1975
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Finally welcoming Steven Spielberg to the blog! I know it must have been hard for the Listmakers to admit that they like a director that the average person might have heard of. Don't worry guys; we will get through this together.
Is there really any need for a plot synopsis here? A girl goes skinny dipping one night with somewhat disastrous results (for some reason I can never watch this scene; I find it too upsetting). The police chief wants to close the beaches when it becomes clear it was a shark attack, but the mayor is too concerned about the town's revenue during tourist season to do the right thing. Another attack happens (something I couldn't watch as well; I am growing soft in my old age), and it is up to the police chief (who is afraid of water), a shark expert, and a crotchety fisherman to fin-ally kill this monster. Sorry, couldn't resist.
Is it possible to dislike this film? I think the scar discussion is one of the most brilliant scenes in cinema. All the characters are fascinating and the action never slows down. I recently rewatched this with my family and I had forgotten how silly the townspeople were.
Pure entertainment and spectacularly done.
RATING: *****
Interesting Facts:
The mechanical shark that the filmmakers intended to use broke down, prompting Spielberg to use the camera as "the shark."
Roy Schneider ad-libbed the line "you're gonna need a bigger boat."
Highest grossing movie until Star Wars.
