The Movie Tie-In Project Strikes Again!

First off...
Nathan Fillion appeared on the cover of last weekend's issue of Parade Magazine (June 10, 2012), holding up a copy of the Bantam movie tie-in for Peter Benchley's JAWS (complete with the "Now a spectacular motion picture from Universal" stamp on the cover). In the article he discusses his love for books in their true form and digitized counterparts, but the important thing is that he is touting JAWS.

Anyhow, that article/cover coincides nicely with the latest contribution to my on-going Movie Tie-In Project, the seventh slideshow installment.

Lotsa Paul Newman fare in this edition, along with Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Michael Douglas, Jack Nicholson, Roy Scheider, Arnold Schwarzenegger, William Goldman, Aliens, the BACK TO THE FUTURE trilogy, Batman, Billy Jack, Predator, WALKING TALL, Vic & Ramona and Shaft... John Shaft.

And, now, on with the show!



I've also set up one of them fancy YouTube playlists featuring all seven installments in sequential order (with future editions added upon completion)...
THE MOVIE TIE-IN SAGA

JAWS - The Storybook

In early 1983, I was in Kindergarten and, as a school project, we made our own books. Rather than come up with something original, I thought it best to tackle something that hadn't been done before, a storybook for JAWS. Hell, if STAR WARS and THE MUPPET MOVIE could have storybooks, why not JAWS? (Not counting the children's books that were inspired by JAWS 2, which weren't true story books.)

So, my 6-year-old mind came up with some crazy hodge-podge adaptation of both JAWS and JAWS 2 (JAWS 3-D hadn't yet been released). I now present you with this fine(?) publication (limited to one copy) of my attempt at a big fish story. (Brace yourself. Logic, narrative and fine illustrations clearly weren't a priority.)

People, get ready!

So far, so good.

Blame it on the ocean spray.

I have no idea what that monstrosity is.
Certainly not albatross.

Here's my clever way of introducing a scene from JAWS 2,
while jumping immediately to the conclusion of said film.
Damn those electric sticks!

Fairly certain this wasn't the end, rather the first act
of the original film, but close enough.

Not much has changed here...

...or, here, really.

Now, if only I could find that James Bond book I made...
SURVIVE IF YOU CAN!

Kintner Prunes

Without a doubt, I absolutely love me some JAWS and I'm a sucker for all the lovingly inspired knock-offs from that era. Having just discovered another fan made JAWS homage (shot in splendid Super 8mm) on YouTube, I figured it was time to make a post to showcase that film along with another which is currently available on the site.

First up, is a Swedish take on the formula from Nässjö Filmverkstad entitled HAJEN...



And, on the same glorious program...
A rather enjoyable offering from Frank Wied entitled SHARK...



Speaking of JAWS on Super 8, here's another great find...
(Dig that terrific Universal 8 logo!)



Want a pretzel?

Even More View-Master Dreams

Movie Tie-In Project, Part I

ROCKY - Julia Sorel [Ballantine, 1977]
THE LORDS OF FLATBUSH - Leonore Fleischer [Scholastic, 1977]
PARADISE ALLEY - Sylvester Stallone [Berkley, 1978]
F.I.S.T. - Joe Eszterhas [Dell, 1978]
SYLVESTER STALLONE'S OFFICIAL ROCKY SCRAPBOOK
- Sylvester Stallone [Tempo Star, 1977]
FIRST BLOOD - David Morrell [Fawcett Crest, 1985]
ROCKY IV - Sylvester Stallone [Ballantine, 1985]
OVER THE TOP - Joel Don Humphreys [St. Martin's Press, 1987]



THE MECHANIC - John Lewis Carlino [Signet, 1972]
THE STONE KILLER - John Gardner [Award, 1973]
DEATH WISH - Brian Garfield [Fawcett Crest, 1974]
NEVADA PASS - Alistair MacLean (German Language) [Heyne, 1985]



JAWS - Peter Benchley [Bantam, 1975]
THE DEEP - Peter Benchley [Bantam, 1977]
THE ISLAND - Peter Benchley [Bantam, 1980]
JAWS 2 - Hank Searls [Bantam, 1978]
JAWS 2 - Hank Searls (Alternate Cover) [Bantam, 1978]
JAWS THE REVENGE - Hank Searls [Berkley, 1987]



STAR WARS - George Lucas [Del Rey, 1977]
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK - Donald F. Glut [Del Rey, 1980]
RETURN OF THE JEDI - James Kahn [Del Rey, 1983]
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK - Campbell Black [Ballantine, 1981]
INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM
- James Kahn [Ballantine, 1984]
INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE
- Rob MacGregor [Ballantine, 1989]
SUPERMAN: LAST SON OF KRYPTON - Elliot S. Maggin [Warner, 1978]
SUPERMAN: MIRACLE MONDAY - Elliot S. Maggin [Warner, 1980]
SUPERMAN III - William Kotzwinkle [Warner, 1983]
SUPERGIRL - Norma Fox Mazer [Warner, 1984]



BEYOND AND BACK - Ralph Wilkerson [Bantam, 1978]
BEYOND DEATH'S DOOR - Maurice Rawlings [Bantam, 1979]
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER - H.B. Gilmour [Bantam, 1977]
STAYING ALIVE - Leonore Fleisher [Pocket, 1983]
WILLARD - Stephen Gilbert [Lancer, 1971]
BEN - Gilbert A. Ralston [Bantam, 1972]
THE NIGHTMARES ON ELM STREET 1, 2 & 3: THE CONTINUING STORY
- Jeffrey Cooper [St. Martin's Press, 1987]
THE NIGHTMARES ON ELM STREET 4 & 5
- Joseph Locke [St. Martin's Press, 1989]
ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE - Ian Fleming [Signet, 1969]
LICENCE TO KILL - John Gardner [Charter, 1989]

More to come!

Note: Title description contains the actual publishing date of the exact printing in my collection and doesn't necessarily reflect the initial date of either the novel or film.

Cinephemera, Where Art Thou?

I miss the days of movie tie-in memorabilia, not that it doesn't exist today, but it's just not the same. Nowadays, it's all about bangin' you over the head with an abundance of crap. (i.e. anything from the TWILIGHT series, HARRY POTTER or the emo-fueled resurgence of THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.)

Theatrical promo items have been lacking for years. Gone are the days of the 40x60 heavy card stock posters, insert posters, half sheets and lobby cards. Gone also is the movie program. Some theaters offered these to patrons depending on the marketing of the film. Basically, you could buy your bucket o' caffeine, bucket o' eventual kernel slivers that embed themselves neatly between your teeth and gums (Sorry, not a popcorn fan, unless we're talking about the Jill Schoelen kind) and a program. Patterned after the Playbill, it served as a nice memento for when movie-going used to be an experience.

Along with programs, you'd be hard pressed to find those official movie magazines or poster books. I don't follow comic books, so I'm not sure if comic book adaptations still make the rounds or not, but they were quite the big thing, courtesy of Marvel and DC, in the '70s and '80s.

Production diaries were a big thing in paperback, back then...


Then you had those awesome Fotonovels...


Fotonovels made a slight return in 1999, with titles like THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and CHARLIE'S ANGELS, but soon vanished once again. I say they should be brought back, but not for current fare... let's go back and adapt classic films. A Fotonovel for CHINATOWN, anyone?

As for movie tie-in paperbacks, don't get me started.
Too late! I already started. Here's a taste...



HALLOWEEN - Curtis Richards [Bantam, 1979]
HALLOWEEN - Curtis Richards
(Alternate cover w/Poster artwork) [Bantam, 1979]
HALLOWEEN II - Jack Martin (Dennis Etchison) [Zebra, 1981]
HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH
- Jack Martin (Dennis Etchison) [Jove, 1982]
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK - Mike McQuay [Bantam, 1981]
DARK STAR - Alan Dean Foster [Ballentine, 1975]
THE FOG - Dennis Etchison [Bantam, 1980]
THE THING - Alan Dean Foster [Bantam, 1982]

(To Be Continued...)

Jaeckel Jaw'd Grefénatics Ahoy!

If you've read this blog before, you know that I'm an avid JAWS fan. And, I also love the films influenced by it's success. One of the earliest and most interesting efforts in that sub-genre is William Grefé's THE JAWS OF DEATH (a.k.a. MAKO: THE JAWS OF DEATH). I love this film. Maybe it's because I'm a fan of William Grefé and his other classics (DEATH CURSE OF TARTU, STANLEY and IMPULSE, to name a few). Maybe it's because Richard Jaeckel is consistently great in every film he made (maybe also, because my uncle got to hang out with him on the set of SOMETIMES A GREAT NOTION) or, maybe, just maybe, I'm just a sucker for this type of entertainment. Answer: All of the above.

Having just watched THE JAWS OF DEATH for the umpteenth time, I decided to search YouTube for anything related ...and, I done found me some treasure!

First, a review from "adorKable" YT user PiperDork, who not only loves the film, but was lucky enough to discuss it's production with producer/director Grefé himself!



Next up, is a promo from the film's showcase on The CBS Late Movie. (I truly miss those late nite treats!)



And, finally, the Super 8 version, which I've always wanted to see. It may not be top notch quality, but it is super rare (and, it includes some alternate footage and music). Enjoy!

Part One
(Note: Quite annoying, the video cuts out at the 4:15 mark and restarts, not resumes, at the 4:45 mark, so my advice is to pause the video initially allowing it to fully load, then forward to 4:45.)


Part Two

More eBay nonsense...

It's one thing when someone doesn't know what they're selling and it's an entirely different set of circumstances when the seller knows damn well that their item is not 100% authentic. Such is the case with eBay seller "glamore451".

This seller has listed a photo reprint of a cast signed laserdisc of JAWS. The following is their brief description:
A FABULOUS REPRINT. GUARANTEED NOT TO BE A FORGERY.

My message to the seller:
"GUARANTEED NOT TO BE A FORGERY." Interesting, considering the photo is of a 1987 pressed laserdisc and Robert Shaw died in 1978. Oh, and Murray Hamilton, he died in 1986.

Such a shame to see this type of thing going on and sadly, I've seen it a lot with JAWS-related memorabilia. I'll never forget the JAWS THE REVENGE poster signed posthumously by Robert Shaw. Which is worse: the fact that he didn't appear in the fourth film in the franchise because his character died in the first film, or... the fact that he wouldn't have appeared in the film anyhow since he passed away nine years before it was made?



Yes, I reported that one.

Random Musings: Jaws 2

So, I had a bit of a JAWS marathon today.

During JAWS 2, after the sequence where Chief Martin Brody "starts a panic on a public beach" he receives an inspiring call from Phil Fogarty, with news of developed photos from the missing divers' camera. Brody arrives immediately and sees a couple of photos and presses Fogarty for more, to which Fogarty responds that he has another batch waiting to be developed. Together they venture into the dark room and process a mysterious photo which Brody is certain to prove his argument that another great white is at fault for the recent unexplained deaths and disappearances on the island.



With one look, he's convinced that's all the proof he needs, exclaiming, "That's the one," and marches off to the town hall meeting already-in-progress to present this evidence. Of course, no one sees what he sees, even after he's described that the shark's eye is clearly visible, along with a rather murky outline of the mouth.



So, during each viewing, I always come to the same conclusion:
Fogarty had an entire batch of undeveloped photos and Brody doesn't wait for anything further. A clear case of "woulda, coulda, shoulda" and Brody might have been able to present better evidence, thereby convincing the board and keeping his job as chief of police.

Instead, he loses the argument and position, leaving Deputy Hendricks in the wings (whose first name is "Lenny" in the original, but everyone involved on the production of the sequel seems to have forgotten that and insist on referring to him as "Jeff" after the actor's actual name).

Just a thought.

The You Betchum Depot: JAWS Action Figures

Being a life-long JAWS fanatic, I always wanted a toy line.
Forget the Matchbox Amity Police car or even the McFarlane Orca scene, I just wanted some damn action figures to fit nicely with the giant, snapping shark with the rubber-banded-jaws from my ol' JAWS game.

Apparently other finatics have wanted the same thing. Some have even gone to the lengths of creating them for themselves.

Here's a link to an article at JAWSmovie.com showcasing the devotion of one such fan, Mike Lorenz.

Pretty damn cool, but I can't help remarking that the Hooper fig looks nothing like Richard Dreyfuss to me. Resembles either Hugo Stiglitz or a bearded Cornel Wilde. Perhaps a series of TINTORERA or SHARK'S TREASURE figures are in Lorenz's future?

Jaws TV

I came across these YouTube offerings recently and I can't stop watching them. First of all, I'm a sucker for all things JAWS and second, I remember (and relish) the times when "network television premieres" were treated as an event.



I was born in late '76 and far too young to see ABC's network premiere of JAWS in 1979, but I do remember seeing the premiere of JAWS 2 in '81... and it was a big deal.



Here was an era when you knew weeks in advance (via television ad saturation) that a certain film was going to air and nearly everyone you knew were also planning to watch it. If it was a Sunday night thing, then you most definitely talked about it at school the next day. Not to mention those terrific TV Guide ads that, depending on the film, could take up an entire page. Great, great stuff. I miss those salad days!



Special thanks to YouTube user KLXT77 for posting these gems!

"The Nude Bomb"

As much as I did enjoy the latest film based on the GET SMART series, I quickly realized one thing: I'll forever miss Don Adams. Credit goes to Steve Carell for not completely trying to ape Adams' brilliance and lending his own style to the role, but still...

Anywayz...

The good thing when it comes to remakes is that the mass audience hasn't the slightest clue that their witnessing a remake (that's not the good part) and Hollywood must then tap into the exploitive vein by reissuing those prior influences (the good part). As is the case with Universal's big screen 1980 film, THE NUDE BOMB.

The VHS has been out of print for several years (I should know since I sold it for a nice chunk o' change on eBay a long while back) and this is the first release to DVD. Over the past few months, the film has received a few airings on HBO and I've caught fragments of it, causing me to want to see it again. It was never a great film, doomed from the start by it's lack of connection to the original series, but it is a chance to see Adams revisit his iconic character of Maxwell Smart, which, to me, is worth the price of admission alone.

Upon purchasing the DVD and viewing the film all over again, it still seems like a combination of light-hearted and somewhat half-assed entertainment, yet now with Adams' passing a few years ago, the end result is bittersweet. If handled properly (i.e. employing the talents of Mel Brooks and Buck Henry in some capacity), this film could have been greatness. Adams wins all the laughs here (not too many, really) and his fellow female agents, played by Andrea Howard, Pamela Hensley and Sylvia Kristel, are definite eye candy. Kristel receives second billing here, but is barely used (not in that way) and her role here is a direct result of her appearance in the previous Jennings Lang production, THE CONCORDE: AIRPORT '79.

My favorite moments of this film still hold up. Without question, the chase sequence taking place at Universal City Studios is the one element that grabbed me when I first saw the film as a kid. For me, Universal City Studios spells PSYCHO and JAWS and you get to see a bit of both here. My other favorite scene involves Agent 86 attempting to rescue Agent 22 (Howard) in the film's finale. 22's legs are "numb" and is helpless to run away, from the mere-moments-away explosion, on her own. 86 lifts her up into his arms, exclaiming, "Jesus!" as he cannot hold her weight. She begins to fall through his arms while he continues "trying" to help by unsuccessfully lifting her over his shoulders, faintly pushing her and eventually resigning to dragging her across the floor. Finally, she says, "Max, I think I'm getting some feeling down there!" to which 86 brilliantly responds, "There's no time for that now, 22." Dead-pan, uncomfortably awkward comedy. I loves it!

The DVD boasts a fine 1.85:1 transfer with the original mono soundtrack intact, unfortunately there are no supplemental features available. The theatrical trailer would have been nice.

Also, I've often wondered if this film served as some sort of inspiration to David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker when titling the big screen adaptation of their POLICE SQUAD! series, THE NAKED GUN. Probably not the case, but an interesting comparison.

JAWS Rip-Offs

Steven Spielberg's JAWS has always been one of my favorite films, certainly the one I've been most obsessed with and have seen more than any other. To me, it's a perfect film. And, there's always been this unwritten rule that if I'm flipping through the channels and come across a showing that's about to begin or already in progress, I simply must cave-in and watch it. The same rule applies to THE BLUES BROTHERS and Spielberg's other epic, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND.

That being said, it's always proved to be a successful blueprint for exploitative producers to steal a little thunder here and there. Of course, the best era for the JAWS rip-offs were during the JAWS craze which spans roughly from when the original JAWS premiered in 1975 to the release of one of the last directly-inspired films from the over-bled trend, Lamberto Bava's DEVILFISH in '84.

So, being a JAWS fan, I've always loved all FOUR films (Yeah, I said it!) and most of the rip-offs from that period.

If you love them too, then it's time to test your noggin' on my masterful (not really) quiz!

TAKE THE BLOODY QUIZ, ALREADY!

Enjoy and best of luck!

Screen memories of Roy Scheider

Originally posted at THE JAWS BOARD on Wed. Feb 13, 2008 @ 4:12 am

My name is Nathan and this is my first post here at The Jaws Board. I learned of Roy Scheider's passing late Sunday nite and the sadness was overwhelming.

I was born in late '76, so I was far too young to experience JAWS, but I became quite aware of the film since my father owned the soundtrack album. The cover scared the hell out of me, but with that fear came a fascination. Couple that with the eventual mass marketing of JAWS 2, I was hooked before I saw either film. I'd imagine not unlike any kid my age who shared the same fascination, Roy became a highly recognizable figure in my early childhood, along with the likes of John Belushi, Bill Bixby, Lynda Carter, Chevy Chase, Richard Dreyfuss, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Goldie Hawn, Mark Hamill, Dudley Moore, Jack Nicholson, John Travolta, Frank Langella, Christopher Reeve, John Ritter and Robin Williams... just to name a few! These were my heroes.

Roy, of course, would go on to do so many great films. ALL THAT JAZZ, COHEN & TATE, 52 PICK-UP, LAST EMBRACE, SORCERER, STILL OF THE NIGHT, 2010 ...terrific performances. And, we all know an Oscar should have been awarded to him for ALL THAT JAZZ. Of course, BLUE THUNDER was such a dream film for me, too. Scheider, McDowell & Oates in the same film? Are you kidding me?! Not to mention possibly the coolest piece of machinery to grace the silver screen! Where do I sign?!

His prior JAWS screen record was equally impressive in such works as THE FRENCH CONNECTION, KLUTE, THE SEVEN-UPS and a great turn as the "heavy" in the underrated THE OUTSIDE MAN. Roy steals that one, completely. Simply put, Roy had an undeniable screen presence. His appearance in any film solidified my need to see it and such further opportunities will be sorely missed.

In an earlier post by Doug, he describes Roy as an "icon". Spot on. I cannot think of a better way to encapsule the memory of this wonderful, talented actor.