Jaws 3-D Cards (Topps, 1983)

I previously posted about the 1980s resurgence of 3-D movies, which can be partially blamed for the existence of 1983's Jaws 3-D.

This third installment of the Jaws "franchise" casts Dennis Quaid as the now grown son of our favorite Amity Island police chief Martin Brody, but otherwise all ties are cut with the first two films as yet another shark arrives from out of nowhere to terrorize mankind, this time at a futuristic imagining of a new Sea World aquatic park in Florida.

I believe Jaws 3-D holds the distinction of being the first (and possibly only) film to show a man being eaten alive by a shark from inside the shark's mouth, in 3-D or otherwise. There was also plenty of diving poles, oars, spearguns, seaweed and fish debris being poked in your face. If you couldn't get enough of that in the theater, you could bring the experience home with you via Topps Jaws 3-D Cards & Bubble Gum. Well, sort of.

While the film was presented in full-color 3-D viewed through polarized glasses, the cards present standard (2-D) color stills on one side, and red/blue 3-D comic-book style renderings on the other. The box art promises a "3-D Viewer in Every Pack!" How is this possible? Because they're REALLY small!

Whoever selected the stills for the front of the cards made some baffling choices. Sure, there are a few cards depicting the shark in moments of excitement...

But the bulk of the set is taken up by decidedly dull entries like this...

...or this...

I don't care if it is Lou Gosset Jr.--was anyone really clamoring for a souvenir photo of the "powerful, serious-minded" Chief Executive of Sea World?

In contrast, its mostly all action on the 3-D side, with captions like "Blasted By A Grenade!", "Bloody Remains!", and "Speargun Assault!". Whip out that spare set of 3-D glasses you have stashed under your wireless router and take a look for yourself.