Ready to take fan fiction to a new extreme? That's exactly what's being asked of movie fans online by one Back to the Future Part II enthusiast.
You might recall that in Back to the Future Part II, Marty McFly travels to 2015, where there's tons of cool things, like hover skateboards, hologram movie ads and most importantly Jaws 19. Of course we're at 2014, and the Jaws franchise has only gone as far as four films, so according to Tumblrer Ctrayn (via The Mary Sue), we've got to get a move on to make at least one of these future things a reality.
Here's his call to arms:
"I challenge the geek community, the web community, the YouTube community, the film community, the time travel community, the hypothetical Jaws community, and the local community college to answer my call and create 15 new JAWS feature-length movies before October 21st, 2015. (emphasis his)According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, American Film Institute, and British Film Institute, a feature film has to be at least 40 minutes long. So even if your film is 40 straight minutes of a rubber shark floating quietly in a bathtub, it still fulfills what I am asking of you in the challenge, and it is still probably a more entertaining watch than Jaws: the Revenge.So grab your camera phones, a bucket, and that inflatable shark you bought at the dollar store, because it’s showtime. Live-action, stop-motion, puppets, pencil animation, CG, piss on film- it doesn’t matter how you create the movie! Just go and make the 2015 of Back to the Future II a reality."
Honestly, I'm of two minds on this. Jaws is my favorite movie of all time. So yes, I've seen all the others. But even after the absolute nonsense that was Jaws: The Revenge, I'm personally game for more great white action. But 15 40-minute movies made in under 21 months? I am sure the crowd-sourcing capabilities of the internet can totally make that happen. But as Hollywood has proved time and time again, quantity doesn't guarantee quality. In fact, the more a franchise clunks along, the more likely it is to grow stale and jump the shark. (I'm sorry, it had to be said.)
Then again, with the advent of the internet, fan art has reached not only a all-time popularity, but also a new heyday. I mean, Twilight fan fiction became a best-selling novel with Fifty Shades of Grey. And clever vids of fan-made songs, alternate endings and public re-enactments are like online candy, we can't get enough of them. So, maybe this challenge is just what some clever filmmakers, animators, and otherwise inspired fans need to kick them into creating something wonderful. And as Ctrayn points out, Jaws: The Revenge sets the bar to beat pretty low. Even its star Michael Caine claims he hasn't seen it, saying, "I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific."
To inspire all of you in your Jaws sequel brain-storming, here are the trailers for the first four films:
Bonus points if your Jaws sequel includes a hover skateboard.
