Jaws. That one word elicits both wonder and fear every time it is mentioned. As I have expressed in the past, you might remember my Blu-Ray review, Jaws is one of my favorite movies of all time. Jaws made such an impact on me, that I remember the night I watched it for the first time, a true sensory recall moment. Jaws was Steven Spielberg‘s first blockbuster movie and directorial debut, unless you count ‘The Sugarland Express’, which I won’t fault you if you do. Jaws swam its way into theaters on June 20th, 1975 and since then has kept many, many people out of the water, myself included on many occasions!
But before Jaws became one of the biggest movies of all time, there were many details that had to be ironed out and a few that almost stopped the production all together. Jaws: Memories from Martha’s Vineyard, written by Matt Taylor and published by Titan Books, is one of the most informative and entertaining production biographies I have ever laid my hands on. In a time of digital books, it’s books like these that remind me why I love a classic paper paged tome. From beginning to end, the book spans, in great detail, everything ‘you‘ as a huge Jaws fan have been itching to know and a new understanding of this ‘project’ that you won’t regret reading this book to acquire! Uncountable, detailed photographs record the different stages and characters involved during those chilly New England spring days. 
Have you ever wondered how Universal’s film crew turned Martha’s Vineyard into the bustling setting of vacation hot-spot Amity Island or the background story for Pipit the Dog or how about Harry’s bad hat!? From location scouting, to actors and extras who became characters we are all very familiar with, Jaws: MFMV is a book that no true Jaws fan should live without. My favorite part of the book was reading about how instead of bringing in actually actors, at least for most roles, Shari Rhodes (Casting Director) knew the importance of casting locals into the roles that would become vital to the film and faces we would remember for the next thirty years and beyond! I believe it was that local flare that made the film seem all the more authentic, and the filmmakers knew how to pull it off. From production photos to local newspaper clippings, this book has the epic project that was the filming of Jaws down to the finest detail.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, think again! Originally published back in October of 2011, and until recently a difficult book to find new, Titan Books has just released an Expanded 2nd Edition which adds an additional 16 pages of new information, storyboards, and more! These additions will hone your Jaws knowledge to a whole new level! A gift that is perfect for any movie buff or that coffee-table book collector in your life. Here’s the specs!
PRODUCT DETAILS
- ISBN: 9781781163023
- Dimensions: 10 1/2” x 11 15/16”
- Paperback with flaps: 312 pages
- Publication date: September 25th, 2012
- Illustration detail: Color photos throughout
- Author: Matt Taylor
- Foreward by: Steven Spielberg
- Awards: The Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book (non-fiction) from the Independent Book Publishers Association and The ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year winner.
Jaws: Memories from Martha’s Vineyard gets a 10/10. Reading it, I felt as if I was on the journey of making this film from start to finish and, I am now that much more of a learned man on one of my favorite movies of all time! Head on over to Titan Books’ website if you’re interested in picking up a copy for that shark lover on your holiday shopping list!
Stay tooned 😛
~CynicNerd
Photos Via: Figures in Action
