The Jaws Thread

[Sapphire]

Jaws, one of my favourite films. Love it so much I've even watched the bloopers while it was being made. My fave character has to be Hooper.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

After a couple of missed deliveries, I was finally united with Intrada's Jaws 50th Anniversary Special Edition set on Monday.

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The news is good. I'd expected there to be a subtle improvement in terms of audio quality, but this is leaps and bounds ahead of even the 2015 Intrada set. I was excited about its arrival, but hadn't counted on just how exciting and invigorating it would feel to listen to some of these tracks with headphones. I've only listened to perhaps a dozen or so tracks, but it's almost like hearing even the previously-released ones for the first time. The way the strings shimmer out from under the bass, and the way the instruments are separated so that it's almost like hearing it being played live. It's just gorgeous.

As for the newly unearthed material... they double down on the excitement, especially the new soundtrack album tracks. From the album I still have extended takes of The Underwater Siege and Hand To Hand Combat to look forward to, as well as four film score alternatives.

I really never have imagined that I'd be discovering new Jaws material 46 years on from watching the film for the very first time. But I am, and it's a glorious thing.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Even though Jaws is a summer film and it needs summer listening, the 50th Anniversary soundtrack continues to get much play from me.

And then this video appears and it's just fascinating (even to someone who has all but forgotten the basics he was taught about music at school):

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Be sure to watch it full-screen to follow those notes.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I don't know if this is joke, but I'm hoping it's real:

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Seriously - if it's made, I will watch it.

 

[ClassyCo]

I don't know if this is joke, but I'm hoping it's real:

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Seriously - if it's made, I will watch it.

I thought they already had a documentary about JAWS with this title.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

I thought they already had a documentary about JAWS with this title.

Are you thinking of The Shark Is Still Working?

There is already a book called The Shark Is Roaring which, like the upcoming documentary, studies the infamous final sequel, Jaws The Revenge.


Looking further into this, the new documentary is very real. There's involvement from Lorraine Gary, Lance Guest and Mario Van Peebles. I'm no fan of Kevin Smith but I'm sure his name will add interest for some as well.

It's nice to see The Revenge getting some love. It's a bad film, no question, but I have a nostalgic fondness for it having watched it in the cinema upon release, and devouring the novelisation prior to that. It's mind-blowing to think we're coming up on four decades.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

A couple of days ago, someone - who knows I love all things Jaws - showed me something found on social media about a digital soundtrack. I was completely underwhelmed. Firstly, I didn't care for the artwork (the red Jaws logo over a background of choppy water). Secondly, I don't do digital. Thirdly - and most importantly - I have the 40th Anniversary Intrada soundtrack which is pretty definitive.

Truth to tell, I've been very happy with the sound quality of the 2015 album, but the information here suggests the 2025 restoration will sound even better.

I've had the same experience all over again tonight having seen an email about upcoming CDs among which was the 2-disc Jaws 2 set. Initially I assumed it was simply a re-pressing of the 2015 J2 soundtrack, which I already have and am happy with, but no... it seems the original tapes have surfaced like a charred body in the waves.

Intrada announces a fully remastered 2-CD edition of the first sequel score ever composed by John Williams: Jaws 2.

Released in cooperation with Universal Studios and Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), this release presents a ground-up restoration, remix and remastering from the first-generation multi-track scoring elements. Arriving a year after Williams' Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind fully unfettered the symphonic film score, Jaws 2 builds on the iconic shark motif from the classic original and expands into a dynamic exploration of the joys and terrors of the sea in iconic Williams style.

Intrada derived its previous release (2015) from 3-track masters provided by Universal Studios, but this time, as a result of a deep dive (we couldn't resist) ahead of last year's 50th anniversary of the original Jaws, we discovered that the 16-track scoring masters for the sequel were housed in the vaults at UMe. The record company provided new high-resolution transfers at 192k/24-bit, which were then meticulously restored, remixed and remastered by Mike Matessino and approved by the composer. This 2-CD set once again presents the complete score, plus bonus material (including some newly discovered alternates), and, on CD 2, a fully rebuilt version of the 1978 original soundtrack program. The accompanying 20-page booklet offers an updated version of Scott Bettencourt's essay from 2015 and presents a new "Tech Talk" section by Matessino.

Simultaneously with Intrada's release, UMe/Geffen will be offering the original album program in Digital Dolby Atmos, mixed by Steve Genewick, as well as a "2026 Mix" digital stereo soundtrack album in high resolution. The website jaws50music.com now has a Jaws 2 tab with information about these releases. Meanwhile, Matessino's remix and remastering of the original Jaws soundtrack recording is now available on a new LP pressing from Geffen/Interscope.

I've listened to some samples and it does sound very nice - though not as immediately night and day as the 2015 vs. 2025 versions of the Jaws soundtrack.

Despite the plural in the hype blurb, there appears to be only one track which wasn't on the previous version: an alternative take of Calming The Girl (AKA Rescue Party). So there's no Downtown, no Girl From Ipanema and no Teach Me Tonight from the Amity High School Band's eloquent selection. Nor is there any pseudo rock music from Plymouth, "the rock of New England".


The cover is definitely better looking. The 2015 edition had the image flipped horizontally and hid much of the shark behind the title font. The new one is a BIG improvement (and I like the classy off-white of the background).

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I'll get it, of course, but I haven't leapt immediately in.

Jaws 3 has already had two different Intrada CD releases, but still it wouldn't surprise me if the third and fourth films follow the first two with restorations from "newly discovered" tapes.