We Need A Bigger Boat!

July 18th, 2025

While waiting for the second half of the baseball season to begin, and nothing to watch on the telly, I happened upon the original Jaws. Yes, 50-years-old, she is. Hard to believe, but then again I'm almost 50 myself. So, not that hard I guess. I usually watch it at least once or twice a year on DVD, but I lent my copy to my brother-in-law and he flat out refuses to give it back! Or as he puts it, "Damn, I forgot again." Yeah, right, Andrew. The nerve! I still love you though buddy!

Upon last night's viewing, I noticed something I had never seen before, or realized for that matter. Leading up to the final scene, where Quint finally meets his destiny and gets eaten by the great white shark, Brody just watches it happen with a loaded six shooter in his holster. How do I know it's loaded you ask? Earlier in the movie, after he unsuccessfully fires all six bullets into the water in a vein attempt to shoot the shark, he is seen reloading it and then putting the gun back into his holster.

So later in the film, as the shark miraculously leaps into the back of the boat and Brody loses his grip on Quint, he just stands there. Meanwhile the Captain of the ship is brutally eaten alive. It's the saddest part of the movie for me. And I know you film savants will say that Quint was always meant to die that way...but man, Brody, you dropped the ball! The shark was out of the water! All you had to do was take that revolver out, take a few steps towards the back of the boat and empty it out into the shark's brain. You wouldn't even have had to get him will all six! Three in the head and you're dead, that's the saying isn't it? Geez!

Well, I guess we all can't be perfect! Or that brave! Besides that little flaw I discovered last night, upon probably my 100th viewing, it's an almost flawless film. I and pretty much watch it every time I see it on tv. Well, I have to, now, because Andrew won't give me back my damned DVD!

My God, that's terrifying!