorite films. Where was this playing?? I'm 42, saw JAWS in theatres at age 13 and in re-releases a few years after that. I'd love to catch it again on the Big Screen. And with Richard Dreyfuss answering questions? That's wild.

 

[Pete-D]

Why not do a more low-key re-release?

Clean up the picture and sound if neccessary, give it a decent ad push and release it during the summer some time.

I think it'd get a fair audience.

I have to admit I've never quite found the appeal of Jaws, because I've never seen it on the big screen and it came out before I was born.

I would like to see it on the big screen to get a better perspective on the film.

 

[CraigL]

I don't know if seeing it on the big screen will really change all that for you.

There was one VERY obnoxious woman who decided to give her review of the film after it was over. Dreyfuss asked if there was anyone in the audience who had never seen it before and this woman not only raised her hand but said "what's the redeeming value of this movie?" Needless to say, the audience wanted to hurt her.

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

Universal seem to be working through their older releases and remastering them. Scarface, Animal House, Field of Dreams have all had successful Special Edition and The Thing will be re-released in October with an anamorphic transfer, so it isn't much of a stretch to suggest that they may release a remastered 2-disc edition of Jaws.

The main loss of the current edition is that lack of original mono; the re-foleyed 5.1 is awful in places. And, of course, the edited documentary is lacking some great moments from the original 2-hour version. I think that Universal cut it simply so that it could fit on a DVD-9 with the 2-hour film. Would they make the same mistake again? I hope not.

There's always HD-DVD.

 

[Chad R]

Well, all of those were orignally released with non-anamorphic transfers so one can see the re-relases as rectifying that mistake. Jaws was released anamorphically already. Not to mention that unlike those films which universal controls, Spielberg still exerts control over this movie (through prestige rather than rights) and if he doesn't want it released again, it won't be.