JAWS 2

     I'll never understand why so many horror movie fans seem to disregard the JAWS movies as not being "true" horror movies, whatever the hell that means. The original JAWS terrified millions of people around the globe- even people living in Kansas for God's sakes! If that's not a scary movie, then I don't know what is, kiddos.

    A sequel to one of the biggest blockbusters of all time was inevitable, I suppose- but I'm not going to re-hash the millions of things that's been said about JAWS 2 over the years. Yes, we know it wasn't Spielberg directing this time- nobody could compare to him anyways and Jeannot Szwarc does a damn fine job with the material and makes it his own and that is THAT. I love the original film, and it would be virtually impossible to replicate Steven Spielberg's style and techniques.

   Jeannot Szwarc obviously paid attention to what made the first film work so well and wisely brings some of that to the sequel. JAWS 2 certainly had a lot to live up to, but it's foolish to compare the two. The film has faults to be found, sure- the pace could be a bit tighter in parts and the residents of Amity seem to have dreadful memories except good ole' Chief Brody, but overall JAWS 2 is a damn near perfect summer fright flick.

     Spare me moans and groans about the script- we watch JAWS 2 (and JAWS 3-D and JAWS: THE REVENGE, for that matter...) for one reason only. We want to see a Great White terrorizing folks, plain and simple. And this film delivers that in spades.

     I love how most of the main cast of the first film returns, and it's downright fun to re-visit Amity again. Pesky film snobs love to make fun of the special effects of these films, but they look far better and more realistic than anything you'd find in ANACONDA or DEEP BLUE SEA, that's for sure.

     JAWS 2 has many great, memorable scenes that rival anything found in the original- the two divers discovering the Orca at the first of the film, the infamous water-skiing scene, the burnt shark rising up to almost devour an unconscious Mike Brody, and the climax of course. Not to mention hands down one of the greatest taglines in all of film history- "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.."- brilliant is all I'm saying.

     JAWS 2 was cool and scary enough to be featured just as prominently as the original in the wonderful TERROR IN THE AISLES, and all you wacky horror nerds out there be sure to look for a very young Bryan Norton, who appears in a small role.

     I love this movie. I think it definitely holds its own and has carved its own niche in the annals of horror, and seems to be growing a rather loyal fanbase over the years, which is always great to see. Now there have been some pretty good recent shark movies- I for one enjoyed the first OPEN WATER, THE REEF, and THE SHALLOWS- but they ain't no JAWS 2, guys. C'mon. When I was a kid I rented these damn movies all the time and the JAWS marathons were just as special to me as a marathon of HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY THE 13TH, or THE AMITYVILLE HORROR. Plus the trailer is kick ass.

JAWS

     Based on the best selling novel by Peter Benchley, JAWS tells the story of a Great White shark terrorizing resort island Amity, New York.  It starts off with an amazingly scary opening scene.  A woman goes for a midnight dip in the ocean, alone.  She is brutally attacked and killed by some unknown creature in the water.Turns out to be a shark attack, and that shark is hungry.  The beaches happen to be packed as it's the middle of summer, and it's a regular smorgasboard for the shark.  Chief Martin Brody, of the Amity Police, soon finds himself on a quest to find this elusive beast and destroy it before it destroys the entire town.  This is classic nature run amok, man versus monster stuff.  

         A conversation came up the other day, concerning  JAWS and whether or not it was a legitimate horror movie. It got rather heated. There were a handful of people who honestly thought JAWS was cookie-cutter Spielberg fluff that just wasn't scary. The arguments against it being a true horror film were that it was rated PG for one, that sharks weren't scary, and that it was more of a mainstream action/adventure movie with some scary overtones.  Now for the arguments concerning JAWS being a deserving horror classic.
   

      It undeniably and legitimately scared the living shit out of pretty much the entire world in the mid-70's, and made an entire generation afraid to go in the water. And in the process forever tainted the reputation of the Great White shark, and sharks in general. Our fear of sharks today all stem from JAWS.  Now granted, humans have always feared the creatures of the deep.  But it was Spielberg's masterpiece that truly created a worldwide terror of sharks that is as strong today as it ever was. If that's not a horror film, then I don't know what is. On Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments, JAWS was awarded the #1 spot, which apparently surprised many.  But if you think about it, it makes perfect sense. It created a massive cultural fear that lingers to this day, and that's pretty remarkable, if you ask me. It terrified people about going into the ocean like PSYCHO scared people from taking showers.

       JAWS  kicked off a wave of knock-offs, including PIRAHNA,ORCA: THE KILLER WHALE, ALLIGATOR, GRIZZLY (substitute shark for bear...), and countless others. Not to mention a slew of its own sequels. It truly was a phenomenon, and one of the biggest blockbusters of the decade. Recent horror flicks OPEN WATER and THE REEFall owe a nod to JAWS.  Spielberg's classic is still influencing filmmakers almost 40 years later.

     This film boasts a score that's every bit as recognizable and iconic as HALLOWEEN, FRIDAY THE 13TH, and PSYCHO, and forever made Great White sharks a monster in our eyes. It's most deserving of its status not only as a classic film by Steven Spielberg, but a classic horror film as well. The handling of the suspense, the looming dread, the frightening sense of the unknown... all handled perfectly here. Horror means scary, and JAWS has certainly scared enough people.  It's a genuinely entertaining and immortal creature feature that easily ranks among the classics of horror.

It's one of the biggest films of all time, kids.  It's aged remarkably well, and looks downright sensational on blu-ray.  An enduring classic!

   

The Reef

     Going in to the Australian indie horror flick THE REEF the other night, I was expecting another OPEN WATER. Both of these movies are low-budget affairs with unknown actors and both are about people terrorized by sharks. And, both movies are based on two seperate but supposedly true stories. I know OPEN WATER doesn't have the greatest reputation among horror movie fans, although I personally enjoyed it.  However, I am thrilled to say that THE REEF takes what OPEN WATER hinted at and took it far and beyond.  It's a full-blown horror movie that manages to be downright scary and frighteningly tense- I actually found the suspense almost too much to bear at times.  And this stuff is right up my alley.

     It starts off in typical genre fashion- introducing the rather bland cast of characters to basically show us who's going to be swimming for their lives in twenty minutes or so.  There is some minor character development here, although just enough to warrant some sympathy down the line. It works. Now this being a horror movie, of course something goes awry in the opening scenes and becomes the setting for terrors to come. In this case, the characters' boat runs aground on an upraised barrier reef and overturns, leaving the characters stranded in the ocean with two rather unsettling choices- stay on the overturned and slowly sinking boat in shark-infested waters, or take the risk of blindly swimming roughly twelve miles to unseen shores in shark-infested waters. What do you do? One out of the five stays on the boat, while the other four risk it and take off swimming.  And it's not long before they realize that they're being followed by a huge Great White. A very hungry one. This is where THE REEF kicks into overdrive and becomes a frightening exercise in terror and suspense.

     What truly makes THE REEF so effective is that the filmmakers didn't use any CGI for the making of this film. The shark scenes are by far the most realistic and scary I've ever seen in any movie. The actors truly had to contend with actual sharks while filming, and footage of the actors are very convincingly combined with footage of a real Great White Shark. The effect is amazing. There is not one second that you don't believe everything you're seeing in this film. The scenes of the Great White circling the group and attacking are so chilling and real that they are a startling reminder of why people are still to this day so terrified of these creatures. It's a situation I would most definitely not want to be in. This is truly intense stuff- and by far the best shark film besides the original JAWS that I've ever seen. We were scared silly watching this movie, it was really that frightening. If you are afraid of sharks or deep, dark water, then this might not be the film for you. But if you are a fan of brutal, agonizing suspense and dread that never lets up for one second, take a swim in THE REEF.  It's very reminiscent of that other indie Australian horror flick from a few years back that I loved so much, BLACK WATER. Those Aussies! Good, dark stuff.

The Food Of The Gods

  

        I had always wanted to see "The Food Of The Gods", and finally, I got my wish.  O...m...g...  This trashy adaption of H.G.Wells' classic story is just something that has to be seen to be believed.  Simple as that. It's just so wild and bizarre- and somehow manages to be hilarious, disturbing, ridiculous, and somewhat creepy all at the same time.  The plot goes something like this.  Basically some farmers, one being Ida Lupino, discover some weird goop mysteriously bubbling up from the ground on their land.  Thinking it a gift from God, they start feeding it to their chickens.

      Which soon results in a barn full of giant chickens.  It's absurd for sure, yet kinda scary at the same time.  Giant birds are spooky anyway, but a giant chicken? Yikes.

      To make matters worse for them but awesome for us viewers,  rats, wasps, and other vermin have managed to get into this "food of the gods"- resulting in, guess what?  You got it.  An island crawling with giant critters.  One of the many man vs. animal movies of the 70's, this one is a sight to behold, that's for sure.  This is total drive-in schlock.  Completely batshit and over the top.

     Now as sublimely cheesy as this movie is, it does get really disturbing once the giant rats come into the picture.  As the movie goes on and the humans become more and more desperate for survival, the rats seem to take center stage- which results in lots of rats getting blown away.  Many people were disgusted and shocked by the violent scenes of the rats being shot and destroyed.  And it is disgusting and shocking.  Some claim that it's all done with paintballs and special effects, but it quite obvious that you're seeing many rats visibly killed in some of the film's most infamous scenes.  A source of controversy for years, it's somewhat surprising that as late as 1976 acts of cinematic cruelty to animals would be allowed to be shown on film, especially in mass quantities like in "The Food Of The Gods".

     Bottom line- "The Food Of The Gods" is one of those movies that starts off so bad, you just have to keep on watching to see what happens next.  There are many sublimely ridiculous moments- I myself will never forget the sight of Ida Lupino desperately beating the giant plastic worm supposedly chewing on her arm.  The special effects are pretty laughable, but somehow all this works, to a certain degree.  I'm not saying I love this movie, or even like it.  But I own the movie, so I must like it somewhat... Okay, I do like it, okay?  Fine.  I like it!  This is most definitely a movie I would love to see on MST3K.  It would be a hoot, for sure.  Overall, as cheesy and laughable as the movie gets at times, it still manages to be entertaining.  The film has achieved a cult status of sorts, and it's certainly not the worst horror movie out there- although it does almost reach Ed Wood level at times.  Which of course is why it's so watchable and why I recommend Bert I. Gordon's classic nature's-revenge opus from 1976. You just gotta love the 70's, man.

Black Water

      A true tale of 3 people vacationing in Northern Australia who decide to take the Blackwater Barry Tour to fish.  They encounter and are attacked by a huge crocodile.  Ending up stranded in the swamps and tree-bound, they try to find their way out of their secluded location.

      As silly as it may sound, I was pleasantly surprised with "Black Water".  I know what you're thinking.  A killer crocodile?  Seriously?  I thought the same thing.  But I took a chance... and was so glad I watched it.    For such a low budget indie production, the effects are some of the better I've seen in a while.  Almost all of the crocodile footage is of actual crocodiles and makes it much more believable.  And being low budget, the director takes full advantage of the situation- I for one find dark, swampy water the stuff of nightmares- who knows what's swimming around down there?  Much like "JAWS", this movie draws on those same kind of fears.  I found myself biting my nails immediately, completely immersed in this movie.  The characters weren't the least bit obnoxious or unlikable, and in all actuality this scenario is not that farfetched.  This could honestly happen, and it wouldn't be pretty if it did.  It's a simple and brutal tale, building slow suspense all the way.  This movie does not follow any kind of formula, and I always welcome that.  I'm always up for a good monster movie anyway, and this one was way better than any killer croc movie I've seen before... as a matter of fact,  have I ever seen a killer croc movie before?  I don't think so...

     With such a simple story, they've managed to create some real nail-biting suspense and tension, especially the night scenes.  Just about everything in "Black Water" works.  This is real edge-of-your-seat stuff- yet I only know of two other people that have seen it, much less heard of it.  Let's face it- most horror movies suck.  I still watch them, but a true good horror movie only comes along once in a while.  This quiet, un-assuming little chiller will probably never have a huge audience, and it's kinda sad.  It's one of the best creature features I've seen in a long time, but unfortunately more people will go see the latest  Michael Bay remake instead.  Oh well, thanks to Netflix I discovered this gem, and I highly recommend it.

The Birds

    So I hadn't watched "The Birds" in a while.  Now granted, I've seen it way too many times to count, as it's one of my favorite movies.  But the mood struck me so hard recently that I decided to blow the dust off and pop the DVD in the other day.  I don't think I can even begin to explain my love for "The Birds".  Really.  This movie works on so many levels it's hard to know where to start.  First of all, I guess, is the premise.  Thousands of birds inexplicably turn against man.  Sound silly?  In a way, yes it is.  But therein lies the horror of it.  We have co-existed peacefully with birds for millions of years, and the chance of it ever happening is slim.   We take birds for granted in our everyday lives- when they suddenly become malicious towards us, it's quite a shock.  Even more disturbing is the fact that we're never given any sort of reason for the birds attacking- nothing.

     When Melanie Daniels (memorably played by Tippi Hedren), arrives in the small, sleepy town of Bodega Bay, California, the birds just suddenly and without warning attack.  Does it have something to do with her arrival?  Or more chillingly, did the birds just decide to attack?  It's a fascinating theory, and not a very comforting one.  Hitchcock wisely leaves it up to us and our imagination...  As mentioned in the movie, if this were to ever take place, we honestly wouldn't stand a chance.  Earth supposedly contains over 100 billion birds.  I've owned a bird, and trust me, they can inflict damage- just one little bird.  Imagine hundreds of birds attacking you... That's some scary shit.

     "The Birds" starts off almost as if you're watching a Doris Day movie.  Tippi Hedren's banter with Rod Taylor in a pet shop is something straight out of "Pillow Talk". This goes on for about 45 minutes, then Hitchcock suddenly sweeps the rug out from underneath us.  When the first bird attack finally does occur, it's an impressively scary left turn into uncharted territory.  By then, all we can do is sit back and watch in horror as the bird attacks get larger and more terrifying.  What's so chilling about "The Birds" is that from the opening scene, we actually see the birds amassing in the background, getting ready to strike- we just don't know when.  And this goes on for quite a while.

     There's a reason why Alfred Hitchcock is called "The Master of Suspense".  Hitchcock builds almost excruciating suspense because unlike the characters, we know the birds are getting ready to attack.  There are many stand-out scenes of horror in "The Birds"- the "jungle gym" scene pictured above, and the "flashlight" scene with Tippi near the end come to mind. The last 30 minutes of the movie is pure and unparalled terror- Hitchcock really outdoes himself in that last attack on the farmhouse- there's an amazing and terrifying sense of madness unleashed as thousands of birds mercilessly attack the boarded up house.

     It's been said that this movie inspired George A. Romero to create "Night of the Living Dead", and it's easy to see how.  A group of people trapped in a farmhouse against a nightmarish freak of nature...  Perhaps the most disturbing thing about "The Birds" is the score- there is none.  Instead of music, Hitchcock opts for the chilling sound of silence to create atmosphere.  Mixed with the bird noises, it makes for a super creepy effect and actually heightens the suspense.  It's a brilliantly done movie, and actually hard to believe that it was released in 1963.  It holds up remarkably well today.  The special effects are still impressive- today it would be CGI overload.  This is probably the greatest of all "nature run amok" movies- perhaps only "JAWS" equals it for sheer impact.  "The Birds" is a fabulous study in film-making- the directing, editing, sound are all top notch.

     "The Birds" is still as fresh and inventive as some movies today- in fact, I shudder to think of the remake.  It would be challenging to pull off the claustrophobia, the fear of the unknown, the slow and sure building of suspense that Alfred Hitchcock accomplished so well with the original.  "The Birds", along with "Psycho" and "Frenzy", are definitely Hitchcock's darkest hours on celluloid.   They certainly don't make movies like this anymore, which is what makes "The Birds" so enjoyable.  It's one of Alfred Hitchcock's last masterpieces.   Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor make a memorable duo, and we're also treated to three fabulous supporting actors- Susanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy, and Veronica Cartwright in her first role.  This is classic stuff all the way.

Below is a fabulous modernized trailer for this classic film.

Cujo

     One of the best (and most underrated) Stephen King adaptions of all time, "Cujo"is a tense, claustrophobic shocker that contains some truly phenomenal acting by one of the great scream queens of the 80's, Dee Wallace-Stone.  This woman is severely underrated as an actress- and it's a shame.  She's 100% believable in any role she takes on, but this might be her crowning achievement.  And young Danny Pintauro equally holds his own.  It's a true tour de force of acting.

      A woman and her son are trapped in a pinto during a summer heatwave by a hulking, rabid St. Bernard at an isolated farmhouse.  Nobody's home, except the dog.  The movie starts out slow, but once Dee and Danny arrive at the farmhouse, the movie kicks into high gear and the wait pays off.  "Cujo" is jam-packed with sweat-inducing tension that never lets up once it gets going.  The special effects are also superb- no CGI used whatsoever.  "Cujo" did not recieve the marketing or attention that other King adaptions received, but is now finding more and more of an audience.   I for one do not understand the negative criticism heaped on this movie- like I said, the acting and effects are amazing, especially for the time.   You can't deny the film's power to disturb- it really does stress you out, especially with Danny Pintauro screaming at the top of his lungs during the last half of the movie.  "Cujo" is not a cheesy horrorfest whatsoever- it's a realistic and unflinching creature feature.  This could happen, within reason. And "Cujo" dares to include something rarely found in most horror movies- character development.

     Some complain of nothing happening in the first 45 minutes or so, yet I see it as allowing the audience to really get to know these characters.  Dee Wallace is so likable in this role (or any other, for that matter...), that by the time the showdown between Dee and Dog occurs, it only makes us that more scared. Dee and Danny bring depth and resonance to the film.  I love this movie. It is one of my favorite of King's novels and screen adaptions.  A lost classic of the 80's,  "Cujo" ranked #58 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments. The 25th Anniversary Edition DVD contains a fascinating 3-part documentary- "DOG DAYS: The Making of Cujo" that explains how they pulled off some of those unforgettable stunts