Let's Jaws For a Minute

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Adam Moffett, co-host of The Bond We Share to talk about one of the five Will Smith films Adam has seen. They talk about the one joke that worked for each of them, the unpleasant aesthetics of the film, and eventually devolve into talking about Adam's current project of watching every Scorsese film. Also, MJ makes a joke too spicy to air.

On this very special episode of LJFAM, Sarah and MJ are once again joined by their resident shark boy, Jack Cooper to discuss the double feature of The Meg and Meg 2: The Trench starring Jason Statham. They talk about the scientific accuracy (or lack thereof) of the film, how big budget schlock should always be an option, and breakdown the myriad Jaws and Spielberg references found across both films!

Our hats are like shark's fins and we are officially BACK. In the first official episode of LJFAM for 2023, Sarah and MJ are joined by Josh Glenn of the Ramblin' Amblin podcast to talk about the 1999 shark thriller Deep Blue Sea. They talk about how it shapes up as a successor to Jaws, why Samuel L. Jackson should not be trusted around animals, and delve deep into LL Cool J's not-so-smash hit, Deepest Bluest.

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnd we're back. After a 7 month hiatus, Sarah and MJ triumphantly return to the podcasting throne to provide an update on where they've been. And more importantly, where they're going. This episode has it all! Life updates, a call for guests, a wild story involving Barack Obama, and Sarah educating MJ about some very UK specific naming conventions.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by one of MJ's co-hosts on Reel Perspective, Missy Lonsinger! They close out Spielberg Season 1 with a beloved childhood favorite of many, Hook! They discuss whether or not it is a film that is looked at favorably because of nostalgia blinders, the Oscars it was and was not nominated for, cinematographer Dean Cundey's background shooting horror films, and Sarah and MJ come clean about their dislike of the film for the whole internet to hear.

In this episode, Sarah had to bow out of recording at the last minute due to unforseen circumstances. Fortunately, MJ is not flying solo and has returing guest Katie Doe to talk about the final Indiana Jones film of the inagural Spielberg season, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. They talk about the layer of polish that the franchise has by this point, the chemistry between Sean Connery and Harrison Ford, Spielberg's eye for camera movement and blocking, as well as John Williams' excellent score, and whether or not Indiana Jones should be recast!

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Andy Gaudion of Ramblin' Amblin to talk about Spielberg's second forray into historical drama, Empire of the Sun. They discuss his growth between The Color Purple and Empire of the Sun, how he took a deeply personal story and made it his own, the influence of David Lean on the sweeping nature of the story, and how child Christian Bale looks like a compressed version of adult Christian Bale.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Russ Bailey to talk about The Color Purple. The film was a blindspot for all three of them and Spielberg's first foray into making a historical drama. They discuss the phenomenal performances in the film, the wonderful cinematography, score, and art design, as well as a glaring "flaw" that didn't make the film sit quite right with them. Also, Sarah and MJ talk about bizarre movies that made them cry.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Cameron Harrison to talk about Indiana Jones' second adventure, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. They talk about the similarities the film has with James Bond movies, the much darker tone of the sequel, how attractive Harrison Ford is in the movie, the film's messier nature, and what, if anything, all this has to do with 1941.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Kip Mooney to talk about one of Spielberg's most successful and beloved films. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. They discuss how Spielberg masterfully balances whimsy, horror, and grief as well as whether or not E.T. is cute, the merits of having a real puppet on set, the way the film is told like an adult drama from a child's POV, and whether or not one of Spielberg's famous buddies makes a cameo appearance.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Chris Payne to talk about the first installment in the Indiana Jones franchise, Raiders of the Lost Ark. They discuss the classic influences of the film, the masterful filmmaking on display, how Spielberg was able to right the ship of his career following the disastorus 1941, and how Indiana Jones should have been America's answer to James Bond.

In this episode, Sarah and MJ are joined by Rob Daniel to talk about what is widely considered Spielberg's worst film, 1941. They talk about *what* kind of movie they suspect it was trying to be, what elements do work, what elements don't work, and a slew of other movies that accomplish its same goals in much more successful ways. Also, conspiracy theories about Bambi's mom.

 In this episode, Sarah and MJ are joined by Rob Wallis to talk about Spielberg's major studio debut, The Sugarland Express. They discuss its similarities and differences with Duel, the "aw, shucks" style performances, how the film was received by critics such as Ebert, Siskel, and Pauline Kael, and how the film was influenced by Westerns, Italian Neorealism, and the French New Wave.

In the first post-Jaws franchise episode of LJFAM, MJ and Sarah take a look at Steven Spielberg's first feature film, Duel. They discuss the influence of Hitchcock on the film, how fully formed Spielberg's sensibilities were out of the gate, a charming mistake that can be found in the phone booth scene, the recurring thematic and visual motifs that stem from Duel and happen throughout the rest of Spielberg's career, and whether the truck driver is both inside and outside the diner. They also come to a potentially controversial decision regarding the film's status as a horror movie and a slasher movie.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Shaurya Chawla to talk about the final film in the Jaws franchise, Jaws The Revenge! They discuss whether the movie is as bad as its reputation, the score's troubled road to a commercially available release, other films that embody one of the film's worst traits, the ethics of film criticism, and then they decide to get cancelled by ranking the Jaws sequels from favorite to least favorite.

In this episode, Sarah and MJ are joined by Emma Whitty Haddock to discuss Jaws 3-D! They talk about the immaculate 3-D effects, wonderful sound design, and impeccable direction as well as Emma's time working at an aquarium, Dennis Quaid's amnesia at appearing in the film due to his.....altered state, and they solve the mystery contained within Jaws 3-D.

LJFAM triumphantly returns to begin the next leg of their journey, discussing each of the JAWS sequels (as a whole, not minute by minute). First up is JAWS 2. Sarah and MJ discuss how this film takes the slasher conventions established by the original film and cranks them to 100. There's emojis, an alternate idea for what JAWS 2 could have been, and a bit of a connection to Roger Corman as well.

It's the Megalodon-sized final (of this iteriation) episode of LJFAM! In this episode, surprises abound, one of your illustrious co-hosts deals with yet another broken ankle, and Sarah and MJ answer your questions! They go deep (get it?) on how JAWS plays to them now, what they learned about the film and themselves along the way (the real JAWS was the friends we made, it turns out), they talk about their favorite recurring bits, and the plan for the future of LJFAM is revealed. 

In the penultimate minute by minute episode of LJFAM, Sarah and MJ are joined by Calum Cooper to talk about the scene in which Brody stabs the shark with a spear and then blows up the oxygen tank in the shark's mouth. They discuss how the individual elements of the scene make-up a triumphant climax for the film, connections to Moby Dick, and most importantly, begin the episode with a critical piece of shark knowledge that should have been divulged to our listeners ages ago.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Dan Cole to discuss the aftermath of Quint's death, and Brody's quick thinking to toss the oxygen tank into the shark's mouth. They talk about the confined space of the Orca's cabin, how quickly the film moves from event to event without feeling rushed, how the film is colored in around the edges by the disaster movies of the 1970's, and whether or not the shark roars as it charges into the cabin.

This week Sarah and MJ head back up to the Orca to talk about Brody and Quint attempting to bring the shark cage out of the water. They also discuss the tail end of the real shark footage as well as the documentary Playing With Sharks about the career of Valerie Taylor. Discussions about Quint's demeanor, Brody's journey, and the excellent visual storytelling about the fate of the Orca abound.

In this episode, Sarah and MJ discuss the scene where Hooper is confronted by the shark head on and the shark destroys the cage. Once again, they espouse the idea that JAWS is a slasher movie, find even more connections to PSYCHO and THUNDERBALL, and give dubious advice that should not be followed about what to do in case of shark attack.

In this very normal episode of the show, Sarah and MJ talk about the scene in which Hooper is lowered into the water and we see the shark in all its glory for the very first time. They discuss how terrifying it is to finall be in the shark's "house," notes of other films that can be found in the scene, how to respectfully tackle heavy subjects without being exploitative or saccharine, and the absolute gumption of Ron and Valerie Taylor. And that's all there is to this very normal episode.

In this episode, Sarah and MJ take a look at one of the most poignant scenes in the film, as we see Quint contemplating his choices while Farewell and Adieu plays in the background. They theorize about Quint's life before Amity and the Indianapolis, talk about the five stages of grief, and the parallels the film has with the war films of John Ford.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by returning guest Nick Mear to discuss the scene where things really start to fall apart on the Orca. Quint begins to become singularly focused on the shark no matter the cost and eventually blows out the engine, nearly injuring Hooper in the process and the shark behaves in some very un-shark-like ways. This episode is full of people getting hot under the collar, whether it's about The Academy Awards or whether JAWS is, in fact, a slasher movie (spoiler alert: of course it is).

This week Sarah & MJ are talking about one of the more chaotic scenes in the back half of the film as the shark ramps up the assault on the Orca and we're introduced to Quint's machete - something that ends up becoming very important later on. They also get into more slasher film comparisons, the mind games the shark plays with the trio, and a particularly excellent shot with some neat symmetry between the barrels and the characters. 

In this episode, Sarah & MJ take a look at the scene where the trio continues to battle with the shark and Brody inadvertently catches a Hooper instead of a shark. Also features an in-depth discussion on curmudgeonly old directors, and why the best films are edited by women.

With huge thanks to Harley Mumford who kindly edited this episode for us when MJ's computer became an expensive paperweight. 

In the first proper episode of 2022, Sarah and MJ are joined by Tim Hopkin (in a recording session that took place on his birthday!) to discuss the small montage scene where our three heroes chase down the shark to shoot new barrels into its back. They talk about the reuse of footage, the modes of montage in Soviet film theory, and the perils of Quint removing his tooth on the pulpit of The Orca as well as a lengthy discussion of some lesser (and lesser known) shark movies.

In this very special episode(tm) of LJFAM, MJ sits down with AJ Gregory, the lead singer of the Northern California based sludge metal band Squalus, to talk about what it's like being in a band whose songs center around one central theme: JAWS!

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Tom Butler to talk about the scene where Quint destroys The Orca's communication device with a baseball bat. They discuss the symbolism of the radio and the bat, the graceful movements of Robert Shaw, an incredible line delivery from Richard Dreyfuss and the Hitchcock influence that permeates the beginning of the scene

This week, Sarah and MJ discuss the scene in which Hooper and Quint are fixing the boat following the damage the shark caused in the middle of the night. They talk about Brody's increased confidence, the convincing nature of the shark effects, why people who try to copy Spielberg just can't compete, and go very, very deep into a reading of JAWS as an allegory for the Vietnam war.

This week, Sarah and MJ discuss the aftermath of the blackout on the Orca. They talk at length about Quint, PTSD, and the reading of JAWS as a revenge movie, as well as how Brody reacts to the chaos by retreating into fear and the (in)famous Spielberg trademark of shooting stars.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Megan Doe. They talk about the scene following the shark ramming the boat and the moment where he "eats the light." They discuss Hooper's athletic prowess, Quint's penchant for hoarding, Brody's ability to overcome his fear, and the group dynamics that led them to this moment of performing. Also, they talk about the logistics of the shark ramming the boat repeatedly and come up with an entirely plausible and adorable explanation.

This week Sarah and MJ are joined by Blake Collier to talk about the iconic "Show Me the Way to Go Home" scene. They discuss the power of the moment following the Indianapolis speech, what it means for the camraderie of the men, how Quint gets to start but not finish a healing journey, and there is also lots and lots of chaos as well as the discovery of your new favorite band.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Shaurya Chawla to round out the Indianapolis speech proper. They talk about the way the speech builds to a graphic finale, what it means for the group, the power of art to stay in your brain. Also, it gets a little heavy in the middle, but there's still plenty of chaos to be had.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Sarah's husband, Martin BUDDERY to continue Indianapolis Month! They talk about their wedding (in lieu of the JAWS question) and then segue into the second section of the monologue and runt he gamut talking about everything from a JAWS prequel to the iconic "doll's eyes" line.

Indianapolis Month begins as Sarah and MJ are joined by Rachel Pearson to talk about the beginning of the most famous movie monologue of all time. They talk about the sign of respect Quint shows his fallen brothers, what the costuming and lighting mean for the characters, how this moment changes the group dynamic, and whether or not Quint's missing tooth is still missing.

Today is a milestone episode for LJFAM as it is the last episode we recorded before Sarah got married AND it is the last episode before we start Indianapolis Month here on the show. In this scene, Quint and Brody finish comparing scars and Quint takes a somber tone when Brody asks about his tattoo. Sarah and MJ try to solve The Mystery of Quint's Unbuttoned Pants, find one of Hooper's coping mechanisms that comes back in this scene, and discuss the fact that *THEY* think they're funny.

This week, MJ and Sarah discuss the scene in which Quint and Hooper compare scars and eventually find common ground. They talk about how fans cherish props from films, the excellent lighting and blocking of the scene, some religious undertones that they have not previously considered, develop a theory about Brody's scar, and then things take a turn for the weird when they tease a question about next week's scene.

This week, Sarah and MJ talk about an expansive scene that features many great shots, and what is arguably most fan's favorite shot (including MJ's) in the whole film. They talk about Brody finally being tasked with something meaningful, the geography and energy of the scene, and the incredibly editing that keeps things exciting without being confusing. Also, they profess their love for a recent film featuring an aquatic antagonist and MJ makes the argument that Ryan Gosling is Richard Dreyfuss.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Katie Doe to talk about the scene where Quint prepares for battle, Brody acts scared and confused, and Hooper attempts to get his own "shot" of the shark. Katie hails from New England and brings some local trivia to the table, they talk about how funny the scene is, and secrets abound!

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Rob Daniel to talk about the scene where shark big. They also discuss the mythic nature of Brody as a hero as well as the mythic nature of the (big) shark. There's talk about Spielberg pulling off genre defining films in two different generations; one where shark big and the other where dino big, and tradition of Universal monster movies that influenced Spielberg in the making of those films. Also, shark big.