Just when you thought it was safe to go back in, a new fan-made "Jaws" documentary shows us why we should still be afraid to go into the water.
"The Shark Is Still Working" is a 100 percent fan-produced and -directed documentary that offers the most complete look at one of the biggest hits in film history (it ranks at number 19 when adjusted for inflation).
Jake Gove, James Gelet, Erik Hollander and Michael Roddy are all lifelong "Jaws" fans. They took their love of the classic film to a new level when they got together to document the movie's 30th anniversary at an event called "Jaws Fest."
"Jaws" was released June 20, 1975 and was based on the best-selling book about a great white shark that torments the small Long Island beach community of Amity.
The film was directed by a then mostly unknown Steven Spielberg and went on to become the first summer blockbuster. Before "Jaws," a wide release of a film on opening weekend was almost unheard of. This is where studios got the idea of "tentpole" pictures to base their smaller films around. The film ultimately made $470 million and gave Spielberg the almost unheard of amount of power to have the "final cut" of any film he directed and paved the way for a string of blockbusters like "Star Wars."
Roy Scheider (who played Chief Brody in the film) lends his voice as the narrator of the documentary and adds a layer of authenticity to an already impressive line up. Everyone from Spielberg to the world-famous composer John Williams appears on camera to tell stories of what the film means to them and how it changed their lives.
A nice surprise is the interviews with current directors like Eli Roth ("Hostel"), Robert Rodriguez ("Grindhouse") and Bryan Singer ("X-Men," "Superman Returns"), who named his production company Bad Hat Harry Productions after a line said by Chief Brody in the movie. Kevin Smith, who put several "Jaws" references in films such as "Chasing Amy," is also interviewed.
But what really makes this documentary swim, is the focus on the fans who have kept the legacy of the movie alive for more than 30 years.
The producers seem to take great joy in giving the mostly underground fan base its moment in the sun.
At Jaws Fest, we see the fans converge on Martha's Vineyard, where most of "Jaws" was filmed, and convertthe town back to Amity Island. Every fan has their story and way they pay tribute to the big shark, who goes by the name Bruce. Some choose to paint the predator while others decide to make life-sized replicas of the great white.
The biggest challenge facing the producers is getting the documentary released. They have gone through countless hours of footage and edits to come up with an amazing film that has yet to find a distributor. Currently, Universal (who own the rights to "Jaws") is considering releasing the film in DVD format, and the fans have been writing the studio with petitions and using MySpace (www.myspace.com/tsiswmovie) to get the documentary some "buzz."
This documentary is for the hardcore movie buff and the casual couch critic alike. It gives some rare behind-the-scenes information and many never-before-seen tidbits. But, at a running time of a little more than three hours, it may be a little too long for someone who doesn't already have most of the lines of the film already memorized.
"The Shark Is Still Working" reminds us why some movies become a part of our pop culture. When a broken robotic shark, a bright-eyed director and an amazing editor align, they pack an audience into a theater and terrorize them to stay on dry land.







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