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Tuesday, June 20, 2017

06.20.1975: JAWS Opens on 464 Screens in The U.S. and Canada

"Y'know the thing about a shark, he's got... lifeless eyes, black eyes, like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be livin'... until he bites ya. And those black eyes roll over white, and then... oh, then you hear that terrible high-pitch screamin', the ocean turns red, and spite of all the poundin' and the hollerin', they all come in and they... rip you to pieces."–Quint
I can't overestimate the imapct JAWS had on me as pre-teen. Both beautifully scripted and photographed, JAWS offered a master class in how to keep a budget from getting in the way of a good story. I had seen plenty of low-budget horror and sci-fi by then, but in those flicks, the victims were generally vilified well in advance. Jaws killed at will and without remorse.

In addition to taking home three Academy Awards and a nomination for Best Picture, JAWS was the first major motion picture title to be released for home viewing on the the then nascent LaserDisc format. That alone speaks volumes.

Fun Fact: Apparently, the original artwork for the one-sheet poster has been missing for decades
   

Steven Spielberg, Peter Benchley, Roy Scheider, Martin Brody, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Brucie, Universal