On Location.....on Martha's Vineyard: (The Making of the Movie "Jaws")

by Edith Blake

Book Overview

"Excellent and very detailed documentary on the making of a classic. Filled with appealing trivia, exhaustive interviews with cast and crew members, and never before seen footage." This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0976900807
• ISBN13: 9780976900801
• Release Date: May 2005
• Publisher: Bunch of Grapes Bookstore, Inc.
• Length: 133 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Through the Islanders' eyes

If you are a Steven Spielberg fan, a Jaws fan, or a "making of" fanatic, you will definitely want to acquire this out of print book, but do not expect it to be another "Jaws Log." Unlike Gottlieb's book, which hurries towards the second half of production, Edith Blake takes the time to smell the barnacles along the way. The book has a lovely, leisurely pace. But what makes this book so interesting is not only Blake's own unique pics of the shark & produciton, but her own perspective as an Islander. Whereas Gottleib was presenting his story from the Showbiz perspective, Blake stands on the Island and reads her book back to the Mainland. She relays how the Jaws Production were viewed by the locals, how it affected their life, how erroneous Hollywood is about a great many things (seamanship being among them), and also how much excitement was generated by the arrival of Spielberg and Company. If possible, snag a copy of The Jaws Log and Edith Blake's book, and then read them back to back. It's very interesting, seeing both sides of a fascinating, ridiculous story.

An entertaining look at the chaos that was 'Jaws'.

Months behind shooting schedule and millions over budget, would JAWS actually do well enough to make a profit? That was the question raised prior to the film's release, long before it became a box office juggernaut (the first film to earn over 100 million at the box office) and pop culture phenomenon. It is also the question that, more or less, closes this look at the hilariously chaotic and nightmarish shoot that was JAWS, for the book was written after filming had wrapped and before the finished product was unleashed on unsuspecting theatre goers. With no stars (Quint had yet to be cast), no script and no schedule, the production team from Universal took over the island of Martha's Vineyard to film the adaptation of Peter Benchley's best-selling shark thriller. Rather than a glossy studio backed 'Making of' book, Blake (who refers to herself as the Girl Photographer in the narrative) takes the outsider Islander few of the insanity that is movie making. The result is a more unvarnished look at the movie's production (though it is hard to tell one local from the other). Fans of Jaws will find this chapter on the production saga essential reading.