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Tom's Guide
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
‘Jaws' 50th anniversary: How everything going wrong made the film a classic
The opening scene of "Jaws" is as iconic as its theme music. A young woman goes for a swim in the waters of Amity Island late one night. Then, suddenly, she's yanked under by a creature hiding beneath the surface. That shadowy killer was enough to make a generation of movie fans think twice before wading into the ocean — the terrifying shark reveal in the film's final act didn't help either — but the entire scene was almost completely different. The original script for Steven Spielberg's monumental blockbuster "Jaws," based on the book by Peter Benchley, called for the film's bloodthirsty great white shark to emerge from the water in the very first scene. But when production on the movie began, there was just one problem: The shark wasn't working. So Spielberg and his crew improvised. The result was an opening shot that built tension and terrified audiences without giving away the big reveal. Near-constant technical issues with the mechanical sharks custom-built for "Jaws" were just one of many issues that plagued the infamous production. But through a mix of movie magic, quick thinking, and dumb luck, Spielberg and the cast and crew managed to create a classic movie that changed Hollywood forever when it premiered in theaters 50 years ago, on June 20, 1975. "Jaws" was troubled from the start. Producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown bought the rights to the movie adaptation before the book was even released, after reading it in one night. Brown later joked that if he'd read "Jaws" twice, he would have had second thoughts. Some of the scenes imagined by Benchley were nearly impossible to bring to life on film. Spielberg later came on board as director after spotting the script on a desk during a meeting (the original director was fired for repeatedly calling the shark a whale by mistake). Spielberg also tried to quit early on out of fear he'd be pigeonholed into making action movies, and the studio had to strong-arm him into sticking around. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Once the script was finished and the main roles were all cast, Spielberg made perhaps his most notable mistake: He decided to shoot the movie on an actual beach. This led to countless issues. Seawater regularly damaged the equipment, locals would sometimes sail into frame and the boat where the movie's' final act takes place even started to sink at one point while the cast and crew were on it. Despite all this, when Spielberg looked back at the experience a few days after the film's release, he seemed confident he'd made the right decision. "I could have shot the movie in the tank or even in a protected lake somewhere, but it would not have looked the same," the director told Time. Then, there was the shark. Nicknamed 'Bruce' (for Spielberg's lawyer Bruce Ramer), the great white actually consisted of three different mechanized creatures designed to be filmed from different angles. Bruce broke down constantly, in part due to corrosion caused by the salty ocean water. It also got tangled up in seaweed more than once. Behind the scenes, crew members referred to the film as 'Flaws.' In the end, Jaws wound up both over budget and behind schedule. It cost $9 million, up from an initial $4 million, and while filming was supposed to take 55 days, it lasted 159 days instead. And yet, "Jaws" went on to become one of the successful movies of all time. The reason why may have a surprising amount to do with what went wrong. Issues with Bruce the shark wound up making "Jaws" even better. Beyond the film's opening scene, it forced Spielberg to find other ways to build a sense of fear without just showing the great white in all its glory. For example, the recurring image of a fin cutting through the surface of the water, which went on to become even more memorable than the shark itself. 'The shark not working was a godsend. It made me become more like Alfred Hitchcock than like Ray Harryhausen,' Spielberg told Ain't It Cool News in 2011. (Harryhausen was an animator and special effects creator known for fantastical movies like Jason and the Argonauts.) 'The more fake the shark looked in the water, the more my anxiety told me to heighten the naturalism of the performances.' Production delays also gave Spielberg and his writers a chance to continuously improve the script throughout filming. And the choice to shoot on location on Martha's Vineyard prompted the director to hire locals for most of the minor roles, adding to the movie's realism even further. Ultimately, no one thing makes "Jaws" a great movie. From the character work to the tense build-up to the epic mechanized shark itself, it all comes together to create a perfect movie that still holds up to this day. And 50 years later, the behind-the-scenes stories reveal that even when everything goes wrong, it's still possible to make cinematic history. "Jaws" is currently streaming on Peacock.
Japan Today
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Bruce Springsteen takes seven 'Lost Albums' off the shelf for a new box set
FILE - Bruce Springsteen speaks to the audience during a concert with the E Street Band at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany, on June 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File) By DAVID BAUDER Bruce Springsteen's new project, 'Tracks II: The Lost Albums,' is entirely about that age-old question: What if? The box set, out June 27, comprises seven albums encompassing the period between 1983 and 2018, all but one he prepared to release in its time but ultimately shelved. Now that he's decided to drop them simultaneously, they offer a fascinating alternative story of his musical life. Building on its predecessor 'Tracks,' 1998's four-disc, 66-song collection of unreleased material, there are 83 songs here. While some slipped out on other projects — 'My Hometown' and 'Secret Garden' among them — the vast majority hadn't been heard publicly. This is all fully completed material, not half-baked or half-finished outtakes. It's not unusual for artists to leave songs — or even full-lengths — on the cutting-room floor, but multiple entire albums? Springsteen explains that he's taken care releasing albums, looking to build a narrative arc for his career, and believes this approach has served him well. Perhaps as a result, the most interesting work on 'Tracks II' comes when he stretches out and explores pathways not in his wheelhouse: countrypolitan Bruce, border-town Bruce, Burt Bacharach-inspired Bruce and a set of synthesizer-based songs modeled after his Oscar-winning 'Streets of Philadelphia.' Oddly, the one disc of strays cobbled together that feels most like an E Street Band record is the least compelling. Since these are seven distinct albums, it's worth evaluating them that way. 'LA Garage Sessions '83' captures Springsteen working virtually alone at a home in the Hollywood Hills. It was squarely in between his 'Nebraska' and 'Born in the USA' albums, and he seems torn between those two approaches. There are character studies here, and more lighthearted fare like 'Little Girl Like You,' with a single man yearning to settle down. The most striking cut is 'The Klansman,' about a boy and his racist father, yet it cries out for more development. Ultimately, Springsteen chose the right albums to release at the time. The song 'Streets of Philadelphia' was a genuine departure musically, and Springsteen decided to make an album in the same vein, with synthesizers and drum loops the dominant elements. If released in the early 1990s, this would have been the most contemporary-sounding disc of his career, with atmospherics that occasionally recall U2. Springsteen pulled it at the last minute, reasoning that the stories of doomed relationships — sample lyric: 'We loved each other like a disease' — was too much like 'Tunnel of Love.' At the same time he recorded 'The Ghost of Tom Joad' in 1995, Springsteen also convened a country band steered by pedal steel player Marty Rifkin. Their work was terrific, led by the one-two punch of 'Repo Man' and the Johnny Rivers cover, 'Poor Side of Town.' The title cut to a disc he calls 'Somewhere North of Nashville' escaped into the public some two decades later. Since the somber 'Joad' won a Grammy, who are we to second-guess his choice of what to put out? 'Nashville,' though, is a rollicking good time. 'Inyo' is similar to 'Joad' and 'Devils & Dust,' mostly acoustic-based narratives, here many of them stories of the Southwest. Springsteen even appropriately brings in mariachi bands for 'Adelita' and 'The Lost Charro.' Soozie Tyrell's violin is notable, particularly on the majestic 'When I Build My Beautiful House.' We're guessing that Springsteen may have considered 'Inyo' one album too many in the same style, but it's still strong work. At one point Springsteen considered making 'Western Stars,' his salute to early 1970s California songwriting, a double album. When he didn't, the songs on 'Twilight Hours' were left behind. Here Bacharach is the primary influence, and this almost feels like Elvis Costello's collaboration with Burt, only without him (and is the lyric 'God give me strength' a hat-tip to that project?). The crooning Bruce of 'Sunday Love' is spellbinding, maybe the box's best song. 'Lonely Town' sits at the intersection of Bacharach and Roy Orbison, while 'Dinner at Eight' is a lovely sum-up. 'Twilight Hours' may startle Springsteen fans — and impress them, too. The workmanlike songs on 'Faithless' were written on commission in two weeks, the soundtrack to a movie that was never made. It's a good bet it would have been a moody Western. When Springsteen duels with Tom Morello on the song 'Another Thin Line,' you realize how little you've heard his electric guitar on 'Tracks II.' The album 'Perfect World' is the one here made up of leftovers from different periods, with the greatest E Street Band participation. Here's the deal, though: Most good E Street Band material has already been released. The best left behind for this disc is 'You Lifted Me Up,' with minimalist lyrics and a vocal collaboration with Patti Scialfa and Steve Van Zandt. The box gives Springsteen completists plenty to mull over, and you can question whether these 'lost discs' would get more attention released separately instead of together. If it's too much, he's releasing a 20-song set of its highlights. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
New York Post
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Inside the problem-plagued making of ‘Jaws' 50 years later: A drunk actor, broken sharks and millions over-budget
They needed a lot more than just a bigger boat. They needed over double their initial production budget. They needed one of their trio of leading actors to not be so drunk all the time that he'd black out at work. Advertisement And they needed their three robot sharks — 'playing' the title character — to stop breaking down. 6 Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss starred in 1975's 'Jaws.' AP The filming of 'Jaws,' director Steven Spielberg's horror classic that turns 50 on Friday, June 20, was plagued by issues on-set in Martha's Vineyard, Mass., during the spring and summer of 1974. Advertisement Yes, the movie grossed $476 million globally and became one of the first blockbusters and a landmark in the horror genre. But it also very nearly didn't work. 'In many ways, launching 'Jaws' was a film production problem analogous to NASA trying to land men on the moon and bring them back,' wrote 'Jaws' co-screenwriter and actor Carl Gottlieb in the book 'The Jaws Log.' 'It just had never been done.' When producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown hired Spielberg to direct a film based on Peter Benchley's 1974 novel 'Jaws,' he was just 27 years old and professionally untested. His theatrical film debut, 'The Sugarland Express,' hadn't hit theaters yet. But not sold on the alternatives, they went with the young hotshot. Zanuck and Brown budgeted the film at an estimated $3.5 million and wanted production to take 55 days. In the end, 'Jaws' treaded water for over 150 days and cost $9 million. Advertisement 6 The three mechanical sharks were all called Bruce, and broke down constantly. Getty Images The biggest diva was the shark. The producers assumed, like with decades of Hollywood pictures, a real great white shark could be simply trained up to do what they needed, Gottlieb writes. That, obviously, was not going to work — although a stuntman was harrowingly snapped at by the genuine article in the waters of Australia. So the team planned to build a 25-foot-long mechanical fish. And the only man they could enlist to do it was Bob Mattley, a designer of '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,' 'Flash Gordon' and others who had came out of retirement for the job. The mechanical beasts were budgeted at $1.2 million (adjusted). Advertisement The waves only got rockier. When filming began in the pretty Massachusetts beach town, the shark they called Bruce had never been tested in ocean water. Made of tubular steel covered in a sand-and-paint mixture, each weighed one ton. 6 Steven Spielberg was just 27 when he directed 'Jaws.' Getty Images The troubles were endless. There were small dents that would cost $50,000 to fix and constant touchups requiring the device be laboriously lugged out. Its motor was eroded by salt and the studio thought the teeth were too white, so they were repainted. At one point, Bruce even sank to the bottom of the ocean. The contraption rarely worked two days straight, and constant delays pushed production into July. There was so much free time, beer had to be banned on the boat. 'All over the picture shows signs of going down like the Titanic,' Gottlieb wrote. On booze: Robert Shaw, the actor who played Quint the shark hunter, was an Olympian drinker. During an on-camera interview, the British actor was asked how he prepares. 'Scotch, vodka, gin, whatever,' he said. Advertisement 6 When asked how he prepares to act, Robert Shaw said, 'Scotch, vodka, gin, whatever.' But Spielberg underestimated this fact. When shooting Quint's famous monologue to Richard Dreyfuss' Hooper and Roy Scheider's Brody aboard the Orca, he let Shaw throw a few back. 'Robert came over to me and said, 'You know, Steven, all three of these characters have been drinking and I think I could do a much better job in this speech if you actually let me have a few drinks before I do the speech,'' Spielberg told Entertainment Weekly in 2011. 'And I unwisely gave him permission.' Shaw was plastered. Crew members had to carry him onto the boat, and he was so drunk that they wrapped for the day. Advertisement 'At about 2 O'clock in the morning my phone rings and it's Robert,' the director added. 'He had a complete blackout and had no memory of what had gone down that day.' The scene was re-shot — sober. 'It was like watching Olivier on stage,' Spielberg said. 6 Spielberg said making 'Jaws' was 'a nightmare.' WireImage Advertisement 6 The horror classic grossed $476 million. Courtesy Everett Collection 'Jaws' was released in theaters on June 20, 1975. The movie became a global mega-hit and launched the career of one of Hollywood's most prominent and influential directors of all time. However, when 'Jaws 2' hit theaters in 1978, the name on the poster wasn't Spielberg — it was Jeannot Szwarc. The 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' genius was traumatized by the original experience. '[I didn't come back for the 'Jaws' sequels] because making the first movie was a nightmare,' Spielberg told Total Film in 2004. Advertisement 'There were endless problems with the shark and it was an impossible shoot. I thought my career was over because no one had ever taken a movie 100 days over schedule.' Spielberg added: 'It was successful, but I never wanted to go near the water again.'
New York Post
a day ago
- Politics
- New York Post
US Embassy in Israel sends urgent notice to Americans stuck as Iran rains down missiles
The United States has started the voluntary evacuation process for U.S. citizens who wish to leave Israel amid the country's conflict with Iran. 'Urgent notice,' Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, posted on social media on Wednesday. 'American citizens wanting to leave Israel, the U.S. embassy in Israel is working on evacuation flights and cruise ship departures.' Advertisement The envoy urged citizens to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive updates. 4 'Urgent notice,' Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, posted on social media on Wednesday. The U.S. State Department announced on Tuesday that it established a Middle East task force, operating 24 hours a day, to help coordinate support for U.S. citizens, diplomatic missions and personnel during the conflict between Israel and Iran. Tammy Bruce, the State Department spokeswoman, told reporters that the task force will help U.S. citizens stranded in regional trouble spots receive timely information, including travel advisories and security updates, through a website and hotline. Advertisement 4 The U.S. State Department announced on Tuesday that it established a Middle East task force, operating 24 hours a day. REUTERS But details about the potential evacuation of U.S. citizens were lacking, including figures of how many Americans have requested to depart and what options are available to them, even as other countries are calling for their citizens to leave Israel. 'Our commitment is to the safety and security of Americans around the world,' Bruce told reporters at the department's press briefing. Bruce denied that the department was caught flat-footed by the conflict's rapid pace. Advertisement 4 Details about the potential evacuation of U.S. citizens were lacking, including figures of how many Americans have requested to depart. / MEGA 'The Department of State is always planning for contingencies to assist private U.S. citizens' departure from crisis areas, and we will alert the U.S. citizenry community if there is, and when there is, additional information to share regarding their options during any crisis, but certainly this one as well,' she said. Given the rate at which Israel is dismantling Iran's chain of political and military command, the issue may be moot, particularly if, as U.S. President Donald Trump hinted on Tuesday and Wednesday, the United States becomes actively involved in the attacks. 4 Bruce denied that the department was caught flat-footed by the conflict's rapid pace. AFP via Getty Images Advertisement Still, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), and 43 other House members sent a bipartisan letter to Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging them to lay out to Congress the steps they have planned to evacuate American citizens from Israel. Read the latest on the conflict between Israel and Iran 'Americans in Israel are depending on our government for guidance and a pathway to safety,' the congressmen wrote. 'We understand the obstacles posed by the current security situation and the closure of Israel's airspace. Therefore, all available options, including evacuations by land routes and sea, must be explored.' The letter noted that constituents were already being directed to the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program registration page, without further clarity. 'We trust that you will honor your responsibility to protect the American people, no matter where they are in the world,' the lawmakers wrote. They sought answers by today.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Check out Manitoba's twin cities: Winkler and Morden
'Why would you go to Morden and Winkler for the weekend?' Travel writer Shel Zolkewich is exploring interesting destinations in Manitoba and beyond this summer. Some are annual favourites and others are a little off the beaten path. Come along for the ride! It's a question I used to get asked a lot. But after a few stays, and even more shares on social media, the questions have become, 'Where can we stay if we go there?' and 'What should we do there?' The twin cities of Morden and Winkler are 12 kilometres apart on Provincial Highway 3. That means visitors get two for the price of one when it comes to family fun, fabulous food and superb shopping in southwestern Manitoba. Your micro-vacation starts here with our Top 10. 1. Stay in a castle. It rests on Morden's main thoroughfare, elegantly holding its place from another time. Built in 1902, Bella's Castle is impossible to miss with its wraparound porch, impressive stonework and, at night, a gallery of twinkling lights. Take your pick from one of five suites, including The Penthouse, which includes a fireplace and claw-foot tub. Built in 1902, Bella's Castle in Morden is impossible to miss with its wraparound porch and impressive stonework. It's also taken a turn on the small screen. (Travel Manitoba photo) 2. Eat corn! The farmers around Morden really do grow the most delicious corn in the land. And it's free to all at the Morden Corn and Apple Festival each August. I was mesmerized by the massive corn cooker that's powered by an antique steam engine. Incredibly, it churns out 50,000 cobs during the event. Cooking 50,000 cobs of free corn for people at Morden's Corn and Apple Festival in August is a team effort. (Shel Zolkewich photo) 3. Make it Mexican. My suitcase is bulging with grocery store finds on every return flight from Mexico. But I've found a much more convenient place to get all my favourites: Sunny Day Products and El Roi Mexican Imports, both in Winkler, stock sweet soda pop, Mexican oregano, achiote paste and all the other treats that make me feel like I've stepped into a Mexican market. 4. Meet Bruce. Even if it's been a few years since you got excited about dinosaurs, the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre in Morden is a must. It's home to Bruce and he demands attention as the world's largest publicly displayed mosasaur. I loved pretending I was Indiana Jones during the Fossil Dig Adventure Tour, where we learned real paleontological field techniques. Check it out this summer. 5. Shop. Shop. Shop. I always stock up on Mint Medley shea hand cream (for these gardening hands) at Pure Anada, a made in Morden success story featuring cosmetics crafted from organic botanicals and mineral pigments. The downtown shop is simply a joy for browsing. 6. Spa day! The newly opened Healthians Wellness World in Morden includes a variety of saunas, a steam room and massage therapy at the touch of a button in zero-gravity chairs. Or head over to the Avalon Day Spa in Winkler for a seaweed wrap or therapeutic massage. 7. Hit the beach! Admittedly, I stayed in the shallows, but the Splish Splash Waterpark at Colert Beach inside the Lake Minnewasta Recreation Area in Morden truly looked like a blast. I saw youngsters get launched from a giant pillow, race down a puffy slide and fly high on a trampoline — all over the water on this inflatable playground. Winkler's Bethel Heritage Park is a downtown treasure featuring a fountain, overflowing garden beds and a pavilion that hosts live theatre and concerts.(Travel Manitoba photo) 8. More than potatoes. I get endless teasing when I say The Potato Store in Winkler is my favourite stop. Yes, it's the place for bulk spuds at the best prices, but the newly expanded space also stocks a huge selection of made in Manitoba wares including honey, jams and chocolates and a dreamy gift section, not to mention The Crusty Bun for pastries and excellent coffees. The Potato Store in Winkler has plenty of made-in-Manitoba favourites. (Shel Zolkewich photo) 9. Dinner is served. Step into historic charm at Rendezvous Eatery & Taproom in Morden, once the town's newspaper office and now the home of mouth-watering barbecue on the weekends, tacos and margaritas on Thursdays and Underwood IPA, just one of the brews offered here. 10. Ice cream for the road. Making a decision at the take-out window is the most difficult part of a visit to Charley B's in Winkler. But you'll never go wrong with the Checker Split, my fave because it includes a sprinkle of brownies on top. The busy joint also has a Pawsh Picnic menu just for the doggos. BONUS: Stop by Morden Nurseries for your very own apple u-pick adventure in their orchard in late summer. Visit Morden Nurseries & Garden Centre and take home a bag of u-pick apples. BONUS: Are you a fan of Hallmark movies? Then you're sure to recognize Bella's Castle in her starring role in Pumpkin Everything (2022).
