Hunting the fishy: (l to r) Robert Shaw, Roy Schieder and Richard Dreyfus find humor in grisly shark attacks. © 1975, Universal Pictures All Rights Reserved

Smile, you son of a bitch, "Jaws" is finally on DVD.

The first real event film, and the movie that vaulted Steven Spielberg into a league of his own, has been lovingly transferred to the digital format. Sporting a host of special features and spectacular sound, this is a disc that will become as ubiquitous as "The Matrix" in personal DVD collections.

Since it's been a while since I ran a DVD review, I'll go over the format. This isn't a movie review. You won't find a critical analysis of the plot and I'm not going to bother with accolades for the performances. If you want movie reviews, check out the aptly named movie review section. What you'll find in a Filmfodder DVD review is a bare-bones look at the geeky stuff: picture quality, sound and special features.

With that out of the way, let's get to it.

Picture quality: Like most DVDs, the "Jaws" transfer is in widescreen. Sunsets and sinking appendages look so much better in the full format.

This digital tranfer is exceptionally sharp, which allows colors and nuances lost in VHS transfers to once again appear. For example, the sequence known as "Chrissie's Last Swim" is always dark in the VHS version, but on DVD you can see the fear in Chrissie's eyes as she becomes the shark's first victim. Anyone who believes VHS is an adequate medium should see the difference DVD makes with this film.

Of course, there's a down side to stunning picture quality. "Jaws" was filmed in 1975 and the DVD version enhances these pasty, shaggy beachgoers in all their mid-70s glory. There's also an unnecessary shot of saggy geriatric man-boobs, which I deem far more frightening than a homicidal Great White.

Sound: Is there a film that has a more recognizable soundtrack than "Jaws?"

Realizing the importance of this film's sound, the engineers responsible for the DVD transfer put something extra into their task by providing two Dolby soundtracks. Those of us cursed with older stereo receivers will be placated by the Dolby 2.1 soundtrack, but if you're equipped with Dolby 5.1 equipment—you lucky bastard—you can watch the film with the latest audio technology blaring from your surround sound speakers.

Far too often, sound engineers submit half-assed work, leaving the consumer with the sharp end of the Dolby shaft rammed in an uncomfortable place ("Life of Brian" is a perfect example). Forsaking their lesser brethren, the "Jaws" sound crew has been diligent with their transfer, and the result creates an immersive viewing experience. Everything—from the resonating music to the gentle sounds of water lapping on the shore—is clear. Turn it up real loud and you can hear the squirting gas bubbles shooting through the shark's gut as he digests Quint's leathery skin.

The effects and music are both top notch, but this disc's sound has one egregious error: the omission of a Spanish-language track. How the marketing department could let a disc go to press without a Spanish track is beyond me, but someone should be fired for such an oversight. As far as I'm concerned, it is the inalienable right of every person, regardless of language orientation, to enjoy the banter of shark hunters.

Special Features:

Given "Jaws'" standing as one of the most popular films of all time, I was expecting a drool-worthy special features section. While the goods are plentiful and interesting, they don't match standard bearers like "Fight Club" and "The Matrix."

The good-but-not-great special features include trailers, outtakes, an interactive trivia game (that's more interesting than you might think), and a shark "education" section that'll let you clear the "Shark" category on "Jeopardy!"

All that stuff is nice, but the real goodie is "The Making of Jaws." Originally released as a two-hour documentary on the "Jaws" laserdisc set, the footage has been whittled down to an hour for the DVD. Interviews with Richard Dreyfus and Roy Schieder are mildly interesting, but Spielberg's segments are the meat of this documentary. Sitting at the height of his success, Spielberg looks back to 1975 and reminisces about a time when he wasn't the most powerful director in Hollywood.

Watching Spielberg talk about "Jaws" is fun, but I would have preferred listening to him. The one thing I would put on this disc is a director's commentary that runs in synch with the feature. Listening to Spielberg's comments as the movie played would have been more valuable than film school.

The Verdict

Even with a few oversights this DVD stands as an example of the inherent collectability of the digital format. This is a film that scares you in a way that almost equals the theater experience. Buy it, play it loud, and scare the bejesus out of yourself.

Filmfodder Grade: A