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Movies , Steven Spielberg , TV Shows , Dvds , Jaws , Entertainment NewsReact
Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyDVDs: Is "Jaws" The Most
Influential Film of All Time?
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JAWS UNIVERSAL 100TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION ($29.98 BluRay combo; Universal)
THE JAWS LOG ($16.99; Newmarket Press) -- Few films if any have proven so influential in so many
areas of the movie industry as Jaws . It established Steven Spielberg as the wunderkind filmmaker; he
would go on to become the most well-known and popular filmmaker since Alfred Hitchcock. Jaws
pioneered the wide release approach to distribution which -- combined with TV ads, another majorinnovation, given their frequency and effectiveness -- is the template for most studio films today.
It turned summer into the prime time for major movies, which seems obvious now (kids are out of
school! people want to avoid the heat!) but back then summer was for dumping schlock. It shot on
location on the water, something that studios avoided like the plague for 70 years until Spielberg came
along and decided that was the only way to make it right. Jaws pushed the boundaries on technology and
far more importantly demonstrated how creativity and cleverness were far more important than special
effects.
It turned composer John Williams into a pop star, the most recognizable composer of his era and
probably in history, just as Spielberg is the most famous filmmaker of our times. The music entered popculture forever.
The making-of book by Carl Gottlieg which was tossed off almost as an afterthought, is a model of its
kind. The Jaws Log -- which I read for the first time this month -- must have been revelatory in the
1970s for its peek behind the scenes. Audiences today are much savvier and I do wish more time werespent on creative decisions. But as a record of how movies are made and life on the set, it is great fun and
as accurate today as it was then. (Just add some zeros to the various costs involved.)
Jaws was the first film released on laserdisc in North America. The making-of documentary by Laurent
Bouzereau in a later laser disc edition also set a high standard. The film has been celebrated and
discussed online by fervent fans since the internet began and in fact a new documentary called The SharkIs Still Working is a crowd-sourced labor of love kickstarted by that online community and in the works
for seven years. Testimonials from numerous younger filmmakers prove what a seismic effect it had onHollywood's future generations. Both documentaries are available on this new BluRay edition.
In short, jaws changed the way movies are made, when they're released, how they're released, how they
are marketed and sold, how they're packaged for home entertainment and how they're remembered
online. As a bonus, it's also a great film -- adult, smart, terrifically fun and filled with marvelousperformances from Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider on down.
None of this would matter half as much to most people if the movie itself weren't indeed Hitchcockian in
its innately cinematic approach to telling the primal story of a monster on the loose. Other films willalways rank higher on the list of all-time best films. (Heck, it's not even my favorite Spielberg movie.)But Jaws in many ways can lay claim to the most influential movie in Hollywood's history.
Dr. Peggy Drexler
Why It’s Important To Let Your
Child Make Mistakes
Gary Hart
Welcome to the American
Republic, Mr. Eastwood
TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 8
MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1 of 2
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LA PROMESSE ($39.95 BluRay; Criterion)
ROSETTA ($39.95 BluRay; Criterion) -- Since 1996, the Dardenne brothers have delivered six feature
films. (Their careers began with documentaries in the 1970s and they've made one or two in that time as
well, not to mention a short or two.) I suppose different critics would debate which of those films is thebest. I, for one, think Lorna's Silence is the weak link. The other five all made my list of the best films of
the year when they were released. As a body of work, those six films are simply astonishing. It's clear theDardenne brothers are easily among the most talented filmmakers in the world working in the lastdecade and a half.
Their debut feature La Promesse is an excellent starting point. Like all their films, it focuses on people in
the margins, in this case a teenage boy who slowly comes to realize his father isn't merely partnering with
undocumented workers but taking horrible advantage of them. It's a moral awakening with the force of
Huck Finn's in Mark Twain's classic and painful and wonderful to watch.
Moving on with Rosetta , again and again the Dardennes use handheld cameras to stay right on top of
their characters, inexorably drawing us down into their world like a whirlpool of emotion. We meet
Rosetta as she desperately strives to support herself and her drunken mother. We see each painfuldecision leading to the next and the next. How easily the poor and vulnerable can slide into despair.
The movies are gripping and rich, from La Promesse to their current marvel The Kid With A Bike . You
owe it to yourself to see their films and Criterion's editions, presented with care and thoughtful extras like
interviews with the filmmakers and actors, are the ideal place to begin.
Movies
Most Popular
Television
Golf
Conde Nast
Detroit Sports
Karl Rove
Serena
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COMMUNITY THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON ($45.99 DVD; Sony)
DEXTER THE SIXTH SEASON ($54.99 DVD; Showtime/CBS)
DANCE MOMS SEASON ONE ($ DVD; Lifetime)
VEGAS THE THIRD SEASON VOLUME TWO ($ DVD; CBS/Paramount) -- The third season will
always be the "final" season for many fans of Community , now that NBC has dumped the show's creator
Dan Harmon. At least he went out with its nutty, self-referential, TV-spoofing flag waving high. Dexter is
still going though it should have called it a day a season ago, when Dexter had seemingly found the
perfect damaged girlfriend. I couldn't bear to watch this season yet when the series that had pushed its
premise far beyond what I imagined had clearly found the ideal ending. But it's very very hard to walkaway from a hit and they're going to keep on going and I'll eventually give in and see how they've handledthe pressure. Yet another terrific season-defining poster image, by the way. The women involved inDance Moms really should take a look in the mirror -- when you're more hateful than a serial killer
(albeit a lovable serial killer played by Michael C. Hall), something is dreadfully wrong with how youbehave yourself on camera. A guilty pleasure for some, but just tiresome and annoying to me. Vegas was
a modest hit series back in the day and like most shows of its ilk from the late 1970s/early 1980s, it hasnot aged well. But Robert Urich leaves no doubt as to why he has been a major TV star for so long: thecamera simply likes some people more than others and he is one of them.
PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY ($29.95 DVD; Docurama) -- This series is messy and long and
frustrating and absorbing and angry and triumphant. It has taken up almost 20 years of the filmmakers'time to find justice for the West Memphis Three and the simple fact that you might know the name "theWest Memphis Three" is a testament to their work. And it actually changed lives. What more powerfulwords could a documentary filmmaker hope for? Any caveats about structure and the rambling nature ofsome episodes pale beside that fact. And overall, the films are a hypnotic look at the criminal justicesystem and the fact that no laws or good intentions can keep a community from looking the other way ordemanding blind justice because a terrible crime has been committed. Ultimately, only vigilance canensure justice is done. And that's exactly what these films have provided.
GROSSE POINT BLANK ($20 BluRay; Hollywood/Disney)
BOUND ($29.95 BluRay; Olive/Paramount)
ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING ($20 BluRay; Touchstone/Disney) -- A deliciously offbeat crowd-
pleaser from John Cusack, Grosse Pointe Blank is the nutty story of an assassin who ends up attending
his high school reunion while on the job and falling in love all over again with the one that got away,Minnie Driver. Here's hoping the seven or so films he's completed or working on or about to work on willpull Cusack out of his rut and back on top as one of the most interesting and smart actors of hisgeneration. Bound is a nifty B movie caper with sapphic overtones. It's tremendous fun and gave Jennifer
Tilly one of her best showcases ever. You knew the Wachowskis were ones to watch but it took Joel Silver
to say, Hey, here's a ton of money. Go make a sci-fi spectacle. Finally, I probably overpraised Adventures
in Babysitting a tad when it came out and I'm almost afraid to rewatch this trifle and see how it's dated.
But boy Elizabeth Shue was adorable in it. I was certainly right about her.
FOLLOW ENTERTAINMENT
THE FORSYTE SAGA COLLECTION ($79.99 DVD; Acorn)
KORCZAK ($29.95 DVD; Kino)
LES VAMPIRES ($34.95 DVD; Kino) -- Anyone who has become enamored of Damian Lewis because
of Showtime's acclaimed Homeland should of course check out Band Of Brothers and this high-toned
soap opera. The original Forstye Saga was a groundbreaker, albeit a creaky one by today's standards.
This remake is essentially unnecessary but polished fun, with a top notch cast including Lewis and the
always indispensable Rupert Graves. I'm just catching up with the great director Andrzej Wajda and hisextraordinary body of work. Here's another gem -- Korczak , from 1990 when it shouldn't have missed my
attention. It's the true story of a man who ran an orphanage for Jewish orphans who stood by his
children after the Nazis came. Sad and beautiful. Finally, for pure cinematic fun Les Vampires is one of
the landmark serials that prove the format was not just for silly escapism but could in fact contain
significant works of art. The battle-scarred landscape alone (courtesy of WW I) makes this a valuable
work but the 10 part gangster tale will grip you all on its own.
*****
Most titles listed here will be available in multiple formats and in multiple combinations, including
DVD, Blu-ray, digital download, video on demand, streaming and the like. The format listed is theformat provided for review, not all the formats available. It is often the most expensive version with themost extras. Do check individual titles for availability in all their various guises and price points.
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast that
reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion
makers as guests. It's available for free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog .
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also
available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Note : Michael Giltz is provided with free copies of DVDs and Blu-rays with the understanding that he
would be considering them for review. Generally, he does not guarantee to review and he receives far
more titles than he can cover.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
Like 75k GET ALERTS
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10:14 PM on 08/21/2012
I love films that practically invent a brand new genre. Jaws is one of them. Alien
10:08 AM on 08/18/2012
Yep, you are right. Jaws is responsible for everything that came after it. It is pretty much of a
B.C./A.D. marking point. And much of what came after it was horrible, while much of what camebefore it was great. So, Jaws, Steven, Mr. Williams, etc., not to mention author Mr. Benchley; you
accomplished something absolutely amazing and you did it to the hilt. Now please go back and
UNDO it.
10:02 AM on 08/17/2012
imho, Jaws set the bar for summer blockbusters. According to 1975 ticket sales, it was the highestgrossing movie, during the summer, for a long time.. Hence, how summer blockbuster got it's titlefrom... Jaws was also the first to film in the real ocean.. So many studios wanted to play it safe and
use a large pool, but Steven Spielberg was adamant that they go in the salt water, to make it more
authentic.. It was pretty much the introduction (at least for me, as I was only 11 back then) toRichard Dreyfuss, such a gifted actor, that would go on to make a couple dozen more movies! lolRecency | Popularity
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02:18 PM on 08/17/2012
I ran out of room but you're definitely right about the movie launching Dreyfuss into the
stratosphere where he would remain for years, with Close Encounters of the Third Kind,The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway, Down & Out In Beverly Hills, Tin Men andbeyond.
04:54 AM on 08/17/2012
Maybe Lawrence of Arabia? It sure made me understand the cut throat, murdering, mentality of the
middle east.
02:15 PM on 08/17/2012
Thanks for commenting. Of course, please note that I am not discussing the most
artistically satisfying movies of all time, but the most influential in terms of the moviebusiness. Lawrence of Arabia is a great film but it's one in a long line of epics of that sort,
though most not made with such artistry and success. I can't think of any particular impact
of Lawrence beyond making a star forever of Peter O'Toole and being the latest successfor David Lean. It wasn't an independent production, for example, nor did it mark an actoror director breaking away from a studio system or demanding a cut of the grosses, likeJimmy Stewart in his westerns. "Jaws" was so influential in so many areas ("Star Wars"came in its wake) that I'm hard-pressed to find its equal. But as a film, Lawrence of Arabia
is indeed a masterpiece.
04:06 PM on 08/17/2012
Well said Michael!
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Featuring fresh takes and real-time analysis from
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Michael Giltz
Freelance writerGET UPDATES FROM MICHAEL GILTZ
Follow
Movies , Steven Spielberg , TV Shows , Dvds , Jaws , Entertainment NewsReact
Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyDVDs: Is "Jaws" The Most
Influential Film of All Time?
MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2
Mitt Romney To Flood Victim:
'Go Home And Call 211'
Former 'SNL' Star Makes
Shocking Comments About
Rape And Gay Friends
Paul Ryan Admits Marathon
Lie
What's Up With Those
Circular Marks On Curiosity?
Celebs React To Eastwood's
Wild SPeech
Eastwood Misfires
WATCH: Rachel Maddow At A
Loss For Words After Clint
Eastwood's RNC Speech
Sarah Palin May Be Done At
Fox News: Report
35 Awesome 'Simpsons' GIFs
DON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS 1 of 5FOLLOW USCelebrity TV Political Hollywood Features Hollywood Buzz Videos
September 1, 2012
Edition: U.S.
FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA CELEBRITY TV COMEDY FOOD STYLE ARTS BOOKS LIVE ALL SECTIONS
Dr. Peggy Drexler Gary Hart
Rep. Dennis Kucinich Kevin MaurerHOT ON THE BLOG
HuffPost Social Reading
Like 107
Posted: 08/17/2012 3:58 am
SHARE THIS STORY
Submit this storyLike 6k
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JAWS UNIVERSAL 100TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION ($29.98 BluRay combo; Universal)
THE JAWS LOG ($16.99; Newmarket Press) -- Few films if any have proven so influential in so many
areas of the movie industry as Jaws . It established Steven Spielberg as the wunderkind filmmaker; he
would go on to become the most well-known and popular filmmaker since Alfred Hitchcock. Jaws
pioneered the wide release approach to distribution which -- combined with TV ads, another majorinnovation, given their frequency and effectiveness -- is the template for most studio films today.
It turned summer into the prime time for major movies, which seems obvious now (kids are out of
school! people want to avoid the heat!) but back then summer was for dumping schlock. It shot on
location on the water, something that studios avoided like the plague for 70 years until Spielberg came
along and decided that was the only way to make it right. Jaws pushed the boundaries on technology and
far more importantly demonstrated how creativity and cleverness were far more important than special
effects.
It turned composer John Williams into a pop star, the most recognizable composer of his era and
probably in history, just as Spielberg is the most famous filmmaker of our times. The music entered popculture forever.
The making-of book by Carl Gottlieg which was tossed off almost as an afterthought, is a model of its
kind. The Jaws Log -- which I read for the first time this month -- must have been revelatory in the
1970s for its peek behind the scenes. Audiences today are much savvier and I do wish more time werespent on creative decisions. But as a record of how movies are made and life on the set, it is great fun and
as accurate today as it was then. (Just add some zeros to the various costs involved.)
Jaws was the first film released on laserdisc in North America. The making-of documentary by Laurent
Bouzereau in a later laser disc edition also set a high standard. The film has been celebrated and
discussed online by fervent fans since the internet began and in fact a new documentary called The SharkIs Still Working is a crowd-sourced labor of love kickstarted by that online community and in the works
for seven years. Testimonials from numerous younger filmmakers prove what a seismic effect it had onHollywood's future generations. Both documentaries are available on this new BluRay edition.
In short, jaws changed the way movies are made, when they're released, how they're released, how they
are marketed and sold, how they're packaged for home entertainment and how they're remembered
online. As a bonus, it's also a great film -- adult, smart, terrifically fun and filled with marvelousperformances from Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider on down.
None of this would matter half as much to most people if the movie itself weren't indeed Hitchcockian in
its innately cinematic approach to telling the primal story of a monster on the loose. Other films willalways rank higher on the list of all-time best films. (Heck, it's not even my favorite Spielberg movie.)But Jaws in many ways can lay claim to the most influential movie in Hollywood's history.
Dr. Peggy Drexler
Why It’s Important To Let Your
Child Make Mistakes
Gary Hart
Welcome to the American
Republic, Mr. Eastwood
TOP VIDEO PICKS 1 of 8
MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW 1 of 2
HOT ON TWITTER 1 of 2
HUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGESWhat Is Gene Simmons Doing
With His Lips
Colin Ferguson Shows Up
At LA Premiere
Spencer Matthews Talks
About The Bachelor Winner
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PETA: Rihanna And Lady
Gaga Are 'Freaks'
Celebs React To
Eastwood's Wild SPeech
aol
RetweetIn honor of Labor Day, here are
some of TV's hardest workers
http://t.co/XTjvtfGy via @HuffPostTV
aol
RetweetStaying in this Labor Day
Weekend? Here's what to watch onTV http://t.co/Ygqtb4U6 via
@HuffPostTV
LA PROMESSE ($39.95 BluRay; Criterion)
ROSETTA ($39.95 BluRay; Criterion) -- Since 1996, the Dardenne brothers have delivered six feature
films. (Their careers began with documentaries in the 1970s and they've made one or two in that time as
well, not to mention a short or two.) I suppose different critics would debate which of those films is thebest. I, for one, think Lorna's Silence is the weak link. The other five all made my list of the best films of
the year when they were released. As a body of work, those six films are simply astonishing. It's clear theDardenne brothers are easily among the most talented filmmakers in the world working in the lastdecade and a half.
Their debut feature La Promesse is an excellent starting point. Like all their films, it focuses on people in
the margins, in this case a teenage boy who slowly comes to realize his father isn't merely partnering with
undocumented workers but taking horrible advantage of them. It's a moral awakening with the force of
Huck Finn's in Mark Twain's classic and painful and wonderful to watch.
Moving on with Rosetta , again and again the Dardennes use handheld cameras to stay right on top of
their characters, inexorably drawing us down into their world like a whirlpool of emotion. We meet
Rosetta as she desperately strives to support herself and her drunken mother. We see each painfuldecision leading to the next and the next. How easily the poor and vulnerable can slide into despair.
The movies are gripping and rich, from La Promesse to their current marvel The Kid With A Bike . You
owe it to yourself to see their films and Criterion's editions, presented with care and thoughtful extras like
interviews with the filmmakers and actors, are the ideal place to begin.
Movies
Most Popular
Television
Golf
Conde Nast
Detroit Sports
Karl Rove
Serena
Williams
Barack Obama
MORE BIG NEWS PAGES »
COMMUNITY THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON ($45.99 DVD; Sony)
DEXTER THE SIXTH SEASON ($54.99 DVD; Showtime/CBS)
DANCE MOMS SEASON ONE ($ DVD; Lifetime)
VEGAS THE THIRD SEASON VOLUME TWO ($ DVD; CBS/Paramount) -- The third season will
always be the "final" season for many fans of Community , now that NBC has dumped the show's creator
Dan Harmon. At least he went out with its nutty, self-referential, TV-spoofing flag waving high. Dexter is
still going though it should have called it a day a season ago, when Dexter had seemingly found the
perfect damaged girlfriend. I couldn't bear to watch this season yet when the series that had pushed its
premise far beyond what I imagined had clearly found the ideal ending. But it's very very hard to walkaway from a hit and they're going to keep on going and I'll eventually give in and see how they've handledthe pressure. Yet another terrific season-defining poster image, by the way. The women involved inDance Moms really should take a look in the mirror -- when you're more hateful than a serial killer
(albeit a lovable serial killer played by Michael C. Hall), something is dreadfully wrong with how youbehave yourself on camera. A guilty pleasure for some, but just tiresome and annoying to me. Vegas was
a modest hit series back in the day and like most shows of its ilk from the late 1970s/early 1980s, it hasnot aged well. But Robert Urich leaves no doubt as to why he has been a major TV star for so long: thecamera simply likes some people more than others and he is one of them.
PARADISE LOST 3: PURGATORY ($29.95 DVD; Docurama) -- This series is messy and long and
frustrating and absorbing and angry and triumphant. It has taken up almost 20 years of the filmmakers'time to find justice for the West Memphis Three and the simple fact that you might know the name "theWest Memphis Three" is a testament to their work. And it actually changed lives. What more powerfulwords could a documentary filmmaker hope for? Any caveats about structure and the rambling nature ofsome episodes pale beside that fact. And overall, the films are a hypnotic look at the criminal justicesystem and the fact that no laws or good intentions can keep a community from looking the other way ordemanding blind justice because a terrible crime has been committed. Ultimately, only vigilance canensure justice is done. And that's exactly what these films have provided.
GROSSE POINT BLANK ($20 BluRay; Hollywood/Disney)
BOUND ($29.95 BluRay; Olive/Paramount)
ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING ($20 BluRay; Touchstone/Disney) -- A deliciously offbeat crowd-
pleaser from John Cusack, Grosse Pointe Blank is the nutty story of an assassin who ends up attending
his high school reunion while on the job and falling in love all over again with the one that got away,Minnie Driver. Here's hoping the seven or so films he's completed or working on or about to work on willpull Cusack out of his rut and back on top as one of the most interesting and smart actors of hisgeneration. Bound is a nifty B movie caper with sapphic overtones. It's tremendous fun and gave Jennifer
Tilly one of her best showcases ever. You knew the Wachowskis were ones to watch but it took Joel Silver
to say, Hey, here's a ton of money. Go make a sci-fi spectacle. Finally, I probably overpraised Adventures
in Babysitting a tad when it came out and I'm almost afraid to rewatch this trifle and see how it's dated.
But boy Elizabeth Shue was adorable in it. I was certainly right about her.
FOLLOW ENTERTAINMENT
THE FORSYTE SAGA COLLECTION ($79.99 DVD; Acorn)
KORCZAK ($29.95 DVD; Kino)
LES VAMPIRES ($34.95 DVD; Kino) -- Anyone who has become enamored of Damian Lewis because
of Showtime's acclaimed Homeland should of course check out Band Of Brothers and this high-toned
soap opera. The original Forstye Saga was a groundbreaker, albeit a creaky one by today's standards.
This remake is essentially unnecessary but polished fun, with a top notch cast including Lewis and the
always indispensable Rupert Graves. I'm just catching up with the great director Andrzej Wajda and hisextraordinary body of work. Here's another gem -- Korczak , from 1990 when it shouldn't have missed my
attention. It's the true story of a man who ran an orphanage for Jewish orphans who stood by his
children after the Nazis came. Sad and beautiful. Finally, for pure cinematic fun Les Vampires is one of
the landmark serials that prove the format was not just for silly escapism but could in fact contain
significant works of art. The battle-scarred landscape alone (courtesy of WW I) makes this a valuable
work but the 10 part gangster tale will grip you all on its own.
*****
Most titles listed here will be available in multiple formats and in multiple combinations, including
DVD, Blu-ray, digital download, video on demand, streaming and the like. The format listed is theformat provided for review, not all the formats available. It is often the most expensive version with themost extras. Do check individual titles for availability in all their various guises and price points.
Thanks for reading. Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox , a weekly pop culture podcast that
reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion
makers as guests. It's available for free on iTunes. Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog .
Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also
available for free on iTunes. Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews.
Note : Michael Giltz is provided with free copies of DVDs and Blu-rays with the understanding that he
would be considering them for review. Generally, he does not guarantee to review and he receives far
more titles than he can cover.
Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz
Like 75k GET ALERTS
This user has chosen to opt out of the Badges program
Kellan Lutz On
'Twilight': 'I Didn't
Like...
Guy Pearce
'Prometheus'
Deleted Scene:
'They Could...
Review: Little Birds
Never Soars High...
'The Hobbit: There
And Back Again'
Trilogy...More in Entertainment...
10:14 PM on 08/21/2012
I love films that practically invent a brand new genre. Jaws is one of them. Alien
10:08 AM on 08/18/2012
Yep, you are right. Jaws is responsible for everything that came after it. It is pretty much of a
B.C./A.D. marking point. And much of what came after it was horrible, while much of what camebefore it was great. So, Jaws, Steven, Mr. Williams, etc., not to mention author Mr. Benchley; you
accomplished something absolutely amazing and you did it to the hilt. Now please go back and
UNDO it.
10:02 AM on 08/17/2012
imho, Jaws set the bar for summer blockbusters. According to 1975 ticket sales, it was the highestgrossing movie, during the summer, for a long time.. Hence, how summer blockbuster got it's titlefrom... Jaws was also the first to film in the real ocean.. So many studios wanted to play it safe and
use a large pool, but Steven Spielberg was adamant that they go in the salt water, to make it more
authentic.. It was pretty much the introduction (at least for me, as I was only 11 back then) toRichard Dreyfuss, such a gifted actor, that would go on to make a couple dozen more movies! lolRecency | Popularity
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02:18 PM on 08/17/2012
I ran out of room but you're definitely right about the movie launching Dreyfuss into the
stratosphere where he would remain for years, with Close Encounters of the Third Kind,The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway, Down & Out In Beverly Hills, Tin Men andbeyond.
04:54 AM on 08/17/2012
Maybe Lawrence of Arabia? It sure made me understand the cut throat, murdering, mentality of the
middle east.
02:15 PM on 08/17/2012
Thanks for commenting. Of course, please note that I am not discussing the most
artistically satisfying movies of all time, but the most influential in terms of the moviebusiness. Lawrence of Arabia is a great film but it's one in a long line of epics of that sort,
though most not made with such artistry and success. I can't think of any particular impact
of Lawrence beyond making a star forever of Peter O'Toole and being the latest successfor David Lean. It wasn't an independent production, for example, nor did it mark an actoror director breaking away from a studio system or demanding a cut of the grosses, likeJimmy Stewart in his westerns. "Jaws" was so influential in so many areas ("Star Wars"came in its wake) that I'm hard-pressed to find its equal. But as a film, Lawrence of Arabia
is indeed a masterpiece.
04:06 PM on 08/17/2012
Well said Michael!
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