‘Jaws’ A Well-Crafted, Compelling Blockbuster
In the summer of 1975, Amity Island had a little bit of a shark problem in the blockbuster “Jaws.” This little shark feature became one of the biggest blockbusters of all time and everyone has enjoyed it over the years. Now, this beloved feature will be showing at the Dietrich!
In the Universal Pictures presentation of “Jaws,” when a young woman is killed by a shark while skinny-dipping near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry Vaughn overrules him, fearing that the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the town.
Marine biologist Matt Hooper and grizzled ship captain Quint offer to help Brody capture the killer best, and the trio engage in an epic battle of man vs. nature.
“Jaws” is an amazing feature that even those who have seen it numerous times over the years will still get into it. With very compelling characters and a simple plot, the 1975 classic movie delivers some very tense and suspenseful moments. The suspense really kicks into high gear once Quint, Hooper and Brody go find the killer shark. There are a few moments scattered about that will give you a little bit of a shock. And, no matter how many times you have seen the movie, when the shark first makes its quick surprise appearance right near Brody (the “you’re gonna need a bigger boat” moment), the shark can still startle you a little. So, come on down to the theater and check out the most amazing shark movie ever! With some terrifying moments and a bit of humor, “Jaws” will never, ever disappoint.
The cast: Roy Scheider (2004’s The Punisher) as Brody, Robert Shaw (Force 10 From Navarone) as Quint, Richard Dreyfuss (Book Club) as Hooper, Murray Hamilton (1979s The Amityville Horror) as Vaughn, Carl Gottlieb as Meadows, Jeffrey Kramer as Hendricks, Lee Fierro as Mrs. Kintner and Lorraine Gray as Mrs. Brody. “Jaws” is written by Peter Benchley (who also wrote the novel) as Carl Gottlieb (Jaws 1-3; The Jerk) and directed by Steven Spielberg (Ready Player One).
Producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown came across the “Jaws” novel, and after reading it, they both wanted to produce a film version. For the screen adaptation, Spielberg wanted to stay with the novel’s basic plot, but discarded many of author Peter Benchley’s subplots. Actors Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfus couldn’t stand each other and the two argued all the time, which resulted in some good tension between Hooper and Quint.
Over 67 million people in the United States went to see this movie when it was initially released, making it the first summer “blockbuster.” Three mechanical sharks were made for the movie, each costing approximately $250,000. The franchise has a total of four movies, which each sequel performed less than the original 1975 movie.
“Jaws” was initially released on June 20, 1974. With incredible reviews, the 1975 shark flick earned $260 million domestically and $471.2 million worldwide.