As you may or may not know, June 20 is the 50th anniversary of the original release of Jaws, the film widely recognized as the first summer blockbuster. Directed by Steven Spielberg, who was only 26 years old at the time, Jaws was a huge success upon its release. But, getting there was tough at times.
Three mechanical sharks (dubbed “Bruce” by the cast and crew) were built for use in the film, and they were almost more trouble than they were worth. They were heavy and hard to handle, the material used to craft their skin absorbed water and made them bloat. Eventually, Spielberg made the decision to use them as little as possible, and rely on suspense to build tension and fear, rather than the actual visual impact of the shark.
Buoyed by a massive ad campaign and tie-in merchandise such as t-shirts, books, games and posters, Jaws released on 409 screens in the US. Audiences were captivated (and in some cases, traumatized) by the film. Five days after its initial release, it expanded to 700 screens, and in August, it expanded even more, to over 1,000 screens.
I myself remember clearly the first time I saw Jaws in the summer of 1975. I was 11 years old, and my sister and I were spending the summer with my grandparents and my Uncle Ronnie in South Florida. My family was a family of movie-lovers, and regularly took us kids to see movies that many people probably wouldn’t take their own children to. My uncle in particular didn’t see us as young, impressionable beings, and I credit him for starting me on my road to the love of horror.
I was an advanced reader, and again, my parents didn’t really censor what I read. I was prone to picking up whatever novel they had just finished (that’s how I discovered Stephen King), and of course, I read Jaws. I was captivated, and so anxious to watch the movie as soon as I could. Uncle Ronnie took us to see it on opening weekend, and it was everything I had hoped.
I became obsessed, buying every magazine and book, the soundtrack, the bubblegum cards – all of it. I was such a film nerd, that I would cut movie ads out of the newspaper and collect them, and I still have the newspaper ads for Jaws. I developed an interest in sharks, even though I now had a healthy fear of the ocean.
So, I am looking forward to re-watching Jaws, a very formative film in my own life, when it re-releases in theaters August 29 – September 4. I will probably even spring for an over-priced Jaws-themed popcorn bucket or cup, and buy a t-shirt.
In addition to Jaws’ theatrical re-release, Peacock is celebrating a little early by making all four of the movies available to stream for the first time. Jaws, Jaws 2, Jaws 3 and Jaws: The Revenge can all be watched on demand right now.
On the actual anniversary (June 20), you can watch Jaws on NBC, where Steven Spielberg will give an introduction. And Universal will be releasing the Jaws 50th Anniversary Edition on digital. You can also purchase a Combo Pack, which includes the iconic film on 4K, Blu-ray and digital, or a Home Entertainment Special Edition 4K and Digital.