Jaws (30th Anniversary Edition)

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In the vastly overrated 1998 book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, author Peter Biskind puts the blame for Hollywood's blockbuster mentality at least partially on Steven Spielberg's box-office success with this adaptation of Peter Benchley's bestselling novel. But you can't blame Spielberg for making a terrific movie, which Jaws definitely is. The story of a Long Island town whose summer tourist business is suddenly threatened by great-white-shark attacks on humans bypasses the potboiler trappings of Benchley's book and goes straight for the jugular with beautifully crafted, crowd-pleasing sequences of action and suspense supported by a trio of terrific performances by Roy Scheider (as the local sheriff), Richard Dreyfuss (as a shark specialist), and particularly Robert Shaw (as the old fisherman who offers to hunt the shark down). The sequences on Shaw's boat--as the three of them realize that in fact the shark is hunting them--are what entertaining moviemaking is all about. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

The Best.......2007-09-05

This is the greatest shark movie ever !!!
this DVD edition is super, a must have for all shark fans !!

You're gonna need a bigger boat........2007-09-04

Before Jaws, Steven Spielberg had only directed two movies. The first was a made for TV movie, Duel (Collector's Edition), ad the other was the low budget, comedic Goldie Hawn true story The Sugarland Express. So you could understand why no one expected Jaws to be a hit.

But it was, becoming the first movie to gross more than $100 million at the box office and firmly cementing Speilberg's place as a filmmaker. Not only did he create an effective and terrifying tale. He created a movie that still gives some goosebumps 30 years later.

Still as refreshing as the day it was first shown, Jaws is a classic. The DVD features a two hour making of feature and a few deleted scenes. It also has a documentary and a few other fun things. The big draw will be the 60 page Commemorative Booklet. Full of Jaws facts from here to there.

Definitely a must for all Spielberg and Jaws fans.

SPIELBERG'S BEST.......2007-08-19

ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL TIME. THE STORY IS VERY SCARY AT TIMES. THE ACTING IS GREAT ALL AROUND. THE SHARK SCENES ARE GREAT. EVEN I JUMP AT TIMES AND SCENE THIS MOVIE OVER A HUNDRED TIMES. THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY IS A GREAT BUY. I LOVE THE TWO HOUR DOCUMENTARY, IT IS VERY DETAILED AND DAZZLING. THIS DVD COMES WITH SOME PROMOTINAL FEATURES LIKE PICTURES FROM THE MOVIE. THERE IS SOME DELEATED SCENES WITH SOME OUTTAKES. BUT WHAT REALLY LOVE ABOUT THIS DVD IS THE CLEAR PICTURE AND OF COURSE A DTS SOUND. I AGREE WITH A LOT OF REVIEWERS WITH THIS MOVIE COMING OUT WITH NEW EDITIONS. THE ONLY THING DIFFERNT FROM THIS VERSION AND THE 25TH ANNIVERARY IS THE WHOLE TWO HOUR DOCUMENTARY AND A RARE INTERVIEW WITH SPIELBERG. BUT I ALWAYS BUY THE NEW EDITIONS THAT COME OUT BECAUSE I'M A SUCKER FOR THIS MOVIE. DON'T BOTHER TO OWN AN DVD PLAYER IF YOU DON'T PUT THIS CLASSIC IN YOUR COLLECTION.

Unforgettable!.......2007-08-16

Who could even dip a toe in the water without thinking of Jaws? This movie will endure generations of action/suspense movies no matter how advanced the special effects, and the film is still talked about on beaches by people of all ages. I still get chills when Quint relates the story of being surrounded by sharks and his buddies being taken, one by one, explaining his hatred of sharks. I've watched many scenes over and over and they just get better. There is a scene they cut out that I loved too where Quint torments a kid playing the clarinet. Buy the Anniversary edition and watch some of the features that had to be cut; there's some good stuff there. I watch this DVD at least once every three months...

Chrissy K. McVay - Author

No more photo book..........2007-08-11

Great film, excellent "Anniversary Edition".
But not for forthcoming fans. The photobook and the case are no longer included!

Jaws (Widescreen Anniversary Collector's Edition)

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The Best
You're gonna need a bigger boat.
SPIELBERG'S BEST
Unforgettable!
No more photo book...

Jaws (Widescreen Anniversary Collector's Edition)
Starring: Susan Backlinie , John Bahr , Peter Benchley , Richard Dreyfuss , and Lee Fierro
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00004TDTO
Release Date: 2000-07-11

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Customer Reviews:

The Best.......2007-09-05

This is the greatest shark movie ever !!!
this DVD edition is super, a must have for all shark fans !!

You're gonna need a bigger boat........2007-09-04

SPIELBERG'S BEST.......2007-08-19

Unforgettable!.......2007-08-16

No more photo book..........2007-08-11

Great film, excellent "Anniversary Edition".
But not for forthcoming fans. The photobook and the case are no longer included!

Average customer rating:

Great Movie!!!
Being "best of 'Jaws' Sequels ain't much to brag about. This movie stinks.
The only good sequel in the "JAWS" franchise
It's not as good as the original Jaws. But, then again, it's not as bad as Jaws the Revenge
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water ...

Jaws 2
Starring: Roy Scheider , Lorraine Gary , Murray Hamilton , Joseph Mascolo , and Jeffrey Kramer
Director: Jeannot Szwarc
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
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ASIN: B00005A8XX
Release Date: 2001-05-22

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Ushering in the age of the inferior sequel, Jaws 2 was essentially a license to print money. Indeed, the film did very well despite blatantly replicating the plot of Steven Spielberg's original, though to lesser effect. Roy Scheider returns as Martin Brody, sheriff of the small island town of Amity. Just as the beachside resort is rebounding from the previous movie's shark attacks, another great white is snacking on divers and water-skiers. Naturally, the town fathers don't want to confront reality and choose to proceed with a lucrative sailing regatta, resulting in a grisly loss of life. Besides the fact that director Jeannot Szwarc takes an impersonal, workaday approach to the film, Jaws 2 manages to be both stylistically flat and openly cynical about its commercial intentions. Of chief interest here is Scheider's performance, which wisely reflects the emotional fallout from Brody's last trauma in his obsessive behavior here. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Great Movie!!!.......2007-07-07

I watch all the Jaws movies over and over again and I never get tired of them. Of course there will never be one as good as the original Jaws but any of them with Roy in it are superb.

Being "best of 'Jaws' Sequels ain't much to brag about. This movie stinks........2007-05-29

I may not have expected the midas touch of the original in "Jaws 2," but I did expect some quality. I didn't think the "Jaws" brand name would be sold out so cheaply. But it was when it allowed itself to be applied to this stinker. Not only is the writing lousy, the characters are shallow at best, including municipal leaders who conveniently have very short memories as they relive the past and fall perfectly in line with the unimaginative story line. The Brody's themselves seem to have short memories, but they merely symbolize the rest of the town who, despite some awfully familiar clues, jump in and out of the water with wreckless abandon w/o giving the possibility of a shark even a remote consideration. And the shark itself takes on something of a slasher personna in its predatory behavior in the way it chooses its prey. Not to mention how unlike in the original, this shark plays to the camera and takes on un-shark like characteristics, expanding a little more on the original sharks acrobatics. All this sequel needs (as well as the 3rd and 4th installments) is a hockey mask for the shark and the creativity for the plot line would be complete. This may be the best of the "Jaws" sequels, but that's like saying the Gremlin was GMC's best car.

The only good sequel in the "JAWS" franchise.......2007-05-28

Once the music starts you know your in for a first class ride of the same caliber and quality as the original. John Williams does an excellent original score for the sequel setting the tone right off the bat. Really has some genuwine, jump outta your seat shocks and is overall very enjoyable and suspensful. Roy Scheider returns as Sherriff Brody and is just as good as he was in the first, sinking his teeth into the role and tearin' it up, much like the title character.
If your lookin for a scary shark movie, stick with the best("JAWS" and "JAWS2") and forget the rest.

It's not as good as the original Jaws. But, then again, it's not as bad as Jaws the Revenge.......2007-04-23

Apparently, lightning can strike in the same place twice. And giant sharks can go on a rampange in the same place twice. That's what the people who made this movie expect you to believe. And so the only way to enjoy this film is not to take it too seriously.

I wish that they didn't make this movie. The original was so perfect that any subsequent movie could only diminish the great beast's reputation. But while this movie looks crappy compared to its original, it looks brilliant and competent compared to the two sequels that would follow it.

Anyone who hasn't seen this movie and gets it should not expect to be terrified. What made the first Jaws movie great is that we didn't actually see the shark until the very end whereas in this film we see it in the opening sequence. This takes away the mystery and the fear of the unknown but I guess by now the director figured everyone knew what the shark would look like anyways. The only difference in how this shark looks is that in the early part of the movie the shark gets burned on a side of its face which does give it a cool kind of look. And how the shark is killed in this film is almost as clever as in the original.

Again, don't expect to be terrified. This movie is a far better action/adventure story than a horror film. Here are my rankings of the four Jaws movies:

Jaws: 5 stars.
Jaws 2: 3 stars.
Jaws 3: 2 stars.
Jaws the Revenge: 1 and 1/2 stars.

For most people this film will be a waste of time. Maybe it is worth a rent but you should only buy it if you are a hard core Jaws fan.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water ..........2007-04-06

JAWS II
Well, living in New England you would never expect to see a shark along the beach ...once maybe, but twice ...I don't think so. But thanks to the producers of Hollywood this second film has a lot of charm as the first.
In fact I watched Jaws I and Jaws II back to back and I thought they were both about the same caliber.
So if you liked the first movie, you'll like the second. Beyond this, the rest of the JAWS series was aweful.

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IT'S A SCREAM!!!
JAWS 3: It Bites...
Revenge of the Creature meets Gorgo
Another Great Jaws
Might one day be in 3D for DVD...

Jaws 3
Starring: Dennis Quaid , Bess Armstrong , Simon MacCorkindale , Louis Gossett Jr. , and John Putch
Director: Joe Alves
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00008WFU4
Release Date: 2003-06-03

Product Description

Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Simon MacCorkindale and Academy Award winner Louis Gossett Jr. star in the most terrifying Jaws adventure ever. Everyone at Florida s Sea World is thrilled with the new Undersea Kingdom, a maze of underwater plexiglass tunnels that permits visitors to get closer to marine life than ever before. The opening ceremonies include many important guests and one uninvited baby shark who accidentally enters the park s lagoon through a faulty sea gate and subsequently dies. The young shark s 35-foot mother soon follows her offspring, creating the most horrifying tale of terror ever filmed in the water. Directed by original Jaws designer, Joe Alves, written by Richard Matheson and Carl Gottlieb and filled with heart-pounding special effects, this Jaws will have you screaming for your life.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

IT'S A SCREAM!!!.......2007-09-03

Hollywood seems forever hell-bent on producing contenders for the dubious honor of Most Unnecessary Sequel Ever. But despite awesome new entries like Speed 2: Cruise Control and The Lost World: Jurassic Park, the crown continues to belong to Jaws III.

Whereas the unnecessary sequel Jaws II still had Chief Brody, Jaws III features the now grown-up Brody boys (Dennis Quaid and John Putch) at a Sea World theme park in Florida, far from Amity and Roy Scheider. Quaid is about to unveil a mammoth, man-made lagoon attraction, which, you guessed it, will quickly become a shark-feeding station. Now meet the rest of the cast: Louis Gossett Jr., Lea Thompson, Simon MacCorkindale and, as Quaid's girlfriend, Bess Armstrong. Needless to say, you'll be rooting for the shark from the first frame.

Just as you're thinking that the underwater picnic can't begin soon enough, a shark gobbles up a lone diver working on the gate between the lagoon and the open sea. When the victim fails to show up at home, his angry girlfriend is certain he's with another woman--"I tell you, the man's trash!"---but Quaid and "senior biologist" Armstrong fear something worse and set out in a submarine to investigate. Two pet dolphins follow along, apparently with the intention of proving that dolphins are smarter than people, for as Quaid and Armstrong leave the sub to swim around, the dolphins warn them of impending danger by shaking their heads back and forth. Sure enough, a shark suddenly lunges for them. Lacking fingers to shake at the foolish humans, the two dolphins rush over to Quaid and Armstrong and offer them rides to safety. For the second time, the shark fails to get them. Why? For one thing, it resembles a giant inflatable Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon and moves about as fast. To become this shark's dinner you'd practically have to swim into its mouth and throw yourself down its throat.

Faced with the alarming prospect of a killer shark in an underwater theme park, Armstrong has an idea: trap the beast and turn it into an attraction. "This is crazy!" roars Quaid--the very words he failed to say to his agent after reading this script. Naturally, the troop goes hunting for the shark, and, naturally, the shark promptly attacks, but MacCorkindale deters it by conking it on the snout, about which we only say: don't try this at home. Inexplicably, the shark proves easy to capture and becomes an endearing pet. Finding Armstrong petting the shark in the tank, Quaid jealously jumps into the water, saying, "If this is the only way we can be together!" Armstrong primly hands him a plastic bottle with formula for the shark. It's a Jaws III-way. When the park opens to the public, nymphets in hot pants succeed where Quaid and Armstrong have failed--they come upon the shredded torso of the missing diver. Ever the aquatic professional, Quaid takes one look at the remains of his pal and barfs.

Armstrong realizes... well, let her tell it: "Our shark couldn't have killed him--its mother did!" Yes, the captured shark's 35-foot great white mama is fiendishly racing around the lagoon, which is now filled with tasty tourists. After knocking people out of a boat and overturning bathers on a wooden raft, the killer shark simply scratches one person then politely stops. (Is it any wonder this movie was nicknamed Gums?) But things pick up when MacCorkindale cages the mama shark (don't ask) and then neglects to leave the cage himself. This allows for a genuinely laugh-out-loud shot of MacCorkindale's view from inside the shark looking out--a peak moment in sharkcam cinema. The body count begins to go up until the thing you've been waiting for finally happens--Armstrong gets attacked. Alas, Quaid rescues her before she can be safely devoured. Quaid then saves the day by detonating a hand grenade inside the shark--a fitting ending for this legendary bomb.

JAWS 3: It Bites..........2007-07-24

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Warning- Spoilers Contained Below-- Jaws 3 was the third film in Universal Studios' shark-thriller movie series. The first film, released in 1975, was a pioneering blockbuster directed by Steven Spielberg. He passed on a sequel, and so Jaws 2 was directed by Jeannot Swarc. Generally considered inferior to the first, it nonetheless made a modest profit at the box office in 1978. Five years would pass before another sequel was made--but perhaps it shouldn't have. 1983 saw a brief revival of 3-D films at the box-office, with minimal results. It was likely presumed that a 3-D Jaws would have more 'bite' to offer filmgoers. It didn't work.

This time (directed by Joe Alves), the action moves from the New England town of Amity to a coastal Florida Sea World amusement park. The film damages its thematic credibility early on by prematurely aging the Brody boys, sons of Chief Brody of the first two Jaws films. Now the 30-ish Mike (played by Dennis Quaid in his 80's zenith) is an engineer/designer of underwater tunnel systems, with Sean college-aged and visiting his big brother for the summer. Bess Armstrong is Kathryn Morgan, the park's head marine biologist and Mike's love interest. Lea Thompson is Kelly, a ski-show performer and Sean's would-be girlfriend.

Louis Gossett, Jr. (who had recently won an Oscar for his role in An Officer and a Gentleman) plays the flamboyant Calvin Bouchard, a New Orleans-reared businessman who has just recently taken over as the manager of the park. Fishy things start to happen when a great white shark apparently mauls an unsuspecting worker near the park's storm drainage tunnels.

Enter Philip FitzRoyce, played by Simon MacCorkindale (TV's "Manimal") an Australian wildlife photographer/hunter who offers to capture the rogue predator. He is successful, and Bouchard orders that the shark be put on display to seize on the publicity. His decision is questioned by Kathryn and Mike, the latter of whom knows all too well that great whites aren't anything to trifle with.

Soon, the shark specimen dies--however, the recently discovered remains of another shark victim indicate that they couldn't have been killed by the shark in custody--this one would have to be much bigger. Shortly afterwards, the park staff (and their clientele) are face to face with the shark's mother--over 30 feet in length and apparently feeling a maternal revenge instinct. From there, shark mayhem starts happening in a major way, as the murderous predator mauls its way through a ski-show exhibition, the bumper boat lagoon, and floods an observation tunnel. The shark is contained only temporarily, setting up the climax where viewers get to see a slow-motion reaction shot from the protagonists as the shark apparently has the presence of mind to charge headlong into an underwater control room to get at those pesky humans.

Quaid is decent enough as a lead and Gossett is always a pleasure to watch, but despite their acting pedigrees this film is still strictly B-grade at best. It is unintentionally humorous that Sea World would lend its brand name to be potentially marred as vulnerable to shark invasion (at least, the coastal locations). Perhaps the show dolphins prominently featured in the film (another real-life park attraction) had something to do with the enticement--though it would have been great if at least one of them were sacrificed to the shark. The special effects here are dated, and rendered muter for the fact that the 3-D effect has been removed. Certain scenes show objects heading straight for the camera (like a hypodermic needle, a crossbow bolt, shattered glass--oh yes, and 'Bruce'). Minus the 3-D effect, unknowing viewers may question the odd choice of angles. Everyone except a Jaws completist should only rent this film.

Revenge of the Creature meets Gorgo.......2007-07-15

What does a studio do when they are out of ideas? Go back to the classics.The plot of this film is basically a combination of 2 old SCI-FI classics.Revenge Of The Creature 1955 and Gorgo 1961.The similarities are as follows:In Revenge Of The Creature the creature is captured and used as an exhibit in a theme park.In Gorgo a dinosaur is captured by a group of fishermen only to discover they have captured a baby and the mother is coming for it.Having said this I think Jaws 3 is a pretty entertaining movie.Not great but certainly better than Jaws 4 which was HORRIBLE!

Another Great Jaws.......2007-07-07

I miss Roy but this is a good one too. I like Dennis in it and Bess does a good job too. This one is a must have in the series of Jaws movies. I have them all and watch it over and over and over.....

Might one day be in 3D for DVD..........2007-05-02

I saw this in the theater at age 12 and again numerous times on video. The main reason that this movie has not been released in a 3D format for home video, is that the movie was released in a polarized 3D format, rather than the old red/green or red/blue format that works on television sets. One lens in the movie glasses was polarized vertically and the other horizontally (a la Universal and Disney theme-park 3D movies). This particular effect is currently impossible to re-create even on HD televisions because of the horizontal scanning that makes the tv images. It could be converted into a red/green format for DVD, but Universal is unlikely to shell out the money for a conversion, which would likely take over a year of labor by an FX team. Also, that's assuming that the Left and Right film masters still exist as seperate films. Even at age 12 in 1983, I was unimpressed by much of the film, one redeeming factor being that the shark was so darn huge [35 ft]. I didn't like the use of stop-motion near the end, something Spielberg avoided at all costs in the original. Holding out for the slim chance of a Red/Green 3D conversion before I buy, as I have all the others on DVD.

Jayne Mansfield Collection (The Girl Can't Help It / The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw / Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?)

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Jayne Mansfield--an icon
Baby Jayne
THE GIRL COULDN'T HELP
Seamless Blending of the Sublime and Ridiculous
Jayne Mansfield " The DVD Collection" that EVERY fan should have!!!

Jayne Mansfield Collection (The Girl Can't Help It / The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw / Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?)
Starring: Tom Ewell , Jayne Mansfield , Edmond O'Brien , Julie London , and Ray Anthony
Director: Frank Tashlin , and Raoul Walsh
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B000FKO3US
Release Date: 2006-08-08

Product Description

Episode Description:

Disc 1: Girl Can't Help It
Disc 2: Sheriff of Fractured Jaw
Disc 3: Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

Jayne Mansfield--an icon.......2007-05-12

The movies Jayne Mansfield made in Hollywood are not exceptional save for one: "The Girl Can't Help It". This movie , in my opinion, made her career because of the wonderful music in it----the story wasn't too bad---Tom Ewell is a so-so guy (and a VERY under-rated actor), but the treat of watching Little Richard sing "Ready Teddy" and the Platters, Gene Vincent, and Eddie Cochran with their songs really makes this movie a classic---to buy the set just to get this one, ---really worth it for real 50's music fans---of course, I liked all of the films in the great set----a wonderful treat.

Baby Jayne.......2007-01-13

YES YES YES !!! Finally great films of Jayne Mansfield on DVD !!!!! The DVD's are of GREAT quality !! And i also LOVED the extra documentary ! I hope that all films of Jayne will come on DVD !!!!!!!! I love all of Jayne !!!!!

THE GIRL COULDN'T HELP.......2007-01-10

The Girl Can't Help It is one of the best Rock & Roll movie's made. Looking at Jayne Mansfield is worth the price along. Some of the greatest singers of the 50's appear, such as FAT'S DOMINO, LITTLE RICHARD, THE PLATTERS, plus JULIE LONDON and ABBY LINCOLN, GREAT MUSIC.
The other 2 movies are a matter of choice, I would have prefered THE WAYWARD BUS.

Seamless Blending of the Sublime and Ridiculous.......2006-12-31

This long overdue collection deserves a place on your DVD shelf as much for archeological as entertainment value. The two Frank Tashlin-directed films ("The Girl Can't Help It" and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter"), which parody the more garish aspects of Fifties life but manage to work equally well as celebrations of it, make this set worth the price. "The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw" is icing, provided by the otherwise formidable Raoul Walsh.

"The Girl Can't Help It" is unlike any other film of its time, or of any other time for that matter. Equal parts comedy, love story, Hollywood musical, comic book fantasy, crass titillation, live action cartoon, and Rock `n' Roll road show, it somehow succeeds in engaging the viewer to the point that he or she genuinely likes the main characters - even the felonious ones - and inexplicably soaring above and beyond the sum of its parts. Sentimentality is held in check by the adept lunacy of the script and the strategic inclusion of then-embryonic Rock acts, and perhaps it's those acts that cause the film to transcend itself.

The Rock `n' Roll, Rockabilly, and R&B stars, near misses, and never-would-be's featured in TGCHI are showcased regally. This isn't one of those low budget, black and white, Alan Freed-mentored Rocksploitation vehicles so common at the time. While the acts are presented in a traditional manner for popular musicians in movies (similar to the way, say, Glenn Miller or Harry James were in the `40s), they're nevertheless the recipients of some perks that were usually reserved for A-list leading ladies and men, such as dramatic, "heroic" low angle shots, dollying boom shots, eye-popping color by de Luxe, and "the grandeur of Cinemascope", suggesting that something bigger than life was being archived for the ages. With the benefit 20-20 hindsight, we now know that it was.

Or at least in the cases of Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, The Platters, and Fats Domino . . . the same can't be said for The Chuckles, Johnny Olenn and a few others. But, after all, Rock `n' Roll was still a new thing in 1956, foreign to an incredulous world of worrying adults. Many no doubt thought it a passing fad, a novelty - as a result, every type of youth act the kids might have possibly liked was thrown in for the purpose of reaping immediate dividends. Perhaps, strange as it may seem, they saw no difference between Little Richard and The Chuckles. On the other hand, the naivete of those otherwise long forgotten performers being included on the same bill as bona fide immortals adds a certain charm to the film, as well as a sense of time and place of an increasingly distant, innocent past.

I would advise first time viewers against listening to the running commentary feature while watching TGCHI - the "expert" chosen to comment is frequently off base in his assessment of the Big Picture, and his muffing the minutiae is an ongoing annoyance. As an example of the latter, he doesn't seem to realize that the nickname of Edmond O' Brien's character is Fats - not "Fatso", as he calls him at least a dozen times throughout the course of the commentary. And that's NOT Phil Silvers delivering milk in the sequence of cartoon-like reactions to Jayne Mansfield's contour assets. Silvers was a big enough star at the time (he had been a well-known comic since WWII, and "Bilko" was in the works in 1956) to require a close-up in a cameo appearance (not to mention at least one line, or a quick wisecrack). If you're still not convinced, click the pause button and take a good look.

The (British) commentator is also oblivious to the "sock hop" phenomenon in the America of the era in which the film was made; he strains to find deeper meaning in the fact that the teenage audience dancing to the performances of Fats Domino and The Platters are not wearing shoes. It doesn't take a heck of a lot of research to determine that sock hops, or informal dances, were often held in high school gyms (as is the one in the film), and that a participant would be obliged to adhere to the enforced prerequisite of removing his or her shoes in order to dance in stocking feet, thereby sparing the floor from scuff marks - or else suffer the wrath of the principal.

While film historian Dana Polan, who ably handles the running commentary on "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter", stretches his credibility a bit on occasion, he's much more consistently on target than his TGCHI counterpart. For this picture, I would definitely recommend making the commentary part of your second viewing, if only to grasp the film's place in history, as well as the very history it's parodying. There's more to ponder in WSSRH, an honest to goodness satire of the excesses of postwar affluence, the `50s advertising boom, the growing cult of celebrity, and the phenomenon of celeb worship that followed as part and parcel.

Tashlin may have been hedging his bets and having it both ways in TGCHI, but WSSRH is undeniably scathing satire. There's palpable warmth permeating the former film, as well as a sense that the director wants us to feel some affection for the principles (beautifully played by Mansfield, the magnificent O'Brien, and "Seven Year Itch" alumnus Tom Ewell), which we do, and which is somewhat lacking - with few exceptions - in the latter film; in it Tashlin has bigger fish to fry.

As in TGCHI, the acting is vital to "Hunter's" success; as over-the-top as many of these performances are (by necessity), they are subtly nuanced all the same. Mansfield puts in a very fine performance as sex kitten/starlet Rita Marlowe, against the incredibly talented Tony Randall - the geeky but ambitious Rockwell P. Hunter of the title. The versatile and indispensable Henry Jones, a key player in "Girl", also shines, this time as Randall's co-worker, despicably shameless ad-man Henry Rufus. (In "Girl" Jones was ingeniously understated - here he goes brilliantly for broke.) Joan Blondell is also memorable as Mansfield's girl Friday.

But, to paraphrase Mousey in "The Girl Can't Help It", I don't want to "louse ya up", and leave you with the impression that these are heavy or deep films. Despite their worthiness for dissection and serious critique, it's all really secondary to the fact that these are two very funny and enjoyable movies, on any level, and both are ideal for an evening of lounging on the couch with a bag of popcorn, forgetting your problems, and laughing your contour assets off.

Jayne Mansfield " The DVD Collection" that EVERY fan should have!!!.......2006-11-11

This is Ms. Mansfield at her BEST! This is a must for any fan. The quality is FABULOUS and the extras on the DVD's and in the set (LOBBY CARDS) are great and show her at the hight of her career. A must have for anyone that loves Jane or likes to compare her the the Goddess herself... Marilyn!

You will like these!
John

Average customer rating:

A fine piece of carnivorous passion
Consider seeing this film only if you think that believable scripts, good special effects, and originality are overrated
This time, it's bad!
This Got Made
What a crap!

Jaws - The Revenge
Starring: Lorraine Gary , Lance Guest , Mario Van Peebles , Michael Caine , and Karen Young
Director: Joseph Sargent
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008WFU5
Release Date: 2003-06-03

Customer Reviews:

A fine piece of carnivorous passion.......2007-08-16

As the film's title identifies, our legendary shark menace can hone in on blood from miles away- hundreds of miles in fact, notably alighting upon a particular target residing upon the shore. Did the Brody's simply leave a trail of chum from Martha's Vineyard to the Bahamas; perhaps Hoagie dropped it from his plane. Nevermind. Jaws in his ravenous hunger bore that vehicle to the seafloor.

Nevertheless, one can't help but gape at the sheer prowess of Spielburg's instrument of cinematic horror. Jaws defies the fallibility of such creatures as Dracula, slain by the heart-driven steak, the Wolfman, silenced by a silver bullet, or even the impermeable blob, suspended in animation. Not only can the sea's greatest killing machine withstand being blown up, electrocuted, and subsequently blown up while striking fear into tourists at a local SeaWorld, he rises once more to exact revenge upon his land-based nemeses, the indefatigable Brodys. It's no wonder that he now exhibits a tendency to roar, lavish the warm Carribean waters, an alien and inhospitable environment for a great white, as well as spontaneously explode after leaping twenty feet from a water depth of less than ten, having been impaled upon a wooden prow.

Yet, Jaws: The Revenge deserves as yet unaccounted-for credit. The extraordinarily large prehistoric beast fortunately lacks the imbued twenty-five cent arcade qualities of the shark of Dennis Quaid and Bess Armstrong. We, as an audience, are allowed to view retro Jaws in his classic fury, striking fear into beachgoers and boaters, young and old alike. Furthermore, we see genuine character development in the interactions between the adult Michael Brody and his young daughter.

Unfortunately, who lies out on the sofa to watch a Jaws film that depicts human character as opposed to human casualties? How can a horror/thriller genre sport sappy relationships and love-making welders? Therein lies the inherent flaw of Jaws: The Revenge. Take a hint from South Park- if you've got to kill the main character every installment, produce a comedy. Don't straddle a blunt line between frightening, fruity, and downright ridiculous.

Consider seeing this film only if you think that believable scripts, good special effects, and originality are overrated.......2007-05-13

It's no accident that there never was another "Jaws" movie after Jaws the Revenge. Even the movie Deep Blue tried hard to avoid being thought of as Jaws 5. Why is that?

Probably because this sorry piece of filming terminated the giant shark in more ways than one. It's NO exaggeration, whatsoever, to say that this film works better as an unintentional comedy than as a horror/science-fiction movie.

If you are thinking of renting or, heaven forbid, buying this movie I will refer you to something that lambasts this movie better than I can. Do a you tube search for "richard jeni jaws 4" and you'll find a short entertaining video that gives Jaws the Revenge a proper mockery. A more accurate title would be Jaws the Joke or Jaws the Ripoff.

Here are my rankings of the Jaws movies:

Jaws: 5 stars (only one worth owning, get it)
Jaws 2: 3 stars (ehh, I guess there are worse things you could do with your time than seeing this inferior sequel)
Jaws 3: 2 stars (starting to get crappy)
Jaws the Ripoff: 1 star (only because you can't give 0 stars on Amazon)

This time, it's bad! .......2007-03-14

I saw this movie on TV since there was nothing else on and I must say that I couldn't stop laughing. The movie is so bad, that it is a comedy! In the begining of this movie, they start off by saying that the events in Jaws 3 never happened (reason why it's called "Jaws: The Revenge" instead of Jaws 4) and that the sharks from the first two movies were the new sharks parents. So the shark follows the Brodys to kill them all! What a dumb plot you must think, but it gets even worse by the bad acting and action. In one scene the shark jumps out of the water and locks it's jaws on a plane! Come on, I bet the guy who wrote "Basic Instinct 2" could do a better job.
-Ben Russell

This Got Made.......2006-12-22

I just saw the end of JAWS: THE REVENGE again on latenight cable TV--where it belongs--and I'm still stunned by the incredible lameness of every aspect of this movie. For everyone who quibbles about the unlikelihood of finding a Great White in the warm waters of the Bahamas: this shark also roars. Like a lion or something. A roaring shark. You read that right.

The filmmakers also keep cutting shots from the original JAWS into the climax. As a reminder that there was actually a good film at one time here? A distraction from how horrible this one is?

They paid Michael Caine enough to be in this stink bomb--but obviously not enough to wear a wet shirt after climbing out of the ocean. His expressions often convey that he's there but you're lucky he's at least facing the camera.
Was there something better he could have been doing? Yes. Picking up his first Oscar for HANNAH AND HER SISTERS. But he missed the Oscars to be in JAWS: THE REVENGE. At least he went on national TV to admit that he did this movie because he had a home right there in the Bahamas (he even pointed at the house during the interview).

The demise of the roaring shark is a baffling, badly-edited violation of all of our natural laws and logic. Shark rises out of the water. Boat rams shark. Shark explodes. Boat explodes. Everyone survives, even the annoying Jamaican who got chewed up several minutes before. Roll footage clearly the same of the blown-up shark sinking from the original.
Wow. It's that bad.

The tag line for this movie was "This time it's personal."
They were right.
That studio's really got it in for us!

What a crap!.......2006-10-02

Looks great but don't get trusted, this is the worst killer shark film ever! The shark looks so fake and during all the movie he only killed like 4 people and that's it. So please don't see this movie I'm warning you.

Jaws (Full Screen Anniversary Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

The Best
You're gonna need a bigger boat.
SPIELBERG'S BEST
Unforgettable!
No more photo book...

Jaws (Full Screen Anniversary Collector's Edition)
Starring: Susan Backlinie , John Bahr , Peter Benchley , Richard Dreyfuss , and Lee Fierro
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000I4XR
Release Date: 2000-11-21

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

The Best.......2007-09-05

This is the greatest shark movie ever !!!
this DVD edition is super, a must have for all shark fans !!

You're gonna need a bigger boat........2007-09-04

SPIELBERG'S BEST.......2007-08-19

Unforgettable!.......2007-08-16

No more photo book..........2007-08-11

Great film, excellent "Anniversary Edition".
But not for forthcoming fans. The photobook and the case are no longer included!

Average customer rating:

I Thought I Was Good

Deep Jaws/The Dicktator
Starring: Paul Daniels (III) , Bernie Schwartz , Jess Ramos , Franco Goya , and Walt Davis (II)
Director: Perry Dell
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BVNSDE
Release Date: 2006-01-17

Product Description

Sex and Skin from the Double-D Drive-In! Flat broke, Uranus Studios disregards their reputation for producing "artistic films" and, instead, tries to make some fast cash by shooting a "quickie porno." Siphoning off money the government is providing for a film about U.S.-Soviet space flights, the geniuses at Uranus decide to make "a sexaster movie about nympho mermaids and call it Deep Jaws!" With three nubile starlets each thinking she's the lead, and using the same drunken crew to shoot both, the two films quickly blend together in a slapstick orgy of sex-crazed chaos centered around a pool full of... well, horny fishwomen. Glub, glub!

Plus: When a male birth-control pill accidentally sterilizes the male population, the birth rate drops to zero and the President of the U.S. orders the CIA to scour the globe for potent males. Five are found who have yet to take the pill -- a Japanese doper, a Peruvian sheep herder, a Russian prisoner, a 'Frisco drag queen, and an Afro-American anthropology student who's busy boiling fat gals for the local cannibals -- each of whom is code named The Dicktator and promptly ordered to impregnate the horniest of the world's women. Two raunchy sex comedies from producer Manuel S. Conde that could've only been made in the Seventies, featuring a Who's Who of sexploitation starlets including Rene Bond, Uschi Digart, Sandi Carey, Linda York, Cyndee Summers, Kathy Hilton, Roxanne Brewer, and Candy Samples! Yowza!

System Requirements:

Running Time 90:01 Mins

Format: DVD MOVIE

Customer Reviews:

I Thought I Was Good.......2005-11-20

I played JR. in "Deep Jaws." I'm glad this is coming out on DVD, because it's nice to have a film I was in come out on DVD - but I can't honestly say I can imagine anyone thinking this is a good film. Now if only someone would release the other cinematic materpiece I was in - "Meateater" - which was NOT a porn film.

Average customer rating:

Shark Week - American Shark

Manufacturer: Discovery
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000KGGO1S
Release Date: 2006-12-01

Jaws - 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition

Average customer rating:

The Best
You're gonna need a bigger boat.
SPIELBERG'S BEST
Unforgettable!
No more photo book...

Jaws - 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition
Starring: Susan Backlinie , John Bahr , Peter Benchley , Richard Dreyfuss , and Lee Fierro
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

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Gary, Lorraine | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

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Hamilton, Murray | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Kramer, Jeffrey | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

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ASIN: B00004TDRD
Release Date: 2000-07-11

Amazon.com essential video

Description

Steven Spielberg retrospective on the "Making of Jaws" with exclusive footage, behind-the-scenes and rare interviews

Jaws Archives: Photos, storyboards, and production drawings

Original theatrical trailer and teaser trailer

Digitally remastered

Special Silver Foil Packaging

Customer Reviews:

The Best.......2007-09-05

This is the greatest shark movie ever !!!
this DVD edition is super, a must have for all shark fans !!

You're gonna need a bigger boat........2007-09-04

SPIELBERG'S BEST.......2007-08-19

Unforgettable!.......2007-08-16

No more photo book..........2007-08-11

Great film, excellent "Anniversary Edition".
But not for forthcoming fans. The photobook and the case are no longer included!

DVD:

DVD

DVD