Let's Jaws For a Minute

It's time to wrap up Spielberg Season 2 with the man's deeply cynical alien invasion film War of the Worlds. Sarah and MJ discuss the movie as an allegory for 9/11, refute even more schmaltz claims, talk about if there is a defenitive pandemic movie, and yes, brush up against Spielberg's latest release, Disclosure Day.

We pull into the penultimate stop on our journey through the second act of Spielberg's career to talk about his slight, feel good film The Terminal. They discuss the post-9/11 optimism of the piece and its connection to post-WWII optimisim, whether or not Tom Hanks' accent is good, and Sarah admits her belief in an age old addage (at least in this circumstance).

This week, returning guest Rob Wallis joins us to talk about the only Spielberg/Di Caprio collaboration to date, Catch Me If You Can. They talk about the excellent 1960's production design, the loss of Leo's baby face, and refute accusations of Spielberg schmaltz (yet again).

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Missy Lonsinger to talk about Spielberg's sci-fi follow-up to A.I., Minority Report! They talk about how A.I. primed him to work in the cynical worlds created by Phillip K. Dick, the brief moment where Tom Cruise almost became a frequent Spielberg collaborator, and the beginning of the uglyfication of Spielberg's movies.

Hey! Did you know we have a Patreon page? Check out this free Patron episode in lieu of your normal episode while MJ is on vacation! If you like what you hear, maybe drop by and subscribe at patreon.com/jawforaminute. This month's Patron Episode takes us to Northern California (which, ironically, is where MJ is spending some of his vacation), to witness a small town terrorized by spiders in Am...

Schmaltzy garbage? Misunderstood masterpiece? Unsung prophet of the modern age? A.I. is an odd, divisive film in Spielberg's filmography, but Sarah and MJ are joined bye Kip Mooney to get to the bottom of it!

Spielberg Season 2 keeps chugging into Spielberg's final film of the 1990's (or 1900's), Saving Private Ryan. MJ and Sarah are joined by Nick Mear to talk about the reverence Spielberg is able to maintain for its subjects while also keeping things moving at a good pace, lots of behind the scenes magic, and whether accusations of Spielberg being "schmaltzy" are legitimate.

This week, Sarah and MJ talk about Spielberg's other 1997 film, Amistad. They discuss its odd placement in his filmography, the beginning of the "soft" look of his films, and the glorious wigs that dot the film.

This week, Sarah and MJ head to Site B to talk about the sequel to Jurassic Park! They talk about Spielberg's evolved mean streak, the fact that the film is his King Kong riff, and one of the most masterful sequences of Spielberg's career

Spielberg season 2 continues as Sarah and MJ discuss Spielberg's harrowing historical epic, Schindler's List

Spielberg Season 2 kicks off with a casual 3 hour chat about Spielberg's 1993 blockbuster effort, Jurassic Park! Sarah and MJ are joined by Harley Mumford to discuss the film's themes, how it fits in conversation with his other creature feature, the enduring legacy of the film, and why other blockbusters (even the other entries in the Jurassic franchise) aren't as effective at entertai...

The lost episode returns from the dead and is twice as nice! Sarah and MJ are joined by Nick Mear to re-record their lost Piranha 3D episode and decided to up the game by also watching its sequel, Piranha 3DD!

Sarah and MJ finally reach the end of Jaws ... a tumultuous journey that has proven one thing: the movie is a lot better than the book. They discuss the anti-climactic and unsatisfying end to the book, what the movie gets right in terms of pay-off, and whether they'll ever consider reading this book again...

This week, Sarah and MJ board the Orca as they round the corner into the home stretch of Peter Benchley's Jaws! They talk about how they picture the book versions of the characters, how they translate and chage to the film, and perk up once they get to read about everyone's favorite salty sea captain: Quint

Join Sarah & MJ as they get into chapters 8-10 of Jaws by Peter Benchley, covering a very saucy encounter between Ellen Brody and Hooper, what the book really is about, and the disappointing July 4th events. Quick heads up in case you usually listen in earshot of small children ... this episode is very NSFW!

This week, Sarah and MJ talk about chapters 6 and 7 of Jaws by Peter Benchley. They spend their time lauding the sassy mail woman in charge of who gets a mailbox and who doesn't, and attend an interminable dinner party.

This week we dive into the next two chapters of JAWS by Peter Benchley and uncover somethings we actually kinda like about the book. However, it's not all smooth sailing and you might need to get the thesaurus out for this one! Stay tuned right to the end of the episode for a special song sent in by listener Fredrik!

Summer Chompin' enters its final phase as Sarah and MJ talk about the first two chapters of Peter Benchley's Jaws!

In this very special episode, we're joined by friend and fellow podcast host, Mark Woodyatt from the Mark & Me podcast to celebrate all things JAWS! We talk about our favourite scenes, favourite lines, and some of the favourite pieces of Jaws merch we own. And along the way end up pitching a new movie idea to the SyFy channel...

We've reached the end of our read-through of The Jaws Log and wrap things up with some silliness that the Jaws cast would be proud of. We chat about the new things we've learned about the cast and crew, sing the praises of editing Queen Verna Fields, and learn a surprising connection between Spinal Tap and Jaws .

This week, Sarah and MJ continue their journey through the Jaws Log and talk about Peter Benchley's arrival on the island, the stress of shooting on the ocean, why noboy has tried to use a fully practical shark to make a movie to this day, and how everyone coped with the overlong shooting schedule.

Join Sarah and MJ as they dive into the next few chapters of Carl Gottlieb's The Jaws Log , exploring the creation of Bruce the Shark, the efforts to get a real shark, and Richard Dreyfuss' *ahem* island exploits. We dive into the problematic elements of Jaws ' legacy, and potentially get sued by two different people. Listen now wherever you find your pods!

Back to our regularly scheduled programming, Sarah and MJ discuss chapters 6 - 8 of The Jaws Log. Here, they learn about the casting process, compare their 2025 expereince with the politics of Martha's Vineyard to those experienced by the Jaws crew, and Robert Shaw's less than friendly welcome to the island. Also they talk about the menaces that were Spielberg's dogs.

In this very special (and very long!) episode, Sarah & MJ give the full rundown of their Martha's Vineyard and Boston adventures for the 50th anniversary of Jaws. As well as talking about all the Jaws-y stuff we did, we get into the plethora of great lobster rolls available on MV, what MJ thinks of some quintessentially British snacks, and why Sarah is now evangelising about Koozies to eve...

It's the first ever live and in person LJFAM! Recorded in person at Nick Mear's (Johnny4Boats) very echo-y AirBnB in Martha's Vineyard. Nick put together a sprawling quiz about the Jaws franchise, other shark movies, and our boy Spielberg's career that has everything including a dramatic ending! This is the first of two very special 50th anniversary episodes of LJFAM