This is what it’s like to watch Jaws for the first time
On Tuesday evening I sat down to finally watch Jaws. I had seen bits of it during my childhood, and I have fond memories of laughing at bits of bodies being tossed around by the shark, something only a two-year-old would love.
However, if you were to ask me what the storyline was, or to even name a single character, and I would struggle.
It was time to watch the movie.
And so it begins... #jawswatch pic.twitter.com/iG7uiuOQES
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
The first thing that struck me was the obvious changes in culture over the last 40 years. Most of the young people in the opening scene were sitting on a beach smoking.
It was second nature, like the youth of today playing with their smartphones. In another 40 years, we might be warning against that too.
There's an unhealthy amount of smoking going on already. If the shark doesn't kill them the cancer will #jawswatch
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
Meanwhile, two chain-smoking teens ran off to go skinny dipping, and the comediy I remembered makde an appearance.
That poor girl being dragged through the water and ripped apart byt he shark had us all laughing. So too did her drunk, sleepy beau, who somehow slept through her loud demise.
Yer man's just enjoying a nice nap on the beach. I wish I could sleep that soundly! #jawswatch
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
To be fair, it wasn't the nature of her death we found amusing, but the outdated technology used. Rather than being tossed around, she followed a level path, just appearing above the water. Surely a real shark would have dragged her up and down too?
As wonderfully 'of its time' as the special effects were, they weren't my favourite dated thing in Jaws.
Just take a look at their clothes!
Suits covered in anchors.
Now THAT's a power pose! #jawswatch pic.twitter.com/uSjUosSX8M
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
And a brightly-coloured striped tie to complement the nautical ensemble.
This guy wore anchors on his jacket before it was cool! #JawsWatch pic.twitter.com/4Q6cSv4ahd
— Greg Murphy 🤓 (@TheGregMurphy) June 9, 2015
Brody suspects that a shark has been picking off the townsfolk one-by-one in the water, so he does what is second-nature to us all: painstakingly flicks throuh books hoping to miraculously find information on what type of shark it might be.
Life was full of mystery before Google.
Books. The @google of the seventies. #jawswatch pic.twitter.com/eSdgwQYeQE
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
Some of the tricks used in the film were actually quite good for its time. For example, I would never have guessed that this scene was filmed during the daytime.
@TheGregMurphy @deniseodonoghue Fun fact: This scene was filmed entirely during the day. Totes amazeballs
— Mark Evans (@shaelum) June 9, 2015
A little while later, the locals rallied and killed the shark. That was easy.
They gathered for a quick photo op, but, strangely, not a single one of them was taking a selfie.
"I wanna get a picture for the paper!" What a scoop! #JawsWatch pic.twitter.com/FmAUXxghY9
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
Not even the wonderfully attired Mayor Vaughn, who sported some jaunty stripes for the occassion.
This guys jackets just keep getting better and better! #JawsWatch pic.twitter.com/vXaaPSqDm3
— Greg Murphy 🤓 (@TheGregMurphy) June 9, 2015
Clearly, alcohol laws very more relaxed back then too. Even the Chief of Police could drive a boat while drunk.
"I'm not drunk enough to drive a boat."
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
"Yes you are."
Cuts to drunken boat scene. Classic seventies. #JawsWatch
You know what was really nice though? The lack of gory CGI in the film.
Every time I jumped, it was because something just popped out and surprised me. There were no special effects. Even a bad corpse prop could do the trick.
I jumped when the dead guy appeared in the water 🙈 #JawsWatch
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
Even though it looked ridiculously fake 😂 #JawsWatch
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
Jaws. Peekaboo Champion of 1975 #jawswatch
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
However, the spray of fake blood still wasn't convincing when the great white beast really sunk his teeth in.
Oh good, the juicy graphic bits are starting! #JawsWatch
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
Nor was the dodgy green screen.
That ocean background looks super fake #JawsWatch
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
Or the glowing shark.
The green luminescence from under the water looks very fake, also the shooting stats weren't very convincing. #JawsWatch
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
And the everyday differences between now and then really made you realise it wasn't real. Like when the Mayor started smoking in the hospital and nobody batted an eyelid.
Larry's smoking in a hospital. It's good for his nerves. #seventieslogic #JawsWatch
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
Although he also wouldn't fit in today, Quint quickly became my favourite character.
"This ain't no Boy Scouts trip. I see you've got yer rubbers! Heh heh heh heh heh!"
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
Quint is my favourite character! #JawsWatch
I feel like Quint might try to kill the shark with his bare hands at some stage. #JawsWatch
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
Quinn reacting to modern technology is great. Imagine him confronting an iPhone! "Yeah, but it'd be useless against a shark..." #JawsWatch
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
And yet again, it's the simple things that make you jump.
HA! @TheGregMurphy jumped when the shark appeared! #JawsWatch pic.twitter.com/WEqrYNHuOf
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
Although sometimes you just need a big, unnecessary explosion.
BOOM! Just like Sharknado! #JawsWatch pic.twitter.com/Stw2tatOTu
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
Especially when the thing being exploded just () ate your favourite character.
In parts Jaws was as funny as when I was 2, however I wasn't prepared for the emotional loss of Quint 💔 I must have blocked that! #JawsWatch
— Denise O'Donoghue (@deniseodonoghue) June 9, 2015
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