Jaws, the Steven Spielberg film that ushered in the era of the summer blockbuster, is being released for the first time on Blu-Ray. As part of Universal’s 100 anniversary celebration, the studio put its digital restoration team to the test and they have emerged with what is likely to be the best Blu-Ray of 2012.
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The film’s transfer is impeccable (check out how they did it in a video below). The color and 7.1 surround sound pop and it's easy to be afraid to go into the water once again, almost four decades after Jaws first terrified audiences.
Featuring over four hours of new features, including the can’t-miss documentary The Shark Is Still Working, fans of the Spielberg classic get to witness how difficult it was to make the classic film. We’ve only heard about the troubles Spielberg and his team had in the summer of 1974 in New England working with an animatronic shark that was revolutionary for its time, but still full of kinks that would be expected of a first generation anything!
Jaws is considered one of the most influential films in cinematic history and is right at the top of Spielberg’s best films. Starring Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider, the film spawned a legion of Jaws quotes, the most famous being, “You’re going to need a bigger boat.” Considering the Blu-Ray’s pristine transfer, let us paraphrase: You’re going to need a bigger TV.
The film also served as the first time composer John Williams worked with Spielberg. It is a relationship that has produced some of the most memorable movie scores of all time and landed Williams an Oscar for Best Score. Try to think about Jaws without having Williams’ haunting theme permeate through your head.
Among the Blu-Ray extras that stand out beyond The Shark Is Still Working featurette is the doc The Making of Jaws, a two-hour inside look with interviews with cast and crew that is simply stellar. Also, not to be missed is the on-set interview with a very young looking Spielberg! Fans of the film will treasure the Jaws Archives feature that takes viewers inside the storyboards and production photos of a classic.
Although it’s small and a regular feature on Blu-Ray releases, the original Jaws trailer is sure to thrill.
