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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 425196" data-attributes="member: 23">Last night I watched Jaws for the first time since 2022. Before that was 2020, and up to that point I'd watched annually for as long as I can remember. This is the longest I believe I've gone between Jaws viewings since home media came into my life in the Eighties.It's a little sad that the film is no longer an annual event for me. I put this down to watching YouTube reaction videos (which I know is a very twelve-year-old girl thing to do), so this year I've deliberately avoided Jaws reactions until after I'd watched the film itself.Technically I'm watching around a week early, since I generally favour viewing the film at the same time of year as the events within it take place (28th June through to 6-7 July), but since this is the 50th Anniversary I wanted to watch exactly 50 years after opening weekend, so I wasn't prepared to wait until my 4K steelbook arrives at the end of July. Really I should have watched a day earlier than I did, since that was the opening day, but life kept me from doing so.Despite the gap between viewings, this is familiar, reassuring comfort. From the moment it begins until the tiny figures of Brody and Hooper can be seen setting foot on Chappaquiddick's Cape Poge, it was like an old friend.Jaws has never crossed the line for me into becoming so familiar that I take it for granted. Even knowing every beat and every line of dialogue, there's always plenty that feels fresh and new.Some of the humour was pre-empted. Last night, the pair of us watching gave little anticipatory chuckles when the fishermen were trying in vain to guess the Tiger Shark's species, ahead of that hilarious delivery of "A whaaaaa....?" Likewise, there was a titter or two when Vaughn was scowling at the helicopter, even before he mouthed "bastards" at them.Some of it surprised. I've always found Hooper's response to Quint  crushing the beer can - mirroring the same action by crumpling his little plastic party cup - really funny for the way it mocks alpha male machismo by inverting it. Last night I found the moment where Hooper drops said cup especially funny due to the almost expressionless look he gives at the same time (you can tell he's pleased with himself. It's the Jaws equivalent of a mic drop moment).Hooper was great all the way through, actually. I've always found him engaging but must confess that a few of his more enthusiastic standout moments of delivery ("This. Was. Not. A. Boating. Accident" / "Boys. Oh boyyyyys" / "He's trying to runnnnnnnn".  / "It's impoooossibaaaaaughll") have made me laugh for having a whiff of ham. Last night it was all the other stuff that grabbed me. He makes the scientist-speak fun and accessible, and I was really taken with how engaging Richard Dreyfuss is. His eye contact is great and his warm smile lights up many a scene. It's also impressive to watch this young actor holding his own while going toe-to-toe with older, more experienced actors.Ben Gardner was another. I've always found Craig Kingsbury's scenes enjoyable for the way he reels off his lines without any kind of punctuation, and simply doesn't give a toss. Last night, for whatever reason, I found myself really noticing every line he said and every look he gave almost as though watching him for the first time. His throwaway line "get outta the way, ya goddamn fool, you" made me smile especially wide.Some of the drama also felt potent last night.Same again last night, but this time it started even earlier, around the time Quint identified his removed tattoo as being the USS Indianapolis. It's notable that the wound comparing scene and the levity that led into the Indianapolis Speech and Show Me The Way To Go Home felt especially tangible and hard-won last night. Fifty years on, it's one of the scenes that gets better with each viewing.Likewise, I found Mrs Kintner's "my boy is dead" speech more touching than ever. I was completely drawn in and found myself tearing up at not only her loss but Brody's impotent horror at being publicly accused of responsibility for that death (which reinforces his own feelings about it). It's bloody effective and legitimises the whole third act, and Brody's motive for insisting on going out to sea despite his fear of the ocean.</blockquote>

Verification: What month follows July?