A 'Fin-tastic' Birthday on JAWS Island!
My earliest memory of Jaws was the first time it was shown on UK television - the 8th October 1981, a little over a week before my 6th Birthday. I don't remember much about that night but what I doremember is running out of the living room, crying my eyes out, as Quint was being devoured by a massive fish. My Dad came out into the hallway to try & calm me down, saying "It's not real blood, it's just tomato ketchup". I eventually plucked up enough courage to go back into the living room, just in time to see Bruce explode.
That December, I asked Father Christmas for The Game of Jaws by Ideal Toys. My parents even kept that Christmas list and I still have the game to this day!
Fast forward 44 years and we began thinking about what to do for my 50th. I wanted to do something special. We decided to go to Martha's Vineyard, not just for my 50th but Jaws' too!
I was hoping to go to the island in June for the anniversary weekend, but we would've needed a lot of summer dollars! Plus, we weren't sure of how crowded it would be, so my wife suggested we go in October, for my actual Birthday.
We booked a few nights in Boston, spent a couple of days visiting Salem, which is awesome in the run-up to Halloween btw, and 4 nights on the Vineyard. We stayed at the Faraway, aka Kelley House, right in the heart of Edgartown. Probably the nicest place we've ever stayed. We even had a record player in our room, but, alas, no Jaws soundtrack vinyl!
Within a matter of hours of being on the island, we had met Jeffrey Voorhees in The Wharf, had a lobster roll and I got a taste for Narragansett!
We could visit all of Edgartown's filming locations by foot within minutes, but for the other spots, my wife booked a tour company to take us round. Everything was organised & paid for.
Then, a couple of hours before the tour departed from Oak Bluffs, (on my Birthday), my wife got an email saying the tour was cancelled, as we were the only 2 people booked in! Nightmare! So, when looking for alternative companies proved fruitless, she rang the cab company, Bluefish Taxis, who were willing to take us all over the island.
Our driver was great. He took us from East Chop Drive to South Beach then Menemsha to Aquinnah, (via Abel's Hill Cemetery to visit John Belushi's 'grave') then back to Oak Bluffs, to meet up with Todd Rebello, brother of the late Chris at his store, South Beach Apparel. He even gifted me a copy of The Shark is Still Working soundtrack CD!
And yes, I did go swimming. In the ocean. In October. Harry was right, it is cold! Although, I didn't wear a 'bad hat'.
The accompanying video showcases our time on Martha's Vineyard and features the locations in the order they appear in the movie, (sort of), and not the order I shot them in.
I hope you enjoy watching this as much as I did filming & editing it.
This holiday was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, but after spending just 4 days there, we just have to go back again. Hopefully, a lot sooner than my, (and Jaws') 60th...
Words, images and video by Rob Taylor
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Personalised JAWS Poster Artwork – Custom Tribute to a Cinematic Classic
Whether you're commemorating a birthday, anniversary, or just your undying love for Spielberg’s masterpiece, this custom JAWS artwork adds a personal twist to one of the most recognized movie posters in film history.