Thoughts on the Jaws series

It's no secret to those who know me that I'm obsessed with sharks. Which is funny because people who know me also realize that I won't go more than ankle deep in the ocean. So I guess rather than obsession it's more of a healthy terror.

So when searching though On Demand this weekend and I saw the first three Jaws movies were available, well, I had to watch.

Jaws (the original) - This is my third favorite movie of all time. Bruce is my favorite monster ever!!! I remember when it first came out. Hell, if your father had tortured you with the image of the movie poster you'd remember too. But I didn't see it until I was in high school. Seeing as it was at that age that I started dating i don't think it's at all odd that to this day when I start dating someone new I dream about shark. Well, at least, it's not odd for me. While I do tend to root for Bruce in the movie, I'm still upset he ate the dog.

Jaws II - I actually saw this movie before the original. Sad, but true. To this day, when Brody calls Bruce II over to bite down on the cable, I still hear "Come here you big sausage!" I don't know what childhood trauma caused that misunderstanding. Remember what I said about the dog in the first? Well, I forgive Bruce for that since he managed to eat the helicopter in this movie. Best...feeding frenzy...ever!

Jaws III - I remember renting this one when I was in high school too. And I remember watching it and thinking that it was one of the worst movies ever, especially the special effects. Watching it now, well, all I can say is it's worse than I remembered. The opening credits make me chuckle too. Did Louis Gossett Jr.'s character name really have to be listed in quotation marks? What's not to laugh about with that?

Now I really need to rent Jaws IV. Mentally, I know it's worse than III, but I just can't wrap my head around that possibility right now.

September 10, 2001

Nine years ago today, I got home and got a phone call from a girlfriend of mine. She and her husband were fighting and she was upset. She wanted to know if worse came to worse, could she stay at my house? I told her of course she could.

Then I called another girlfriend of mine to tell her how down I was feeling. She proceeded to unload all of her problems on me, and I ended up not having a chance to vent.

By the time Marc got home that night I was almost in tears feeling overwhelmed at all the drama that had been foisted on me. Luckily, the first half of "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" was on that night and I got the chance to laugh.

Of course, the next morning none of that mattered anymore. The world I knew, the New York I had just explored that winter was changed forever.

I hope I never forget the horror of that day. Remembering what we went through that day is a constant reminder to live a responsible fulfilling life, to make up for the lives that were lost.