In Peter Benchley’s original novel, and in director John Hancock’s original first draft script of “Jaws 2”, it is explained that the reason why the town council of Amity Island wanted the beaches open even after all the shark attacks was because they owed money to the mob.
While making the film, director Steven Spielberg named the shark Bruce. He named him after his lawyer. This is one of the reasons the great white shark in Finding Nemo is also named Bruce.
For a long time, the actor who portrays the voice of God went uncredited. It wasn’t until the 2004 special edition DVD of the film was released that an answer was revealed. As well as the role of Moses, Charlton Heston also voices God. The explanation was, “The idea that if God were to speak to you, it wouldn’t be like how one person speaks to another. It would be more like a voice you hear from within.”
Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin) found the boots he had to wear too small and uncomfortable. So, in all the shots where you don’t see his feet, he’s actually wearing his slippers.
The origin of Captain Jack Sparrow.
Jack Sparrow was once an employee of the East India Trading Company, delivering cargo throughout the Caribbean for Lord Cutler Beckett. The company gave him a ship called, the “Wicked Wench.” One day, after recieving instructions from Beckett to not examine the cargo, Jack looked anyway and discovered he was delivering slaves to a colonial plantation. Instead he sailed to Africa and set them free. Upon returning to the Caribbean, Lord Beckett branded Jack Sparrow a pirate.
Eventually, the Trading Company caught up with him and burned and sank the Wicked Wench. Around this time, Davy Jones appeared to collect Jack’s soul As he was about to die at sea, Sparrow made a deal with Jones. That if he raised the Wicked Wench from the ocean floor and allowed Jack to be its captain for 13 years that he would serve as a member of Jones’ crew for 100 years.
Jones agreed and raised the ship. But as a result of the fire that sank the ship, the hull turned into a burned black. Sparrow renamed the ship, the Black Pearl.
I’ve been a film critic on the radio for the past ten years. Although the show is on a bit of hiatus as of late, I hope you guys get a chance to listen to it.
It’s called “Double Feature” it’s on Sundays at 9:30am and Tuesday’s at 6pm.
This movie was released on the 100th anniversary of the release of the first “John Carter of Mars” book in 1912.
Eyes Wide Shut was the final film given to us by one of the cinema’s greatest directors, Stanley Kubrick. The man who gave us films like 2001:A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and Full Metal Jacket. And this particular film focuses on the most mysterious and powerful forces on earth, love. Not the lighter side as you would see in a Romance film, but rather the darker side of love. And the dangers of temptation and infidelity. Of the physical act of sex as something to use people with and not the meaningful act of love as it should be.
In the film, Cruise plays Bill. A doctor who over the course of the movie discovers his wife (Kidman) thought about cheating on him previously. Thus begins his obsession to cheat on his wife, and satisfy whatever perverse thoughts he has on the subject. Why he decides to this specifically is never really the focused in the movie, but perhaps the symbolism may have an answer. Along the way various form of temptation find their way to Bill, eventually finding a sort cult that, shall we say, enjoy the pleasures which Bill is seeking. This soon leads to an emotional downward spiral which Bill feels is closing in on him.
The film is riddled in metaphor and symbolism from the get-go. It shows how society itself has a tendency to create indifference between love and lust and how sex for pleasure is purely chaotic. It more importantly show how dependant love and true emotional intimacy requires honesty and loyalty, and sacrifice. This in many ways, make the film’s message way more potent that one would get in a stereotypical romance movie. It reminds us falling in love or lust is easy, but it’s the lasting relationships that require hard work to keep our temptations and instincts to succumb to the carnal pleasures of infidelity in check.
It explores what is needed for true intimacy to be experienced, but this time, with Eyes Wide Open.
A disturbingly beautiful movie.
Score: 5.5/10
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Cast
Tom Cruise as Dr. William “Bill” Harford
Nicole Kidman as Alice Harford
Sydney Pollack as Victor Ziegler
Marie Richardson as Marion Nathanson
Todd Field as Nick Nightingale
Sky du Mont as Sandor Szavost
Rade Šerbedžija as Mr. Milich
