This clip has been spread round these here blogs like athlete's foot in a high school locker room, but don't think that'll stop me from posting it. Let it never be said that CRwM didn't go for the low-hanging fruit!
In the summer of '78, a group of 12-year-olds made their own version of the '75 Spielberg blockbuster Jaws. Here it is, in all its 8mm glory . . .
Interestingly, the original Youtube poster claimed that the reason the shark appeared in full only once was that it fell apart after the first scene. I find it a charming coincidence that both Jaws and Shark suffered mechanical problems with their toothy stars.
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5 comments:
Nuts.
I haven't watched this yet because it's being a real slow-ass downloading.
But it sounds really cool!
Plus, it reminds me of something that was screened a few months ago at the George Eastman House, kids doing a shot by shot adaptation of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. Made by three friends, also 12 years old when they started it and it took them 7 years to finish.
I wanted to check out the screening but never made it.
But, I guess Paramount Pictures is going to make a movie about this.
I mentioned it in one of my rare blog posts:
http://cattleworks.livejournal.com/5468.html#cutid1
So, where are the home movie adaptations by 12 year olds of Cronenberg (CRASH or NAKED LUNCH), or Bertolucci (LAST TANGO IN PARIS), or Lynch, or Bunuel, or, or...
I finally went straight to YouTube to try and find this little movie because for some reason clicking on your link, which is simply a black hole under your post versus the usual frame with the YouTube logo just weren't doin' it!
So my impatience said, you know, "I'm impatient! try something else!"
If I found the right clip, it was pretty fun.
Various things that impressed me: first off, the music. I haven't listened to my old vinyl copy of the JAWS soundtrack in years, and I thought they made terrific use of the John Williams soundtrack! It went way beyond what you normally thought they would obviously utilize (the now cliched "shark" theme). It was really great and impressive and really made you think, at points, that the movie, technically, narratively, was much better than it actually was! Shades of working on my "Senior Film" in '78! (Boy, did music help THAT in places).
It almost was a tribute to the music as well as the blockbuster film itself.
Also, the sound effects work was really superb as well, like the gun shots for the apparently wooden rifle. Really sharp.
The use of costumes, as simple as they were, especially the one "woman" running around in her dress and big hat, but in particular, her huge-ass (adult) shoes!
The one kid on the dock who goes into the water with his clothes on!
The cop who strips off his pants revealing his swimming trunks...
wouldn't it have been cool if Roy Scheider had the same moment?
Old technology: typewriters, rotary dial phones, running to the payphone to call the police (versus just using your cell phone).
The tension of trying to blow up the shark with the "T.N.T." (yeah, go lady, running into the water with the explosive!), and culminating in the drawn sound effect explosion, which was really low-budget but delivered the goods storytelling-wise (as well as the sound effects again), which may be a lesson in terms of what is actually necessary to make a successful film (thinking of huge budgeted FX mega-flicks).
And that shark was kick-ass looking!
Although, kind of robot-y, too, in appearance, all shiny and silver, and riveted?
There needs to be a match-up between this Mechani-shark and the Japanese Mechani-Kong next!
This was a real blast to watch. Unlike the recent SCARY MARY (MARY POPPINS horror trailer) that made the rounds, this is the first I heard about this flick, so dude, you actually were doing a public service here, and pshaw! to your your self-deprecating low-hanging fruit comments!
I'm glad you got around to checking it out. Ain't it amazing? Can you imagine the kids not only editing but syncing-up the soundtrack on actual film (no digital editing packages for these kids)?
My favorite moment is the kid who gets sucked down through his inner-tube. It's a nice effect.
Oh, shit!
I completely forgot about that!
You're right!
This film ABSOLUTELY totally rocks!
(Huh, I guess I had a pocket full of exclamation points...)
(I mean: "..!")
Man!
That still shot on the YouTube screen is incredibly disturbing. So grotesque it's almost funny, but really, for the most part, really creepy upsetting disturbing.
I mean, it's a great picture, isn't it?
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