Jaws II: The Amity Horror

LS has decided to take Jaws 2 and try to drive it more to the slasher film it sort of always has been.

He added a new warmer color grading to give it a more 80's feel but I personally enjoyed this color variation and it reminded me of really nice bright beach weather days. I would love to see the normal version of Jaws 2 with this color grading change

The shark eats way more than a normal shark would. In fact because it blatantly hunts down people, eats more than it could possibly consume and has an intelligence enough to understand how to separate and pull boats apart (for its own benefit), this shark is more like a monster. Add now a disfiguring bad burn on half the side of its face (which was from the re-ordered speed boat scene which now opens the film), and we have our psycho killer with a temper. So this part works

The problem I have is I still don't see it exactly as a slasher film. Williams score music is too damn good and almost suspenseful rather than going into the horror realm (well at times) to give me a feeling of a slasher horror movie, even though the shark is clearly treated as such a character. Wonder if the feeling would be different (and if it were even possible) to use another film score (say from Friday the 13th) and see if it changes the tone a bit more?

That being said:: as an alternate, streamlined and completely suspenseful, fast moving and different telling of the film, this works as gold!!! I highly recommend checking this out

I have not yet listened to the commentary track but looking forward to it.

It has been a long time since I watched Jaws 2 and was keen to watch it again with the stated improvements. I was not disappointed. This tightens up the story and keeps the focus on the Brody family, trimming away some of the sections which drag. I welcomed the increased colour saturation, but found it pushed a little too red for me, but otherwise, Nice work Last Survivor. Thanks.

While some of the later sequels in the Jaws series are quite terrible (looking at you Jaws: The Revenge), I’ve always found Jaws 2 to be very enjoyable. Definitely has a different tone to the original but that’s not inherently bad. I was really curious to see what LastSurvivor would do with a movie that I already enjoyed and he definitely didn’t disappoint. The Amity Horror couldn’t be a more accurate title because this does play more like a horror movie and it’s all the better for it. The pacing is perfect as are the editing choices. I didn’t miss any of the scenes that were deleted whatsoever. Considering the fact that I’ve always really enjoyed Jaws 2, the fact that this will be my preferred version from now on is high praise! Phenomenal edit and one that is recommended to anyone that loves horror, the Jaws franchise, or shark movies in general.

Holy macaroni. I always liked Jaws 2. However, I think it's always been too slow and it lacked impact. You turned this beast into a much tighter, more fast paced, intense shark-slasher. I didn't miss a single thing from the original cut, that's how impressive your editing is. The narrative is tight and focused. Loved the warmer colors too. I seriously might never go back to the official cut ever again, that's how much I enjoyed your edit. Might be your best one yet. Keep the amazing work up, man!

Jaws 2 is frequently thrown under the bus as an almost worthless sequel because of the cardinal sin of not being nearly as great as the original Jaws. And to be honest that's true, it's not. But it's still a solid and highly enjoyable and entertaining movie that still feels a lot like it belongs with the original, and it does have certain unforgettable moments and scenes. For me, it's the third best among all of the "killer fish" movies that were made around the late 70s-early 80s (second best would be Joe Dante's Piranha, and I don't think I need to mention what the absolute best is).

However, as Last Survivor very sharply noticed, this is at its core actually a slasher film in the ocean. This was 1978, and the slasher genre was rising fast. You may have heard of a certain little film starring a guy in a William Shatner mask that was released that very year and that I understand got quite popular... So they did apply the structure to the sequel to Jaws, which in my opinion definitely beats the kind of sequel that just tries to be a replica of the original. So what this edit does is embracing that factor and the fun that comes with it, and the result is a fast paced, lean, mean little trip that feels like the perfect "rainy Sunday afternoon" type of movie. Exactly what it was for a lot of us, including the editor. One can feel the love that LS has for the film and the franchise in every frame and every cut.

Editing is, as expected, completely professional. If one had never seen the film it would be impossible to guess where the cuts happen. I also love the warm, summery color grading that fits the movie so well, and particularly the fact that the John Williams score has never sounded better. If you are a Williams fan (and who isn't?) you will love this edit.

The only minor flaws that this presents are a bit of ghosting in certain shots. Now, I am aware of Last Survivor doing absolutely everything he could do to make those look good, but some things are unavoidable if you have a sub-par source for one scene (an originally interlaced and low quality deleted bit) or if you play with less than ideal slow down parameters ingrained in your software. But this is, as I said, minor stuff, the edit looks absolutely great otherwise, and let's be honest, this is the type of movie we all watched on battered rental tapes and never complained.

A hour and a half of pure fun. It even includes a playful wink at the so-terrible-it's-good Jaws IV! What else can one ask for?