The horror film that put Steven Spielberg on the map and launched the summer blockbuster, changing movie marketing forever, has just received a 30th anniversary reissue on DVD. Jaws still holds up for its superb craftsmanship (especially its writing and pacing). Bill Butler, ASC shot it with characteristic ’70s grit. Editor Verna Fields, who won a well deserved Oscar for her Herculean effort, was also an uncredited second unit director. And who can forget John Williams’ legendary score, earning him his first Oscar? But is there really any reason to purchase this two-disc edition if you already own the 25th? Only if you’re interested in seeing Laurent Bouzereau’s thorough feature-length doc (produced for the laserdisc) in its entirety. – Bill DesowitzRatings: 10 for content; 10 for above-the-line contributions; 9 for below-the-line contributions (that damned mechanical shark); and 8 for DVD (the full documentary should’ve been on the 25th anniversary).
Written by Bill Desowitz
