Jaws was good. Maybe great.

My great uncle and aunt used to pause and glance at the TV show I was watching and would utter, what is this?? Back in my day….

One could argue with each passing generation the change in technology, movies, books, genre and socially acceptable behavior is harder and harder to adapt to.

Murder never used to be on TV. Graphic sex was never in books. Yet now it’s commonplace, even boring.

I was watching Jaws the other day and couldn’t decide if it was past memories, past connections that ignited my fondness for a blood thirsty fish or if it was something more.

The music. That haunting clarinet and heavy reliance on deep brass instruments. The perfect way the music danced along and defined the characters.

Shot on film. Hey, yes, film! Our eyes love film. No matter how much CGI progresses, I have an unscientific theory that our brains will always respond more to gelatin emulsion and silver halide. No scene in Jaws (final cut) was unnecessary. Everything tied together. No senseless garbage and subplots. But that gets me to writing….

Writing. Jaws is a simple story. An archaic beast threatens humans. Our safety and life is put into play. That’s been told as long as people have been scribbling on cave walls. But the WAY it’s been told…now that’s clever. You are kept at the edge of your seat. You are entertained but out of your comfort zone. You want to look away but you don’t…

Jaws was great. Let’s face it. (Go watch it on Netflix.) All great movies start with writing. And all great writing starts with an idea. Turns out – that the idea doesn’t have to break the sound barrier or wow everyone with special effects. It has to effect the most important person around: the fan. The viewer. The reader. The follower.

Now…the Jaws sequels…..hmm