About JAWS
History-Making. “Jaws” was the first movie to gross $100 million at the US box office. It was the highest grossing film of all time until 1977, when it was surpassed by “Star Wars.”
Hugely Profitable. Made for $7 million, “Jaws” eventually grossed $260 million domestically and $470 million worldwide.
A Blockbuster. “Jaws” opened in 465 theaters, and in an astonishing 78 days it had already dethroned “The Godfather” at the box office. (By comparison, it took more than 25 years for “Gone With the Wind” to be knocked out of the top spot by “The Sound of Music” in 1965.) “Jaws” is regarded as a watershed film in motion picture history, the father of the summer blockbuster film and one of the first “high concept” films. Because of the film's success in advance screenings, studio executives decided to distribute it in a much wider release pattern than ever before employed.
A Classic. As a piece of popular culture, the influences of “Jaws”—both on the screen and, unfortunately, off—cannot be denied or overemphasized. However, it is as a piece of good, solid film entertainment that “Jaws” truly excels, an all-time movie classic that remains the single greatest ‘killer monster’ flick ever made. (http://sharkattackphotos.com/Jaws_the_Movie.htm)
An Enduring Cult Film. The Universal Facebook page has more than 587,000 fans, and there are more than 15 distinct, active fan websites and collector sites. “Jaws” is ranked 10th on Empire Magazine’s list of best films of all time and third on Total Film’s 100 Greatest Movies Of All Time list. The music by John Williams is ranked sixth by the American Film Institute on their list of the 25 greatest film scores.
A Media Darling. US and international press love the “Jaws” story, from its all-location shooting on Martha’s Vineyard with an almost-untested Steven Spielberg to its numerous production problems, colorful local characters, and cast disagreements. JawsFest ’05 received coverage from national and international broadcasters and newspapers, from April through October for a June event.
An Immensely Popular Brand. The Jaws brand continues to sell clothing, accessories, theme-park tickets, and games. Note the highly popular ride at Universal Studios Florida and animated games including Jaws Nintendo, Jaws Unleashed for Xbox and PC, Jaws Ultimate Predator Nintendo and Wii, and the Jaws and Jaws Revenge apps for iPhone.
A Population Booster. The average summer tourist population of Martha's Vineyard before the film was released was approximately 5,000 people. After it came out, the population ballooned to 15,000.
The Perfect Reason to come to Martha’s Vineyard. JawsFest ’05 was a huge success, attracting over 2,000 attendees. Island businesses welcomed fans and FINaddicts with open arms, hanging their Amity signs and sharing memories of the summer of 1974 when Martha’s Vineyard briefly went Hollywood.
Sources: Wikipedia; “The Monster That Ate Hollywood,” PBS; sharkattackphotos.com; IMDB.
