Scariest Movie #9 –Jaws

Jaws (1975, Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss)

Don’t go in the water.

Quick Plot: In this adaptation of Peter Benchley’s bestselling novel, a series of shark attacks in the quiet resort town of Amityville causes police chief Brody to ask the town council to shut down the beaches for the public’s protection. The mayor and the townspeople want the summer tourist revenue and vote to keep the beaches open, but agree to some protective measures. So the attacks continue, and the local fishermen get caught up in a shark hunting frenzy that fails to deliver the guilty fish. Brody brings in marine biologist Hooper, who informs everyone that they’re looking for a Great White, and the local old salt, Quint, who says he’ll kill the thing for $10,000, and the three of them head out to sea in a small fishing boat on a terrifying seek-and-destroy mission.

Scariest Scene: A lot of people would say the swimming scene that opens the film, but my vote is for Quint’s haunting relation of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis — the worst shark attack in history.

Final Say: Steven Spielberg, Peter Benchley, John Williams and a stellar cast made a movie that absolutely deserves to be in the top 10 on every horror movie list. It’s not just a great scary movie, it’s a great movie period. And even though it makes you think twice about ever setting foot in the ocean, it’s a movie you can’t help but watch every time it’s on tv.