Film poster JAWS, 1975, Universal Studios
Wessel pleaded with me to take a brief detour on the way home from dinner the other night. We were visiting our cute little condo in Indian Rocks Beach, Fla., and had just eaten at Keegan’s Seafood Grille. Wessel decided we should walk the two blocks home via the beach. “OK, if you insist,” I whined.
Little did I know what a treat we had in store. As we headed over the walkway from the county’s beach park, we stopped and gasped at the giant movie screen ON the beach! A movie was playing, popcorn was popping, and about 60 people in folding canvas chairs organized themselves in rows in front of the screens. I’ve been to movies on lawns and movies on rooftops, but never movies at the beach! Very exciting!
Saturday night movie -- at the beach!
But what really cracked me up is they were showing “Jaws 2.” Edgy! Seems to me the last film you’d want to see at the beach would be about a killer great white shark. Turns out the film was sponsored by the Indian Rocks Homeowners Association, which stages great events year-round. Hmmm, maybe they don’t want folks to move to the beach. Then again, they did offer free popcorn. Thanks, IRBers!
I never saw Jaws 2 (1978), which was not quite so well received as the original classic, which debuted in 1975. For me, the first version was quite enough. I saw it when I was living in Florida, and it scared the bejeezus out of me to the point that swimming in the ocean has never felt the same. Usually I’m rational about these things, and base my fears on probability. But in this case, Hollywood trumped.
Indian Rocks Beach the morning after .... it's eerily quiet. Duh nuh. Duh nuh...
Then I had to fill in my Dutch husband on all the pop culture surrounding “Jaws.” Such as “Saturday Night Live“’s “Candygram … Land Shark” skits, and how if you say “Duh-nuh. Duh-nuh… (Duh nun nuh nuh nuh. Duh nuh nuh nuh nuh),” it means danger is lurking nearby.
As detours go, that was quite a memorable one. Duh nuh. Duh nuh ….
Tags: Candygram, Indian Rocks Beach Homeowners Association, Jaws, Land Shark, Saturday Night Live, SNL
April 14, 2010 at 9:42 am |
I love outdoor movies. Here in Washington, they show them on the Ellipse behind the White House, but not until mid-summer. Perhaps they should show White House-related thrillers?
duh nuh. duh nuh….
April 14, 2010 at 11:21 am |
When Jaws came out, my brother (age 12) wouldn’t swim in our above-ground backyard pool that summer. And my friend Anne-Marie and I (age 9) were convinced one night there was a shark in the closet, and we hadn’t even seen the movie!! Very fun!
April 14, 2010 at 6:11 pm |
That’s hilarious!!
April 14, 2010 at 7:07 pm |
Olivia was hoping that you’d really seen one as she LOVES sharks! I loved your bit about explaining the pop culture fallout to Wessel in the years that followed. That IS hilarious to think about as well.
September 6, 2010 at 1:17 pm |
I also saw the movie and to tell you the truth, I was very scare to go to miami beach, I am originally from Orlando but, we usually go to miami beach very often. Anyways, I’m not scare any more LOL :) but I’m still affraid of sharks regardless…
Duh nuh. Duh nuh…..