It’s the penultimate day of the Decades Blogathon, hosted by myself and the immense Tom from Digital Shortbread. The blogathon focuses on movies that were released in the fifth year of the decade. Tom and I are running different entries each day; and this one comes from the man, the legend that is Eric from The IPC. For those who don’t know, Eric’s site is a true one-off, full of his ribald opinions on the world of film.
My dad took me to see this in the theater back when I was a kid and it scared so much shit out of me that I was afraid to take a bath for a month. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve taken a bath ever since. But, thinking about this… for this blogathon that ends in “5”…. my mom didn’t marry my dad until I was seven so that would have put me seeing this in 1978.
The sperm donor that helped make me was an Easy Riding hippie that split on me and My Creator when I was three so the math doesn’t add up, but when I agreed to join this blogathon I understood there would be no math. Now that I think about it (I’ve had some cocktails) I think the theater we saw this in was one of those “two theater” jobs inside of a small shopping mall that showed new releases after market. Yes – I think that’s it and that makes sense! BOOM! I rule.
#thebestrememberer
Anyway, so I saw this back then and haven’t ever really watched this since. Not that I was still scared that I would shit myself but just never felt the need. Seen it – big shark, gotcha. Then, the lads announced this run and I wanted in and looked at some things from ’75 and thought – what a good time to look at this movie again. I’ve never seen any of the sequels and I’ve always liked Roy Scheider so – let’s do this thing! And I don’t mean Tom! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I watched this earlier today and…
I LOVED IT! What a good movie! I mean – I lived in Southern California so I’ve been to that ride at Universal Studios and seen the shark robot a dozen times, but this movie was fantastic. I guess, now that I’m older I can appreciate thing like: Direction, Acting, Effects and what I like to call The Incidentals. I’m sure ALL of the people reading this piece know about this movie – a big shark is eating people and people are trying to kill the shark before it eats more people. And that’s what it is but…
I thought this movie was going pretty OK until they went full in with Robert Shaw. What a character! What an actor! Screw that little part at the community meeting at the local Ju-Co. This guy’s a stud! What a deal! Here’s an example of what I call The Incidentals:
Brody and Hooper are working with Shaw, agreeing to his ridiculous demands. “Yes. Yes. Yes. You can have your caviar.” Brody agrees.
“‘ave some of thees whisky,” Shaw says, centered in the middle of the “rule of three” shot setting. “I made it myself and I quite leek it.”
To the left, Brody; to the right, Hooper.
*Center shot: Shaw slugs his shot.
*Pan Right: Brody sips his, to the disappointment of Shaw who goes about his way, gathering rope.
While Shaw is upstairs in the loft, gathering his shit, Brody spits out his alcohol and talks to him about something or other. Out of curiosity, Hooper reaches for the shot glass. Absently, Brody allows him to take it and barely says “Don’t drink that” and starts talking to Shaw again. Hooper takes the shot, drinks it and does a shudder. Right then, while he’s talking to Shaw he glances at the grimacing Hopper, does a little point with his finger, smiles and does a little eyebrow raise before going back to Shaw.
Was that in the script or was that something that just happened while they were filming? That was epic!
Anyway – this movie was fantastic! I loved it! I could probably have done without the scar comparing and what’s basically a musical number but other than that, excellente!
4 Cold, Dead Eyes out of 5
P.S. How in the world is this rated PG (in the U.S.)??? There was a fully naked woman, lots of blood and gore and people were smoking inside buildings!
three rows back 
You’re funny.
Ha! Good one, Eric! This blockbuster is still making waves. 😉
I see what you’ve done there!!
HAHA Thank you, Cindy!!
Loved this review, Eric this was epic.
Thanks Vinnie!! A look into the life of the IPC : )
It was most interesting boss.
Excellent!
Everything you do is excellent boss.
You are The Man Eric! Fantastic review of one of my favorite horror movies of all time! While I love all your reviews, I think this may be my favorite yet. I still watch this every summer. And I love that scene with Brody, Hooper, and Shaw. As I got older I started wondering if some of that was ad libbed.
Kim!!!!!!!!!!!
This makes me so very happy!!!!
#dontdrinkthat
#lovekim
Yay! My parents took y sister and I too see this and during one of the really scary parts my mothers leg jerked, and her clog flew off and just missed hitting some poor guy walking down the aisle!😂😂😂
#loveeric
HAHAHAHAHAHA!! AWESOME!!!
#sweetkim
Child stars should NEVER do racy pics, movies, or in Dan’s case, plays when they’re older. It’s just too, too, traumatic!
#shudder
The horror!!!!
#lovekim
The inhumanity! 🙂
#smileyou
#sonofabitch
#iusedtohate
#thewater
#lovemyeric
HAHAHA!!!!
#dontdrinkthat
#lovekim
#hugs
You know it!
#sweeteric
SMOOCH
Smoking indoors? Animals!
Can you even believe it??????? Barbarians!!!!
I had no idea this movie was rated PG!! But yeah, it’s a bloody awesome classic!
I LOVED it!!!
Thank god you liked this! What a classic. 🙂 It’s good until the guys get onto that boat together – then it’s amazing! And that “musical number” is one of the best bits……
YOU’RE A MUSICAL NUMBER!!!!
: ) : )
That makes no sense! Lol
Would you expect anything else?
Great review!
P.S. “How in the world is this rated PG (in the U.S.)?” Well PG-13 didn’t exist until 1984 and this wasn’t intense enough to warrant an ‘R’.
Good point – I guess I’m just used to today’s standards. You can barely use the F word without getting rated higher…..
People smoking indoors hehehe
as always, great stuff Eric!
THE HUMANITY!!!! Over here you can’t smoke indoors or within 25 feet of a doorway unless your store’s income is 60% alcohol sales (a bar)….
Here you just can’t smoke inside, period. Any public place, no matter what it is = no smoking. I can’t even smoke at some fucking bus stops!!
You can barely even smoke in your own home anymore!!! FUCK!
Yeh pretty much man, home is the only place we can still smoke. Irritating as fuck!!
Bullshit!!
Are there still public places indoors where you can smoke? Zero here. Not even in bars, or where bands play. Nowhere. Smoking outside a hospital? Big no-no. And people bitch too, even if there isn’t a sign people at bus stops will often complain, to which I tell them to promptly go fuck themselves.
Seriously our government is pretty fucking oppressive and most folk here are too blind to realise it!!
We can smoke in bars but that’s about it…
Damn. Well, at least you have bars to smoke in! No smoking laws stink!
Bullshit!!
Indeed it is. So fucked that bands playing live will actually get in trouble if they smoke on stage. A mate of mine smoked on stage yeeears ago and the place refused to book his band after that. Fuckin’ crazy man
Reblogged this on Isaacs Picture Conclusions and commented:
Check out this piece I did for the Whipmaster Mark at Three Rows Back and the delicious (yet spicy) Tom at Digital Shortbead!
XOXOXOXOXO
Aw great choice, Eric!!! I saw this for the very first time last year, and now any time I see it on TV I watch it. 🙂 Such a good one. And I love that you took the time to break down that shot scene! It’s totally an awesome moment! Also, this made me laugh: “…let’s do this thing! And I don’t mean Tom!” Loooooolllllll. You two are so bromantic.
#probiesprobiesprobiesprobies (to the tune of the Jaws theme)
#xoxoxo
CARA GALE!!! I couldn’t believe this was still open for the taking!! What a deal! That shot scene is a classic! I hope next time (if you haven’t already) you notice that. It’s kind of “off screen” but on screen. The look on Schneider’s face is just killer… HAHA!!
As to Tom – you know he was the original stitcher of The Sadness Blouse – poor, sweet, tiny Tom : )
#itprobes
#xoxoxoxox
Do sharks have boobs, Eric?
Ashley! I don’t think they do, right? Isn’t that what makes us mammals? #boobs #mammories
Good lord! You watched a film with no boobs!
Technically – there were some which was why I was confused about the rating….
😀
Great work Chop!
So sorry I missed this blogathon because of exams 😦 Looks like it was awesome!