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USA Today
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
How 'Jaws' fans can celebrate 50th anniversary at Universal Studios Hollywood, Florida
How 'Jaws' fans can celebrate 50th anniversary at Universal Studios Hollywood, Florida Show Caption Hide Caption Top 3 scary moments in 'Jaws' 'Jaws' turns 50 this summer and USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt celebrates with his favorite bloody moments. Universal Studios Hollywood features a "Jaws" encounter on the Studio Tour, along with photo opportunities and themed dining at Amity Island Cafe. Universal Studios Florida no longer has the Jaws ride, but offers photo opportunities with "Jaws"-themed props and limited-time snacks. Both parks celebrate the film's 50th anniversary with special events and entertainment, including a "Jaws"-themed parade and nighttime show. It's been 50 years since 'Jaws' first terrorized a generation of moviegoers. Nowadays, fans are more likely to squeal with delight than fear over the beloved Universal franchise, which still has an entire Amity Village at Universal Studios Japan. But fans don't have to go that far to celebrate the film's golden anniversary this summer. Here's what to do at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort. Do they still have Jaws at Universal Studios Hollywood? Yes. There's still a Jaws encounter on the World-Famous Studio Tour. (Tip: Sit to the right of the tram for the best view.) The tour is available all year long, but guests may notice a 'Jaws' addition to the Hollywood sign replica this summer. As part of Universal Studios Hollywood's Mega Movie Summer through Aug. 10, guests can also snap photos with the park's hanging shark, which has been brought back for an anniversary photo opp, along with a new meet-and-greet with Captain Quint and Chief Brody. Guests can find these outside the WaterWorld attraction. The California park has also temporarily transformed its quick-service Hollywood & Dine restaurant into Amity Island Cafe. Its 'Jaws'-inspired menu includes a lobster roll, a vegan crab cake sandwich and an oversized donut that looks like a lifesaver. From 'Jaws' to 'The Meg': Ranking the 10 best shark movies of all time Is Jaws still at Universal Studios Florida? Universal Orlando Resort's Jaws ride retired in 2012. However, its hanging shark is still displayed year-round. In honor of the film's 50th anniversary, Universal Studios Florida has also brought out two additional photo opps tied to the former attraction: one is its original billboard; the other looks like one of the boats from the ride, being chased by a shark. Guests will find these in the park's San Francisco area through July 6, along with limited-time "Jaws"-themed snacks. Each night until Aug. 24, guests can catch CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular, on the park's waterfront before closing. The nighttime show features dancing fountains, projections, and music from some of Universal's most iconic films, including 'Jaws.' Pending weather, each day through Nov. 13, guests can also catch the Universal Mega Movie Parade, which features live characters, floats and Easter eggs from various Universal films, including 'Jaws.' Dates are subject to change. Guests should check Universal Orlando's free app for the latest updates.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
50 years ago, ‘Jaws' scared us senseless. We never got over it.
Show Caption Name that theme song: Dunnn-dun. Dunnn-dun. Dun-dun dun-dun dun-dun dun-dun. Who are we kidding? That terrifying two-note John Williams creation of course conjures the opening shark strike in 'Jaws,' which turns 50 on June 20. That's a half-century of scaring the bejesus out of generations of movie- and beachgoers. Five decades of us all scanning the horizon for fins while Hollywood thrashes about trying to replicate Steven Spielberg's blockbuster, from 'Shark Week' to 'The Meg.' Full confession: Seeing 'Jaws' kept me not only out of the ocean for years but also out of a pool. I've even heard of people who were scared to get into a bathtub. Irrational? Sure. Uncommon? Not really. That was the revelation provided by a deep dive into the realm of 'Jaws' fanatics, many of whom have long gotten over their fear of open water and swapped it for a churning mania for the movie. The terror roars back this summer, with "Jaws" and its three (admittedly lesser) sequels airing on Peacock starting June 15, and NBC's three-hour presentation of the original film on June 20, featuring an introduction from Spielberg. There's also a big screen re-release on Aug. 29. Is 'Jaws' the scariest film of all time? Watch it once or hundreds of times and the scare seems fresh every time, says Dawn Keetley, editor of the journal Horror Studies and professor of English and film at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. "Spielberg presents this shark as a pure animal force that we run into at our peril," Keetley says. She notes that "Jaws" starts out a pure horror film, then morphs into a perilous and tense buddy film when the three protagonists head off in a boat in search of the beast that haunts them. "Sharks stand in perfectly for wild nature that's at the edge of where humans can go, and as humans, we always push at the border," she says. "Sharks mark where we can't go very easily, maybe where we shouldn't go. To the dangerous and the forbidden." Don't be scared of sharks − 'more people die from taking selfies' Among the first moviegoers to be frightened by "Jaws" was Christopher Shaw Myers, nephew of Robert Shaw, who memorably played doomed shark hunter Quint. "While I'd read the book (by Peter Benchley), oh, my God, was it terrifying,' he says. Myers was a senior in high school when he joined his mother, Joanna, Shaw's sister, in a darkened Philadelphia movie house crammed with theater owners who were considering showing the film. His favorite part? The haunting soliloquy by his uncle, who explains his hatred of sharks after they ripped apart fellow servicemen on a sinking Navy ship. In defense of Carcharodon carcharias (aka, the great white), sharks aren't looking for humans. 'More people die from taking selfies than from sharks,' says Taylor Chapple, co-director of the Big Fish Lab at Oregon State University. 'But it's the uncertainty of it. The fear of the unknown. You think maybe there's a shark down there.' 'Jaws' tapped into that very primordial fear, which is chillingly encapsulated by Quint's famous USS Indianapolis speech: 'So, eleven hundred men went into the water. Three hundred and sixteen men come out, and the sharks took the rest.' 'The story is that the speech was very long, and Robert asked Steven if he could cut it back,' says Myers, author of 'Robert Shaw: An Actor's Life on the Set of 'Jaws' and Beyond.' When the actor delivered his version, 'there was dead silence in the room, and Steven said, 'We have our picture.' ' For Steven Spielberg, 'Jaws' was both his 'origin story' and almost his career killer That moment of glee was rare for Spielberg, who at 27 was helming a movie based on a bestselling novel. Studio executives wanted not only a hit, but they wanted it fast. Spielberg, who had made 'Duel' and 'The Sugarland Express,' feared the swift end of a promising career. He was over budget, shooting on open water and dealing with a mechanical shark nicknamed Bruce (after his lawyer) that kept malfunctioning. (Shaw's son, Ian, played his father in a Broadway show he co-wrote about the 'Jaws' debacle called 'The Shark Is Broken.') The degree to which 'Jaws' traumatized its young director is evident in 'Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story,' a National Geographic documentary airing July 11 on Hulu and Disney+. Spielberg sat for director and friend Laurent Bouzereau and confessed: 'There was nothing fun about making 'Jaws.' ' In the documentary, Spielberg relates that long after the problematic 1974 shoot was over and the 1975 movie was a box-office smash, he had nightmares about the experience. He found solace in sneaking into Universal Studios theme park and curling up on the leather bench inside the Orca, the boat used for much of the shoot. 'I underestimated how traumatic it was for Steven. But he never wanted to give up, and that's one lesson from 'Jaws': Don't give up," Bouzereau says. " 'Jaws' is his origin story. But in our interview, I could feel the weight of that experience still sitting with him.' Most 'Jaws' cast members were Martha's Vineyard locals, who still have stories to tell For all the hardship of making the movie, 'Jaws' bit the culture hard and never let go. Helped by a PG rating that admitted many youngsters who had no idea of the horror in store, the movie raked in $1.5 billion, adjusted for inflation. Matt Taylor summered on Martha's Vineyard as a kid, and at age 7 in 1979, he was deemed old enough to see 'Jaws.' Four years on, the line for the film still snaked around the block. 'It was probably one of the most exciting movie events of my life. My heart was pounding out of my chest,' he says. 'I love the water, but when I go in, I still have to face the horizon.' Taylor's love of 'Jaws' eventually led him to compile photographs and memorabilia collected by locals during the shoot into the book 'Jaws: Memories From Martha's Vineyard,' which is being re-released this summer. One of the crucial ingredients of 'Jaws' is the preponderance of islanders who had parts in the movie, which featured fewer than 10 Hollywood actors, including Roy Scheider as police chief Martin Brody and Richard Dreyfuss as shark expert Matt Hooper. Those non-actors lent a realism that shooting on a Hollywood lot with seasoned stars cannot replicate. Many of them still participate in "Jaws" meet-and-mingle events. For a long time, the islanders kept their memories of 'Jaws' to themselves, 'but it seems to me like the Vineyard has reacted to its own fame in the past decade or so,' says Taylor, himself a local now. 'These days there's 'Jaws' merchandise in every shop, 'Jaws'-themed food dishes, 'Jaws' tours of the island, and of course those locals who were in it who share their stories.' From fests to homemade 'Jaws' remakes, fans can't get enough of their favorite film Stephen Duncan trekked from Los Angeles to Martha's Vineyard for the first JawsFest in 2005, but he's not sure he'll be able to return this year, instead perhaps taking in a 'Jaws: The Exhibition' display at LA's Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. 'They've gotten wise, and it's gotten expensive" to attend the Martha's Vineyard confab, says Duncan, who works in the title insurance business but also runs a website dedicated to his passion for 'Jaws.' 'I've seen the movie maybe 300 times, enough so that if you said a line, I could say the next one,' he says. Well, here's an easy one: 'That's a 20-footer,' Hooper gasps as the great white swims past the Orca. 'Twenty-five. Three tons of him,' Quint adds. You know what's next − a catchphrase repurposed endlessly since 1975. Says a shell-shocked Brody: 'You're gonna need a bigger boat.' Such inspired dialogue (Scheider improvised the line) coupled with Spielberg's Hitchcockian use of point of view – in that opening shark attack, we never see a shark – is what keeps 'Jaws' fresh half a century on, says Ross Williams, who started the U.K. site The Daily Jaws. 'I saw it with my mum when I was 5, and it's been my favorite movie ever since,' he says. In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Williams invited fans to co-create the "Jaws WeMake," a "Jaws" tribute of sorts featuring a pastiche of animation, Lego figures and home movie shoots of classic scenes. Fans from more than 200 countries contributed. 'In 1975, people thought they were watching a 'shark movie,' and they were,' he says. 'But 50 years on, we realize 'Jaws' is about family, home, duty, politics, the class system, the past, healing from trauma and so much more.' For Williams, all of life seems to be captured in the oversized mandibles of Spielberg's enduring cinematic masterpiece. 'Like all classics,' he says, ' 'Jaws' is the movie that keeps on giving.'
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
50 years ago, ‘Jaws' scared us senseless. We never got over it.
50 years ago, 'Jaws' scared us senseless. We never got over it. Show Caption Hide Caption Top 3 scary moments in 'Jaws' 'Jaws' turns 50 this summer and USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt celebrates with his favorite bloody moments. Name that theme song: Dunnn-dun. Dunnn-dun. Dun-dun dun-dun dun-dun dun-dun. Who are we kidding? That terrifying two-note John Williams creation of course conjures the opening shark strike in 'Jaws,' which turns 50 on June 20. That's a half-century of scaring the bejesus out of generations of movie- and beachgoers. Five decades of us all scanning the horizon for fins while Hollywood thrashes about trying to replicate Steven Spielberg's blockbuster, from 'Shark Week' to 'The Meg.' Full confession: Seeing 'Jaws' kept me not only out of the ocean for years but also out of a pool. I've even heard of people who were scared to get into a bathtub. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox Irrational? Sure. Uncommon? Not really. That was the revelation provided by a deep dive into the realm of 'Jaws' fanatics, many of whom have long gotten over their fear of open water and swapped it for a churning mania for the movie. The terror roars back this summer, with "Jaws" and its three (admittedly lesser) sequels airing on Peacock starting June 15, and NBC's three-hour presentation of the original film on June 20, featuring an introduction from Spielberg. There's also a big screen re-release on Aug. 29. Is 'Jaws' the scariest film of all time? Watch it once or hundreds of times and the scare seems fresh every time, says Dawn Keetley, editor of the journal Horror Studies and professor of English and film at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. "Spielberg presents this shark as a pure animal force that we run into at our peril," Keeltey says. She notes that "Jaws" starts out a pure horror film, then morphs into a perilous and tense buddy film when the three protagonists head off in a boat in search of the beast that haunts them. "Sharks stand in perfectly for wild nature that's at the edge of where humans can go, and as humans, we always push at the border," she says. "Sharks mark where we can't go very easily, maybe where we shouldn't go. To the dangerous and the forbidden." Don't be scared of sharks − 'more people die from taking selfies' Among the first moviegoers to be frightened by "Jaws" was Christopher Shaw Meyers, nephew of Robert Shaw, who memorably played doomed shark hunter Quint. "While I'd read the book (by Peter Benchley), oh, my God, was it terrifying,' he says. Meyers was a senior in high school when he joined his mother, Joanna, Shaw's sister, in a darkened Philadelphia movie house crammed with theater owners who were considering showing the film. His favorite part? The haunting soliloquy by his uncle, who explains his hatred of sharks after they ripped apart fellow servicemen on a sinking Navy ship. In defense of Carcharodon carcharias (aka, the great white), sharks aren't looking for humans. 'More people die from taking selfies than from sharks,' says Taylor Chapple, co-director of the Big Fish Lab at Oregon State University. 'But it's the uncertainty of it. The fear of the unknown. You think maybe there's a shark down there.' 'Jaws' tapped into that very primordial fear, which is chillingly encapsulated by Quint's famous USS Indianapolis speech: 'So, eleven hundred men went into the water. Three hundred and sixteen men come out, and the sharks took the rest.' 'The story is that the speech was very long, and Robert asked Steven if he could cut it back,' says Meyers, author of 'Robert Shaw: An Actor's Life on the Set of 'Jaws' and Beyond.' When the actor delivered his version, 'there was dead silence in the room, and Steven said, 'We have our picture.' ' For Steven Spielberg, 'Jaws' was both his 'origin story' and almost his career killer That moment of glee was rare for Spielberg, who at 27 was helming a movie based on a bestselling novel. Studio executives wanted not only a hit, but they wanted it fast. Spielberg, who had made 'Duel' and 'The Sugarland Express,' feared the swift end of a promising career. He was over budget, shooting on open water and dealing with a mechanical shark nicknamed Bruce (after his lawyer) that kept malfunctioning. (Shaw's son, Ian, played his father in a Broadway show he co-wrote about the 'Jaws' debacle called 'The Shark Is Broken.') The degree to which 'Jaws' traumatized its young director is evident in 'Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story,' a National Geographic documentary airing July 11 on Hulu and Disney+. Spielberg sat for director and friend Laurent Bouzereau and confessed: 'There was nothing fun about making 'Jaws.' ' In the documentary, Spielberg relates that long after the problematic 1974 shoot was over and the 1975 movie was a box-office smash, he had nightmares about the experience. He found solace in sneaking into Universal Studios theme park and curling up on the leather bench inside the Orca, the boat used for much of the shoot. 'I underestimated how traumatic it was for Steven. But he never wanted to give up, and that's one lesson from 'Jaws': Don't give up," Bouzereau says. " 'Jaws' is his origin story. But in our interview, I could feel the weight of that experience still sitting with him.' Most 'Jaws' cast members were Martha's Vineyard locals, who still have stories to tell For all the hardship of making the movie, 'Jaws' bit the culture hard and never let go. Helped by a PG rating that admitted many youngsters who had no idea of the horror in store, the movie raked in $1.5 billion, adjusted for inflation. Matt Taylor summered on Martha's Vineyard as a kid, and at age 7 in 1979, he was deemed old enough to see 'Jaws.' Four years on, the line for the film still snaked around the block. 'It was probably one of the most exciting movie events of my life. My heart was pounding out of my chest,' he says. 'I love the water, but when I go in, I still have to face the horizon.' Taylor's love of 'Jaws' eventually led him to compile photographs and memorabilia collected by locals during the shoot into the book 'Jaws: Memories From Martha's Vineyard,' which is being re-released this summer. One of the crucial ingredients of 'Jaws' is the preponderance of islanders who had parts in the movie, which featured fewer than 10 Hollywood actors, including Roy Scheider as police chief Martin Brody and Richard Dreyfuss as shark expert Matt Hooper. Those non-actors lent a realism that shooting on a Hollywood lot with seasoned stars cannot replicate. Many of them still participate in "Jaws" meet-and-mingle events. For a long time, the islanders kept their memories of 'Jaws' to themselves, 'but it seems to me like the Vineyard has reacted to its own fame in the past decade or so,' says Taylor, himself a local now. 'These days there's 'Jaws' merchandise in every shop, 'Jaws'-themed food dishes, 'Jaws' tours of the island, and of course those locals who were in it who share their stories.' From fests to homemade 'Jaws' remakes, fans can't get enough of their favorite film Stephen Duncan trekked from Los Angeles to Martha's Vineyard for the first JawsFest in 2005, but he's not sure he'll be able to return this year, instead perhaps taking in a 'Jaws: The Exhibition' display at LA's Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. 'They've gotten wise, and it's gotten expensive" to attend the Martha's Vineyard confab, says Duncan, who works in the title insurance business but also runs a website dedicated to his passion for 'Jaws.' 'I've seen the movie maybe 300 times, enough so that if you said a line, I could say the next one,' he says. Well, here's an easy one: 'That's a 20-footer,' Hooper gasps as the great white swims past the Orca. 'Twenty-five. Three tons of him,' Quint adds. You know what's next − a catchphrase repurposed endlessly since 1975. Says a shell-shocked Brody: 'You're gonna need a bigger boat.' Such inspired dialogue (Scheider improvised the line) coupled with Spielberg's Hitchcockian use of point of view – in that opening shark attack, we never see a shark – is what keeps 'Jaws' fresh half a century on, says Ross Williams, who started the U.K. site The Daily Jaws. 'I saw it with my mum when I was 5, and it's been my favorite movie ever since,' he says. In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Williams invited fans to co-create the "Jaws WeMake," a "Jaws" tribute of sorts featuring a pastiche of animation, Lego figures and home movie shoots of classic scenes. Fans from more than 200 countries contributed. 'In 1975, people thought they were watching a 'shark movie,' and they were,' he says. 'But 50 years on, we realize 'Jaws' is about family, home, duty, politics, the class system, the past, healing from trauma and so much more.' For Williams, all of life seems to be captured in the oversized mandibles of Spielberg's enduring cinematic masterpiece. 'Like all classics,' he says, ' 'Jaws' is the movie that keeps on giving.'
USA Today
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
From ‘Jaws' to ‘The Meg,' we rank the 10 best shark movies of all time
From 'Jaws' to 'The Meg,' we rank the 10 best shark movies of all time For five decades, it hasn't been safe to go back into the water. Thanks, "Jaws." The big screen has played host to a never-ending spate of troublesome man-eating sharks ever since Steven Spielberg's killer-fish spectacle. And now's the time to celebrate all things Amity Island with the 50th anniversary of "Jaws" (originally released June 20, 1975). It was the first summer blockbuster and remains one of Spielberg's greatest hits in his storied career. Not to mention having the most iconic – and ominous – two-note musical theme ever. Since "Jaws," audiences have developed a deep hunger for these underwater antagonists – hello, Shark Week! – so we're ranking the top 10 shark movies ever. (It's probably worth noting that, like with basketball comedies, the quality drops off quickly after the first few.) And sorry, "Sharknado." We're excluding made-for-TV flicks from our list, but you, "Ghost Shark" and "Sharktopus" are still cool. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox 10. 'Deep Blue Sea 3' (2020) The proudly B-movie "Deep Blue Sea" franchise has a penchant for seriously bonkers shark attacks. This third installment is no different: Tania Raymonde plays the head of a group of video-blogging environmentalists on an artificial island in the Mozambique Channel, and her marine biologist ex (Nathaniel Buzolic) shows up with a goon squad hunting a trio of genetically engineered, crazy-smart bull sharks. (Fun fact: You'll root for the fish.) Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 9. 'Meg 2: The Trench' (2023) The first half of this sequel is a dull underwater sci-fi action flick all about folks turning on each other for natural resources and Jason Statham's diver dude saving his trouble-magnetic daughter. Then director Ben Wheatley lets loose with the creature feature we came for, where our hero has to deal with a trio of hungry megalodons, a kaiju-sized octopus and other freaky monsters attacking "Fun Island," a beachy locale that maniacally lives up to its name. Where to watch: Max, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 8. 'Jaws 2' (1978) Imagine the pressure of following "Jaws" without Steven Spielberg and two of your top actors. But unlike the two sequels that came later, this follow-up wasn't absolute chum. The shark is still crazy destructive – even taking on a helicopter – but what's neat here is the return of Roy Scheider as the police chief who's voted out when the powers-that-be don't believe another beast is in the water, but who saves the day anyway. Where to watch: Tubi, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 7. 'The Meg' (2018) It does give you the hand-to-fin combat you want from Jason Statham battling a 75-foot-long prehistoric shark, but getting there is a bit arduous: A bunch of researchers plumb new depths off the coast of Shanghai and accidentally unleash the Meg. It's all pretty corny and earnest until the ginormous shark starts wreaking havoc on ships and people in inner tubes. Where to watch: Max, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 6. 'The Reef' (2010) A bunch of Australian friends (including a pair of lovers) sailing a yacht to Indonesia crash their boat on a coral reef and are stranded in the middle of the ocean. Their only hope is to get to a nearby island, a situation made harder – and much more tense – by a clever great white, noteworthy for being a real shark rather than a CGI one like most films use. Extra points for a headless giant turtle corpse. Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 5. 'Open Water' (2003) This Sundance Film Festival breakout used actual sea life to add all-too-realism to its worst-case vacation scenario. A married couple go on a scuba expedition to help their relationship and wind up getting stranded, with jellyfish stinging and sharks circling. It's an unnerving narrative that aims for authentic emotions and some very hard decisions when it comes to survival. Where to watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 4. 'Under Paris' (2024) Not only did it nab a Stephen King Tweet of Approval, there's a lot to enjoy in this high-end B-movie. A scientist (Bérénice Bejo) partners with a cop (Nassim Lyes) for help when a man-eating menace begins a killing spree, sets up shop in the catacombs and threatens a major triathlon that's come to town. In addition to some "Jaws" nods (including a clueless mayor), the final act is full of fishy mayhem, all leading to one heck of a last-scene cliffhanger. Where to watch: Netflix. 3. 'The Shallows' (2016) The prettiest shark movie you'll ever see, it's essentially "Let's go surfing with Blake Lively in paradise" until her character becomes the target of a hungry shark. A scene-stealing seagull is her only confidante as she tends to a really nasty leg bite – luckily, she's pre-med! – and uses her smarts (and a flare gun) to foil the shark's meal plans. Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 2. 'Deep Blue Sea' (1999) Sure, the ridiculous factor is high when you consider that the sci-fi thriller centers on super-duper-smart sharks born from the studies of scientists working on an Alzheimer's cure. But it totally owns that silliness in an enjoyable way, like a shark using a dude strapped to a gurney as a battering ram. Bonus: The film offers up an all-time great movie death, a joyously gnarly munch you don't see coming until it's too late. Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home. 1. 'Jaws' (1975) The seafaring masterpiece sinks every other shark movie in its utter perfection. Hollywood's first summer blockbuster is aces across the board, from sheer terror to the unforgettable John Williams score (which keeps the dread going even without the toothy predator). But what really elevates the film from creature feature to complex shark-ridden drama is the trio of main characters, including top cop Brody (Roy Scheider), nerdy oceanographer Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) and Ahab-esque hunter Quint (Robert Shaw). Where to watch: Tubi, Peacock, Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango at Home.
New Statesman
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
Cinema's apex predator
Photo by Vertgo Releasing Jaws wasn't the first shark movie. (That's a 1969 adventure called Shark! directed by Sam Fuller and starring Burt Reynolds.) But it was Jaws, released 50 years ago this month, that effectively launched an entire genre as well as redefining the summer blockbuster. The form had such energy that it soon metamorphosed beyond sharks. Alien (1979) was pitched to studio executives as 'Jaws in space'. Films were made starring orcas, alligators, barracudas and, triumphantly, piranhas. Sharks themselves mutated mightily too. In Deep Blue Sea (1999), a super-intelligent mako eats Samuel L Jackson. In The Meg (2018), Jason Statham bests a monster revived from prehistory. In Sharknado (2013), sharks take over Los Angeles via tornados. In Under Paris (2024), they swarm the City of Light via the Seine and the catacombs. Some films have been genuinely scary. Open Water (2003), about a couple accidentally left behind mid ocean, based on a true story and produced on a tiny budget, is traumatising; The Shallows (2016), in which a great white takes against Blake Lively, stuck just 200 yards offshore, is thrilling. But there has also been a serious pushback against the shark-demonisation industry. Worldwide, fewer than ten people a year are killed by shark attack. In comparison, stepladders are a holy terror, toasters the pitiless enemy of all mankind. And, contrariwise, 100 million sharks yearly are killed and eaten, or otherwise consumed, as oil in cosmetics, for example. So we have long been overdue a correction, not perhaps a shark buddy movie, but one that allows us the full frisson while reminding us that people are worse. Dangerous Animals, a serial-killer/shark mash-up, is the third film by the Tasmanian-born Sean Byrne, in succession to The Loved Ones (2009), a high-school/torture-porn hybrid, and The Devil's Candy (2017), a US-set heavy-metal/haunted-house horror. On Queensland's Gold Coast, a pair of Canadian and English gap-year innocents arrive at a dock for 'Tuckers Experience' (cage-diving with sharks). Tucker turns out to be massive, matey Jai Courtney (Captain Boomerang in Suicide Squad). Soon they're setting off to sea, despite Tucker having asked them, 'So no one even knows you're here then?' – often a warning sign. En route, Tucker tells them how he was bitten by a great white when he was seven, showing them a gruesome scar. 'It's not the shark's fault,' he says. Then he helps them get their nerve up for the dive via 'an ancient relaxation practice', breathing followed by his rendition of the world's worst earworm: 'Baby Shark, doo doo di doo…'. The dive goes fine; the sharks (genuinely filmed, not mechanical) are beautiful. What happens when they get back on deck, relieved and exhilarated, is not fine. Tucker, we discover, likes to feed his victims to the sharks, dangling them from a giant boom, while he videotapes the show. More his fault than the sharks', really. Then we meet our heroes, fiercely independent, nomadic and beautiful American surfer Zephyr (Hassie Harrison) and stunningly handsome and good-natured local guy Moses (Josh Heuston). They bond over Creedence Clearwater Revival and Point Break and spend the night together. But when Zephyr goes surfing at dawn, Tucker, a tireless predator, captures her and she wakes, bound, in the bowels of his boat. Fortunately, Moses starts looking for her… Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Jai Courtney is superb as a kind of satanic version of Steve Irwin, jocular, sententious and insane. He even performs a psychotic, drunken dance, just like Jame Gumb's in The Silence of the Lambs. He's delighted to discover that Zephyr is a fighter. 'I love fighters,' he says. Dangerous Animals develops into an efficient survival thriller at sea, the action properly staged rather than relying entirely on fast edits and jump cuts, even though there are a few too many fake-outs, escapes and recaptures. It's no match for Thomas Harris's vision of universal predation ('His own modest predations paled beside those of God, who is in irony matchless, and in wanton malice beyond measure,' Hannibal Lecter believes). But Dangerous Animals is a handy updating of Wolf Creek, that warning to Brits not to trust characterful Aussies. Shark films have always had the proviso that there's nothing to worry about if you avoid the water. Aussie horrors like these might leave you thinking much the same about that entire continent. 'Dangerous Animals' is in cinemas now [See also: Wes Anderson's sense of an ending] Related
