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Waterworld and Jaws

By Dwardus | Published January 25, 2009

When I was on my movie-hunt yesterday searching for stuff about Scream 4 and the next Jurassic Park film (and also watching Air Force One on TV!) I came across a few good blogs, including ABC News Articulate, featuring “Movie Minutiae” posts on movies like Jaws and Waterworld. I like both of these sea tales for different reasons, despite the fact that the latter had the cack kicked out of it.

Jaws

This is of those films I can watch over and over. Of course I have to be in the right mood to start with, but if it’s on TV and I’m channel surfing, it doesn’t have to be one of the better scenes to coerce me into seeing it through and there are some excellent scenes. This made me laugh:

Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, where the movie was filmed, did experience an increase in tourists following the film’s release. However, other seaside resorts did not fare so well that year. Overall, the holiday industry suffered as a result.

OK, so the shark does look a bit rubbery, but it’s the atmosphere. That setup on theOrca (their boat) near the final act, the bonding between those men. Also, I’d say the scariest parts are never the actual shark attacks, but the build up to them. That tuba duuhh duuuuuh ditty (courtesy of Tommy Johnson, according to Articulate). Oh, the bit that made me jump the most? I’ll always remember it – that floating corpse. It scared the hell out of me!

Waterworld

I remember seeing this when I was little. I would’ve been 7 or 8 when it came out, so I wasn’t really thinking too much about reviews and took it on its own merits. Articulate (OK so that’s not the poster’s name, but it’s easier for me to write!) mentions:

Waterworld was nominated for worst picture, worst director, worst actor and worst supporting actor at the Razzies, with Dennis Hopper “triumphing” in the latter category.

Which is a shame, I’d say. I was taken by pissing in a contraption that’d make urine into a tasy drink just as I was taken by the floating town and the massive wrecked ship near the end. Seeing the submerged city was cool too. Also, what was so very wrong with Dennis Hopper?! I thought he was a perfectly suitable ott monster to be chasing the main characters. I wasn’t too taken by the protagonist and co, true enough, but given the situation they seemed quite fitting. So it’s not a groundbreaking film, but I do find parts inspirational even if all together the film seems a little flawed.