#31 - Jaws (1975)
Spielberg isn't usually associated with the horror genre, but he still managed to create one of the most lasting and popular horror films of all time in Jaws (not to mention Poltergeist, which is definitely his film despite Tobe Hooper's credit as director). What could be scarier that a giant great white shark hunting vacationers at the beach? I'm pretty sure my phobia of swimming in the ocean can be traced back to watching this movie as a kid.
I guess part of the reason for the mainstream success of this film is that it isn't a straight horror story - most of the scary stuff happens in the first half of the film, and the last act where they hunt and find the shark is basically pure action/adventure. Still, the scary moments work incredibly well, and this movie has one of the best jump scares ever put on film (it's so good I won't risk spoiling it for anyone who hasn't seen this before - Julie hadn't, and she ended up almost jumping out of her seat and scaring the hell out of the cat in the process).
I don't think any other director could have made this film quite so successful - Spielberg has a way of bringing a sense of adventure and wonder to his films many have imitated but none have really been able to duplicate (though I'd say J.J. Abrams has come closest). This movie helped to make horror somewhat more mainstream, and in my opinion is one of the all-time best films of it's kind.
Comments
Post a Comment