Discussion
ok, I'm a bit late, seeing as its 40 year old this year but I thought id ask PH, practically those who saw it in the cinema when it first came out, what was it like back then? Did it scare the s
t out of you or was it massively over hyped.
I remember watching it when I was about 5 and it utterly scared the st out of me, I think its part of the reason I'm so petrified of deep water and cant swim at the age of 27. Yet I found it utterly fascinating.
I remember going in the bath the day afterwards and being petrified that the shark would swim up to the 3rd floor of my flat, through the drainpipe and eat me in the bath, in Scotland. It scared the st out of me at the time I was like a coiled spring watching it and 20 years later I still get the primeval fear watching it. Another memory is going to Deep Sea World to see the sharks and feeling utterly sick watching them swim past.
Looking on wiki, its estimated to have made over $2 billion dollars in total over the years, it was the second highest viewed movie of all time in the uk on its first broadcast on the bbc. Its staggering just how big it was, and still is, you'd be hard pushed to find someone in the western world who doesn't recognise the theme tune or the film.
Whilst you can read loads of reviews on it, a lot now are quite scathing, saying the special effects are st. But what was it like seeing it in the middle of summer for the first time in the cinema, how did the audience take it?
t out of you or was it massively over hyped. I remember watching it when I was about 5 and it utterly scared the s
t out of me, I think its part of the reason I'm so petrified of deep water and cant swim at the age of 27. Yet I found it utterly fascinating. I remember going in the bath the day afterwards and being petrified that the shark would swim up to the 3rd floor of my flat, through the drainpipe and eat me in the bath, in Scotland. It scared the s
t out of me at the time I was like a coiled spring watching it and 20 years later I still get the primeval fear watching it. Another memory is going to Deep Sea World to see the sharks and feeling utterly sick watching them swim past. Looking on wiki, its estimated to have made over $2 billion dollars in total over the years, it was the second highest viewed movie of all time in the uk on its first broadcast on the bbc. Its staggering just how big it was, and still is, you'd be hard pushed to find someone in the western world who doesn't recognise the theme tune or the film.
Whilst you can read loads of reviews on it, a lot now are quite scathing, saying the special effects are s
t. But what was it like seeing it in the middle of summer for the first time in the cinema, how did the audience take it?Smollet said:
When I watched back in whenever it was I jumped when the head appeared. I went a week later and knowing what was coming I sat back and watched the audience. I think without exception everyone jumped about a foot out of their seats.
you were expecting the shark, I know the scene well. I jumped myself a few nights ago and Ive seen it many times. I did forget about it admittedly.motco said:
It always seemed obvious to me; if you want to avoid carnivorous fish, keep out of their dining room! There's no record of sharks attacking people in the street!
Well you obviously haven't seen that documentary on SyFy, Sharknado I think it was called. I haven't left the house since 
edit - beaten to it while typing
Jaws was brilliant when I first saw it, on TV mind. Can't believe its 40 years old, that's made me feel proper old that has. Despite the reviews mentioned in the OP I think it's aged really well.
bstb3 said:
motco said:
It always seemed obvious to me; if you want to avoid carnivorous fish, keep out of their dining room! There's no record of sharks attacking people in the street!
Well you obviously haven't seen that documentary on SyFy, Sharknado I think it was called. I haven't left the house since edit - beaten to it while typing
Jaws was brilliant when I first saw it, on TV mind. Can't believe its 40 years old, that's made me feel proper old that has. Despite the reviews mentioned in the OP I think it's aged really well.
Apparently though, the shark was horrendous on site, it kept braking, so they had to come up with the suspense of it and not feature the shark.
Did you know that more than 90% of people attacked by sharks are wet?
Anyway, I wasn't born when it came out - but I do remember watching it for the first time on TV at the age of about 5-6 when we first got a video player - Parents were a bit more, well crap, in the 80's - "I know what will keep him quiet for an hour, Jaws".
Anyway, it was scary as hell, the body in the boat didn't phase me oddly - but when you're watching it on VHS on the 'big' 21" family TV of the details go amiss.
No for me it was when the camera went through the water 'Jawscam' if you will, and of course, I know EVERYONE says the same thing, but it's true - John Williams made that film scary, not Bruce the rubber shark.
I think my brother and I watched it a few time, feet off the floor pretending the sofa was our Boat, brilliant fun.
Anyway, I wasn't born when it came out - but I do remember watching it for the first time on TV at the age of about 5-6 when we first got a video player - Parents were a bit more, well crap, in the 80's - "I know what will keep him quiet for an hour, Jaws".
Anyway, it was scary as hell, the body in the boat didn't phase me oddly - but when you're watching it on VHS on the 'big' 21" family TV of the details go amiss.
No for me it was when the camera went through the water 'Jawscam' if you will, and of course, I know EVERYONE says the same thing, but it's true - John Williams made that film scary, not Bruce the rubber shark.
I think my brother and I watched it a few time, feet off the floor pretending the sofa was our Boat, brilliant fun.
motco said:
There's no record of sharks attacking people in the street!
Really?http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2724064/
Meteor Madness said:
He was very good in American Graffiti and Close Encounters of the Third Kind too.
Of course forgot about American Graffiti. I think that was Harrison Ford's first film. Close encounters was probably half an hour too long for me so that's why it didn't really register. Blib said:
PlayersNo6 said:
First time I saw it and that head popped out the hole in the boat!
God, that was scary!!!!!I remember jumping at that point when I first saw it, a couple of months ago my 17 year old son watched it for the first time, telling me all the way through that this isn't scary, this is crap etc etc, out pops the head and he's practically over the sofa he jumped that bad! (I was sat laughing at him, well what else is a mum to do!)
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