A Reel Review: JAWS In Concert

Summer is the time for blockbusters, and this week Reel Speak pays tribute to the godfather of modern blockbuster films, Steven Spielberg, with two blogs covering a pair of his most iconic films.

Steven Spielberg’s JAWS from 1975 was the film that began the modern age of blockbusters. The iconic film, in which a shark terrorizes a summer resort town, was recently presented by the Mann Center of Philadelphia, with the score performed live by the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia…and this Blogger and his girlfriend were happier than a shark in a pond to attend.

This is what happens…

The outdoor, open-air venue of the Mann Center was the perfect setting for such an event. With seats undercover and lawn seating in the open, it provided a summer-like atmosphere for the film, which is most always associated with summer. Our first order of business upon arrival was catching the right beverage. In the film, the character of Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), says that if you’re looking for a shark, you’re not going to find him on the land. Well, we respectfully disagreed.

Our lawn seats provided us with an excellent view of two of the three large screens on which the film played. This Blogger was curious to hear just how audible the orchestra would be…and those concerns were gobbled up faster than a hungry shark. The opening of the film was a thrill, as the suspenseful score by John Williams opened the film. The deep rumble followed by the iconic, two-note foreboding music was crisp and clear and reached us all the way out into the lawn; almost better than watching it at home with cranked-up surround sound.

With a live orchestra, the performance must be right-on-cue, especially with a film like JAWS where the music is so often synced with the sequences of action, suspense, and jump-scares. The orchestra, conducted by Dirk Brosse, was synced up perfectly and hit every cue. The orchestra sounded magnificent, and often revealed pieces of the score that can’t be heard when watching the film.

In an open-air atmosphere, watching the film offers a different experience than viewing in a traditional theatre. It’s more of a communal experience and makes for a fun atmosphere. People cheered when Quint (Robert Shaw) makes his first appearance, and cheered even more when Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) fires his final shot. The best lines in the film were met with applause, and the old scares, now over 40 years old, still had people jumping.

JAWS is a horror and adventure story, but also has a classic man vs. nature element. Ironically, and perhaps appropriately, this event became just that. With about 20 minutes left in the film, the ugly head of the garbage that is spring arrived, as the skies opened and dropped heavy rain on us. Many people bailed out like they were on a sinking boat (it certainly felt that way), but many, including this Blogger and his girlfriend, made for cover and were able to enjoy the final reel of the film and performance in comfortable, under cover seating. It was a slight bump which added to a unique experience. This Blogger has been admirer of JAWS for decades (read Reel Speak’s blog on the 40^th anniversary HERE), and has seen the film in many formats; cable, VHS, Blu-ray, big-screen…but the wonderful performance by the orchestra, combined with Spielberg’s equally wonderful film, made this an event that will stand out like a fin in the water.

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Upcoming live-concert film performances by the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia includes STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE (July 20), and HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN (July 26). More information HERE.