June 19Jun 19 Originally released on June 20, 1975. On like 400 screens. One of the greatest and most influential films of all time, and one I've grown to appreciate even more as movies still attempt to copy it and, usually, fail. It's aring on NBC tomorrow which sucks to watch it on, other than an intro from Spielberg. I saw it this month at the Paramount in Austin. It's definitely a "better in the theater" movie. Way funnier than I remembered it too.
June 19Jun 19 everyone reacts to the Ben Gardner head jump scare. Everyone. Because 1) we are only expecting the shark to scare us and 2) we’ve already been conditioned that the music is the shark 3) we are still tense because he’s in the water at night and can’t see anything around so, no music means no shark means no danger. Then BAM. Gotcha. I used to watch this on TBS probably once a week back in the 90s. It’s a tough one to flip past. Edited June 19Jun 19 by Pato del Muerto
June 19Jun 19 I think about this every time I go sailing and tie this knot. Also, this Finally, Quinn once was a bond villain.
June 19Jun 19 18 minutes ago, dcbc said: I think about this every time I go sailing and tie this knot. Also, this Finally, Quinn once was a bond villain. *Quint* Great movie. The monologue about the USS Indianapolis is terrific.
June 19Jun 19 Author 1 hour ago, Pato del Muerto said: everyone reacts to the Ben Gardner head jump scare. Yep, happened at the recent showing. Got a reaction from me even though I'd seen it 6+ times, but forgot exactly when it was. Still got me. 17 minutes ago, Carl Spackler said: *Quint* Great movie. The monologue about the USS Indianapolis is terrific. Rumor was that Shaw was drunk for an early take. One, he was a drunk. But two, he figured they're drinking, so make it realistic. The take was terrible and Shaw felt terrible about it. So he apologized and told Spielberg he'd do it again. Showed up stone cold sober and nailed it. Gave me goosebumps again despite watching it a dozen times.
June 19Jun 19 love this classic. Still mad Universal Studios took the ride out at Universal Orlando. from time to time when the opportunity rises, I'll always sing "ooooooohhhh show me the way to go hooome.....I'm tired and I want to go to bed....
June 19Jun 19 It was probably irresponsible of my dad to take my brother, sister, and me to see that movie in the theater. Just a few years after the divorce, maybe he thought he was being the cool dad. Maybe it was okay for my older siblings but it scared the bejeezus out of me. And for some reason I had to sleep on an old military cot next to the bed that my brother had all to himself and I had nightmares about a big shark underneath me.
June 19Jun 19 Greatest movie ever. Spent a day at MV during Memorial Day weekend to see some of the movie locations, bridge, ferry(s), town hall. There’s a Jaws exhibit at the MV Museum that was to be open that Saturday but wasn’t ready… Edgartown is a beautiful quaint little village.
June 19Jun 19 50 years later and I’m still terrified of swimming in the ocean and sharks. Thanks Spielberg.
June 19Jun 19 Watched it a few nights ago. It's a movie I'll watch several times a year and definitely a top five movie for me. I didn't read it, but my wife was telling me she read that Dreyfuss and Shaw didn't really get along and it made the scenes between them two so good due to it. Has anyone else seen this? "That's a 20-footer." "25. Three tons of him". Also, the rare occasion the movie is better than the book. Edited June 19Jun 19 by Elmer_Fudd
June 20Jun 20 6 hours ago, gofuckyourself said: Yep, happened at the recent showing. Got a reaction from me even though I'd seen it 6+ times, but forgot exactly when it was. Still got me. Rumor was that Shaw was drunk for an early take. One, he was a drunk. But two, he figured they're drinking, so make it realistic. The take was terrible and Shaw felt terrible about it. So he apologized and told Spielberg he'd do it again. Showed up stone cold sober and nailed it. Gave me goosebumps again despite watching it a dozen times. Spielberg called John Milius at his home while production was going on at Martha's Vineyard because he felt like they were missing a scene for Quint. He asked Milius to write something for him. What Milius came back with was several pages of monologue for Quint. Shaw couldn't remember all of it, so he told Spielberg to give him some time with the pages and he'd condense it. What you see on the screen are the highlights from Milius' script. That entire scene with the monologue, Dreyfuss' quiet reaction, John Williams' music, the rocking of the ship, and the sound of a squeaky ship, makes the movie. Growing up, that was the scariest part of the film for me. Simularly terrifying is the air traffic control scene from Close Encounters. Great storytelling in both instances.
June 20Jun 20 I first read a condensed version of the book in Reader’s Digest and then the book later. As mentioned earlier movie was better than the book or at least more fun.
June 20Jun 20 23 minutes ago, DeepEastTexas said: Spielberg called John Milius at his home while production was going on at Martha's Vineyard because he felt like they were missing a scene for Quint. He asked Milius to write something for him. What Milius came back with was several pages of monologue for Quint. Shaw couldn't remember all of it, so he told Spielberg to give him some time with the pages and he'd condense it. What you see on the screen are the highlights from Milius' script. That entire scene with the monologue, Dreyfuss' quiet reaction, John Williams' music, the rocking of the ship, and the sound of a squeaky ship, makes the movie. Growing up, that was the scariest part of the film for me. Simularly terrifying is the air traffic control scene from Close Encounters. Great storytelling in both instances. It was set up so beautifully with the injury stuff and them all drinking and laughing, then Dreyfuss gets stone cold sober when he hears USS Indianapolis, so we all know to pay attention.
June 20Jun 20 The line about needing a bigger boat was not in the script and was ad-libbed by Roy Scheider. Speilberg loved it and kept it in the Final Cut. Most famous line from the film.
June 20Jun 20 I might get this story a little wrong since it’s been a while, but Roy Scheider signed like a 5 pictures deal after jaws that he ended up wanting to get out of as quickly as possible, so even though he didn’t want to be in jaws 2 he did it when they offered to count it as 2 of the deal. In order to do that, he had to back out of a lead role in The Deer Hunter.
June 20Jun 20 My favorite film of all time. A true masterpiece. Some trivia you may or may not know. The Alex Kitnner attack scene was originally intended to be much more graphic, but Speilberg did get any shots he loved or that felt right, so they only thing that made the final cut was the tail end of the filmed scene with the shark biting the raft. Here are some stills from the deleted scene: The estuary scene was also much more graphic, with the guy in the boat being dragged through the water and pushing Michael Brody out of the path of the shark, but many people already know that from various documentaries over the years. There are clips of it online.
June 20Jun 20 Plan to watch it tomorrow night for the 50th. I bought the 4K blu-ray. My kids have never seen it. Now they're going to see that little Kitner boy spill out all over the dock.
June 20Jun 20 That scene is nearly 3 minutes long and is one continuous take, no cuts. It's a masterclass in blocking and camera work. More breakdown here if interested:
June 20Jun 20 Happy 50th to the greatest movie ever. The scene at dock where Hooper is questioning if the right shark is caught and explaining the bite radius to Brody and Brody’s facial expression from euphoria to doubt is just outstanding work.
June 20Jun 20 18 hours ago, Carl Spackler said: The monologue about the USS Indianapolis is terrific. It really is.
June 20Jun 20 It's getting a wide theater re-release at the end of August. I might be down for a couple viewings- one for the movie, one for the score.
June 20Jun 20 Saw it during the summer of '75 at the Cottage View drive-in, Cottage Grove, MN. I was 5. I refused to get in the bathtub for weeks after so my dad had to hit me with the water hose in the backyard to bathe. Parenting was different back then.Dreyfuss & Shaw hating one another during the production is quite legendary. Two drunks at different arcs of their careers with a young, unproven director who was in danger of getting fired on a daily basis equals an explosive set.In one "making of" doc I recall hearing how Spielberg couldn't figure out how to edit together the Indianapolis scene. I think he called on many of his friends & at one point Scorsese, Lucas & maybe even Coppola joined him in the editing suite. However it came together, it made for one of the most iconic scenes in film history. Anyway. We delivered the bomb.
June 20Jun 20 Does anyone know when tickets will be available for purchase? I just googled and fandango wouldn’t let me buy yet and I can imagine the Saturday night seats will go fast.
June 20Jun 20 Great movie all around despite the fact that Ms. Kintner must have produced Alex when she was 50 or so.
June 20Jun 20 She was 46 when the movie was released. People born back then aged quicker. Robert Shaw was 48.
June 20Jun 20 23 hours ago, dcbc said: I think about this every time I go sailing and tie this knot. Also, this Finally, Quinn once was a bond villain. He was also Lohergen in The Sting
June 20Jun 20 5 minutes ago, Nole-4-Life said: He was also Lohergen in The Sting In the 1970a, he was in jaws, the sting, the deep, and force 10 from navarone. Pretty good run. (Plus black Sunday) career after the 70s was hampered by his death in 1978. Edited June 20Jun 20 by Pato del Muerto
June 20Jun 20 16 hours ago, Steamboat1874 said: The line about needing a bigger boat was not in the script and was ad-libbed by Roy Scheider. Speilberg loved it and kept it in the Final Cut. Most famous line from the film. The one line I remember most from almost any movie...and is funny every time I hear it used for something else.
June 20Jun 20 Percy Rodriquez nailed the ominous voice in the original trailer. "None of man's fantasies of evil can compare to the reality of Jaws."
June 20Jun 20 Had no idea this was the 50th, but we're having folks over tomorrow night and we're projecting the movie on my inflatable screen and we'll watch it from the pool. Inspired by the old Alamo Drafthouse roadshows of course. I've ordered the appropriate inflatable sharks and whatnot. Unfortunately I can't fit a bigger boat, in the pool. Our teenagers have never seen it, neither have most of their friends who are coming over. I don't have any Falstaff beer, but I do have bourbon and saltines. I'll also have brisket and ribs. Gonna be a hoot. Yeah I said hoot.
June 20Jun 20 One of my memories from the first time I saw it was having my first wife on one side of me and her older sister on the other. I had claw marks in both arms when it was over.
June 20Jun 20 Hooper: Anyone eating this? Ellen Brody: Martin hates boats. Martin hates water. Martin... Martin sits in his car when we go on the ferry to the mainland. I guess it's a childhood thing. It's a... there's a clinical name for it isn't there? Brody: Drowning Hooper drives the boat, Chief.
June 20Jun 20 3 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said: In the 1970a, he was in jaws, the sting, the deep, and force 10 from navarone. Pretty good run. (Plus black Sunday) career after the 70s was hampered by his death in 1978. Shaw was great in The Battle of Bulge too. Scheider would go on to play Frank Murphy in Blue Thunder. Another excellent movie.
June 20Jun 20 1 hour ago, Steamboat1874 said: One of my memories from the first time I saw it was having my first wife on one side of me and her older sister on the other. I had claw marks in both arms when it was over.
June 20Jun 20 1 hour ago, Steamboat1874 said: One of my memories from the first time I saw it was having my first wife on one side of me and her older sister on the other. I had claw marks in both arms when it was over. Pics of ex and sister? There are rules here ya know. Edited June 20Jun 20 by Carl Spackler
June 20Jun 20 Author https://variety.com/2025/film/features/jaws-50th-anniversary-steven-spielberg-summer-blockbuster-1236436040/ Some interesting tidbits, including using the "influencers" the time - cabbies and waiters. Quote The company also leaned into the popularity of Benchley’s novel, which was released in 1974, coordinating with the publisher so the marketing campaigns for the movie and the book that inspired it would be aligned. That ensured that the “Jaws” film would arrive with “pre-awareness” — meaning that audiences would already be primed for the carnage in store. “We sent copies to people who talk to other people, like headwaiters and cab drivers,” Brown told Variety in 1975. “We adapted the artwork of the book to the artwork of the film promotion.
June 20Jun 20 2 hours ago, Steamboat1874 said: One of my memories from the first time I saw it was having my first wife on one side of me and her older sister on the other. I had claw marks in both arms when it was over. Worst Penthouse Forum letter ever. But it could be the best if you give some more details.
June 20Jun 20 The first test screening of Jaws was here in Dallas at the Medallion Theater off Northwest Highway and Skillman the March before the wide release in June. A guy threw up after the Kitner boy was eaten. Spielberg was standing in the back getting everyone's' reaction. The Ben Garner head scene was filmed and added after the screening because Spielberg wanted another jump scare based on how well the audience reacted to the original print. https://www.wfaa.com/article/entertainment/jaws-movie-premiere-date-location-dallas-texas-medallion-theater/287-bf236a7e-0ebe-4b78-9646-a2096fe01a97 Edited June 20Jun 20 by mdmost
June 20Jun 20 21 hours ago, Underdog said: I first read a condensed version of the book in Reader’s Digest and then the book later. As mentioned earlier movie was better than the book or at least more fun. Link to the illustrations in Reader's Digest along with comments in the difference between movie/book. https://thedailyjaws.com/blog/illustrations-from-the-readers-digest-version-of-jaws#:~:text=These paintings were featured in the 1974 Reader's,readers didn't have preconceived images of the characters.
June 21Jun 21 22 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said: I might get this story a little wrong since it’s been a while, but Roy Scheider signed like a 5 pictures deal after jaws that he ended up wanting to get out of as quickly as possible, so even though he didn’t want to be in jaws 2 he did it when they offered to count it as 2 of the deal. In order to do that, he had to back out of a lead role in The Deer Hunter. Whew!
June 21Jun 21 Halloween party 2019. ‘Nuff said on my feelings about Cap Quint. Army surplus store for the win.
June 21Jun 21 If you're in the Austin area, try to catch a Jaws on the Water showing at Volente Beach. You spend the day at the park, then watch the movie while floating in a tube on the water. They have scuba divers going through the water and grabbing people's legs while they watch - it's really funny. They used to have these showings several times every summer, but they didn't do them the last couple of years. It's back now though and hopefully will go back to being an annual thing.
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