by Joseph Rossi
My love for movies began when I was 6 years old. My father did something radical and for me, well, quite magical. He opened a video store. VHS was booming so he decided to get in on the action. It was, for me, my film school. Not that I knew what a director did or what editing was, it just cemented my love for the movies. Around the time the store opened we saw the video releases of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Return of the Jedi, The Goonies, Gremlins and Back to the Future. I kind of knew I was passionate about movies when at 7 years old I could quote dialogue, line for line, from Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters.
Say what you will about these titles. I know they’re not highbrow films. They’re entertainment. As kids we used to huddle on the floor of our living room and watch whatever new title my father brought home. And as kids, we’d laugh, scream, and hide under the blankets. We’d wear out the tape as we’d rewind and watch scenes over and over. We’d mimic light sabre battles from the Star Wars films, gag when a Gremlin gets trapped in a microwave, held our breath as Marty McFly reached 88 miles per hour…
Moments were created. Wonderful memories cemented. At the time we didn’t care what the plot was. We cared that we were together having a good time.
I’ve since grown up. I have responsibilities. Obligations. Work occupies most of my time. Bills need to be paid. People need to eat. But how I miss those days on the living room floor. But if life has taught me anything, it’s that all work and no play makes…well, you get the idea. Now I’m the father. I don’t have a video store but I have more movies then I wish to count. I own classics like The Maltese Falcon and The Deer Hunter; I own duds like the Godzilla remake (it was 4 bucks, I know). And then I have movies that my wife thinks I’d like (never understood Pretty Woman). But my most prized films are the very same films that I grew up with. Films that I can share with my kids. Films that create experiences, moments.
Not too long ago I bought the stunning new anniversary version of JAWS and planned to watch it with my 11 year old. Of course he hemmed and hawed and didn’t want to watch it because he thought it would be boring. Being a child in the 21 century, a movie without computer visuals and rapid fire editing is for old people. But I insisted. And we watched.
If anyone remembers JAWS, they’ll remember the opening scene where a young woman is dragged under the water by a giant, but not visible, shark. I watched my son squirm for the first time in ages. I knew I had succeeded. He jumped when he was supposed to jump, laughed at the right moments and gripped his pillow when John Williams decided it was time.
At last. What I wanted. Moments. Screams, laughs, memories. That’s the power of the movies. A few nights later I casually asked where he’d like to go on vacation for spring break. He answered, “anywhere but the ocean”.
By the way, Universal Studios 100th anniversary edition of JAWS is a spectacular BLUE RAY disk. The picture transfer is crisp and clear. Audio is excellent. The bonus features includes an amazing documentary, The Shark is Still Working, among other great docs and clips on the making and legacy of the film.
