Jaws Fan 'Jony Horror Show' Rocks The Boat
Jaws finatics don’t come much more rock n roll than 29 years old Ventura, CA based bartender Jony ‘Horror Show’ Maresca.
The Daily Jaws (TDJ) caught up with Jony (JM) to learn more about his Jaws obsession.
TDJ: Hey Jony, tell us about the first time you watched Jaws.
JM: It was the summer of 2000, I was just a couple of months away from my tenth birthday and as I recollect that was one of the better summers I had enjoyed as a kid. We lived in Lancaster, CA- the desert- where summer time temperatures averaged about 95 degrees Fahrenheit. So unless you had a swimming pool (we did not) going outside was quite the toasty adventure. I remember being particularly excited this one week because we were finalizing all the details for the family vacation that we were about to embark on in the next few days. Ordinarily we would go stay at hotels during the summer time for our family vacations. My old man had to take business trips and his company would put him up in a nice hotel and he’d bring the wife and kids along. I loved hotels as a child (still do for that matter) for two reasons- cable tv, which we didn’t have at home and the giant swimming pools. As previously mentioned- we did not have a swimming pool and my all time favorite thing to do as a kid was go swimming. But this particular year we were going on a week long camping trip. I had never been camping so I was very excited- even more exciting to me than the prospect of camping was the knowledge that we would not be camping in a remote forest, but that we would instead be camping for a full week at the coolest place ever: the beach.
It was about four o’clock in the afternoon and our camping trip was a week away. My dad was a little late coming home from work that day because he had stopped at the video store. Now, I’d like to tell you all the usual things happened, I gave him a hug when he got home, he asked me how my day was and all that jazz, I’d like to tell you that but quite frankly I have no goddamn idea what happened because all I can remember was the box. Metallic-looking and shiny with shades of dark blue and aqua, maybe about two and a half to three inches wide and stood about half a foot high, encased in a plastic protector from the video store that ensured the tapes wouldn’t fall out of the box with bright bold red letters that said one word: "JAWS." My old man had brought home the 25th Anniversary Edition of the film- complete with two videotapes. The second was the feature length “Making of” documentary, which was and still is the best movie about the making of a movie, ever. And the first tape was the flick itself- both of those films would become equally important not just in regards to my love for Jaws but, and not to over dramatize it, to the very core of who I am as an individual.
I stared at that box a long time. Front and back. Different than the original poster for the film, which at the time I was vaguely familiar with, the 25th Anniversary print featured the shark in dimly lit waters, brightened only by the glow that illuminated the young, NAKED (I’m nine years old thank you very much) woman that swam on top the deadly water. It was a terrifying visual and I held that movie box and sat and stared at it forever, intrigued and horrified. Equally as interesting to me was the reverse of the VHS. Three men lined up in a row from the chest up looking outward towards… something. What was it? The shark? A victim? The unknown? I had no idea, I just knew how cool they looked and that before I had even seen the movie I wanted to be them, all goddamn three of ‘em. So, finally after they stole the box away from me and I begged and begged my mom, my old man popped the plastic grooves on the side of the container, slid out the tape, pushed it into the video player and started “The Making of Jaw- WAIT, WHAT?!
TDJ: Tell us about your memories of seeing Jaws for the first time.
JM: The first time I saw Jaws was the night after my dad had shown me the “Making of.” So I knew going into it everything that happened, including everyone who died. I remember being very excited during the pier scene because I thought Charlie was gonna bite the dust and that would be a death that wasn’t spoiled in the documentary. Luckily for Charlie that was not the case. Now you may think that it’s kind of a bummer that I for all intents and purposes had the film spoiled for me and I have often wondered myself, what a different experience it would’ve been to go into Jaws cold turkey. But that’s just not how it went down and events transpiring as they did clearly had no impact on the love I have for the film. My first time watching Jaws was not unlike the last time I watched Jaws: I knew everything that was gonna happen and I loved every second of it.
TDJ: Why do you love Jaws?
JM: There’s more than one reason, that much is for sure. Some reasons we all share, others are personal and can’t really be expressed. The fact that the story behind the scenes is just as wrought with trouble and triumph as the film itself really does separate it from the rest of the flock. But the truth is I really can’t think of a thing I don’t love about it. I love the poster, I love the book, I love the history, I love the characters, I love the shark, I even love the name Jaws and how one little word no one ever thought twice about before now encompasses the fear of the ocean and the spirit of adventure. Jaws made me fall in love with sharks, with the ocean, and it made me fall in love with movie-making. Above all, Jaws has only ever made me happy and how could you not love a thing like that?
TDJ: Who is your favorite character and why?
JM: The shark. Because the shark was scary enough to do something very few things in this world have ever done. It united humanity in a single cause: “Us against the shark.” A terrible cause to be sure, one that we still feel the negative effects of today. Sharks are beautiful, wonderful creatures that deserve to live on this earth as much as any species. But for many years after the summer of 1975 humanity as a whole saw sharks as evil killing machines. The shark is without a doubt my favorite character in Jaws because it takes a hell of a monster to make the whole goddamn world afraid.
TDJ: Favorite moment in the movie and why?
JM: The Indianapolis Speech because it’s absolutely terrifying.
TDJ: What is the secret to Jaws' longevity?
JM: If I knew that I would be the King of Hollywood.
TDJ: What is the most treasured item in your Jaws collection?
JM: My First Edition of Peter Benchley’s novel.
TDJ: What do you think of the sequels?
JM: Jaws 2 is a damn fine sequel. Damn fine.
Jaws 3 is the girl you take home from the bar and don’t want anyone to know about, but you’re drunk and when you’re drunk she’s actually a lot of fun and though the next day you say “Never again,” you both know you’ll be back for more.
And if I gave my worst enemy the choice between eating a bullet for breakfast or spending the day watching Jaws: The Revenge, I hope for his sake he’d choose avocado toast and scrambled brains.
TDJ: What are your thoughts on a reboot / remake?
JM: I think if they made one good one right out the gate, they’d have a billion dollar franchise on their hands. People love shark movies and quite frankly, we’re over due for a true epic.
TDJ: When do you think is a good age to show Jaws to kids? And why?
JM: I don’t know- how old do parents start forcing their kids to go to Sunday School? Whatever age that is, that’s what we’re goin’ with. Cuz it’s never too early to start attending church.
TDJ: Who would you like to meet/have you met anyone from the Jaws family? And what would you ask them?
JM: I’ve never met anyone from the Jaws cast or crew. If given the chance I would love to bring Robert Shaw back from the dead and ask him what in the hell Richard Dreyfuss did to make him want to dick the poor guy down every goddamn day.
You can follow Jony on instagram: @thejonyhorrorshow
