“Jaws” is… perfect.
Justin Chews on "Jaws."
There are a few films out there that get it right. Not only did they strike the chords of their generation, they have a lasting appeal for years to come. I put in Alfred Hitchcock´s "Psycho" a few days back, a film I´ve seen a half-dozen times in my life. When the seminal shower scene goes down, even though I know what happens, I still felt myself tensing up. That is good filmmaking.
"Jaws" is filled with those sorts of moments. The opening scene involving the frolicking swimmers is one of those. The fisherman on the pier, the boys on the canoe in the lagoon about to become prey to the monster and a host of others litter "Jaws."
There is honestly little I can add to John´s comments about "Jaws" because I agree with him, that the movie is darn-near perfect. After 30 years, a monumental passage of time in film, "Jaws" still holds up. The effects are astounding for its time and still work today.
While Jaws may be about a monster… it is certainly not a monster movie. It´s a film about man´s struggle against nature. The Mayor attempts to retain civilization at a time when our primal nature tells him otherwise. The performances are dynamic, the effects superb and the movie loaded with emotion.
Video:
The 2:35:1 Anamorphic video presentation looks excellent for the age of the print. Colors are vibrant, fine detail is exquisite and there is no edge enhancement to report. There are flecks of dust and dirt that mar the dark scenes but most aren´t to the point of distraction. For the most part I would say the film looks as good as it has since its original release 30 years ago.
Audio:
In the past "Jaws" was available in separate Dolby Digital and dts 5.1 soundtracks. Thankfully consumers no longer have to make a choice between the two editions. Both are excellent with the soundtrack spread wonderfully across the main speakers. The frequency response is quite dynamic, with excellent high, mid, and low range. The bass is solid without ever becoming boomy. The dialogue is never obscured and there was no audible hiss.
As requested, I went back and gave a chance to the original mono audio track... and found it rather unremarkable (as one would expect). It's tolerable, but hardly as immersive as the new remixes. If you're a cinematic purist you'll be glad it was included but the vast majority of the population will find the remixes far more pleasing. There was a slight hiss on the track (almost imperceptible and you'd miss it if you weren't listening closely) but it's not unexpected in a Mono track.
Extras:
The most notable extra feature in this two-disc set is the 60-page booklet of behind the scenes information and anecdotes which, along with color photos, is a great addendum to the film. Of course the information itself will be repeated on the DVD, but as a physical extra this isn´t too bad.
The first disc, in addition to the movie, houses a selection of deleted scenes and outtakes. They are letterboxed non-anamorphic. Outside that they look good. Most of the scenes deal with brief character moments for Quint and Brody but duplicate information we already had and were cut to streamline the film. A character that served as Quint´s assistant was cut out of the movie entirely. The outtakes deal more with malfunctioning equipment, something that was fairly common on the set of "Jaws."
"From the Set" is a British documentary on the making of Jaws. The filmmakers have a dry delivery and the video quality is mediocre at best. The reason this is included is that it includes some of the only known behind-the-scenes footage of the making of "Jaws." The on-set interviews with Spielberg are revealing for the information he imparts on the subject at hand along with the mechanics of directing. His youthful energy is effusive on the people who work around him. More than a picture of the making of "Jaws" this documentary exposes a young Steven Spielberg.
The second disc is dedicated to a two-hour documentary called "The Making of Jaws." It´s the full version that appeared on the Laserdisc release ten years ago and the full version of the documentary that was on the 25th anniversary DVD. The video looks appropriately dated, but I´m glad to have it recorded on DVD form. "The Making of Jaws" is a wonderful documentary feature, featuring interviews with all the major players and tells stories that otherwise would never have been heard. The interviews are intercut with scenes from the film and behind-the-scenes footage painting a complete picture of the movie and its creation.
Film Value:
"Jaws" is… perfect. While it may have created the phenomenon known as the blockbuster, which should never take away from the wonderful movie that is collected here. The DTS soundtrack is wonderful and a great benefit to the movie. The video presentation hasn´t been upgraded, but serious "Jaws" fans will want to check out this edition for the booklet and documentary.
There are a few films out there that get it right. Not only did they strike the chords of their generation, they have a lasting appeal for years to come. I put in Alfred Hitchcock´s "Psycho" a few days back, a film I´ve seen a half-dozen times in my life. When the seminal shower scene goes down, even though I know what happens, I still felt myself tensing up. That is good filmmaking.
"Jaws" is filled with those sorts of moments. The opening scene involving the frolicking swimmers is one of those. The fisherman on the pier, the boys on the canoe in the lagoon about to become prey to the monster and a host of others litter "Jaws."
There is honestly little I can add to John´s comments about "Jaws" because I agree with him, that the movie is darn-near perfect. After 30 years, a monumental passage of time in film, "Jaws" still holds up. The effects are astounding for its time and still work today.
While Jaws may be about a monster… it is certainly not a monster movie. It´s a film about man´s struggle against nature. The Mayor attempts to retain civilization at a time when our primal nature tells him otherwise. The performances are dynamic, the effects superb and the movie loaded with emotion.
Video:
The 2:35:1 Anamorphic video presentation looks excellent for the age of the print. Colors are vibrant, fine detail is exquisite and there is no edge enhancement to report. There are flecks of dust and dirt that mar the dark scenes but most aren´t to the point of distraction. For the most part I would say the film looks as good as it has since its original release 30 years ago.
Audio:
In the past "Jaws" was available in separate Dolby Digital and dts 5.1 soundtracks. Thankfully consumers no longer have to make a choice between the two editions. Both are excellent with the soundtrack spread wonderfully across the main speakers. The frequency response is quite dynamic, with excellent high, mid, and low range. The bass is solid without ever becoming boomy. The dialogue is never obscured and there was no audible hiss.
As requested, I went back and gave a chance to the original mono audio track... and found it rather unremarkable (as one would expect). It's tolerable, but hardly as immersive as the new remixes. If you're a cinematic purist you'll be glad it was included but the vast majority of the population will find the remixes far more pleasing. There was a slight hiss on the track (almost imperceptible and you'd miss it if you weren't listening closely) but it's not unexpected in a Mono track.
Extras:
The most notable extra feature in this two-disc set is the 60-page booklet of behind the scenes information and anecdotes which, along with color photos, is a great addendum to the film. Of course the information itself will be repeated on the DVD, but as a physical extra this isn´t too bad.
The first disc, in addition to the movie, houses a selection of deleted scenes and outtakes. They are letterboxed non-anamorphic. Outside that they look good. Most of the scenes deal with brief character moments for Quint and Brody but duplicate information we already had and were cut to streamline the film. A character that served as Quint´s assistant was cut out of the movie entirely. The outtakes deal more with malfunctioning equipment, something that was fairly common on the set of "Jaws."
"From the Set" is a British documentary on the making of Jaws. The filmmakers have a dry delivery and the video quality is mediocre at best. The reason this is included is that it includes some of the only known behind-the-scenes footage of the making of "Jaws." The on-set interviews with Spielberg are revealing for the information he imparts on the subject at hand along with the mechanics of directing. His youthful energy is effusive on the people who work around him. More than a picture of the making of "Jaws" this documentary exposes a young Steven Spielberg.
The second disc is dedicated to a two-hour documentary called "The Making of Jaws." It´s the full version that appeared on the Laserdisc release ten years ago and the full version of the documentary that was on the 25th anniversary DVD. The video looks appropriately dated, but I´m glad to have it recorded on DVD form. "The Making of Jaws" is a wonderful documentary feature, featuring interviews with all the major players and tells stories that otherwise would never have been heard. The interviews are intercut with scenes from the film and behind-the-scenes footage painting a complete picture of the movie and its creation.
Film Value:
"Jaws" is… perfect. While it may have created the phenomenon known as the blockbuster, which should never take away from the wonderful movie that is collected here. The DTS soundtrack is wonderful and a great benefit to the movie. The video presentation hasn´t been upgraded, but serious "Jaws" fans will want to check out this edition for the booklet and documentary.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]15831[/release]