Jaws 3-D (1983, Joe Alves)

Jaws 3-D is one part advertisement for Sea World, one part disaster movie, one part monster movie, then figure the rest is character stuff. It does really well as the Sea World ad, not so well as a disaster movie, a little better as a monster movie… and shockingly well on the character stuff.

Alves’s direction of the big shark attack stuff is nowhere near as good as his character moments. Obviously, there’s time in the script to develop these relationships between the cast members–there’s a great slight moment with Bess Armstrong and Louis Gossett Jr. who otherwise barely interact. And it’s just better for Armstrong and Dennis Quaid. Jaws 3-D is a silly movie about a giant shark but Armstrong and Quaid are always sincere.

So’s Gossett and, to some degree, Simon MacCorkindale. He’s not good, but he does try. As his manservant, P.H. Moriarty is terrible. John Putch plays Quaid’s visiting little brother who romances Lea Thompson. They’re both fine, they just don’t have anything to do except to quickly make Quaid and Armstrong more likable. The movie’s far from art, but screenwriters Richard Mathewson and Carl Gottlieb know how to make it work.

There are some good effects towards the end. Great music from Alan Parker. Alves does an adequate job throughout but he does have his moments. The way he stages some of the non-shark action sequences is fantastic and he always takes time for the actors.

It’s not bad at all.

Bathing and the Single Girl (2010, Christine Elise McCarthy)

There are a couple moments in Bathing and the Single Girl where McCarthy almost laughs at herself. The short is a filmed monologue. McCarthy, in a variety of settings, talks directly to the camera. She’s recounting two related events–with digressions. The second event has an excellent punchline. But she doesn’t end on the punchline; she gently continues the anecdote, using it to give the short an ending.

The first time she almost laughs, it’s a single take. The second time, editor John Putch cuts to her just after the most visible moment of containing her laughter. Putch’s editing is fantastic (as are the uncredited cinematographers).

McCarthy’s performance of the monologue is excellent and matches her visualizing of it perfectly; she never breaks her format, even after the monologue becomes really funny.

Bathing and the Single Girl is masterful, thoughtful and–even though the subject material is serious–delightful work.

3/3 Highly Recommended