Jaws (1975) Movie REACTION!

For Film Friday #35, Madison watches Jaws for the first time.
#Jaws
Full Length Reaction: / madisonkthames
Website: madisonthames.com
Instagram: @madisonkthames
Twitter: @madisonkthames
Facebook: @madisonkthames

[@barret-xiii]

"I think the kid is safe. Kids are usually safe." That may be the first time I've actually laughed out loud on reflex!

[@spencerbookman2523]

Yeah, it was the '70s; the decade of The Omen, The Exorcist, and It's Alive. Jodie Foster played a 12 year old prostitute in Taxi Driver. Rosemary's Baby would have been seven when this movie came out. It wasn't a great time for kids in the movies, it you think about it.

[@jjkhawaiian]

Me too. I had to say, well, maybe not.

[@nickmorgan1690]

That's the problem..movies won't go after kids anymore. Bring the fear back!

[@glynnisi]

I heard an interview with Spielberg once where he said that when he was making JAWS he was too young to know better than to have a kid get killed.

[@Cheepchipsable]

Loved the zoom effect!

[@J_Rossi]

There's no doubt in my mind that the 'Indianapolis' monologue is one of the best ever written, performed and put on film. Carl Gottlieb (one of the screenwriters for 'Jaws') credits Robert Shaw (Quint) with writing the version of the speech that makes it into the picture. He wasn't just a fine actor, but also an excellent playwright and novelist. As a child and well into my teens I was completely traumatized by this movie. As I got older I came to appreciate it for the masterpiece it is. From the writing to the acting.... from the score to everything else that blended to create one of the best movies of all time. Nearly fifty years old, and still it's as powerful as ever.

[@conureron3792]

Some of the best parts in movies are when the audience is the one the visualizes the scene in our own minds and we end up visualizing the terror and internalizing. The Indianapolis scene certainly did that for me.

[@implicitmintjulep]

Agreed. I also think the actor playing the mayor did really well, a thankless role but effective

[@jimmyzee7040]

Absolutely ! Robert Shaw tremendous actor.

[@maingun07]

I never got around to seeing jaws until maybe twenty years later, after I was an adult. I didn't live near the coast and scary movies was never my thing. However, I was a history buff and when Quint told that story, not only did the writing and performance suck you in, but my knowledge that it really happened horrified me even more and set the tone for rest of the film.

[@Cbcw76]

For me, the Indianapolis tale is far more horrifying in reality than any late-night tale because of the US Navy's absolutely useless demand for secrecy-after-completed-mission. It's also worth noting that every US cruiser in the Pacific war was damaged or sunk. For the INDY, there were monsters in nature and even more horrible creatures at Pearl and WashDC that demanded extra hundreds die a most horrible way.

[@jcg1576]

What makes Quints Indianapolis monologue truly terrifying and gripping is the true story its based on. The U.S.S. Indianapolis was WWII Portland-Class Battle Cruiser Warship which was lost at sea after completing its secret mission to deliver components of the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb to the Philippine Island of Tinian.

[@stefanlaskowski6660]

The Indianapolis was actually a heavy cruiser, not a battle cruiser. The only battle cruiser the US Navy ever had was the Alaska, and they called that a very heavy cruiser.

[@uwcb1]

I’ve got a tattoo on my right forearm for the crew of the Indy. There’s a fantastic book ‘In Harms Way’ by Doug Stanton you should pick up after reading Madison’s

[@nates9029]

​@@uwcb1 - "In Harms Way" is a very good book. I read it a couple of years ago and it was well worth the read.

[@stevemccullagh36]

Every time the shark appears the Jaws theme plays, so by the time you get to the "You're gonna need a bigger boat" scene you've been subconsciously programmed not to expect it if there's no music, which is why that scare works so well.

[@ArtofFreeSpeech]

Interesting. I'd never really thought about that before.

[@csmelen]

LOL. Ben Gardner does it again. Never tire of people jumping out of their seats to this scene in Jaws. Great reaction as usual Madison. So happy you are feeling better. BTW, nightmare fuel? That's a great quote that will not be forgotten by your subscribers.

[@USCFlash]

I was just about to come post "Without fail, Ole Ben Gardner gets another"

[@Bfdidc]

One assumes that Ben was a competent fisherman, since earlier in the movie Brody thinks it was he who caught the first shark.

[@eddiecollison]

Possibly the greatest jump scare of all time! I hope someone does a compilation of how it gets everybody.

[@csmelen]

@@USCFlash LOL

[@darcyhans2693]

@@csmelen love your avatar - great unknown horror flic : D

[@jondishmonmusicandstuff2753]

Famous last words: "I think the kid is going to be safe." LMAO We were all waiting for the head to come through the bottom of the boat. Now you have been Jaws baptized. Fun fact, the tall guy news reporter on the beach is actually the author of the book Peter Benchley.

[@joannerichards1750]

Yes, great cameo.

[@OcotilloTom]

I haven't been to a movie theater in over 20 years but I'm 76 years old and remember seeing Jaws in the movie theater. That was great to see it again.

[@65cj55]

You described Quints quest for vengeance spot on.

[@Nefarioso]

Actually, the shark was full-sized and mechanical, but it kept getting ruined when salt-water would seep into the works. While the shark action was supposed to be seen in a lot more footage, to save on having to keep repairing it, they just show it in a few scenes. This actually was effective in heightening the anxiety of the movie-going audiences. The more they had to wait for that jump scare, the more anxious they became.

[@bghoody5665]

If memory serves, the only real shark footage was done by National Geographic and it was where the shark was tangled up in the cage. They used a cage smaller in size than normal to make the shark look larger.

[@spencerbookman2523]

@@bghoody5665 I believe there was a fairly famous husband and wife team that the film hired to do second unit photography. They used a scale version of the cage and a dummy Hooper so that the 16 foot sharks they were filming looked full size.

[@mattp6089]

@@spencerbookman2523 Ron and Valerie Taylor

[@TheNeonRabbit]

@@bghoody5665 And a smaller actor. The guy in the shark cage was 4' 11".

[@justincredible9187]

Actually ..... ooooooh get you ! 😃

[@maxducoudray]

I love the very laid back natural feel of this movie. Even at its most intense, it always comes back to the characters talking to each other. The performances are restrained and you end up wanting to hang out with these people and watch them navigate the plot.

[@ManDuderGuy]

Well said. It's like it's comfy AND adventurous.

[@Cheepchipsable]

Well they lived in basically a tourist town, so it make sense.

[@MichaelMiller-bs3tz]

The story about the USS Indianapolis really happened. Hundreds of sharks were drawn in by the noise of the explosions and the sinking ship. Estimated deaths from shark attacks range from a few dozen to 150.

[@jeffsherk7056]

I was in high school when this movie came out. I don't think I went to opening night, but I saw this movie in the theater shortly after opening weekend. Everyone at school wanted to talk about JAWS during class. When the poor fisherman's head popped out of the hole in his boat, the entire theater screamed like you wouldn't believe. I wish you could experience that collective scream. There is nothing like it.

[@alvargas5095]

I was 12 years old in 1975 when it came out. My father took my brother and I to see the first night at the movie theater and I can tell you could hear a pin drop in that packed theater. I sat in the middle and I had to look up slightly but that just added to the feeling of being there aboard the Orca with Quint, Brody and Hooper. Looking back, once the movie started, I was transported into Amity and my present surroundings inside the movie theater were totally forgotten as my mind was engrossed in every word and interaction of the movie. When Quint said, "when he comes at you he doesn't seem to be living until he bites you. Then those black eyes roll over white, ah then you hear that terrible high pitched screaming, the ocean turns red and despite of all the pounding and the hollering, they all come in and rip you to pieces". That terrified me because his description is so vivid. A masterpiece.

[@jimmyfadink4524]

Madison, you are just a delight to watch and the perfect audience. You are like a litmus test to tell if a movie has worked or not. Thank you. If I ever make a movie you will be the first test audience.

[@nowthatisawesome5431]

Aaaannnddd.....jump!!! 😁 Love it when everyone jumps out of their seats at “that” scene. 😆 Jaws is a blockbuster classic for a reason! 🤗

[@stevecurran]

Great reaction, Madison. I read a scary article a while back about great white sharks that had been tagged. Turns out they spend a lot of time near swimming beaches. Even though they rarely attack, they've been closely watching human swimmers for decades. Gave me the shivers.

[@MadisonKThames]

Thank you, Steve! Yes... a scary fact indeed!

[@toastnjam7384]

Fun fact: The kid who said " "he made me do it" is now the police chief on the island where the film was made.

[@mem1701movies]

Does he go in the water?

[@philosopher0076]

He's the actual police chief ay? Any proof of your claim?

[@toastnjam7384]

@@philosopher0076 Jonathan Searle to be police chief on Martha's Vineyard

[@CaptainNemo1701]

@@philosopher0076 Yes, it made an amusing story. He said he knew how ironic it seemed in view of his movie cameo.

[@SciTrekMan]

@@philosopher0076 It was published, among other places, in the Boston Globe Newspaper

[@justincredible9187]

I saw the film in 1975 when I was 60. I haven't been in the water since. I don't even bath, shower or go out in the RAIN !!! in fact I stink 😐. But I've never been attacked by a SHARK !!! Don't go near water ! be SAFE !!!.

[@joshuanevermind1530]

I was born in 1973 in Rahway, NJ. Rahway had one of the original theaters for plays and all. They also played the huge movies on the HUGE curtained movie screen. This was before VCRs, DVD Players, all of them. If you wanted to see a movie you went to the theater. This was not a multi plex theater. It was and still is... a theater! I saw allllllllll of the big movies in that theater until 1982. Star Wars. The Thing, Scanners, 2001 A Space Odyssey, The Shining, Alien, Rocky etc.. I remember seeing this in that theater from one of the balconies but in 1975. Movies stayed in the theaters for YEARS then. I am STILL hesitant about the going in the ocean thanx to this gem. I do remember lots of shrieks and screams, even at 3 years old.

[@emerycreek8016]

I watched this in the theatre as a kid when it came out. In a loud, dark theatre with screaming people is was scaaaary! We had to walk across a sturdy car bridge over the river to get home and when I looked down at the water I was terrified. It's still the only movie that has ever given me nightmares. I loved it!

[@Stover205]

I was a kid enrolled in swimming lessons at our local lake. They aired Jaws on T.V. one night the next morning not a one of us would put a toe in the water lol.

[@terpcj]

Glad you are on the mend. One of the best theater experiences was, in 1975, after seeing the film, seeing it again with an audience that doesn't know that head is going to poke out of the hole in the boat. The entire crowd jumped. When you jumped, it was golden -- in the best way.

[@AlanG512]

I like to call this the most influential movie of all time. Everyone who goes in the ocean hears this music in their head.

[@stanzelot]

"We're gonna need a bigger boat" is one of the most iconic lines in the history of cinema.

[@MarVin-db2tu]

""We're gonna need a bigger boat" is one of the most iconic (misspoken) lines in the history of cinema" "You're gonna need a bigger boat" was the actual line. All part of the "Mandela Effect"

[@harveybojangle475]

Jaws did for beaches what Psycho did for showers! And, there were three sharks made for this film (all named "Bruce", after Spielberg's lawyer). One was an animatronic full body with the left side exposed, one was an animatronic full body with the right side exposed, and one was a gutted full body that could be pulled along by a boat just out of frame.

[@Dacre1000]

I dunno, man. I think it is the other way around. Jaws did for showers what Psycho did for the sea. I cant take a shower nowadays without looking around for sharks and I cant go into the sea without expecting a young man dressed as an elderly with a knife coming after me. One thing is sure tough: Peeping Tom did NOTHING for or against cameras.

[@AJHart-eg1ys]

So you're saying that, for decades, people were afraid to take showers after seeing "Psycho"?

[@Dacre1000]

@@AJHart-eg1ys Were?

[@AJHart-eg1ys]

@@Dacre1000 I'm giving the benefit of the doubt that we've all finally been able to come together as a nation, rise up and face the shower head with confidence.

[@Dacre1000]

@@AJHart-eg1ys Your nation maybe. Mine wouldn't unite to save a ship from sinking... Hell we would probably sink it ourselves just to spite each other. We don't need a bigger boat, we need a better crew. And safe showers.

[@dawood121derful]

When I first saw this movie as a young man in the theater, that sharks presence just put the entire audience on the edge of their seats. And when Brodie killed the shark in the end, the entire audience erupted with applause. It was quite an experience.

[@ferrisulf]

That jump-scare with Ben Gardener's boat gets everybody. Best jump-scare of the movie. You're right about the parallels between Ahab and Quint, in particular. There was a vendetta and obsession there for sure. His monologue (one of the best in films) gives us a pretty good reason. Great reaction! I will be checking out more of your videos.

[@davidking498]

probably one of the best jump scares in cinema

[@charlie.on.youtube]

@@davidking498 "probably?" 😊

[@fastecp1]

The year after I saw this movie in 76, I almost had an encounter with 2 sharks that were at least 10ft long. The strange thing is that I spent every year on the ocean and I had never seen a shark until that summer, and I'm glad to say I haven't seen one since. I saw the shark fins coming at me and I got out of the water with maybe 30 seconds left to spare, we were fishing off the side of a pier in the evening, the water was only about 10 to 15 ft deep, and I accidentally dropped my father's pliers in the water so I went in to get them, and when I came up I heard the screaming and my father was reaching for me and then I saw them heading directly and quickly towards me, it felt like it took me forever to get out of that water, but my brother said he had never seen me moving so quick.

[@sherrysink3177]

I think I saw this on TV at my grandma's house when I was a little kid, and I was traumatized right from the opening scene. That girl being dragged, flailing around and screaming, scared the crap out of me. I've never forgotten it. Granted, I was probably way too little to see it. That, and I'm a big chicken. 😄😆

[@justcode2822]

I remember seeing this in the summer of 1975 when I was 13, this film started the summer blockbuster....

[@amitychief3061]

Enjoyed this reaction. The appreciation of Robert Shaw's monologue and the parallels to Quint and Captain Ahab, how much the John Williams score ads shows that Madison pays a lot of attention to the filmmaking while going along for the ride at the same time. I saw this when I was 10 years old and it made an impact like no other. To me this is arguably the best film ever made.

[@55itsme]

In the book Jaws, Quint dies exactly the same way as Ahab. I actually think the movie version is an improvement.

[@phila3884]

it's the writing, directing, and acting that make this movie a classic more than the "monster".

[@nathanwtc742]

I'm English and I was born in 1974. The BBC started showing when I was pretty young, probably 6 or 7 maybe and I vividly remember watching the scene when the shark bites the rower's leg off and I was drinking this bright red raspberry pop at the time and that was that. I went to bed early and stopped drinking raspberry fizzy drinks for a couple of decades! By the time I hit my teens I was massive horror movie fan, zombies, aliens, maneating beasties, I love em and Jaws is easily one of my favourites. I wouldn't bother with any of the sequels, to be honest. Jaws 3 might is worth a funny KZbin commentary, and I like it because it is so corny, but you won't find much to get your (wait for it) teeth into. I enjoyed your insights, especially the doom motifs, I got what you meant immediately and the Imperial March from Empire Strikes Back sprung to mind. You mentioned you don't swim in the ocean anymore. I love the ocean, but back in 2011 I was swimming off one of the islands just off Auckland, New Zealand and I just had a feeling that it was too calm and quiet and I swam straight back to shore. NZ has alot of seals and Great Whites that feed off them so I was always keeping an eye out for seals before deciding whether to get in the sea or not. Sadly someone did get attacked a few weeks a south of Auckland, its not really connected to my experience except to prove great whites were in the area. I'm an animal lover and would describe myself as a conservationist, so I hope sharks continue to bring awe and excitement to people for a long, long time. Shark fishermen could fish more responsibly in my humble opinion.

[@StoyTheOld]

Imagine watching this from the front row of a movie theater.

[@bobbiejohnson4607]

One of the most honest and entertaining reactions! I just liked and subscribed. Keep up the great work!

[@danielesteve8359]

She has a naturality so rare to find nowadays...

[@debbiethompson3460]

I was about 13 when this came out and it terrified me! But, it also made me fascinated by sharks, which I still am to this day. They actually had full body mechanical sharks, but they didn't always work, so Spielberg had to get clever with the filming, which actually made it so much better. The music basically took the place of the shark on so many occasions. FYI-the reporter on the beach is Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws.

[@slchance8839]

The more i watch it and more reactors I see, the more i believe Jaws is one of the few truly, truly great masterpieces of film. To me, it's more art, than entertainment. I'm hoping, in a few hundred years, Jaws will be considered a classic of humanity, like plays by Shakespeare, books like Bram Stoker's Dracula, art by Monet and music by Mozart.

[@jcastromex]

The movie poster tagline for "Jaws" is "You'll never go in the water again." This is so absolutely true! I saw this in theaters when it came out in '75 and I was in middle school at the time. It made me paranoid to step into the ocean to swim for several years. "Jaws" is the ultimate summer oviedo everyone should see. Everyone, and I mean everyone, who reacts to this movie (myself included) gets ultimately frightened when that head comes bobbing out of that ship's hull! It is one of the top 100 scariest film moments in cinema history! I'm glad you enjoyed this film. "Deep Blue Sea" (1999) is also a great shark movie to watch. Oh, and "The Meg" too!

[@alvargas5095]

Sorry, but after seeing Jaws, any other shark films don't live up to it.

[@RedLP5000S]

Oh you poor girl lol. Your jump scare to the body under the sea was the embodiment of the terror we all felt upon first viewing JAWS. I love when you said, "now that's nightmare fuel" because I could see the blood actually draining from your face. FYI, I was born the year that JAWS was released. One of my earliest memories is watching JAWS, so I was too young to distinguish between fact or fiction. So naturally, I believed JAWS to be real. To this day, at 47, I have never set foot in an ocean, and have major apprehension when facing a mere lake. I am terrified of open water. Anyway, I'm proud of you for facing your fear and finally experiencing JAWS. It is one of the greatest movies ever made, and definitely "nightmare fuel". I recommend delighting us with a review of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Another adventure of epic proportions. I'm glad you are on the mend from COVID. We all missed you while you were away. Cheers.

[@bdbaggett1643]

Madison after the jump scare saying "I'm OK, I'm OK, I'm OK " while thinking "I'm not OK, I'm not OK ".

[@gms1365]

In Monterrey city Mexico, in May 11 in 1975, I was 10 y/o when I went to see this movie. Theather was full and I saw the audience extasis along with laughs, tears, angry and screaming that I'm pretty sure that I'd never gonna forget. Right there, I learned that endless MAGIC OF THE MOVIES. Now I'm 57 y/o and I still love this movie...

[@americanmutt9089]

The opening line for the trailer for Jaws II was, "Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water." Imagine watching this at the age of 9 and sitting in the front row of the theater. My nightmares that night were about being on the edge of the water, either in a boat, on a dock or the beach and feeling the threat of a shark being able to jump up at me. Those dreams ran all through the night that I saw the movie. The second was almost as good as the first. Jaws 3D was a little too hokey for me. I did like the revenge story behind the 4th movie. I have read the Peter Benchly books Jaws, Beast and White Shark. All three are good reads.

[@Dude-oh8vq]

22:16 the shark roars lol. And everyone loves to rag on the roaring shark in Jaws The Revenge ;)

[@roquefortfiles]

To me that's not a roar. It's more like the cavernous giant mouths suction as it clears the surface. I've never thought it roars

[@dalehoward3704]

I saw it when it 1st came out. It was indeed a blockbuster, since the line to get into the theater around went around the block. People were coming out of the 1st showing and a young lady fainted. My friends and I were jumping at each scary scene, popcorn was flying all over! My older sister saw it with her boyfriend that night and I was trying not to give away spoilers. That theme music made such an impact and there were parodies of the movie on different TV shows using the music. There was even a Jaws cartoon for kids but all the character/ shark did was pop out of the water at unsuspecting swimmers and yell 'Gotcha ' He wore a top hat and tux too from what I remember and had a barracuda companion. I think it's in KZbin if you want to see it. They even had a Jaws game for kids. That's how much of an impact this movie made.

[@JulieLWilliams]

I met a man many years ago who served on the USS Indianapolis. He was in his late 90s. True Heroes!!

[@vincentsaia6545]

"Where we didn't have the shark John [Willians] put it there." -Richard Zanuck

[@chadlynch1551]

It's hard to describe how big a hit this movie was, or how big of an impact it made. A lot of people stopped going to the beach for a long time after it came out, and so many went out to hunt sharks that environmentalists had to start a campaign to stop them out of fear the things might go extinct.

[@zapataattack5843]

Saw this movie when it first came out in the theatre.(I even got the JAWS game for Christmas) Let me just say, the entire theater crapped themselves when the head came out of the boat. I mean, it scared me so badly that I felt it down my chest/stomach area. It was pure fright. Glad you liked it! It a favorite of mine.

[@NemeanLion-]

I had that game too I think. Where you pull garbage out of his mouth and hope the mouth doesn’t close?

[@zapataattack5843]

@@NemeanLion- yep, if I'm not mistaken, you used a hook to take the stuff out of his mouth. I can't remember.

[@NemeanLion-]

@@zapataattack5843 haha! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3PMnqt6m7uWnK8

[@3dbadboy1]

Yea, you jumped right out of your seat doing a reaction safe in your house. Imagine watching it in a dark theater surrounded by silent mesmerized viewers.

[@NemeanLion-]

@@3dbadboy1 he said he saw it in the theater.

[@jazzmaan707]

Great reaction and review. From knowing about how the movie was made, from back in the 70's, Robert Shaw was drunk on the set most of the time. However, the only part of the movie where he took his acting serious and remained sober, was when he did the Indianapolis monologue. He took that part very serious, and I believe it was what he considered his most important acting in his career. At this time, there were still Indianapolis survivors alive, and when they saw the movie, not knowing about the monologue, they were brought to tears, as it took them back to when they were in the water with their crewmates, surrounded by hundreds of sharks. They all thanked Spielberg for paying them Tribute, since NO ONE had ever mentioned their ordeal in the water with the sharks, after being torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. The John Williams shark theme, really raises one's tension, when you hear it. Oh, 50 years later, I still don't go in the ocean, as I know a Shark will eat me.

[@jthompson7175]

One of the cool things about the monologue from Jaws historically. It was based on a story that was declassified between when the movie and book came out. SO it was new for the movie. There was a kid who was a fan of Jaws in the 90's who researched the story. And as it turned out, of course it was true and the captain of the ship was railroaded by the US government. he died of what the censors make me call "self Harm" but his crew had tried for decades to get congress to posthumously overturn the court marshal because he couldn't have realistically avoided the ship getting sunk by a sub. The previously mentioned kid from the 90's did research for a school project and came to the same conclusion. His essay basically got to the attention of congress and it ended up re-opening the original investigation and exonerating the captain for the USS Indianapolis. I remember him being on Letterman in the 90's when I was in high school and it being a cool story.

[@davidsandy5917]

The Indianapolis speech was one of the best parts of this film.

[@jasnycal]

Glad your feeling better!!!

[@brandonstarr983]

I saw it maybe two or three years after it was in theaters, when it was on prime-time TV. I would have been about 8. It terrified me, and made even pool swimming feel unsafe (this is actually pretty common, from everyone I've talked to about Jaws over the years). I still have shark nightmares. And I still love the movie. The "Indianapolis" monologue is my all-time favorite movie monologue.

[@mem1701movies]

The jerks at the local pool painted a shark on the bottom of the pool at the diving boards when I was a kid after this movie.

[@BDUBZ49]

Same here. Watching with my cousins in their pitch dark basement, all the grown-ups upstairs. We were too scared to let our feet hang over the edge of the couch.

[@bghammock]

Same demographic here .. and bath tubs too. Heck, even foot or hand hanging over the side of the bed.

[@billbabcock1833]

The movie that was the first "summer blockbuster". In the book Hooper died. The fact that they had major problems with the mechanical shark working really helped the movie in that not showing the shark for so long really heightened the anxiety.

[@starman6280]

Not only did Hooper die in the book, but he and Chief Brody's wife had a steamy affair.

[@55itsme]

@@starman6280 I agree with the decision to remove the affair from the story but I'm still not sure he should have survived.

[@starman6280]

@@55itsme The Hooper character as portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss was far more likable than the same character in the book, so maybe I could see letting him live, but Hooper in the book got what he had coming.

[@garykuovideos]

It was only after becoming a composer myself that I realized just how brilliant the score to this film is beyond the famous two-note motif. Multiple writing techniques were used throughout the movie to serve different scenes. If you listen to the music underscoring the entrance of the tourists, the barrel chase, Quint’s monologue, and the assembly of the cage, you’ll hear the contrasting moods, atmospheres, and Williams’ sheer brilliance. For me, the experience was akin to peering into a microscope to see how intricate and beautiful something was while going otherwise unnoticed. Great reaction, Madison! Liked and subscribed!

[@SpinnakerFL]

I loved this so much! It's now my favorite reaction video of all time. It's nice to see that you "get it." I didn't see Jaws when it was first released but I did catch in in theaters in a rerelease. years later, I was serving on jury duty and we had long days of waiting in the jury room. Bored, I took a walk around the town square and found a used book store. I was a broke college kid at the time and picked up "The Making of Jaws" by Edith Blake. It was then I learned about the genius of Spielberg. Since then, I've began collecting Jaws memorabilia. Sadly, I lost much of it to Hurricane Ian. The mechanical shark was rarely working and he improvised by showing the daunting sea and used the barrels to express the presence of the shark. It turned out brilliant and certainly better than if they would have used the mechanical shark as planned. I recommend the book or checking out the documentary, "The Shark is Still Working." Thanks for this reaction. I'm happy to be a new subscriber.

[@zablelop]

The whole movie theater was out of their seats and screaming at the head in the hole of the boat scene. A lady a few rows behind us fainted. They had to stop the showing while they got her out of the theater. Two hundred people in a common scream and the laughter that ensued after it. Everyone around the seating area was talking and sharing the communal experience. That was the first and last time I've experienced something like that in a movie theater. I was 14 at the time.

[@sanddab]

Fun fact - the reporter on the beach at 13:19 is Peter Benchley, the author of JAWS.

[@stevehutnikoff5964]

And before he wrote the book, he was a news writer at a TV station in NYC.

[@bodybytacos6043]

Glad you are feeling better

[@busload_uk]

Great reaction! Loved hearing your insight into the ‘dies irae’ musical motif. Hadn’t heard that term before…

[@chadjenkins4876]

A couple of famous music examples of this is the opening of The Shining" and the song "Making Christmas" from Nightmare before Christmas

[@frostyrobot7689]

lol Madison, 11:38 - "He's not going in the water is he ?" leading to 11:55 - one of the greatest jumpscares in cinema history. That was better than your reaction to The Thing... great stuff :-) I really feel like watching it again now...

[@TimSmith-uc4pk]

Rule #1. Do not go in the water after sunset. Rule #2. Do not go in the water before sunrise. Those are peak feeding times.

[@txmoney]

Great reaction. For decades, I’ve watched Jaws religiously every year around the 4th of July. I’ve even visited Martha’s Vineyard just to see the legendary areas where it was shot. I had the distinct “pleasure” of watching Jaws in the theater. I was eight years old. My parents and my brother waited in line outside the theater for over an hour. It was the summer of ‘75. Imagine experiencing this film in a dark theater with no history…no memes…no sequels…and no film like it. Imagine experiencing the absolute terror from the audience…with popcorn flying and people literally jumping in their seats. I will never forget that experience of terror. I loved every minute of it even though it was years later. I only wish modern audiences could’ve had the privilege of watching a true masterpiece. It happens so rarely…especially today.

[@alvargas5095]

Jaws is in my opinion the greatest movie ever made. It certainly is my favorite. I must've watched it over 100 times since I was 12 years old when I first viewed it at the movie theater in 1975 when it came out. Jaws set the world on the edge of their seats. Robert Shaw's monologue is one of the greatest piece of acting on a level with Humphrey Bogart's Caine Mutiny trial testimony.

[@darastarscream]

I saw this at an outdoor screening once, one afternoon several years ago. Audience was mostly picnicking, probably'd seen the movie many times before . . . everybody still cheered at the end. Good storytelling *works.*

[@Soundhypno]

Welcome back Madison, glad you are feeling weller!!!

[@thegorn68]

Glad you're feeling better.

[@Bloodchylde2012]

You asked how this movie affected us when we first saw it. I was born in 1975 and i watched this movie on VHS when i was 10 years old in 1985. I grew up in a seaside small town, much like the one in the movie, where the beaches during the summer bought in a lot of tourists, so the whole atmosphere of the movie hit really close to home for me. So much so i dreaded the open water and still do. I would still venture to the beach but would never go in any deeper than my knees and sometimes sit in the water (just to basically cool off) Even now when walking out a long pier or looking into a deep body of water i imagine huge, leviathan like shadows moving underneath the surface and i really am over-come with feelings of dread.

[@rickardroach9075]

31:09 Great pickup on the Dies Irae motif. It's everywhere: _Star Wars, The Lion King, It's a Wonderful Life, The Lord of the Rings, Jurassic Park, Groundhog Day, The Exorcist ..._ and my favourite ... _The Omen._

[@derianjones1730]

I just wanted to let you know that you successfully passed my audition, and I have now subscribed. lol. "I think that's the most captivating monologue I've ever seen". That's when I clicked "Subscribe". That scene is absolute movie genius, Shaw's delivery (while drunk for real I might add) was pitch perfect. Not a lot of people notice during that scene, but Chief Brody looks down at his appendix scar, wanting to join in the "scar banter", but thinks better of it lol.

[@bertpunkaficionado8357]

The reporter at 13:19 is Peter Benchley. He wrote the novel Jaws. The town in the novel is a fictional beach community on Long Island NY, called Amity, based on the real village of Montauk NY. Quint is based on fisherman Frank Mundus who caught a record size shark (20ft and 4500lbs), he was a colorful charter captain. He eventually became a shark conservationist.

[@jeffdetmer4681]

Really great reactions and comments. The woman who played Mrs Kitner (whose son was killed) was in (I think) Seattle on a visit, and she went into a restaurant and there on the menu was a fish sandwich called the Alex Kitner, which was of course the boys character name. She mentioned to the waiter that she had played the young actors Mom and hadn't seen him in all the years since the movie wrapped. A couple mins later the owner came to her table and it was the actor who had played Alex. Small world. Have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year Madison. BTW checked out some of your artwork and it is beautiful!

[@lloyddobler2227]

I so enjoy your commentary when watching these movies. Your love of music, your love of John Williams, and you even picking up on the sometimes subtle use of Dies Irae was a pleasant surprise. Keep growing your channel. We'll be watching.

[@P5YcHoKiLLa]

20:02 All true too, read up on the USS Indianapolis attack aka "The Worst Shark Attack in History" 29:30 There was 2 bodies, which hardly ever worked, one was cut right down the centre so they could only film it from one side. There's a great feature length documentary on the making called "The Shark is Still Working" due to their troubles.

[@TheBTG88]

There were multiple full sized sharks that were made for the film. They were controlled via hydraulics the were mounted on a separate floating platform. The shark tracking shots of it swimming through the water was the shark moving on a submerged track that was placed on the bottom. This is way Martha's Vineyard was chosen - it had a flat sandy bottom that was not too deep.

[@Codametal]

I'm glad you're recovering. It's really great to see you back.

[@Fuphyter]

I grew up on the east end of Long Island. I grew up at the beach. My dad was police chief and the author asked him how he would handle this situation. He had no idea how cool that was. The character, Quint, was based on a fisherman in Montauk. His name was F Mundas. He caught a huge white shark one year. The had the head stuffed and placed it on the ceiling of a bar there. Just a note...this movie ruined my life. I was never afraid of the ocean until I saw this. Back then movie screens were 2 stories high and very wide. I used to sit in the balcony.

[@jamenta2]

I was a teenager when Jaws came out. I believe it was the first modern blockbuster of its time. And people everywhere did not go in the water for months after the movie came out. Literally - beach attendance dropped like a rock for about a year. So yes, the movie had a huge impact on the public. This movie put Spielberg on the map as a major director. Then I think he came out with "Close Encounters, of the Third Kind" - which put him in the stratosphere (another good movie to watch if you haven't done so). Followed by E.T. soon after - then a switch to Schindler's List (I've only been able to watch that movie once) - and then what I think is Spielberg's masterpiece: "Saving Private Ryan" - the troop landings at Omaha beach I don't think have been ever matched in any war movie before or since.

[@mikephillips8810]

I can't tell you how scary this film was when it came out in the theaters. I was 13, I'd read all the build up to it in the papers (my parents' newspapers) but back then there were no spoilers. We just knew there was a shark in it. The theaters were packed in; back then there was one showing a day of the main movie on the biggest screen of three (no 10 screen movieplexes). So the atmosphere was great as no-one knew what to expect. The various jump scares really made people jump, the whole row of seat backs shook as folks jumped back. Then they'd be gasping and laughing for some time after each one - that's why, when we see the shark properly for the first time, when it scares Brody on the boat - Spielberg had to extend the pause before Brody goes into the cabin and says to Quint "you're gonna need a bigger boat". Because on test audiences, they were in shock for too long afterwards. I went back and watched it another four times knowing the reactions the jumps would get from the audience! Still one of my favorite all time films. Fantastic review. I like your honesty and you are really expert in your knowledge of film making and use of musical scores. Thanks, really enjoyed this one!

[@ericc8705]

This is a long-time classic summer blockbuster of the era... my college used to play this movie on a giant projection screen at the pool near one of the dorm-buildings. Audience members could sit IN the pool on inner-tubes/float lounges and it was always a lot of fun

[@conureron3792]

For more Robert Shaw, check out The Sting. Very fun movie where Shaw plays the mark, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford.

[@stevejh2760]

Your reaction to the head is everyone's reaction 😂 but still adorable.

[@philiphebert8680]

Hello Madison, I am a big Jaws fanatic. I really enjoyed your expressions and your eyes,they made the movie alot more fun to watch. Thank you for your video.

[@adamwhite767]

What most people don't realize is, in the scene when they're first on the boat and Quint chugs a beer and crushes the can while Hooper does the same with his coffee and styrofoam cup. The beer cans back then were actually tin, and pretty heavy duty, not the thin aluminum ones of today, it took real strength to crush one singlehandedly, Quint was totally flexing and Hooper knew he couldn't actually do it so he made a joke out of it.

[@XDarkSyntaXOriginal]

Glad you're feeling better. Welcome back. Actually, there were 3 full size mechanical sharks that ran on a track. One that would go right, one that went left and the other straight. I read the book on the making of this film when I was 9. The majority of the movie was shot in 5 ft of water. Little factoid a cameraman was killed by a shark during the filming.

[@ericjahoda2997]

LOL! Since I knew Ben Gardner's head was going to appear in that hole in the boat, all I did was watch your face, Madison, to see your reaction. It was so, so good! 😁

[@BDUBZ49]

I remember watching this in my cousins' basement when I was about 6 or 7. ABC Sunday Night movie. Pitch dark basement, perfect for a scary movie. We wouldn't let our feet hang over the edge of the couch because the shark would surely get us. Funny how the imagination works in the dark.

[@jeremiahweiberg3458]

A classic indeed. As a child, it wasn’t Jaws that kept me away from lakes, it was the ending of the original Friday the 13th. Happy 4th of July!

[@charlie.on.youtube]

I'm coming here late, only because you mentioned it in The Abyss. I'm so glad I did (11:57). When I first saw this film, I was probably just 13 or 14. That scene didn't just scare me, it scarred me. lol. It was at least thirty years before I could bring myself to watch it again. But I was determined to put this irrational cinematic fear behind me. So I fired up the movie, fast-forwarded to them getting in the boat, then braced myself for several minutes. When it hit, it was almost disappointing, "Oh. That's it? That's what I've avoided for decades?" Not to downplay the scare itself -- it's terrifying -- but my brain had magnified to something ten times worse. I'm glad I finally got past it, because now I can enjoy videos like this. :)

[@dbking4194]

I think Quints monologue about the uss indianapolis is one of the most gripping moments in any film. It was also the most scariest moment in the film to be honest.

[@frankensteinlives5451]

I was 12 when this came out. My family didn't live near the ocean, but we would spend one or two weekends at the Jersey shore. The last time we were there, the movie was playing. I had no problem staying on shore. Attacks are rare, but they're pretty much non-existent, in the motel swimming pool. I would guess it affected ocean swimming somewhat, but something being hazardous never stops folks for long. Loved your reaction! Peace!

[@tomyoung9049]

Glad to see you're feeling better. Was waiting for the underwater jump scene. That get's EVERYONE, the first time they see it. Great reaction.

[@thomasbeauchamp3781]

I lived this movie two years ago with Covid playing the part of the shark. Everything was shut down including the beaches but to attract the tourists, the city council decided to reopen them right before July 4th. Two weeks later, our Covid cases and deaths skyrocketed.

[@rdramos13]

The beaches, yeah sure. Because I'm sure nobody got covid during all the protests marches and riots everywhere. Help tip over a police car, no way that wasn't me. I got covid because I went to the beach and ran into people there.

[@undergroundwarrior70]

I was born, grew up and still reside on the Central West Coast of California. I use to bodysurf in my teens with my friends during vacation time, but we never saw any sharks. I got out of high school in 1975 and that summer I did a lot of body surfing along with my friends, but no sighting of sharks. Just when 'Jaws' was released that summer, many people were reading the novel. It was about ten years later I read the novel, and the novel is not like the movie. Some of it is but not entirely. For the past 4 or three years there has been shark sightings and the beaches have been closed for a few days, and that has been up and down our coastlines in different cities and counties. Unfortunately there has been shark attacks up and down our coastlines and a few people have been killed by the sharks. At least a couple this year. And the story Quint is telling about the USS Indianapolis that really did happened before the end of WWII. Very tragic.

[@patcurrie9888]

Jaws also has the distinction of being the first summer blockbuster. That summer and the summer after we did shark fins in the pools.

[@StephenRansom47]

I was 8 years old when this was in the theaters, and I will never forget the image of the boat guy being taken. The scale of that shot had me terrified for years. I would look down into the water and scare myself silly. It was very real for all of us. I was on Long Island in New York, and spent summers at the beach. Summer Camp was not fun.

[@Pinkielover]

i was 1

[@slchance8839]

me, too. age 8. I've been haunted by that scene for most of my life. i went sailing with a friend of mine. I hopped in the ocean "to be one of the guys," but....got out as quick as I could to be the "barbecue guy." barbecue my ass, i was terrified of what I couldnt see in that water.

[@StephenRansom47]

@@slchance8839 hard to believe a big rubber robot still freaks us out. 🫡 cheers to the Grill man, tho. 😏

[@slchance8839]

@@StephenRansom47 When i first saw it, there was no "Shark Week" or Discovery Channel, so no on really knew what a shark looked like (never saw the real sharks extend their jaws and roll their eyes)...so, as far as I knew, that was as real as it gets. Also...Quint really sold it. His screams and ineffectual stabbing with the machete. You put yourself in his shoes and what can you do? You're already half-eaten. As if that wasnt terrifying enough: when I got older I realized it wasnt just MY nightmare it was QUINT'S WORST POSSIBLE nightmare!

[@StephenRansom47]

@@slchance8839 Preaching to the choir (HI5) 🤚 … I’m talking about the overhead shot of the guy in the red t-shirt. Jaws, comes up from the depths …. It still gives me chills, and the first nip, is so gentle. 😬 🧊 🩻

[@christoffsimply3179]

Madison, I love your reactions. I'm old enough to be history now. My mom dragged me to see this in the '70s. I didn't sleep right for years after this. Your reactions to all the best movies are always stunning. Thank you for uploading your sincerity. Thank you for sharing your amazing reactions all these decades later! love, ~your fan

[@marke8323]

The boy that pulled the shark fin prank in the movie was recently elected Sheriff of that town! This movie was also the 1st "Summer Blockbuster"

[@roquefortfiles]

They had 3 full sized 25 foot mechanical sharks built for the film. One just for swimming shots . Two for biting and coming up out of the water seen left side or right. The shark sat on an arm connected to a 75 foot submerged platform. All operated by compressed air. 13 technicians operated the shark rig

[@NemeanLion-]

No one’s really talking about the effect of this film on the entire industry. This is where the “summer blockbusters” began and saved the movie industry. I don’t think any film had made $100 million at that point, then Jaws comes along and snags $260 million. It’s quite amazing the impact it had.

[@timfahey7127]

Glad you are feeling better and on the mend. Thanks for doing this reaction....Here is a little tidbit to share.... the girl who gets eaten at the very beginning of the film is still alive and if you search for her on KZbin she talks about filming that scene and it was very interesting. Thanks again for the reaction and looking forward to others....👍