JAWS: Scary Shit

The Success of JAWS Released June 20, 1975 Grossed: $14 million in first week (film only cost $8 million to make) $60 million in first month $260 million overall (16th on all-time list) #2 on AFI List of “100 Most Heart Pounding Movies” “Jawsmania” Impact at Beaches/On Public Psyche

What’s So Scary? Psychology Cinematic “Calculations”

1. Our Imaginations “Paradox of Fear” Argument: We are afraid because we either think we or someone else is in danger In a film, we know neither we nor anyone else are in danger Therefore: We cannot be scared by films Solution: We fear our thoughts. Shark barely shown in Jaws- left up to our imaginations (e.g. the opening attack).

2. Water Animals have a natural aversion to environments which do not support their survival. Windows of Orca were purposely widened. Steven Spielberg: “It was very important that no matter what direction my camera was turned, I didn’t want to see land. My fear was, the minute the audience saw land, they’d say, “Look, this is getting pretty intense out here, just turn the boat around and go toward that land that we keep seeing in your movie!” I wanted the audience to feel very cut off, like they couldn’t just run back to shore, cause there was no shore to run back to.”

3. The Horror Film Four Criteria: The representation of the uncanny. The representation of the monster. The mise-en-scène of violent physical assault. The mise-en-scène of “all hell breaking loose.” All present in Jaws. 1970’s: era when monsters could be, and were, best represented in movies.

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