Jaws (1975) Starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw & Richard Dreyfuss Directed by Steven Spielberg Written by Peter Benchley & Carl Gottlieb

Easily one of the most feared creatures in all history is the Shark. A Millions of year of Evolution bread this fish into a dagger toothed killer that's an apex predator of the oceans. There are so many different kinds that studying them alone would take years. There's the famous Hammerhead Shark, with the oddly shaped head and unique means of hunting. Thresher sharks have a sharp tale to stab with (meaning you'll bleed at both ends). Oddly enough, the biggest shark alive, the Whale Shark, eats plankton.

However, one species stands alone among the shark world, like Rattlesnakes for Snakes and Bald Eagles among Birds, The Great While Shark stands alone amongst its fellow fish. It's easily the most perfected fish in the waters, with few enemies.

While the chances of someone actually being attacked by a Shark in general, let alone a Great White, are rare, the fear still exists. Peter Benchley would use this fear to create a novel in the 70's called "Jaws" which would later be turned into a film directed by then un-known Stephen Spielberg. The film would go down in history as one of the greatest, and is more then worthy for a SfK review.

After stripping naked, she jumps into the water while the guy simply passes out in his underwear on the beach. She swims for a while until something below her hones in. Suddenly, she is pulled by some force below her a few times and is then dragged violently. She pleads for help at first, the preys to god to end it until she's dragged under.

On the beach, the guy and Brody talk as they search the beach. The talk turns casual at first, but they then hear the whistle of his Deputy Hendricks down the beach. When they catch up, Brody finds the arm and a few other remains of the girl wrapped in fishing net and covered in crabs.

At the office, the secretary Polly arrives to find the place quit and Brody working the police report. When he gets word from the Coroner that it was a Shark Attack, he orders Polly to find all water activities that day while he leaves. He then passes by common problems of the town and heads for the local hardware store. After getting boards, paint and brushes, Hendricks arrives to warn him of boy scouts swimming. After he leaves, Mayor Larry Vaughn talks to Hendricks who fills him in.

As Brody tries to use a service ferry to get to the kids, Vaughn arrives with the Coroner, Hendricks and the local news paper reporter Harry Meadows. They then try to talk Brody out of closing the beaches, even having the Coroner changing the report. This is because Amity depends on summer swimming for finance. Brody reluctantly agrees.

A week later, most of the island is at the beach including Brody and Mrs. Kitner and her son Alex. He along with several others are swimming. Brody watches the water with fear, but eventually lightens up, even letting his older son go out. Just as he relaxes, a dog of one of the beach goers is missing while playing in the water.

Suddenly, the camera goes under the water and hones in on Alex on his raft. It's not clear, but something suddenly rises up and hits Alex and nearly everyone but his mother sees it. He's then pulled under as blood rises in the water. Brody and the townspeople quickly evacuate the water, everyone getting out, all but Alex as his raft washes on shore.

The next day, Mrs. Ketner places a bounty on the shark for $three000 and several local business owners head to City Hall for news. In the main hall, they slowly go over there plans, but when it's announced the beaches will be closed (even for only two4 hours too Brody's shock), the crowd erupts.

Suddenly they're silenced as nails scratch the chalk board in the back with a drawing of a shark. They all look to see local shark hunter Quint. He offers to hunt the shark, but says that he'll give them the shark for $one0,000 and that the future of the town will depend on him. The stunned Mayor simply takes note of it.

As the closed beaches signs are put up, Brody studies about sharks until he finds out his older son is in the sail boat they gave him on the dock (and a rather funny debate with his wife on it). While he reads up on sharks through the night, two men head out to lone dock and put one of there wives' holiday roasts on a hook with a Plastic tube and throw it out connected to a chain.

Some time later, the shark arrives and bites it. The cheer until it literally rips part of the dock off and both fall into the water. One gets back up quickly while the other is pulled out a little ways. He swims back as the dock that's pulled is suddenly turned around (the shark turning around). He just barely makes it as the dock floats ashore.

The next morning Hendricks and Brody find a storm of amateur shark hunters at the dock. Meanwhile Ben Gardner helps the Ichthyologist Matt Hooper who's been summoned to help. After some confusion, he finally manages to meet up with Brody.

While the wood-be shark hunters cause chaos on the waters, Hooper examines the remains of the girl while recording notes. After finishing, he scolds Brody and the Coroner for stating it was a Boating accident as it was a shark attack.

Back at the dock, the shark hunters have shockingly have caught and killed a shark. Both Brody and Hooper examine it (Hooper getting measurements), Quint watching from amusement on his boat "Orca". Meadows then get a picture of it while Vaughn arrives. After meeting him and confirming it's a Tiger Shark, Hooper tries to convince both Brody and Vaughn to cut it open to confirm it as the bit radius doesn't match the victim's wounds. Brody supports it but the mayor simply wants to be done with it.

The celebration is suddenly cut short as Mrs. Ketner confronts Brody and slaps him. She then tells him that she knows about the girl who was killed and he knew about it. He knew the shark was out there and result was her son's death. Vaughn tries to tell him she's wrong but he says she isn't.

At home that night, Brody finishes dinner and does scary faces with his younger son to ease his pain. Hooper then arrives and offers some wine and talk with him. His wife Ellen and Hooper start talking and he tells her of and incident where a baby shark destroyed his boat as a kid and his love for them began. Ellen also talks about Brody's fear of water before the talk goes to the shark. After asking about some of the stuff he's read, Brody and Hooper agree to cut the shark open that night.

Down at the dock, Hooper cuts open while Brody holds the light and white substance spills out. He starts pulling out dead fish and some garbage, but finds nothing of the child. There fears are then confirmed, that the real killer is still swimming out there.

After getting drunk enough, Brody and Hooper go out on his research boat. After some comedic discussion of Brody's fears and Hooper's wealth, his equipment spots something. Tracking it down, they find Ben Gardner's boat all banged up and damaged. Hooper dives down and finds a hole in the whole with a giant shark tooth in it. After looking deeper, he finds the dead body of Gardner inside and flees back to the top.

The next day, they both make there case to Vaughn, but as they don't have any hard evidence he maintains it's in the towns best interest to stay open of the 4th of July and is more interested in the local Amity sign being painted on. They make one last plea, but he doesn't budge, although gives them the OK to patrol for Safety.

The Next day, Amity is stormed with tourists while Brody and Hooper desperately scramble to get watch guard ready. As the beaches fill to capacity, several guard boats and watchers from shore are established. However at first no one is willing to swim until the Mayor convinces a family to go in. Soon the beach is emptied and filled. However, Brody convinces his son to take his sail boat into the bond with his friends.

Not long though, a shark fin is spotted in the water. As the guards see it and alarms blare, the hundreds of swimmers flee in fear and hysteria. However, when the narrow in on the shark, it turns out to be two kids with a fake shark fin.

As the beach recovers, a woman spots the fin of the real shark as it enters the pond. At first Brody and the rest don't buy it but suddenly see the fin and tail in the water and relies it's for real. In the pond, the shark bumps into his son's boat along with another guy's boat. His son watches as the shark bites off the man's leg and pulls him under. Brody then pulls helps his son's friends get him ashore, him in shock while the shark swims away.

At the hospital, they're told he'll be fin and is put into a room. After Ellen takes there younger son home, Brody takes a shocked and confused Vaughn to the side alone and demands they sign a contract for Quint. The Mayor, worried about the town, signs it.

As Hooper and Brody join Quint at his dock house, they walk in to find it decorated with shark teeth he's collected. Hooper requests to go with Quint, but is questioned do to his city life and young new age ego. Brody manages to prevent a fight and requests he join as well.

At the dock the next day, Quint mocks Hooper's expensive equipment, although finds his Anti-Shark cage fascinating. Brody arrives with his wife and bids her farewell, her more worried since it's the colorful (and scary) Quint. The three then set sale out of the harbor.

Out in the ocean, Brody has the fun job of chumming dead fish since he has no boat experience. He nearly breaks the scuba tanks getting a marker and gets a lashing from Hooper over it as they could explode easily.

Later that day while Hooper is working on something and Brody is practicing knots, Quint's fishing reel suddenly starts to slowly pull. Attaching it to his harness chair, he gets ready for it to run (which it does when Brody celebrates getting a knot). Quint battles to pull it up, but Hooper questions weather or not it's a shark.

While Quint prepares, Hooper and Brody prepare the Reel (much to Hooper's frustration). However, before they finish it bites through the Piano wire Quint fishes with. From this, Hooper and Quint still remain heated with each other.

Even later in the day, Quint has Brody chum again much to his frustration. However, after venting his anger, he's shocked to see the massive head of the shark pop out of the water at the Chum. Brody slowly goes to Quint and warns "You gonna need a Bigger Boat".

Hooper and Quint then watch as an estimated two5ft, three ton Great White swims past the boat. While Brody and Hooper watch (Hooper getting pics), Quint prepares his harpoon gun and gets a radio call from Amity about Brody's wife. Qunt quickly ends the call and hurries out.

Taking position, Quint has Hooper tie on a weight barrel, although rather late since Hooper was busy trying to get his gadgets ready. He then manages to shoot the shark and get a barrel attached, adding weight. They chase it but eventually the shark goes under. Too Brody's dismay, Quint has them stay out the night.

That night, all three eat dinner and have some drinks. After getting a little drunk, Hooper and Quint compares scars from numerous injuries, all while having a laugh at it. Brody asks about scar on his arm, but the laughter ends when they learn it was a tattoo of the USS Indianapolis which he served on.

Quint goes on to explain to the two that his vessel was the ship responsible for delivering the Hiroshima bomb, but do to the secrecy of the mission, no distress call was sent when a Japanese sub torpedoed the vessel. That was only the beginning as sharks started to come in for the food and for nearly a week, the men where picked off one by one. He mentions at the end that he'll never wear a life jacket cause of it, and Brody Hooper just watch in silence and awe as they relies why he's a shark hunter now.

Afterwards, they begin to sing a rather drunk and fun song until the barrel and the shark arrive. Slamming into the side and breaking water in, the three rush to get the ship started reverse the damage. After the power dies and they're left in darkness, Quint in a rage takes out his rifle and tries to shoot the shark to no affect.

The next morning, Quint and Hooper are busy fixing the engines when Brody spots the barrel floating to the stern. Hooper and Quint get a hook and start to collect the rope to attach to the boat, but the shark suddenly rises up and pulls the line back before they can.

Desperate, Brody goes inside the cabin to use the radio to contact the land, but Quint won't have it. Before he can contact any, Quint takes a bat and destroys it, to the anger of Brody.

Before they can fight about it though, Hooper points out that the shark is returning again. Managing to hook another barrel to him, they then chase it for a while until Qunt can shoot it again, getting two barrels on him. To there shock, it manages to go down with two.

After the barrels are spotted again, Hooper and Brody hook them and tie them to the cleats at the stern (Hooper nearly hurt by one of the ropes). Now attached, Quint starts to pull the shark until they find they're losing the Cleats. Attaching another line, he shoots another barrel line onto him and attaches a threerd.

Before they can untie the ropes, the shark then starts to run and tows the boat along with them. Quint is about to chop the line but the cleats give way first.

After pumping the water out and believing that three barrels are too much for the shark, the three prepare to move until suddenly he pulls the barrels under. They're left in awe struck until the shark rises from below and nearly knocks the boat over. Quint finally decides to head into land since the Shark is chasing them and drown him in the shallow waters.

Having grown an Ahab like obsession, Quint pushes the engines harder then they should, much to Hooper's frustration. Finally, black smoke starts to rise from below and the engines explode, leaving them completely stranded as the shark circles.

Seeing that all his means are done with, Quint finally turns to Hooper and his gadgets. Much to Brody's frustration, they agree to set up the Shark Cage and for Hooper to go under with a poison filled harpoon. Slowly and fearfully, the cage is lowered into the water.

Once down, Hooper spots the shark passing by. Preparing the Harpoon, he gets ready for its return. To his horror though, the shark rams into the cage from behind and he loses the Harpoon. Now trapped below the surface, Hooper watches in panic as the Shark rams into the cage forces its head in. Hooper tries desperately to stab it, but that has no affect. Finally, the attack pens the top and he slips out, swimming to the bottom of the seabed while the shark destroys the cage.

After the crane breaks, Brody and Quint manage to repair it enough to pull the cage back up, but only finds it half destroyed and empty.

Before they can mourn though, the shark suddenly launches itself up onto the back of the boat and breaks it apart; Quint and Brody try desperately to hide in the cabin, but Quint slides out. Kicking and fighting, he tries to avoid the jaws of the shark, but it manages to get a bite on his legs and then into his stomach. Brody then watches in horror as the shark bites and thrashes Quint around in a bloody mess before taking him under.

Trapped inside the cabin as the boat sinks, Brody looks to escape when the shark smashes through the wall, pieces of Quint's cloths still in its teeth. As the only weapon, Brody uses the spare oxygen tank as a weapon and throws it into its mouth, getting the shark to leave.

Getting out and onto the bridge, Brody arms himself with Quint's rifle and a long fish poker and climbs to the crows nest. Once up, the shark comes up below. He tries stabbing it, but that does nothing and he loses the poker.

In one last ditch effort as the shark charges him (the crows nest now very close to the water), Brody fires desperately, hoping to hit the tank that's still in its mouth. Several shots miss and when the Shark is about to hit him, he says "Smile you son of a bitch!" and shoots the tank, causing it to explode.

The shark, now missing the top of its head, sinks to the bottom as blood pours into the ocean. Brody laughs as he's finally killed the menace to his town. Seeing the damage, Hooper arrives and surprises Brody. After confirming Quint didn't make it, they gather up some of the barrels and swims for land. Along the way, Brody mentions he used to hate the water.

Fun Facts

The original novel "Jaws" was a lot different, with half the novel not even focused on the Shark. Examples are: Brody and Ellen are having marriage problems, the Mayor has mob trouble instead of the town's interest, reporter Meadows had a larger role, Hooper and Ellen actually have an affair, the three go out several days and return at night, Hooper actually dies in the cage, Quint dies from being dragged under with his foot tied in a rope stuck in the shark and drowns, and The shark actually dies from blood loss while Brody survives on luck.

There where three sequels made, Spielberg and Benchly not having anything to do with them.

The first sequel takes place 4 years later as another shark returns and Brody suspects as much. But a new town council doesn't believe him and after an incident at the beach, Brody loses his job. He then has to go alone to save not only a bunch of teens, but his two sons as well who're trapped out at sea.

The second sequel has Brody's oldest son working at Seaworld Florida with his lover and his younger brother arriving for a visit. They discover a Great White and manage to capture it, but it dies. However, they learn it was a baby and that the mother, a three5ft behemoth, is in the park and is hungry. This was shot in threeD. It's also the only film to not happen at Amity.

The final film avoids the third one completely. In it, Brody has died from a heart attack and his youngest son is now the sheriff. However, when he goes out to take care of a log in the bay, shark suddenly attacks and kills him. Ellen, grief stricken, goes to stay with her oldest in the Bahamas where he works but fears the shark is stalking them for revenge, that the fear killed Brody, it killed her son and is now out for the oldest.

Personally, I'd rate the films as follows: Jaws two: Good on its own, but no where near as great as the first. Jaws threeD: Almost a monster flick from the shark's size, I'd say it's so bad it's good. Jaws - The Revenge: Cheesy as the last, but not in a good way, easily the worse.

This would start a craze of giant animal killer films, examples including Grizzly, Orca, Alligator and Tentacles (A giant octopus).

Two video games where made, one on NES and the other on modern day councils.

There's a ride at Universal Studios based on this film.

The film has ranked high on several top horror movie lists.

Peter Benchley would regret making this film and novel as it built up the fear on sharks. He made it his life's work to reverse the fear on it.

In 2006, a survey did an estimate of unprovoked fatal shark attacks between 2001 and then, only four where found. Just an idea at how many people truly die from attacks, if they even are attacked.

My rating is R (one0-oneone)

Reason: I'm not gonna lie, I think I'm kind of cheating here. There wasn't a lot of swear words, but there's a decent amount of blood and body parts. There's also a part where you almost see a naked woman's beaver (the first victim swimming naked). And there are some scary and tense moments too.

So why not a higher rating? Well, it's common knowledge that his film is iconic and legendary. I consider it being a staple in horror history a reason to lower the rating. And to be honest, I think the youngest I was when I first saw this was five, even younger then the G rating I have. So just this once, we'll let the rating slide.

Next issue, we explore a legendary monster that's right up there with Frankenstein's monster, Dracula and the Wolf Man. Until then, enjoy!