Halloween Countdown Day 7: JAWS

It’s Halloween, and Geoff is getting into the spirit by snuggling up on the couch and watching a scary movie every day until the trick-or-treaters arrive.

If you haven’t seen these movies, you should. You really, REALLY should. 

Miss any of the countdown? 

                  Day 1: My Bloody Valentine (1981)     Day 2: In the Mouth of Madness (1995)     

                  Day 3: The Walking Dead / Dead Set  Day 4: Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) 
                  Day 5: Let Me In (2010)                       Day 5: Psycho (1960) 

Day 7: JAWS (1975)

I've said it for years: Richard Kiel has DESERVED his own spin-off!"

This is it, the last of the countdown.  Glad you stuck with us! 

We've laughed we've cried, and now it's time for the pièce de résistance: JAWS. There are some out there who don't classify the 1975 classic as a horror film, and while you could argue that there is a certain "action/adventure" vibe to it, the film is by far scarier than many of the so-called "horror" films out there. 

Jaws began the era of the modern Hollywood blockbuster, taking a B-movie horror flick and transforming it into one of the most critically acclaimed films of all time.

It is hard to find a film that scared SO MANY people, and its legacy is still felt today.

OM NOM NOM NOM NOM!

The Plot in 140 characters:"Mr. Mayor can I close the beaches?" "What! Why?" "Well a shark seems to be eating everyone." "NO! I WON'T STAND FOR IT!" Shark: OM NOM NOM!

The Actual Plot: Amity police chief Martin Brody desperately wants to close the beaches after a big ol' shark decides to make the small New England town his Thanksgiving dinner. 

But the tourist town depends on the beaches for its well-being, and the town-government won't let him. So Brody, along with Richard Dreyfussand a crazy fisherman  decide they have to kill the shark themselves. 

Of course, that's easier said than done, when the 3,000 pound murderer decides that normal beach goers aren't as tasty as Brody, and Richard Dreyfuss.

Trying to make the best of a bad situation, the town's "Come see the Shark!" promotional posters turned out to be a major money maker.

Why I Love It: Jaws is one of the single scariest films of all time. To me, this movie is just a frightening as The Exorcist, and in many ways, it's better. 

Jaws brings the terror in a different way that the traiditonal horror film. Like The Birds, the scares come from the elemental forces of nature. 


Sharks, after all, are out there right now They were 79 shark attacks in America in 2000. 

When you think about it, sharks really are everything a monster should be. They attack randomly, without remorse, and operate in almost total mystery. Little is known about sharks, and the fact that they attack from the water (which, in itself, the subject of many primal fears) make them an even more terrifying force.

Terror never looked so cuddly.

Jaws sparked America's love/hate relationship with sharks, single handedly creating events like Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, as well as any number of rip-off films like Deep Blue Sea and Megalaladon.

The movie works so well because of the suspense that it builds early on. There is little seen of the shark for much of the film, allowing the audience to construct the monster in their mind before they see it. 

And when you do see the shark, it is everything that you could have imagined and more.

Using real-life shark footage, as well as the famous "Bruce" animatronic puppets, the shark is one of the single most recognizable characters in all of film, and is still one of the most frightening, even after all of these years.

Jaws is a movie that sticks with you. Compared to some of the movies we've talked about this year, it might not be a movie that terrifies you outright, but go swimming in the ocean and tell me that one small part of you isn't just a little bit afraid. 

After all, most shark attacks take place in 3 feet of water, within 10 feet from shore.

Remember that, next time you head to the beach.

That's It! Our Halloween wrap-up is over! I've already got ideas for next year, so if you'd like to contribute and suggest a movie, I'm all ears!