Jaws exploded onto the cinema in 1976 so i was but a nipper but the arrival of videos put paid to that and came with a built in well documented fear factor so by the time we were finally allowed to see it i could at last see what all the fuss was about.
And boy were they right, right from the beginning with the anticipation just because somebody was in the water frothing like the waves, you were right there with her.
From that moment on for the next year or so anywhere i swam could have had a shark there for all i knew. who can forget the moment the head appears through the hole in the boat? for me this is where movie jumps started.
Spielberg introduced the world to the summer blockbuster with Jaws, a template still used to this day from Indy to this years Man of Steel, it all started with a haunting score by John Williams I'm sure we are all familiar with.
Three sequels followed getting weaker along the way as most sequels do, but this still did nothing to dilute the originality and immediacy of the original.
Jaws is a massive cult classic and a leader in the horror/thriller genre although its never been quite to my tastes... Im a huge horror fan but sadly, and disgracefully, I never saw Jaws until a few years ago. Knowing the premise of the film and of course its affect on the generation above i.e my parents I thought I was onto a winner, sadly though it never really scared me or made me jump and this is my issue with 'classics'.
ReplyDeleteIts a shame that I wasn't around in the 70's or 80's to experience these movies when THEY were the height of CGI and quality for their time. I appreciate what an extremely good film it is but of all the classics the only really to still have a fear factor within todays market, I feel, is the exorcist. Its still the best horror film within its genre and for 40 years has been terrifying the viewer.
Great article though Nick! Get a few more on here for us all to read soon!