In 1975, filmmaker Steven Spielberg changed the world of cinema permanently with Jaws, an adaptation of Peter Benchley’s novel of the same name. An ambitious affair, the production was mired with countless setbacks, resulting in a shoot that went over schedule and over budget. Despite the countless disasters that the film encountered, Jaws went on to help define the concept of a “blockbuster,” as its blend of drama, comedy, and horror created a unique experience that had to be witnessed on the big screen. As we head into the summer, Universal Pictures shared a montage of the film’s most frightening moments to keep audiences out of the water.
The video is described, “Summer is here, but if you’ve seen Jaws you might think twice about hitting the beach. Jaws is remembered as one of the scariest movies of all time—watch this video to find out why!”
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Given the film’s popularity over the last four decades, it’s easy to take for granted just how effective the film is, with the above compilation reminding you just how horrifying the sequences are and, while it might be a fun summer blockbuster, it contains a number of frightening images.
One of the reasons the film encountered difficulties during production was Spielberg’s decision to shoot the movie on the ocean to create a more authentic experience, as opposed to shooting it on water tanks on the studio’s lot. This resulted in the massive robotic shark regularly malfunctioning due to the salt water, forcing Spielberg to convey the creature’s terror in new ways.
Richard Dreyfuss previously pondered if the film could be improved if it was restored using contemporary CGI effects.
“I think they should do it, it would be huge and it would open up the film to younger people,” Dreyfuss shared with Deadline about the potential of re-releasing the film with upgraded visual effects. “Is that blasphemy? No, no, I don’t think so. The technology now could make the shark look as good as the rest of the movie.”
Even though the shark only appears in a handful of shots, Dreyfuss thinks those shots would be better if CGI replaced the practical prop.
“There are people who say Jaws is a perfect film otherwise and it is amazing what Steven accomplished with the challenges he had,” the actor noted. “But you’re dead-right, I think you’re on to something. They should put the money into CGI [to replace] that beast and make it come alive.”
Jaws is available on home video now.
Did Jaws make you afraid to go into the ocean? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things horror and Star Wars!
