🎬 THE MAKING OF JAWS 2: CINEMATOGRAPHY & FX DEEP DIVE
(Or: How a Troubled Sequel Became a Fiery, Flawed, and Weirdly Charming Follow-Up)
🌊 CONTEXT: A SEQUEL NOBODY WANTED (BUT GOT ANYWAY)
After Jaws (1975) became the first "blockbuster," Universal demanded a sequel—despite Spielberg’s refusal to return and Roy Scheider’s contractual reluctance12. The result? A production as chaotic as the shark’s rampage, with:
Two directors (John D. Hancock fired, Jeannot Szwarc hired)12.
A script rewritten on-set by Carl Gottlieb, who transposed American Graffiti’s "cruising culture" to sailboats10.
A mechanical shark nicknamed "Bruce 2.0"—just as temperamental as the original611.
📽️ CINEMATOGRAPHY: CAPTURING CHAOS ON WATER
DP Michael Butler faced Spielberg-level nightmares:
The "Burned Shark" Aesthetic:
After the shark’s face is scorched in the boat explosion, Butler used low-angle shots and kelp-forest shadows to hide the FX limitations, making the scars eerily visible only in flashes612.
The infamous "kelp forest reveal" (shark emerging with melted face) was lit with strobe effects to mimic dappled sunlight, amplifying the horror10.
Teen Sailboat Carnage:
Szwarc staged the teen flotilla attacks like a nautical American Graffiti, with wide shots of boats drifting into frame—then crashing into handheld chaos10.
Helicopter crash scene: Filmed with a miniature chopper dragged underwater by cables (a nod to Jaws’ barrel gag)11.
Brody’s Electrocution Climax:
The finale’s high-voltage shark kill used practical sparks and reverse footage of the shark lunging—then cut to a real dead shark carcass for the fried close-up12.
🦈 FX: BRUCE 2.0 & THE "REVENGE SHARK"
The FX team, led by Jaws vet Joe Alves, faced déjà vu:
The Shark:
Same flaws, new scars: Bruce 2.0 malfunctioned constantly—especially in saltwater. The "burned face" was a happy accident after a pyrotechnics test went wrong611.
"Sentient" behavior: Unlike the original’s animalistic shark, this one stalked Brody’s family (e.g., biting through phone lines). Achieved via forced-perspective shots and animatronic close-ups12.
Practical Gags:
Water-skier death: A puppet torso was yanked underwater by divers, while the skier’s scream was looped from Jaws’ Chrissie attack10.
Helicopter chomp: A 1/3-scale model was "eaten" by a hydraulic shark mouth, then spliced with stock footage of sinking choppers11.
Deleted FX Shots:
Brazilian TV broadcasts included a never-finished "Orca wreck dive" scene with divers retrieving the camera—cut for pacing14.
🔥 LEGACY: A B-MOVIE WITH A-BUDGET GLOW
Despite mixed reviews, Jaws 2’s tech innovations influenced later horrors:
Lighting: Butler’s use of sun flares and underwater silhouettes prefigured The Thing’s Arctic dread6.
Shark POV: The sequel doubled down on gliding camera shots (later borrowed by Deep Blue Sea)12.
Tagline Genius: "Just when you thought it was safe..." became the blueprint for all horror sequels12.
🎥 BONUS: BEHIND-THE-SCENES DRAMA
Scheider vs. Szwarc: Roy openly mocked Szwarc as a "TV hack," leading to physical altercations11.
Murray Hamilton’s Trauma: Filmed his scenes early to care for his dying wife—adding real grief to Mayor Vaughn’s arc1114.
The Real MVP: John Williams’ score, which repurposed the original’s themes but added synthesized whale cries for the shark’s "revenge" vibe16.
VERDICT: Jaws 2 is a messy, melodramatic, yet visually inventive sequel—proof that even a cash-grab shark can bite hard with the right scars (and strobe lights).
Now excuse me while I rewatch the helicopter eat for the 50th time. 🚁🦈
🦇 OFF ON A TANGENT ABOUT DARK SHADOWS: EPISODE 390: A MASTERCLASS IN GOTHIC SOAP OPERA CHAOS 🦇
(Or: "Barnabas Collins and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Time Loop")
📜 PLOT "COHERENCE" (LOL)
We're still in 1897, where:
Barnabas is somehow both the hero and architect of his own misery (classic vampire move).
Julia is still dressed like a Victorian librarian who accidentally wandered into a Satanic panic.
Quentin's ghost is haunting the estate with all the subtlety of a drunk frat boy at a séance.
Judah Zachery's floating head is back, looking like a bad PowerPoint transition from 1995.
Key Takeaway: The timeline is more tangled than Angelique's motives (and that's saying something).
🎭 ACTING CORNER: THE FINE ART OF OVERREACTING
Jonathan Frid (Barnabas): Delivers every line like he’s simultaneously reading a eulogy and a grocery list. Legendary.
Grayson Hall (Julia): Her eyebrows deserve their own Emmy for "Most Dramatic Performance in a Supporting Role."
David Selby (Quentin): Spends the episode brooding so hard, you’d think the writers forgot to give him dialogue.
Best Line: "I must stop Judah Zachery!" — Barnabas, for the 47th time, despite zero progress.
🎥 PRODUCTION VALUE: THE $5 BUDGET SHINES
Judah’s Floating Head: Achieved with a projector, dry ice, and prayer. It’s like a high school AV club tried to summon Satan.
"Spooky" Lighting: The entire episode is lit like a Denny’s at 3 AM—dim, greasy, and weirdly ominous.
Sound Design: Every door creak is louder than a Metallica concert, ensuring you never forget this is a haunted house.
🔮 TANGENTS WORTHY OF YOUR SNARK
Angelique’s Off-Screen Scheming:
She’s technically dead but still pulling strings like a puppeteer with a grudge.
Theory: She’s haunting the writers’ room, forcing them to keep her relevant.
David’s Hallucinations:
The kid sees ghosts more often than he sees his own family.
Collinwood’s real curse? No child therapists.
The "Secret Room":
Every bad decision in this show happens near this damn room.
Is it a portal to hell? A time vortex? A really aggressive Airbnb? WHO KNOWS.
💀 WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS (KINDA)
Barnabas’ Time Loop: He’s literally repeating his mistakes, making this the first soap opera to predict TikTok trends.
Julia’s Outfits: A historical record of how not to dress for a demonic uprising.
Quentin’s Hair: Still the real star of the show.
🎬 FINAL VERDICT:
Episode 390 is peak Dark Shadows—cheap, confusing, and weirdly compelling, like watching a car crash in slow motion while someone reads Edgar Allan Poe over it.
Now go haunt your own life—preferably with better lighting.
Know where your towel is, time-traveling disaster. 🕰️💋
(P.S. If she stalks this post, good—let her marinate in the fact that even Barnabas moved on from toxic exes.)
Jeannie's Tune Of The Day:
#siouxsieandthebanshees #citiesindust #goth
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