Cinemixtape

“Jaws” was the birth of the summer blockbuster, but it almost ended Steven Spielberg’s career before it began. The production was historically troubled and at least one of the film’s brilliant creative choices was made out of necessity. The animatronic shark, named “Bruce,” never worked, forcing Spielberg to allude to its presence throughout the film (rather than show it). The production went long and way over-budget, and Spielberg was sure he’d be fired. As we all know, the result was a stunning piece of cinema. John Williams’ classic score, combined with Spielberg’s incredible realization of the kind of “popcorn cinema” nobody knew they wanted, gave us a thrill ride for the ages.

Whether you first saw the film at the drive-in in 1975, watched it on VHS in the early 90s (as I did), or have just recently discovered it, it remains one of the great communal filmic experiences. This week, “Jaws” is seeing its first high-definition release and the buzz has been building for nearly 6 months now. The transfer is gorgeous and among the extras is the long-awaited feature length doc, “The Shark Is Still Working.” This is one of the highest profile Blu-ray releases of the year and it should not be missed.