Tag Archive: Jaws
Filed under: Backstage Pass, Comics & Books, Movies, Sci-Fi Café — Leave a comment
As movies go, few successes were as unlikely as Steven Spielberg's Jaws. It was a film that from its inception never seemed like anyone knew how to get their arms around the project. Spielberg's driving force was refusing to film in a tank as seen in the Spencer Tracy clunky version of The Old Man and the Sea. It was to be the real ocean or nothing. And there never was any alternative to building a full-sized shark. Art director-turned production designer Joe Alves partnered with Spielberg, and it was his first instinct to render his charcoal concept drawings explicitly to show the violent shark attack scenes, all for a set of pitch materials to help sell the idea of the film to the studios. These drawings by Alves, his storyboards, his location scouting notes, and his pages of production outlines are now reproduced for the first time in Joe Alves: Designing Jaws, a new look at cinema's original blockbuster.
A lot has happened since Jaws. Would Paul Allen have taken on searching for and discovering the sunken USS Indianapolis but for the film sharing the sailors' story? Nearly 45 years later it seems impossible that a new book could be written about the adaptation of Peter Benchley's 1974 hyped novel Jaws (reviewed here), which was (incredibly) being published at the same time the film was being made. The definitive book for years about the making of the film has been (and remains) screenwriter Carl Gottlieb's insightful work The Jaws Log (reviewed here), but we've since seen periodic looks back at the production, as in Jaws: Memories from Martha's Vineyard (reviewed here). No doubt if there's something more to learn about Jaws, the film's fans (including me) are going to get our hands on it. Access to something like Joe Alves's personal archive of artwork and production notes is as surprising and rare as it gets, so Joe Alves: Designing Jaws is going to be a no-brainer for movie buffs to add to their bookshelves.
Jaws was by no means Alves's first film. He began in the cinema creating special effects for Forbidden Planet, and later Night Gallery, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and after Jaws he'd design films like Escape from New York, Freejack, and Geronimo: An American Legend. Somehow all the competing ideas for Jaws would come together, and Alves would be best known for his work on the film. His charcoal concept art illustrates how removed from the final vision the creators of Jaws began with, beginning with an assumption that Spielberg would actually be showing the shark a lot. As readers will learn in this book, the film we know only came together in the editing room.
Tags: Dennis Prince, Designing Jaws, Designing Jaws book review, Jaws, Joe Alves, Joe Alves Designing Jaws, Joe Alves Designing Jaws book review, Joseph Alves Jr, Steven Spielberg, Titan Books
CW's Nancy Drew pilot doesn't get new TV series off to a promising start
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At last a new Nancy Drew television series has arrived, but except for the odd screencap (a quick shot of Nancy Drew and The Hidden Staircase, or Nancy Drew and The Secret in the Old Attic) it has little resemblance to the novels the series is based on. Billed as a brilliant teen detective by the studio, CW's Nancy Drew presents a heroine that is anything but, if the rest of the series is anything like the pilot episode. If you like disinterested young adults begrudgingly solving crimes that would be solved quicker by reasonably motivated teenage kids with half a brain, then this is your show. This is not the smart, driven hero detective beloved by generations of readers.
The pilot reveals yet another series-long mystery set-up, instead of a mystery-of-the-week a la The X-Files. Coincidentally the pilot introduces the same kind of body-in-a-box mystery as the far more engrossing new series, Fox's Prodigal Son (but compelling writing and acting is pulling me back for more of that series). It even shares the same story of a split family and parents somehow conspiring (or not) over a corpse in a trunk, while tricking the younger version of the series lead that it was all a dream. Nancy Drew unfortunately also shares a lead character much like the brooding under-achiever in this year's new AMC mystery series NOS4A2, a series that handled strange mystery and a confused young woman protagonist more believably.
Nancy Drew is played by 23-year-old Kennedy McCann. Sometimes a series will cast young adults for teenage roles and make it work, but McCann just doesn't look like a high schooler (nor do her friends). Nancy's boyfriend is played by Tunji Fasim, and her key circle includes diner (think Twin Peaks, Riverdale, etc.) co-workers played by Maddison Jaizani, Leah Lewis, and Alex Saxon, with Nancy's dad played by Scott Wolf, and his lover/city detective played by Alvina August. The mystery begins with Nancy and her co-workers present as the last to see a local socialite alive–Nancy finds her dead in the diner parking lot, and everyone is hauled downtown to get interrogated. The backdrop shuffled in is some local lore about a teenager who committed suicide by diving off a local cliff years ago, and Nancy coming to terms with her father after her mother recently died.
Tags: Alex Saxon, Alvina August, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, CW Nancy Drew TV series, CW's Nancy Drew, Jaws, Katy Keene TV series, Kennedy McCann, Leah Lewis, Maddison Jaizani, Nancy Drew, NOS4A2, Pamela Sue Martin, Riverdale, Scott Wolf, Tunji Fasim, Twin Peaks
Mary–Christine meets The Fog in next Gary Oldman horror flick
There's something about Mary, a new horror film coming this fall, that screams out John Carpenter. It has that seaside feel of Carpenter's The Fog, complete with a haunted seafaring vessel and moody cinematography. It also has that trapped-in-an-evil-car vibe of Carpenter's adaptation of Stephen King's Christine. It's about an old boat with a past, found and restored, and haunted–all Christine elements. Who doesn't want more Carpenter movies, or second best, a Carpenter homage? Mary is a new horror film that boasts its contrast with the average why-not-run-from-the-haunted-house movie by staging its ghost story on a boat: "The thing about boats is there's nowhere to run." A nice double feature with The Lighthouse, perhaps? The first trailer for the movie also conjures a little Jaws, The Ring, and Dead Calm.
Academy Award-winning actor Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Rises, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, RoboCop, The Fifth Element) and Emily Mortimer (Mary Poppins Returns, The Kid, The Ghost and the Darkness) star in the indie film, which is directed by cinematographer Michael Goi (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Swamp Thing, American Horror Story), with a cast including Jennifer Esposito, straight off her supporting role in The Boys, plus Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Magnificent Seven, Murder on the Orient Express), Natalie Jean (Gotham), Michael Landes (Final Destination 2, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), Stefanie Scott (Chuck, Jem and the Holograms), and Owen Teague (IT, Black Mirror).
The solid leading and supporting cast and some nicely creepy cinematography and scares in the trailer make this look like a good Halloween pick. And the eerie music is supplied by frequent horror movie–and Avengers movie series–composers The Newton Brothers. Here's the trailer for Mary:
Tags: Christine, Dead Calm, Emily Mortimer, Gary Oldman, ghost story movies, Halloween 2019, horror movies, Jaws, Jennifer Esposito, John Carpenter, John Carpenter movies, John Carpenter's Christine, John Carpenter's The Fog, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Mary 2019 movie preview trailer, Mary movie, Michael Goi, Michael Landes, Natalie Jean, Owen Teague, sea horror movies, Stefanie Scott, The Newton Brothers, The Ring
Discovery's Shark Week returns–Narragansett says "Crush it Like Quint"
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Discovery′s annual Shark Week programming is back beginning this weekend. From July 27 to August 5 look for ten days of shark-centered features. Shark Week is television's longest running summer TV event. That means Narragansett is back with new promotions and local activities for those on the East Coast, and an online store full of tie-ins to Steven Spielberg's Jaws to coincide with Shark Week 2019. Not only is Narragansett one of America's oldest beer companies (they turned 21 in 1911), Jaws made its beer famous again in 1975 when Robert Shaw′s character Quint downs a can and crunches it to look tough in front of Richard Dreyfuss′s character Hooper. Hooper created the funniest moment of the film, countering Quint by crushing his Styrofoam cup.
Look for Naked and Afraid: Surviving with Sharks, Shark Trip, Isle of Jaws, Shark After Dark, Sharkwreck, Alien Sharks, Sharkpocalypse, Air Jaws, Sharks Gone Wild, Jaws Comes Home, Laws of Jaws, Sharkzilla, Shaq Does Shark Week, Ocean of Fear, Sharks in the City: LA, Guy Fieri's Feeding Frenzy, and How Jaws Saved the World, and more, all throughout the week. Check out your local listings here at Discovery for air times.
Narragansett′s online shop has some great new T-shirts featuring Jaws and the Quint can, plus a foam stress can, a skateboard deck, stickers, pins, logo shirts, hats, hoodies, ornaments, sunglasses, beach towels, posters, even skis and hockey sticks–all featuring the image of the beer can design from 1975 or the shark or 1975 Narragansett logo–as it appeared in the film classic Jaws. The lager beer itself is also available in 'Gansett markets with the retro cans. See the entire 1975 retro collection of tie-ins here at the Narragansett online store. And check out the Narragansett website here for a series of Jaws screening parties along the East Coast all week, plus other parties, trivia contests and more, announced via the company's Twitter account: @Gansettbeer.
Tags: Air Jaws, Alien Sharks, Discovery Channel, Guy Fieri's Feeding Frenzy, How Jaws Saved the World, Isle of Jaws, Jason Statham, Jaws, Jaws Comes Home, Laws of Jaws, Naked and Afraid: Surviving with Sharks, Narragansett, Narragansett 1975 throwback cans, Narragansett beer, Ocean of Fear, Quint, Quint beer, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw, Shaq Does Shark Week, Shark After Dark, Shark Trip, Shark Week, Shark Week 2019, Sharknado, Sharkpocalypse, Sharks Gone Wild, Sharks in the City: LA, Sharkwreck, Sharkzilla, The Meg
Happy Fourth! A perfect Independence Day pick airs tonight on TCM
It's a little difficult to get your head around. Eight years ago when I suggested going to your video rental store to watch the ultimate Fourth of July movie–Jaws–we still had several video rental stores in every town. It's very different now with streaming services (have you finished Season 3 of Stranger Things yet on Netflix?) and any Blu-ray you want available overnight for purchase from retailers like Amazon. To be fair, you can still rent movies, the plastic disc kind, at local Redbox machines, and Family Video still has a good footprint across the nation and a broad video selection (pretty much Blu-rays prevail, so sorry to people still with only VHS and plain ol' DVDs). Back in 2011 when I listed some recommended viewing material for Independence Day here at borg, I mentioned some films including my pick for today.
Every audience, every moviegoer, is after something different. If you're looking for action try on Captain America: The First Avenger, or even binge the entire Captain America series of films. The first Independence Day movie from 1996 has your dose of sci-fi, and it's an easy choice to go to especially if you're too young to have watched it before. Even Independence Day–the day, not the movie–means different things to different people. I would recommend to anyone films like Dave, The American President, The Post, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, All the President's Men, Sergeant York, Far and Away, The Last of the Mohicans, Lincoln, Glory, and Dances with Wolves–each covers some aspect of what America stands for. Actually Frank Capra has more in the category, too, including Meet John Doe and State of the Union.
Four of my favorites are playing on Turner Classic Movies/TCM today. At 8:30 a.m. Central is John Ford′s She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, followed at 10:30 a.m. Central by Ford's Fort Apache. These are some of the famed director's finest works, and high points for both Henry Fonda, John Wayne, and Maureen O'Hara, plus the stories tell other tales of the American experience (and both rate high on my all-time best Westerns list here). A recent anthology film fits the bill for today well–that's the Coen Brothers' The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, which we reviewed here at borg last year. It tells several stories of the pain, struggle, and sacrifice of peoples from throughout the world coming together to build a nation. But what's that sure-fire Fourth of July movie that should appeal to everyone?
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, All the President's Men, best patriotic movies, Buddy Hackett, Captain America: The First Avenger, Coen Brothers, Dances with Wolves, Dave, DVD, Family Video, Far and Away, Fort Apache, Fourth of July 2019, Frank Capra, George M. Cohan, Glory, Henry Fonda, Independence Day 2019, Independence Day movie recommendations, James Cagney, Jaws, Joan Leslie, John Ford, John Philip Sousa, John Wayne, Karl King, Lincoln, Maureen O'Hara, Meet John Doe, Meredith Willson, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Redbox, Robert Preston, Sergeant York, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Shirley Jones, State of the Union, TCM, TCM network, The American President, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Last of the Mohicans, The Music Man, The Post, Turner Classic Movies, Vampire Hunter, VHS, Yankee Doodle Dandy
Review–Have the most fun of your summer with the deep-sea adventure The Meg
The trailers didn't lie. With only a month to go, The Meg might be the most fun movie you'll see this summer. The Meg has everything: a stellar international cast with plenty of chemistry, big action scenes, great sets, and even some drama. For Jason Statham fans, look for another must-see Statham movie with his tough-as-nails deep-sea diver Jonas Taylor getting in and out of some big crises. For fans of underwater adventure movies like The Abyss, Leviathan, and Sphere, a better movie has arrived. A combined production from China and the U.S., it also pushes past last year's much bigger budget action film The Great Wall–the combination of the two cultures from these films is setting up the future of action films. If you liked the Pacific Rim franchise, recent Godzilla movies or Battleship, you'll probably find The Meg a better all around production. For an only PG-13 rating, it's loaded with blood, chum, and other viscera (the newfound terror gobbles up plenty of characters both major and minor), but it balances that out with some good worldbuilding, likeable characters, and plenty of humor along the way.
The trailers also didn't give anything important away. Beginning with a John Hammond-esque deep-sea research base, we meet a perfect set-up of international personalities, led by Chinese superstar Bingbing Li (Resident Evil, Transformers series) as a scientist working with her father (1911 and Eat Drink Man Woman's Winston Chao) on breaking through a new-found barrier to the deep sea. The movie is really two films–the first a slowly-building drama detailing the background and players in the research facility, and the second a 1980s/1990s Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, or Steven Seagal action-rescue movie (think Cliffhanger, Under Siege, Striking Distance, Executive Decision), sensibly swapping out the much younger Statham (who played Stallone's #1 guy in The Expendables series), the modern incarnation of this brand of action star. For the action, we learn Statham's Taylor quit diving for a rescue operation five years past that didn't go as planned. He returns thanks to an old friend working at the facility (played by Fear the Walking Dead's Cliff Curtis) when Taylor's ex-wife, played by Australian actor Jessica McNamee, is piloting an exploratory vessel, along with scientists played by Japanese-American actor Masi Oka (Heroes, Hawaii Five-O) and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, BFG), which runs aground with the help of a mysterious creature. Rounding out the cast is The Office's Rainn Wilson as the show's Hammond, an Elon Musk-inspired exec who funded the facility, Rush Hour's Page Kennedy as another scientist, and the new lead of the CW's Batwoman, Ruby Rose, whose character designed the facility. Rose proves in The Meg she's got the right stuff to dawn that red cape.
Based on Steve Alten's 1997 science-fiction/horror book Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, this fish tale is somewhat Michael Crichton-lite. It's surprisingly better than all the Jurassic sequels, as well as Crichton's lesser action film adaptations like Congo and Sphere. But the marketing may have set expectations off-kilter in one regard: The shark–the megalodon–of the title may have you thinking Jaws or Sharknado. It's neither. Think Godzilla and King Kong and you'll be much closer. The chemistry among the cast is what makes The Meg really stand out. Statham and Bingbing Li (only six years apart in real life) make a great pair I'd love to see again. Statham and Curtis seem like they really have been pals for years. Young actor Sophia Cai may be the next best child actor, holding her own with both Statham, Li, Kennedy, and the rest of the crew. The camaraderie of everyone involved and top-level production values (thanks to King Kong and The Lord of the Rings' Oscar-winning production designer Grant Major) beg for a sequel or series.
Tags: Amanda Neale, Ólafur Darri Ólafsson, Bingbing Li, Bruce Willis, China-American movies, Cliff Curtis, CW Batwoman, Godzilla, Grant Major, Harry Gregson-Williams, Jacques Cousteau, Jason Statham, Jason Statham movies, Jaws, Jessica McNamee, Jon Turtletaub, Jurassic Park, Masi Oka, Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror, Michael Crichton, Page Kennedy, Rainn Wilson, Ruby Rose, Ruby Rose Batwoman, Sophia Cai, Steven Seagal, Summer 2018 movies, Sylvester Stallone, The Meg, The Meg movie review, Tom Stern, Winston Chao
SDCC 2018–Auction houses display iconic props and costumes at Comic-Con
Filed under: Backstage Pass, Con Culture, Fantasy Realms, Movies, Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café, Superheroes, TV — Leave a comment
When you think of iconic with respect to genre films from Hollywood, what first comes to mind? The Wizard of Oz? Star Wars? Jaws? James Bond? Raiders of the Lost Ark? Forbidden Planet? Planet of the Apes? Star Trek? Terminator? Maybe superhero movies?
Maybe your tastes are after less of the big franchises. Like Edward Scissorhands, Spaceballs, American Graffiti, or Power Rangers?
Costumes and props representing all of these franchises made their way to booths of auction houses showing off their lots for fans of San Diego Comic-Con this past weekend. Just how long is too long to become transfixed at the golden birds atop the actual Lost Ark (okay, one of the actual Lost Arks seen in Raiders of the Lost Ark)?
President Joe Maddalena and prop expert Brian Chanes from Profiles in History–the biggest auction house of Hollywood entertainment memorabilia–were on hand to walk visitors through some truly iconic props and costumes featured in its next big auction. Nearby, The Prop Store (formerly The Prop Store of London) had COO Brandon Alinger and its Los Angeles staff and some members from its London branch onsite show off select pieces from this week's Power Rangers auction and future auctions.
Some of the finest Star Wars props and costumes are coming to auction soon, including production models, Imperial helmets–including Darth Vader–multiple lightsabers, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story costumes including one worn by Felicity Jones as the film's heroine Jyn Erso. A jacket purported to be one of those worn by Harrison Ford as Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back was at The Prop Store display (they expect it to sell for $1 million or more). One of the biggest sellers will no doubt be an original series command tunic worn by William Shatner in Star Trek and a Type 2 phaser, both with good provenance. One of the hats used in the greatest fantasy film classic, The Wizard of Oz, for the Wicked Witch played by Margaret Hamilton, will be sold by Profiles in History. And a full supersuit worn by Christopher Reeve in the original Superman films will be auctioned by Prop Store.
A weapon used by Leslie Nielsen in Forbidden Planet, Johnny Depp's Edward Scissorhands outfit, a full-sized Terminator, props from Spaceballs, an Indiana Jones fedora, a director's clapperboard from Jaws, a license plate with a familiar number from American Graffiti, a special effects doll used for James Bond in For Your Eyes Only, an original ape costume from Planet of the Apes, and an original Spider-man supersuit. They are all coming up for auction soon. Check out these photos from the Prop Store and Profiles in History booths:
Tags: American Graffiti, Auctions, Brandon Alinger, Brian Chanes, Comic-Con, Edward Scissorhands, Forbidden Planet, James Bond, Jaws, Joe Maddalena, Jyn Erso costume, Planet of the Apes, Power Rangers, Profiles in History, Raiders of the Lost Ark, screen used costumes, screen-used movie props, screenused costumes, screenused props, SDCC 2018, Spaceballs, Spider-man costume, Star Trek, Star Wars, Superman, Superman costume, Terminator, The Prop Store, The Wizard of Oz
It's not too late to celebrate Shark Week with the Discovery Channel and Narragansett
Filed under: Con Culture, Movies, Retro Fix, TV — Leave a comment
We didn't want to pass up the chance to remind you there is still plenty of time to dive into this year's Shark Week. And incredibly enough this year is the thirtieth year of the annual week of shark viewing excitement. Shark Week 2018 began Sunday and runs through this weekend on the Discovery Channel. So you can still catch up with shows like Tiger Shark Invasion and Shark After Dark Live tonight, and tomorrow night watch a special edition of one of the best game shows ever on television, as host Ben Bailey takes his riders on a trivial pursuit of nautical terms on Cash Cab. But there's much more coming, plus lots of content from past years online. Find all the listings for the remainder of the week and online shows (even a Guy Fieri appearance) at the Discovery website here.
And even though the biggest day to watch Steven Spielberg's Jaws every year is on Fourth of July weekend (when the story is set), Narragansett Beer–the beer Quint drinks and crushes in the famous scene from the movie, the oldest beer company in New England, and the beer Dr. Seuss drew ads for early in his career–is back again this summer expanding on Shark Week, with plenty of Jaws viewing parties and related seaside activities over the next few weeks. Check out their entire schedule at their website here.
'Gansett has released again its award-winning lager beer in replica vintage 1975 cans, as seen in Jaws–you'll want to get them before they sell out. Then "Crush it like Quint," and post photos on the company's Facebook page. They also have giant Quint and shark standees in their distribution area where you can get a photo and upload it to their social media sites. "Gansett has gone all out, issuing a great Summer Guide (check it out here) with summer recipes, activity schedule, and summer fun ideas. And make your own Shark Week Viewing Kit at the 'Gansett shop here, where you'll find anything and everything with your favorite salty sailor in action. Here is just one of the locals checking out one of the standees:
Tags: Ben Bailey, Cash Cab, Discovery Channel, Dr Seuss, Guy Fieri, Jaws, movie props, Narragansett, Narragansett 1975 throwback cans, Narragansett beer, Quint, Quint beer, Shark After Dark Live, Shark Week, Shark Week 2018, Tiger Shark Invasion
Aquaman and Jabberjaw–The Ultimate Team-Up and Mash-up?
Filed under: Comics & Books, Fantasy Realms, Retro Fix, Superheroes, TV — Leave a comment
The ultimate shark sighting? A make-ready skit when Jason Momoa finally gets to host Saturday Night Live?
We have seen some great team-ups that also served as great mash-ups. One of the best came last year when DC Comics took a side trip with Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes characters, especially in the Batman/Elmer Fudd crime-noir, one-shot story "Pway for Me," by Tom King, Lee Weeks, and Lovern Kindzierski. It was our pick for last year's best team-up/mash-up. This year DC Comics is back, but this time they paired off again with characters from Hanna-Barbera. Last year for DC Meets Hanna-Barbera, Volume 1, that meant pairing Jonny Quest and Adam Strange, Space Ghost and Green Lantern, Flintstones and Booster Gold, and Suicide Squad and Banana Splits. In comic book stores and coming soon in a compilation edition, DC Meets Hanna-Barbera, Volume 2 features even more great team-up/mash-ups: Who wins when you pair The Flash and Speed Buggy? How serious can cartoon characters get when you've teamed Black Lightning and Hong Kong Phooey? Or "Super Sons" Robin and Superboy taking on Dynomutt? But the winner is clear… How could you possibly lose with a team-up of Aquaman and Jabberjaw?
With the right amount of seriousness (mainly from Aquaman) and the right amount of nostalgic humor (mainly from fun-loving land shark Jabberjaw), Dan Abnett strikes throwback gold with a story full of seaside quips and Jaws references, pulling ideas even from the classic favorite Superfriends show. The result is one of the best Aquaman stories we've read. And Abnett completely tapped into the pulse of the classic Jabberjaw cartoon, tying in his band of friends The Neptunes. Artists Paul Pelletier, Andrew Hennessy, and Rain Beredo created a unique, incredible look, something out of Syfy's Haven town and Luc Besson's future world in Valerian and Laureline. THIS is the ongoing series that needs to continue, although, understandably the pairing is a big stretch even for comic books and animated series, bridging time and space to get these two worlds together. But it works. From the setting, a seaside tourist town called Amnesty Bay (playing on the Jaws town of Amity), to the return of the world's best drumming shark, to the sound of fingers on a chalkboard, to those Rodney Dangerfield meets Curly Howard catch-phrases, to the final entanglement with shark hunters, this one has it all.
DC has already featured Hanna-Barbera together in ongoing comic book series from the favorite characters of 1970s Saturday morning cartoons in the series Future Quest, Scooby Apocalypse, The Flintstones, Wacky Raceland, Dastardly and Muttley, The Ruff and Reddy Show, The Jetsons, and Exit, Stage Left!: the Snagglepuss Chronicles. A great writer should be able to find unlimited potential for Jabberjaw and his friends. Check out these preview pages from the publisher for the story "A Bigger Beat"–
Tags: Andrew Hennessy, Aquaman, Aquaman and Jabberjaw, Captain Caveman, Curly Howard, Dan Abnett, DC Comics, DC Meets Hanna-Barbera Volume 1, DC Meets Hanna-Barbera Volume 2, Gabe Eltaeb, Hanna Barbera, Haven, Jabberjaw, Jason Momoa, Jason Momoa Saturday Night Live, Jaws, Jeff Parker, Joshua Middleton, Land Shark, mash-ups, Paul Pelletier, Rain Beredo, Rodney Dangerfield, Saturday Night Live, Scott Kolins, Shazam, Superfriends, team-up, Valerian and Laureline
Jason Statham leads the next sea monster movie in summer flick "The Meg"
Jason Statham has a way with selecting movies that get noticed and re-watched. Or credit his agent. Seventeen years in big movies and still fighting the good fight in roles once played by Stallone, Schwarzenegger, and Willis, he's back this summer in what's bound to be a big summer movie, battling a larger than life shark in The Meg. The latest trailer shows this new big monster mash was actually made on a real production budget, unlike dozens of forgettable attempts to both impress and scare moviegoers for more than forty years since Steven Spielberg's original Jaws (remember Piranha, Crocodile, Barracuda, and Alligator?). Forget about the obviously goofy Sharknado series and see if this might bridge the gap between drama, humor, and jump-out-of-your-seat summer fun. Take a look below and see if you agree The Meg has a chance at surpassing some of the better B-movie efforts at a sea monster movie, like Anaconda and Lake Placid.
We first noticed Statham's cool and cocky bravado under the direction of one of the all-time genre greats, John Carpenter, in Ghosts of Mars, playing opposite Pam Grier and Joanna Cassidy. He quickly led the first of his three Transporter movies beginning in 2002. Then he co-starred in one of the best heist movies of all time with an all-star cast in 2003's The Italian Job, followed five years later in one of the best heist movies of all time without an all-star cast in The Bank Job. And he's co-starred in both The Fast and the Furious franchise and The Expendables, played Donald E. Westlake's well-known crime lead in Parker, and starred in a dozen other single-word action flicks, including Collateral, Cellular, Revolver, Crank, Safe, and Redemption.
Now it's time to see Statham take on a giant squid and a not-so extinct megalodon aka "The Meg." The film is expected to score in the China market, also featuring major star Bingbing Li (Transformers: Age of Extinction, Resident Evil: Retribution). The Meg also features a handful of familiar television actors, including The Heroes star Masi Oka.
Check out this fun trailer for The Meg:
Tags: Bingbing Li, Jason Statham, Jason Statham movies, Jaws, Masi Oka, seas monster movies, summer movies, The Meg, The Meg trailer preview