Summer Movie Diary: Jaws (1975)

Today is the first day of summer and so it seems like a good time to start a Summer Movie Diary on my blog. Last year I did a Halloween Movie Diary and it was really fun. There are so many great movies that can get you in the mood for summer so I thought I could share some of my favorites with you for the next few months. This post will be all about the 1975 classic Jaws.

What it's all about: Jaws takes place in an American summer resort town called Amity Island. A few gruesome shark attacks leave both the tourists and local islanders worried. Police chief Brody, marine biologist Hooper, and shark hunter Quint head out to sea to find and kill the shark that's been killing and eating so many people.

Why it's great: Jaws is a movie that made history. It's considered to be the first summer blockbuster ever. It was a box office hit, a critical success, and is preserved in the National Film Registry. The John Williams soundtrack is recognizable to anyone; it's one of the creepiest film scores ever. The writing and acting is also sensational. Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider are both such likable guys. You root for them the whole movie. The shark itself is also unforgettable. This is a monster movie that has a real monster. And the shark is considered to be one the greatest movie monsters of all time. It stands out among the Frankensteins and Wolfmans as something that is actually real and very dangerous. Imagine seeing this movie in the theaters in 1975. It would have been terrifying. Jaws is also just a perfect Spielberg creation: it's tense, exciting, funny. There's character development as well as great action sequences. Jaws is simply a jack-of-all-trades, so to speak. It's a horror film, it's an adventure film. You've got hilarious one-liners and a couple of bloody, chewed-off limbs; you can't go wrong.

Why it's a perfect summer movie: It's set during the Fourth of July and it's just a fun, lighthearted beach flick for the whole family.