The MacGuffin

In a darkened space below the deck of the Orca, a fishing boat that probably isn’t big enough, the Ahabesque character of Sam Quint relays a chilling tale about a mission to deliver an atomic bomb to Japan during World War II. While drunk and still laughing, Quint (played by Robert Shaw) begins to deliver this strange and haunting monologue to his two fellow crewmates, and while the music fades and the camera pushes in closer to his face, the tone of the movie makes an important shift. Carefully worded and with deep sincerity, Shaw explains in great detail about the night his character watched the other soldiers get picked off one by one by a swarm of tiger sharks while they waited in the Japanese waters to be saved by the US military. To anyone who has seen Jaws (1975) more than once, this scene quickly becomes their favorite. Steven Spielberg himself has admitted that this scene, consisting of only dialogue and a few reaction shots, is the moment from Jaws that he was most proud of. What this now-famous boat scene underlines is the dichotomy of its creator.

Another Top 5 segment from The MacGuffin. This time Allen and Brandi share their top 5 cliched but awesome moments.

This segment is also available on Stitcher and iTunes. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here. After you’ve watched the video please vote in our poll and share which one you think is the best.

Another Top 5 segment from The MacGuffin. Inspired by the films War Horse and Tintin, Allen and Edward share their top 5 underrated Steven Spielberg films.

This segment is also available on Stitcher and iTunes. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here. After you’ve watched the video please vote in our poll and share which one you think is the best.

In honor of Twilight, Spencer and Greg tackle literary series adaptations. Then they talk dysfunctional families in movies and give DVD picks.

The adventure film. Of all the genres and subgenres that movies incorporate, I feel that the adventure film is the one that excites people the most. It’s the kind of movie that can bring people to the theater in droves; it touches us in a way that no other film can. When we watch a really well-made adventure movie, it’s like being taken on a one of a kind ride. One moment, we are on the edge of our seats with suspense and anxiety; the next, we cover our eyes from the dangers that befall our heroes and heroines. Our eyes are glued to the screen as we are taken to exotic locations at the far edges of the world, meeting people of all different walks of life, our bowl of popcorn ready in hand. Of all the great adventure films that have been made, one of the first—and still one of the finest—is the classic film directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, (1933).

Another Top 5 segment from The MacGuffin. This time Brandi and John share their top 5 animal-centric films.

This segment is also available on Stitcher, iTunes, and Zune. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here.