Jaws Review

The waves roll in, but not with any sort of ferocity. It's so quiet. It's so serene. Sometimes the world feels small but not while you are standing on a beach staring out into an empty and seemingly endless ocean. Sometimes the world feels scary but the evils of humanity, the dangers of accidental randomness are literally behind you here. Cars crash, fires burn and people kill, but the tide poses no threat. The sun goes down and the sand between your toes is moist and cool. The stars come out and the glow of the moon on the beautiful, blue rippling water is unforgettable. You have never felt safer in your life.

Just don't go in.

A simple online search tells us that the chances of being killed by a shark are 1 in 3,748,067. In the words of the handsome space cowboy Han Solo, never tell me the odds. Numbers exist in reality and they can be trusted because numbers represent truth without bias or fear or emotion. My mind doesn't care about numbers when lost in one of the greatest pieces of cinema ever, a work by Steven Spielberg that speaks louder and resonates deeper than any numbers could, no matter how honest they are. It's so illogical to be believe in fictional storytelling rather than let the truth guide us, but to be human is to defy logic. Based on numbers, it is absurd to be afraid of flying, yet so many tremble with dread as they board an airplane, literally praying that they will land safely at their destination. They have more faith in an unseen and unproven God than they do in odds.

The absolute brilliance of Jaws is that even knowing that 3,748,066 people will swim in an ocean and emerge from the water unscathed, the audience is terrified of being that unfortunate 1. The iconic piece of music by John Williams starts echoing through our minds and we aren't afraid of crashing cars or burning fires or the person that approaches us through the shadows of night. I experienced this masterpiece from the comfort of my couch and the closest drop in the massive ocean bucket is roughly a thousand miles away, yet I felt as if I could be the next victim. When Brody (Roy Scheider) looks out at the water and sees nothing, the water is no longer quiet. It's no longer serene. Knowing the great white is somewhere out there, lurking in the depths where the human eye cannot see is scary as hell. 

What are the odds I lose my life in a shark attack as I sit on my couch watching a film? Well, zero of course. It's impossible, yet such logical thinking doesn't comfort me in the least, not after watching Jaws. During a film like this, I don't want to hear any of the numbers. I want to get lost in the storytelling. Never tell me the odds.

5/5

My Probably Terrible and Way Too Early 2016 Best Picture Predictions

Who says it's too early to make Oscar predictions for next year? Where's the fun in waiting for more information? I say, do it now and then shake my head in disgust later this year when it becomes obvious that these are completely off the mark

So here we go. These are my probably terrible and way too early 2016 Best Picture Predictions

Knight of Cups

The Martian

Silence

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

St. James Place

Midnight Special

The Revenant

The Hateful Eight

Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens

A part of me thinks this is a very realistic list, and another part of me thinks this would just be too good to be true for me personally. 

Knight of Cups is the new film from Terrence Malick, the man behind my favorite film of all time, The Tree of Life. I don't want to set myself up for disappointment, but I have faith that this will be another special cinematic experience from the genius auteur.

The Martian is based on the fantastic debut novel from Andy Weir of the same name, and it is Ridley Scott returning to science fiction which is where he is at his best (yes, including Prometheus which I love). As someone who has read the book, trust me, this is the type of material that the Academy can fall in love with, and if you take a look at the cast listing of this film, you will see the potential for something remarkable. 

Silence is currently in production with Martin Scorsese at the helm, which alone is enough to believe in its Oscar chances. The only thing about picking this one, it isn't even guarateed to be released in time for next years Academy Awards. It is currently listed as a 2016 release, although I have a gut feeling it finds its way to a film festival later this year and gets a limited release in time to qualify.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl feels ready to follow in the footsteps of recent Sundance gems that went on to bigger and better things. Just yesterday both Whiplash and Boyhood were major players on Oscar night, and both were debuted at Sundance. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl received overwhelming acclaim at the festival and won both of the top prizes there. I recently read the novel it is based on and yep, this is going to be a special film.

Directed by Spielberg, a script co-written by the Coen brothers, starring Tom Hanks with an October release date? A historical biography spy thriller? Yep, I feel good about the chances of St. James Place. 

Midnight Special probably won't be nominated for Best Picture. Let me get that out of the way. So why am I picking it? Because Jeff Nichols deserves the damn recognition, with his previous two films being absolutely sublime and yet they were overlooked by the Academy. Take Shelter is one of the finest films to focus on mental illness ever made, and Mud was just pure storytelling magic. In November of this year, his new science fiction drama will be released and I hope it is when the Oscars take notice and showcase the work of this amazing talent. Oh, and I hope Michael Shannon is nominated for Best Actor as well. The fact that he wasn't among the five recognized for Take Shelter is such a shame.

The Revenant certainly feels like a safe, solid pick now, the next film by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu after winning Best Director and Best Picture last night with Birdman. Perhaps a win for Leonardo DiCaprio here? We will have to wait and see.

I hesitate to include The Hateful Eight because I have a gut feeling it may not be up for the top prize after the last two films by Quentin Tarantino were nominated. Going three in a row would be quite the accomplishment, but with the campaigning of Harvey Weinstein backing it and the fact that the Academy clearly appreciates that intoxicating Tarantino style, it just might happen.

Finally, yes I am picking Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. As I am a massive Star Wars fan, this probably is wishful thinking, but hear me out on my logic. After the prequels proved to be such a letdown, if J.J. Abrams is able to put out an amazing new film (and I believe he will) with the original cast involved, released right in the heart of Oscar voting season, I imagine many voters will fall head over heels in love with the movie.

When Abrams rebooted Star Trek, I recall there being talk of it possibly sneaking into the Best Picture race, and that was Star Trek. No offense to the Trek fans out there, but it just isn't as beloved and cherished of a franchise as Star Wars. If he nails this, people like me will be ready to put up Abrams shrines in their bedrooms to honor the man. I wouldn't be that surprised if this film picked up a whole bunch of nominations in 2016, and not just for the technical achievements. 

So there we go. The nine films I currently think will be up for Best Picture next year. I look forward to coming back to this down the road and realizing I only got 1 correct.