Jaws [WS] [30th Anniversary Edition] [2 Discs]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Though it makes up for some of the previous edition's mishaps, the Jaws: 30th Anniversary Edition is an almost-perfect DVD that suffers only from a bit of laziness on the part of Universal. Released in 2000 as one of director Steven Spielberg's first blockbusters unveiled on DVD, the Jaws: Collector's Edition was a big seller in the stores, yet still managed to fall short thanks to the studio's unwillingness to include the full two-hour documentary from the laserdisc, long thought of as the definitive look back on the troubled production. So now here comes this two-disc set celebrating the crowd-pleaser's pearl anniversary and the good news is that the documentary has indeed been reinstated to its full glory. Those who have only seen the previous hour-long cut are in for a big treat here, thanks to the incredible detail that was culled from the various sources in the production, including John Williams, Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider, Peter Benchley, production designer Joe Alves, and, of course, Spielberg himself. Another bit of good news involves the inclusion of a never-before-available nine-minute interview on-set with the director from 1974 that gives the audience a rare glimpse of the young director on just his second day of shooting, no doubt already feeling the constraints of the sea-bound production. For aficionados, it's the kind of engaging footage that is endlessly interesting, given the kind of Vietnam hell that followed Spielberg on the rest of the shoot. Other new bits of goodness involve the inclusion of both 5.1 DTS and Dolby tracks (previous versions included either one or the other) along with the infamous original theatrical mono audio track, which will please the hardcore fans out there to no end (many were not happy with the enhanced 5.1 tracks). What isn't pleasing about this edition is the exclusion of the famed theatrical trailers that figured prominently into the success of the film. This lone exclusion will prevent most customers from getting rid of their previous version, which makes little sense in the grand scheme of things given that the rest of the still archives were carried over, including other marketing pieces such as posters, books, T-shirts, and much more. This, along with the fact that no new menus were designed for this edition, just makes Universal look bad. It's like they listened to the gripes about the documentary on the last one, but didn't feel the need to dedicate more money into an anniversary edition of one of the biggest films of all time. The result is yet another DVD that gives the same "play all" feature to the deleted scenes, with the added annoyance of outtakes being thrown into the same feature as well. Though no one will miss the trivia game or the shark facts from the previous version, there will be those who will resent the silliness involved with the loss of the very integral trailers. Still, with the full documentary and the reinstated original mono mix, many will pony up for this release, which comes with a nice commemorative booklet and the same fine 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer carried over from the Widescreen Collector's Edition. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 2
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: DTS, DDM2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: French, Spanish
• Features:
  • cc Jaws feature in Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1 audio and includes original theatrical mono audio track
  • Deleted scenes and outtakes
  • From the Set: A never-before-available interview with director Steven Spielberg
  • The Making of Jaws: A two-hour documentary featuring interviews with Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss, and Roy Scheider
  • Jaws Archives: Production photos, storyboards, marketing Jaws, and the Jaws phenomenon
  • Exclusive limited edition 60-page commemorative photo journal

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Won Best Editing - 1975 (Verna Fields)
•     Won Best Original Score - 1975 (John Williams)
•     Won Best Sound - 1975 (Robert L. Hoyt, Roger Heman, John R. Carter, Earl Madery)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 1975 (David Brown, Richard D. Zanuck)

• American Film Institute

•     Won 100 Greatest American Movies - 1998

• British Academy of Film and Television Arts

•     Won Anthony Asquith Award - 1975 (John Williams)
•     Nominated Best Picture - 1975 (Steven Spielberg)

• Directors Guild of America

•     Nominated Best Director - 1975 (Steven Spielberg)

• Hollywood Foreign Press Association

•     Won Best Original Score - 1975 (John Williams)
•     Nominated Best Director - 1975 (Steven Spielberg)
•     Nominated Best Picture - Drama - 1975
•     Nominated Best Screenplay - 1975 (Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb)

• Library of Congress

•     Won U.S. National Film Registry - 2001

• People's Choice Awards

•     Won Best Picture - 1976

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Roy Scheider - Chief Martin Brody
       Robert Shaw - Quint
       Richard Dreyfuss - Matt Hooper
       Lorraine Gary - Ellen Brody
       Murray Hamilton - Mayor Larry Vaughn

• Director:

  Steven Spielberg

• Producer:

  David Brown, Richard D. Zanuck

• Book Author:

  Peter Benchley

• Screenwriter:

  Peter Benchley, Carl Gottlieb

• Cinematographer:

  Bill Butler, Rexford Metz

• Composer (Music Score):

  John Williams

• Editor:

  Verna Fields

• Production Designer:

  Joe Alves

REVIEW:

• Shooting on Martha's Vineyard with a mechanical shark dubbed "Bruce," 27-year-old Steven Spielberg wanted to shoot Jaws on the open water for as much terrifying realism as possible. Between rewrites of Robert Benchley's and Carl Gottlieb's script, the unruly ocean, and the glitch-laden shark, the shoot went way over schedule and the budget ballooned to $10 million, leading everyone to believe that they had a B-movie disaster on their hands. However, Spielberg and editor Verna Fields turned the liability of an obviously fake Bruce into a potent source of fear by leaving the shark unseen until the final battle. Instead, swift cuts between swimmers above the surface and underwater shark's-eye views of helplessly dangling legs, combined with John Williams's pounding score, create a relentless atmosphere of primal horror. With an ad image of a giant shark aiming for a tiny female, Universal Studios aggressively marketed Jaws as a thrilling "event," especially in primetime spots on TV, a then seldom-used advertising venue for movies. Bucking the old practice of using wide releases for stinkers, Universal opened the heavily-anticipated film in over 400 theaters in June 1975, and it shattered box office records. Tapping into an abiding dread of the unknown, made scarier by the reality of Great White sharks and corrupt bureaucrats as well as by Spielberg's effective orchestration of excitement, Jaws became the first film ever to return over $100 million to its studio. Producers David Brown and Richard D. Zanuck received a Best Picture Oscar nomination, but wunderkind Spielberg was passed over for Best Director. The film's technical achievements were rewarded with Oscars for Editing, Sound, and Score. With the lines at the box office, the proliferation of Jaws products, and a rash of reported shark attacks, Jaws became a cultural phenomenon and the first bona fide summer event movie, leading the thrill-packed and profitable way for summers to come. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

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