It’s difficult to believe, but Jaws is 50 years old, and it’s back on the big screen.
Based on Peter Benchley’s novel, the sleepy tourist town of Amity Island is rocked by the arrival of an unwelcome visitor in the water. Characters you care about, effects that have stood the test of time remarkably well, and that iconic soundtrack, this is well worth treating yourself to a trip to the cinema to watch all over again. I jumped out of my skin when the body fell out of the ravaged fishing boat, and couldn’t help remembering the comparisons between lockdown era Boris Johnson and Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), who brushes off the danger, declaring “it’s a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time”.
It’s described by many as single-handedly inventing the summer blockbuster. The sparkling sea and ferocious shark have never looked as good as they did on the superscreen in Didsbury! You’re going to need a bigger boat.
Thursday Murder Club has landed on Netflix after a brief exclusive run at selected cinemas, based on the first ‘cosy crime’ book by Richard Osman. Boasting a star cast, it’s the kind of movie that’s perfect for snuggling up and watching on the sofa on a Sunday afternoon. It doesn’t break any moulds, but sometimes films don’t need to. Pierce Brosnan’s accent shifts around a little bit, Helen Mirren and Ben Kingsley are definite highlights, and we follow a group of care home residents as they set about solving the case of the woman in white who fell from a window. It turns out events are about to move a lot closer to their doorstep. Former trauma nurse Joyce (Celia Imrie) joins the gang as they outwit the police in their search for answers. Not every joke lands, but it’s pleasantly entertaining. I haven’t read the book, so I can’t smugly say “the book was better”. I might add it to the pile I’ll probably never get round to, though.
And Happy Gilmore 2 (Netflix) was a lot better than I expected, if I’m honest. Almost three decades on from the original, the hot-headed golfer played by Adam Sandler has put away his clubs after a tragic accident, but is eventually persuaded to compete in a big money contest. Talking of cash, the sequel cost an eye-watering 152 million dollars (113 million pounds), and became the biggest US movie launch on Netflix this year. Haley Joel Osment, Bad Bunny and Eminem are amongst its star-studded cast. If you liked the first film, expect more of the same. Juvenile giggling aplenty, and undoubtedly a big money gamble that’s paid off for the streaming giant in new subscriptions.
Next week, a bumper crop of new releases, including a bickering Olivia Coleman and Benedict Cumberbatch in The Roses, Caught Stealing and The Conjuring : Last Rites, plus I’m watching a preview of The Long Walk, so I’ll have the verdict on all of those. Happy film watching!
Alex Cann's weekly film blog - 9th January
