Lockdown leads To Jaws introduction
Lockdown has meant families discovering old films together for the first time, and that also includes Jaws. The Daily Jaws spoke to one family from Essex who have been using their time wisely by introducing them to a raft of screen classics, including the Steven Spielberg classic. We put our questions to mum, Martha, and sons ‘Michael’ and ‘’Sean’ over email.
The Daily Jaws: Why did you decide to introduce Jaws to your children now?
Martha: Our family 14 day isolation has been the perfect time for some vintage antidotes. They are old enough now, at 11 and 13, to understand CGI vs. real threats!
The Daily Jaws: How was the viewing experience?
Martha: Very exciting to watch. The kids have recently studied the use of music in films, so this was the ultimate study in how the iconic music by John Williams cues up the fear.
The Daily Jaws: What did you enjoy about the film?
‘Michael’: I liked the classic movie music - I knew something bad was going to happen when I heard it. it was a slow burner that made you pay attention to every single detail in order to understand the storyline.
The Daily Jaws: What didn't you like?
‘Michael’: I didn't like the mayor!
The Daily Jaws: What scene did they jump at or were scared at the most?
Martha: The strung up shark being slit was pretty grim for them! On the boat when the guy got eaten in half because it was very sudden and the shark came out of nowhere. It looked realistic.
The Daily Jaws: Any favourite scenes or moments for them?
Martha: When Brody fired at the air tank in the shark's mouth and it was finally all over. All the times when you thought the shark was gone, but it came back, but this time you saw it explode so you were relieved.
The Daily Jaws: Did they have a favourite character?
‘Michael’: I liked the 'shark nerd' guy (Matt Hooper) because he knew what he was talking about and it wasn't false information so you could make assumptions.
The Daily Jaws: Which of the main characters of Hooper, Quint and Brody did you think they identified with most?
‘Michael’: Brody, because sometimes I feel like I know what's right but nobody is listening.
The Daily Jaws: How did they feel about the shark?
Martha: They liked that it didn't appear as early in the film as they thought it would.
‘Michael’: It wasn't scary cos I knew it wasn't real but for the time it was made it must have been very surreal watching it.
The Daily Jaws: Did they like the music?
Martha: I'd say the music was one of the major features for them. Its power to foretell terror is as fresh as ever.
The Daily Jaws: Was the viewing experience different for you watching it with your children? For example did the fates of Michael Brody and Alex Kintner have a greater impact?
Martha: As an adult I found myself seeing the political side to it more than the blockbuster shocks, such as the town leaders wanting to hush up the bad news for the sake of the local economy - still pretty relevant today!
The Daily Jaws: Do you think you will be watching Jaws 2 with them?
Martha: No, as I never watched that! So many other films on our list first - ranging from The Terminator to maybe some Hitchcock.
The Daily Jaws: Why do you think it is important to introduce classics such as Jaws to the next generation?
Martha: To an 80's child like myself, I see Jaws and other Spielberg and 80s films as the 'movie grandparents' of today's blockbusters; the films that created the cinematic shorthand that kids take for granted in movies nowadays.
I lament how 'sped up' films now are (Lego Movie being the worst example - as a parent, made my eyes boggle!) and kids' attention span is far less. My kids expect to have the storyline spoonfed to them instantly rather than wait patiently and piece it together themselves, always asking, 'is that the bad guy?'
I generally ask them to let the storyline build up. That said, the most disappointing film from my childhood that I showed my kids was Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, where the pace was so slow it really didn't translate anymore - just my opinion. Shame, as it was a good history lesson!
The Daily Jaws: Do you think Jaws has encouraged them to find out more about sharks?
Martha: No, in fact I think our next beach holiday may be problematic!
The Daily Jaws: What impact did Jaws have on you watching it for the first time?
Martha: My mum didn't allow me to watch it when it first came out! Same with Rocky Horror Show... I was a sheltered child.
The Daily Jaws: Can you remember when you first saw it?
Martha: In bits and pieces when shown on TV - not ideal. My first proper encounter with it was aged 17 visiting Universal Studios in LA where we had a boat ride with the actual Jaws robot snapping out of the water at us, which was pretty terrifying!
Questions were compiled by Dean Newman.
Have you been watching Jaws or working on a Jaws/shark-related project during lockdown? We’d love to hear from you.
