Ugh! Last night I was flipping channels after 11 and DirecTV had one of those stupid banners on their guide that entices you to look..... They currently have Jaws on Instant Demand. So, a few minutes after midnight I bought it and staid up until around 2 a.m. watching it. Like I haven't seen Jaws a hundred times and don't know what happens. But I love it and had to watch it again.
Jaws was the first grown up movie I was allowed to go see with a friend. I remember the summer that it came out like it was yesterday. Mary K. Sanders and I were playing Monopoly in her bedroom floor when the topic of going to see the movie first came up. She said she wanted to see it and I said I did too, but my parents probably wouldn't let me. She said I should ask. She was a year older than me and I thought she would probably be allowed to go but I wouldn't. The next day my mom and I went to the store and on the way home, I asked if I could go see Jaws with Mary K. She said, sure! I was shocked! Up until then most of my movie experiences were animated. I mean, I was 12, but back then I think we were just a little more protected. Either that, or my parents had me snowed which wouldn't surprise me a bit. Anyway, Mary K. and I got to go see Jaws at the twin cinema in Nacogdoches.
It was great! I screamed just like everyone else when the guy's head came out of the boat. I totally understood the fear that people had. But Jaws never effected me in a scary way. It was just kind of suspenseful. Last night as I watched it, I still kept my feet on the couch at all times. After all, there is no point in leaving dangling feet for any rogue sharks to nip at! In all of the appropriate parts of the movie, I moved my body in hopes of helping one of the struggling actors out of the water. No matter how much I moved my body I could never help Robert Shaw out of the water in that last big scene. I liked Robert Shaw's character Quint a lot. There's something about a crusty old fisherman that you just have to love. I saw a documentary a year or so ago that celebrated the 35th anniversary of the making of Jaws. In it they talked to Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfus and a number of the other principle players about the making of the movie. They all said that Shaw was drunk most of the time and some of their biggest suspense in the making of the movie was to see if he would be able to make it through his lines. But they all said that in his long soliloquy about the USS Indianapolis he did it in one take and it was amazing to watch.
I think that Jaws is one of those movies that leaves you thinking for the rest of your life about it. You know, when you start wading out into the surf at the beach, you sort of flashback to it. There are a few movies that effected me that way. Psycho not only scarred the bejeebers out of me when I saw it initially, but for a few years, I never took a shower. I became strictly a bath girl. When I finally went back to showers, I had a strict rule against taking them in motels. To this day, if I go on a trip, I am VERY careful about checking locks on doors and making sure that I am totally safe before stepping into a hotel shower.
You see, I was a kid when I saw Psycho, so it has been effecting me for years! My cousin, Terry was a student at SFA at the time and she and some of her friends and her brother, my other cousin, Mike had all come over to our house that night. While they were there, for some reason, everyone decided to watch Psycho. I must tell you, I hate scary movies. I always have. I did then and I do now. But that night, Terry was there and a lot of the time when she came over at night she would spend the night at our house. When she spent the night at our house, she slept in my room with me! So, I thought in my stupid little kid mind that Terry would be staying with me that night and how scary could the movie really be anyway.... right? So I sat in the living room with all of them and watched the movie instead of going to my room and playing by myself. BIG MISTAKE!!!! At the end of the night, Mike and the friends started to leave.... and Terry went with them!!!!! I was horrified! That was the moment I realized that I would be in my room by myself that night with Norman Bates in my mind haunting me! I think I went a little nuts and threw a huge fit. It did no good. Terry left and I had to spend the night alone.
For years Norman Bates has been haunting my dreams. I realize now that Terry staying that night would have accomplished nothing. Because she would eventually have had to leave and then Norman Bates still would have been there in my memory. Over the years, I have met a few men named Norman. Each time I have been introduced to someone named Norman, I start twitching a little. Who would name their kid Norman after seeing that movie???? I mean, why don't you just go ahead and name your kid John Wayne Gacy??? It's the same thing! Even if you never saw Psycho, you must have heard of it. Everyone knows that Norman was the name of the scariest guy ever! That would be like if one of my brothers had named one of their kids Jason. I have never seen any of the Friday the 13th movies, but still, I know that you don't go around naming kids Jason Meyers! That would just be crazy!
Over the years, I have learned that I was not cut out for scary movies. Some suspense is as much as I am able to deal with. In all honesty, I am happiest at a stupid comedy. Even intelligent comedies are sometimes too much for me. Give me a good old fashioned Dumb and Dumber type movie anytime. The more Jim Carey and Adam Sandler in my life the better. Not many people ever had nightmares after watching Happy Gilmore, right?
Well, since is it nearly lunchtime, I guess I should make something of this day. I hope you enjoy your Tuesday. As for me, it is time to get back to the gym. Adios!
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