“The Third Dimension is TERROR” The tagline for Jaws 3-D works hard to convince its audience that the film is full of chills and thrills. Buried in the Eighties coming-at-you 3-D effects is a butchered story about the Brody boys all grown up and facing a great white shark of their own…at a famous sea park, no less. Dennis Quaid and Bess Armstrong lead the cast while first-time (and only-time) director Joe Alves lobs fish, arms, and shark teeth into the audience’s lap. Seen in 3-D for this episode, Thomas, Doc, and Christopher are joined by Paul Cardullo to relish in the wacky 1983 cinematic fad.
Decades of Horror 1980s
Special Edition — Jaws 3-D (1983)
Jaws 3-D credits the legendary Richard Matheson as its screenwriter. The resulting film, however, does not feel like any other example of Matheson’s work. He has gone on record stating his original script was “bedeviled by script-doctors.” Along with Quaid and Armstrong, the cast includes Leah Thompson, Simon MacCorkindale, and Louis Gosset Jr. while the film includes two sharks, the classic “Bruce” great white is nowhere to be seen. Yes, despite its flaws, the film is stupid fun in its original 3-D form and was a success in its time holding the record for highest gross for a 3-D film until Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over in 2003
Guest host Paul Cardullo joined Doc Rotten and Christopher G. Moore to catch Jaws 3-D presented in 3D at the FantasticRealm Film Series at The Carolina Theater in Durham, North Carolina while Thomas is confined to the standard “flat” edition. Thomas has yet to forgive Doc for this… In addition to Jaws 3-D, the Grue-Crew discuss the other four 3-D films featured during the series: Starchaser: The Legend of Orin (1985), Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983), Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983), Treasure of the Four Crowns (1983). Doc Rotten also had the opportunity to interview Jim Carl, the director of the film series about 3D films, who reveals what The Carolina has in store for horror fans and Harry Guerro, from Exhumed Films, discusses 3-D films, his collection of cinema history, and some of the most rare 3-D films in existence.
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Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988)
Doc a lifelong fan of horror films, sci-fi flicks and monster movies first discovering Universal Monsters and Planet of the Apes as a young child in the 1970's searching out every issue of Famous Monster of Filmland (and, later, Fangoria). Favorite films include Jaws, The Car, The Birds, The Tingler, Vampire Circus and The Exorcist. Still a huge fan of horror films from the 70s, Doc continues consuming horror films to this day for the site, for the podcasts and for the fun of it all.
