Yeah...I Should Have Gone

Jaws Fest took place this past weekend on Martha's Vineyard, the filming location of course for the original "Jaws" which is celebrating it's 30th anniversary this year and month. June 20 to be exact. The H. sent me an e-mail about it over a month ago I had a discussion with Bill B. about going. We were both a little skeptical based on some of the events listed on the official web site. Although some aspects seemed intriguing and had me hoping to make the trip work somehow.

Then May set in, work began at a new post house (Precision), and the hoopla of "Revenge Of The Sith" took over. I was certainly preoccupied but briefly here and there would come back to the inevitable: was I going to attend?! Time was beginning to run out...

The Martha's Vineyard Chamber Of Commerce was putting this shindig on and some of the things they had planned seemed more tourist oriented then "Jaws" oriented. Perhaps a clambake that they might be having at any other point during the summer with a sign hung on it calling it a "Jaws" event leaving any connectivity to a minimum. I was certainly aware they had arranged this event to boost tourism, fair enough. Still Peter Benchley and screenwriter Carl Gottlieb gave talks and signed autographs, plus there were displays of original "Jaws" props and costumes along with several screenings of the film at two of the downtown Edgartown theatres where it in 1975. Good stuff, my attention was definitely perking up. It was also said Edgartown, which stood in for the fictional town of the movie, would be displaying all the original signage from the filming on public buildings turning the town into Amity for 3 days. Even that would have nicely set the mood for my appreciation.

Then 2 weeks out they announced Susan Backline, the woman who played first shark victim Chrissie Watkins, would be in attendance. There would be tours of the filming sites and panel presentations by some of the team who created and constructed Bruce the shark. In fact there was a recreation of Bruce' head on display at various points during the weekend.

So why the hell didn't I go?!

Even last Wednesday I struggled with the concept of, 'there's still time to book a last minute flight to Providence!'. As we entered the weekend I started checking out postings on jawsmovie.com from folks who were there and taking lots of pictures, placing them online each day. At first I saw a number of shots taken by fans showing famous locations mostly as they would look during any other time during the summer. That was reassuring...yeah, yeah, I'm not missing too much...O.K. good. This is what I wanted to see. Then I came across some other photos of a few good-sized crowds watching Peter Benchley, along with others from the film crew, open the event. BTW, the man has aged quite a bit since last time I saw him doing an interview...wow. Anyhow, I teetered a lot still on what awaited me had I taken the rigorous trip from LA. This wouldn't be driving three short hours from Albany where a last minute decision to attend Saturday would have worked even on Friday at that point.

For the most part I do wish I'd gone. News coverage that started becoming more national as Saturday wore on tugged on my envy strings a bit. What initially came across as a semi through together happenstance was shaping up to be more than a minor gathering. I certainly would have enjoyed what they had to offer and filled in other times with my personal appreciation of visits to the filming locations, etc. I didn't need this to be all encompassing but it did seem to end up pushing the fun meter over into the red just a touch. Hopefully they'll have one again next year, although it won't have quite the vigor of this, the 30th anniversary.

Just saw a photo online of over a thousand people waiting for a screening of the movie on Martha's Vineyard from this past weekend. FUCK! I say again...why didn't I go?

I've been searching for some type for a screening out here and have only found one in Long Beach later this month. I was hoping The Arclight might do it up but they ran the film in February right after I got back from 2 months back east for Christmas. Unfortunately I got online too late to buy tickets then which were already sold out. You'd think Universal would be doing something perhaps at the theme park only 3 miles from where I am. I do know they had an entourage head to Martha's Vineyard promoting the new 30th anniversary DVD which will hit stores next Tuesday, the 14th.

Despite missing Jaws Fest I'm really excited about the new release for 2 reasons especially....

#1: A two-hour making of documentary that appeared on the laserdisc box set from 1995 was cut down to one hour for the 25th anniversary release on DVD in 2000. That has now been restored and added in its entirety to disc two of the new set! Now you can once again hear Richard Dreyfuss tell about the little boats on the horizon that the cast and crew waited to disappear so The Orca seemed like the only boat on the ocean. Just as Spielberg was about to yell action another one would appear. This was one of several tales omitted.

#2: Finally, finally, FINALLY!!...the ORIGINAL 2.0 mono soundtrack which was tossed out in favor of a new 5.1 DTS mix will now return to the appreciation and applause of many a "Jaws" fan including me! God bless it! Yes, I want to hear the whale sing, not blub blub, after the Indianapolis story! I want to hear the stock rifle sound FX from the Universal library when Quint fires at the shark! I want to hear the dying growl underwater (originally used as the truck went over the cliff in "Duel") after Brody's shot sets off the oxygen tank. "Smile you son of a..." BOOM!!!

YES, MONO IS BEAUTIFUL!!