Joe Alves

Joe Alves Trailers

Sharksploitation TrailerPurgatory: Entering John Carpenter's 'Escape From New York' TrailerViaggio nel cinema in 3D: Una storia vintage Trailer

Joe Alves (born 21 May 1936, San Leandro, California) is an American film production designer, perhaps best known for his work on three of the Jaws films. He directed Jaws 3-D. Alves has designed three features for Steven Spielberg, firstly for The Sugarland Express. He designed the three mechanical sharks for the movie Jaws (1975) with mechanical effects man Bob Mattey supervising their physical construction in Sun Valley CA. After the sharks were completed, they were trucked to the shooting location, but unfortunately they had not been tested in water causing a series of delays that have become quite legendary over time. He was nominated for the Academy Award and won the BAFTA for Best Art Direction for his work on Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Alves worked on Jaws 2 (1978) in the capacity of both production designer and as second unit director. After John D. Hancock, the initial director of Jaws 2, was sacked, it was suggested that Alves co-direct it with Verna Fields (who edited the original Jaws). Jeannot Szwarc was hired, however, to complete the film. The model of New York he created for John Carpenter's Escape from New York (1981) has been described as "memorably derelict", and he was visual consultant on Carpenter's Starman (1984).

Most Popular Joe Alves Trailers

Total trailers found: 30

Jaws Trailer (1975)

20 June 1975

When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town's chief of police, a young marine biologist, and a grizzled hunter embark on a desperate quest to destroy the beast before it strikes again.

Embryo Trailer (1976)

21 May 1976

A scientist doing experiments on a human fetus discovers a method to accelerate the fetus into a mature adult in just a few days.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind Trailer (1977)

14 December 1977

After an encounter with UFOs, an electricity linesman feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area in the wilderness where something spectacular is about to happen.

Winning Trailer (1969)

22 May 1969

Frank Capua is a rising star on the race circuit who dreams of winning the big one - the Indianapolis 500.

Escape from New York Trailer (1981)

23 May 1981

In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam free.

Geronimo: An American Legend Trailer (1993)

10 December 1993

The Apache Indians have reluctantly agreed to settle on a US Government approved reservation. Not all the Apaches are able to adapt to the life of corn farmers.

Starman Trailer (1984)

13 December 1984

When an alien takes the form of a young widow's husband and asks her to drive him from Wisconsin to Arizona, the government tries to stop them.

Jaws 2 Trailer (1978)

16 June 1978

Police chief Brody must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.

The Sugarland Express Trailer (1974)

31 March 1974

Married small-time crooks Lou-Jean and Clovis Poplin lose their baby to the state of Texas and resolve to do whatever it takes to get him back.

Shadow Conspiracy Trailer (1997)

25 January 1997

Bobby Bishop is a special assistant to the President of the United States. Accidentally, he meets his friend professor Pochenko on the street.

Pufnstuf Trailer (1970)

13 May 1970

Jimmy (Jack Wild) ventures to Living Island with his magical, talking flute, Freddy. Once there, he befriends many of the island's inhabitants, but the evil Witchiepoo (Billie Hayes) is determined to steal Freddy the flute away from the boy to impress the visiting Witches' Council and win the Witch of the Year Award.

Change of Habit Trailer (1969)

10 November 1969

Dr. John Carpenter takes the job of running a health center in a low-income district. He enlists three women to help out who — unbeknownst to him — are actually nuns in street clothes.

Jaws 3-D Trailer (1983)

22 July 1983

A giant thirty-five-foot shark becomes trapped in a SeaWorld theme park and it's up to the sons of police chief Brody to rescue everyone.

Sinbad: Beyond the Veil of Mists Trailer (2000)

24 March 2000

The sailor is "persuaded" by a princess to help her rescue her kingdom from something fishy.

Fire Down Below Trailer (1997)

05 September 1997

When an EPA representative is murdered in a small Appalachian community, EPA undercover agent Jack Taggart is sent in—posing as a handyman working with a Christian relief agency—to determine what happened.

Everybody's All-American Trailer (1988)

04 November 1988

Louisiana football star Gavin Grey had it all. He was an All-American champion who married his high-school sweetheart, homecoming queen Babs Rogers, and who was a hero to his hometown.

Double Indemnity Trailer (1973)

13 October 1973

A scheming wife lures an insurance investigator into helping murder her husband and then declare it an accident.

Drop Zone Trailer (1994)

08 December 1994

A daring prison break from an airliner at 30,000 feet leaves U.S. Marshal Pete Nessip mourning a brother and gunning for revenge.

Purgatory: Entering John Carpenter's 'Escape From New York' Trailer (2018)

26 November 2018

A brand new retrospective documentary produced by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures and featuring interviews with writer Nick Castle, cinematographer Dean Cundey, composer Alan Howarth, production designer Joe Alves, special visual effects artist/model maker Gene Rizzardi, production assistant David De Coteau, photographer Kim Gottleib-Walker, Carpenter biographer John Muir, visual effects historian Justin Humphreys, and music historian Daniel Schweiger.

The Young Country Trailer (1970)

17 March 1970

An adventurous young gambler searches for the owner of a mysterious fortune.

The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' Trailer (2001)

08 May 2001

A documentary film on the making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'

See the Man Run Trailer (1973)

16 June 1973

Kidnappers making a ransom demand dial a wrong number and reach a struggling actor instead. He decides to cut himself in for some of the money.

Isn't It Shocking? Trailer (1973)

02 October 1973

A small-town sheriff is confronted with the deaths of local senior citizens and strange goings-on in his town.

Viaggio nel cinema in 3D: Una storia vintage Trailer (2016)

05 September 2016

Sarge: The Badge or the Cross Trailer (1971)

22 February 1971

After his wife is murdered, a veteran cop quits the police department and becomes a priest. Several years later he is assigned to a parish where he meets the man who killed his wife -- and discovers that the killer was gunning for him instead.

3D: A Brief History Trailer (2004)

07 September 2004

A look at how Dial M for Murder (1954) was produced for 3-D viewing.

The Shark Is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of "Jaws" Trailer (2009)

02 May 2009

After three decades, Jaws continues to intrigue, thrill and frighten viewers. This documentary focuses on the many ways in which Jaws has helped to shape popular culture.

The Making of 'Jaws' Trailer (1995)

28 November 1995

A documentary on the making of one of the greatest films ever made, filled with trivia, interviews from cast and crew and never-before-seen footage.

Scream, Pretty Peggy Trailer (1973)

24 November 1973

A sculptor hires young college girls to take care of his elderly mother and his supposedly insane sister, both of whom live in the old family mansion with him.

Sharksploitation Trailer (2024)

12 October 2024

The ultimate deep dive into the world of shark cinema: filmmakers, critics, scholars and conservationists explore the weird, wild cinematic legacy of sharks on film and audiences' undying fascination with these misunderstood creatures.