Jaws (1975) ♥Movie Reaction♥ First Time Watching!

Hiya! Hope you're doing fabulous! I had a great time watching this, and I really hope I did Jaws justice. As always, thanks for watching!
If you are interested in supporting my channel or watching the full version of this reaction (must own/rent a copy of the film to sync up with me), feel free to check out my Patreon:
/ whimsory
00:00 Intro
01:15 Reaction
31:18 Discussion/Outro

[@squarewave808]

Quint’s story of the USS Indianapolis is a true event. That really happened. Terrifying. RIP to those sailors.

[@deanromanado5850]

It is, but the adeaths by the sharks is insanely exaggerated. The vast majority of sailers died from exposure, dehydration, and wounds from the attack. Remember, they were in the water for days with no fresh water, swimming in wreckage, spilt oil, ect.

[@daerdevvyl4314]

Dean Romanado Also, there was a distress call sent, and it was heard by at least two radio operators. However, because their mission was secret, and there wasn't supposed to be a ship there officially, the distress call was dismissed as a Japanese trick.

[@Flavius_Belisarius]

​@@deanromanado5850 I wouldn't say "insanely." Many men were eaten by sharks, agreed by firsthand accounts of survivors, and why not? Sharks truly are eating machines and that is some easy, wounded prey.

[@CChissel]

@@Flavius_BelisariusNo, not really. Sharks do not want to eat us, they usually let go, but that’s enough to kill someone, just because of how powerful they are. But, say if there are many sharks, with lots of blood and over stimulation, they become frenzied, and they aren’t exactly calm or peaceful at that point. I can see a frenzy happening, but it’s not that the sharks are killing machines, or eating machines, many animals react that way with too much stimulation, even humans. Sharks are HIGHLY misunderstood, thanks in part to this movie, among others and our natural fear of them, but they aren’t nearly as how people make them out to be, you can swim with sharks just fine with nothing bad happening, not once, as long as you respect them and not agitate them, same for any animal.

[@keithziegler8881]

@@deanromanado5850 of course, but then those bodies would've been eaten by the sharks anyway, so in the end, it was a literal buffet for the sharks

[@SynAndVice]

"So do it whole-assed." You are awesome, Whimsory.

[@only257]

Agreed 😊

[@Xoferif]

I'm writing that one down for future use! 😀

[@orbislame]

I laughed out loud when she said that.

[@ferdtothefuture3307]

lmao that was awesome

[@chrisbanks6659]

@@Xoferif Of course you are Firefox, lad!!!

[@gospyro]

My older sister came back from a date having seen Jaws. She kept going on and on about how incredible it was and finally talked our parents into taking everyone to go see it at the drive-in. I was 12 at the time and loved it!

[@Gort-Marvin0Martian]

On the fourth of July beach scene there is a reporter there talking about shark attacks. That is Peter Benchley, the author of Jaws in a cameo role. As we say here in Texas; Y'all be safe.

[@republicoftexas3261]

Jaws is a perfect example of "less is more"

[@romerjusu3804]

The music was the Shark !

[@inputfunny]

Yes, it was a blessing in disguise that they had so many problems getting the animatronic shark to work during filming. If it had worked properly the whole time, the movie would have showed the shark too much and it would have lost it's magic I think. The scariest part of a horror movie is not seeing the monster, but knowing it's there.

[@user-ey3sp1iv7s]

I saw a t-shirt with a picture of a boat and a shark, and the shark says "No, I think that boat is just the right size."

[@claborn79]

"You're gonna need a bigger boat" is iconic. But I also love: "I'm not drunk enough to go on a boat".

[@alvargas5095]

Jaws is the only movie my father ever took my brother and I to see at a movie theater. We were 13 and 12 years old respectively when we saw it in 1975. It is the greatest movie going experience for me bar none. The theater was packed no empty seats. Watching Jaws at the theater was like being there on the Orca with Quint, Brody and Hooper. My mind was so engrossed in the movie from the very beginning when the ominous tune started underwater. You could hear a pin drop. I can still remember looking into Quint's crystal clear light blue eyes when he introduced himself at the town meeting. He left an impression. When Ben Gardner's head popped out of that hole the whole audience jumped out of or sunk into their seats in unison. Quint's monologue was unforgettable. It horrified me when he said, "the ocean turns red and despite all of the pounding and hollering, they all come in and rip you to pieces". Yikes! Great review. Thanks

[@thinkbolt]

"I've heard it's scary. I'm calling BS." - direct quote from Whimsory

[@jameslavelle5428]

The young boy who plays Chief Brody's son, now works as a Police Officer in the town they filmed Jaws in.

[@notmee2388]

"Censored because I don't hate you." You are a wonderful human being.

[@Robert-un7br]

I believe the scene where Ben Gardener’s head pops out of the boat is the greatest jump scare in movie history. I saw this movie in the theaters when I was 13. I remember distinctly my reaction and the reaction of everyone in that theater. After it was over that scene was one of the things everyone was talking about. Now the movie is just under 50 years old and I’ve seen generations watching it for the first time. I’ve seen scores of reactors in the last few years on KZbin. But I have never seen anyone watch that and not be scared.

[@dan_hitchman007]

The setup is well done and the movie's editing was by one of the best of the old school Hollywood editors.

[@Robert-un7br]

@@dan_hitchman007 I remember Whimsory mentioning that this was one of the first movies where they filmed most of the ocean scenes on the ocean and not in a sound studio. However this scene is one of the exceptions and was done in a huge tank of water.

[@dan_hitchman007]

@@Robert-un7br Some pick up shots of the Ben Gardner boat sequence were done, if memory serves, in a swimming pool. They didn't feel the scene had enough kick, so the filmmakers had made a mockup of the actor who plays Ben's head. They shoved the head through the hole in the prop boat without telling Dreyfuss what was going to happen and his shocked reaction was real. That's why in the next scene with the mayor there was no mention of finding Ben's body, just the tooth.

[@TennSeven]

"Haven't you had enough?!? You've eaten everybody!!" I love it.

[@zmarko]

Quint's death was the movie death that haunted me the most when I was a kid. Such a scary scene.

[@ziggythedrummer]

You're the lucky one, my mum made me watch this and The Omen as a double-bill when I was eight (1984). So Quint's death has always competed with Jennings' for me

[@paulstelter8273]

A "PG" rating in the Seventies sometimes seemed to allow almost anything short of full-frontal nudity.

[@Bluesit32]

And to think, they originally wanted to have Quint get caught in one of the ropes and dragged under when the shark dove down ala Captain Ahab.

[@MayMaid-my6kt]

@@paulstelter8273 I think this was before there was PG-13, so if it didn't make the R category, it was just "parental guidance."

[@mikerhodes8454]

My great uncle was one of the first rescue pilots at the Indianapolis. He said the panic of people trying to get out of the water and on his plane was unbelievable.

[@elicordes6682]

Thats deep bro!

[@jtoland2333]

It is

[@DMDvideo10]

I can only imagine. I bet there were some that were moments from being rescued but taken by fate... Scary stuff...

[@Lue_Jonin]

😆 LOL Ben Gardner has been providing outstanding jumpscares for reactors with his decapitated peekaboo scene for years. You certainly didn't disappoint 😆 👍 📹

[@scottstevens7639]

Really appreciate the fact that not only do you watch the movie (several times before commenting), but you also do a deep dive into the trivia. Not a lot of other reactors commit so deeply when discovering a new cinematic gem. No need to apologize for lengthy outros. It just shows you’re diving in feet first and really appreciating the experience.

[@SirHilaryManfat]

Whimsory's reaction is a breath of fresh air compared to another Jaws reaction I watched recently, where the reactors looked at the movie like it was a piece of shit and completely dismissed it.

[@JeffersonMills]

100% agree. Whimsory does a great job every time!

[@rgerber]

wait how does he make a reaction video when watching it "several times in advance". Doesn't that defeat the purpose? I love her reactions and they seem genuine, first time reactions...?

[@scottstevens7639]

@@rgerber she said she watches it again several times while editing. The initial reaction is a genuine ‘first time’ reaction.

[@bubhub64]

Three legendary actors...Shaw, Dreyfuss, and Scheider....one legendary director...Spielberg...and one legendary music conductor...Williams, came together to create perfect horror, that still affects people almost 50 years later. Remarkable.

[@jamesnorthup7717]

Bless you my child for muting out the nails on the chalkboard!!!

[@MrJimithee]

Robert Shaw wasn't the first choice for this movie, but he stole it, wrapped it up, tied a pretty pink bow on it and sent it to his home address, first class delivery

[@jamesdemarco7161]

Truer words have never been spoken; "That'd be kinda fun... as long as you don't die, ya know".

[@paulobrien9572]

So nice to see that after nearly 50yrs Ben Gardner can still scare the shit out of people in the same way it scared me in the theater at age 12 when it came out. I grew up about 10 miles from where this movie was filmed and because of this film swam with my back to the beach for years

[@loupgarou-dj3tm]

I grew up a thousand miles from salt water and I've stuck my toe in the Atlantic and Pacific once each. I didn't set my foot down on the bottom, though. Everything has venom or fangs and the things that don't want to eat you will kill you out of pure meanness. I picture the ocean as like a painting of Hell covered in a beautiful blue curtain. Jaws didn't change my opinion.

[@ashscott6068]

What's scary is how the shark managed to eat his whole body, but leave the head inside the boat

[@paulobrien9572]

@@loupgarou-dj3tm Right now I live about 400 yards from a beach and if I couldn't smell the ocean every morning I would lose my mind. 1000 miles from the ocean just sounds like purgatory

[@lewstone5430]

@Paul O'Brien stop clutching pearls. You’d be fine.

[@lewstone5430]

@loup garou also, stop clutching pearls. The ocean is fun, pretty safe and relaxing. Next time smoke a J before going in.

[@davidwillis691]

The most perfect tag line for any movie is for the sequel..."Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water...Jaws 2"

[@Bluesit32]

Then there was Blood Beach. "Just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water, you can't get to it."

[@NateAZ]

Best quote from Whimsory, "Haven't you had enough? You've eaten everybody!" Pure gold.

[@ravenwind1062]

Quint is a complicated character and yes he is a bit crazy. He has survivors guilt over the Indianapolis and hates sharks, but he is secretly scared the ocean will come after him one day because he should've died way back then. There's a part of him that believes this shark has come for him. The ocean come to claim his life, a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[@yogichong4603]

People praise Spielberg for not showing the shark till the last 1/3 of the movie, it created suspense...but Spielberg later confessed that he wanted to show the shark in the 1st scene but the mechanical shark did not work very well so this flaw helped to improve the movie.

[@nigeldonaldson1647]

its a blessing that for technical reasons, (consurning the mechanical shark ), they werent able to show it doing much, as with any frightening creature, the more you see it, the less afraid you are. Also in this film the ocean itself is a sea monster, for its vastness. I like it that you only finally see the shark for its size & power towards the end & when it comes, it doesnt dissapoint, never an anti -climax.

[@CoryBlissitte]

I always felt that Quint destroyed the radio because he felt that this was a personal fight now. He had invested himself in this hunt, and he was going to see it through or die trying and obviously, he did! He had lived with his hatred of sharks for about 30+ years by this point and the (relatively) small sharks that he had on display around his place (home? boathouse?) were not the killers that the sharks that gathered around the Indianapolis Sailors were. But this one was. This one was a man-eater. It was what he had been waiting 30 years for, and by God he was going to kill it because maybe that would balance a little against the 600+ men that were eaten from his ship and the terror that situation made him feel. Also, if you read the book, there is a better explanation for why the Mayor does the things he does. He is no better of a person, but it does explain a bit.

[@ctmdarkonestm]

Whimsory's face during the nails on chalkboard is meme-worthy

[@dneill8493]

Richard Dreyfuss has such a great laugh. Loved him in Stakeout.

[@writerwade9241]

"It's supposed to be one of the scariest movies ever. I'm calling B.S. on that." I smiled. I knew. Introducing . . . Ben Gardner!!! LOL! "It's just a head! A floating head!" Haha! Thank you for this. Made my day.

[@georgekappos3222]

As a child born in 79, This is my favorite movie of all time. I watch this at least 3 times a year. The jump scare will get you. The only part that ruins things is the scene in the pond where shark bites dudes leg off. They gave away the size of the shark too early. It should have been when he made the "were gonna need a bigger boat" comment. Still has the best jump scare ever. Everyone expects the shark an they get a dead body instead.

[@anthonypritchett7848]

I wanted to put in perspective the little scene where Quint crushes the beer can then Hooper comically crushes the styrofoam cup in response. Beer/soda cans back then were steel, not aluminum, so it took pretty strong hands to crush one. I'm in my 50s so I remember trying to do that when I was a kid. It's amazing how stout those things were just to contain a beverage.

[@Parallax-3D]

Aluminum cans existed since 1957. It was an aluminum can, just a slightly thicker one than current cans.

[@anthonypritchett7848]

@@Parallax-3D Oh, I thought they were still steel then, my bad. They were so stout it's hard to believe they were just aluminum.

[@mattnar3865]

The USS Indianapolis story is real, it makes that scene all the more eerie

[@MWSin1]

0:51 I'm not really scared of sharks. Yoda: You will be. You will be.

[@orbislame]

The mayor in this movie was still mayor in Jaws 2. Always remember the importance of local elections.

[@flibber123]

I think one of the reasons to have Quint's Indianapolis monologue in there is to establish that he thinks he has some kind of fate or destiny tied to sharks "I'll never put on a life jacket again". So when the chief tries to use the radio to call for help, Quint smashes it. Quint wants to face his destiny and the chief and Hooper just have the bad luck to be on the boat now that the time has come for Quint to face it.

[@catindigo9907]

The one thing that always gets me is the story of the USS Indianapolis. My uncle served on it as a gumners 2nd mate, never came home. You're great. Keep up great work

[@dole8001]

And at the time of the movie it had not been found yet

[@douglascampbell9809]

Quint's story about the USS Indianapolis is true EXCEPT for one detail. An SOS WAS sent. All the radio listening stations either discounted or ignored the message. The US Navy hid this behind top secret classifications until the 1980's when the truth came out. Sadly this was after Captain McVay of the USS Indianapolis took his own life at the age of 70 in 1968. SOme 20 years before he would be exonerated off all wrongdoing in Congress.

[@sgtleska]

Much respect to your uncle. Much respect to you. *Salutes*

[@catindigo9907]

Thank you both, I admit because of him I joined the army and not the navy. In Desert Storm I could walk to safety, lol.

[@mccarthy86]

Damn that’s rough, mad respect to your uncle.

[@michaelairheart6921]

I still remember sitting in the front row of the theater, watching this when it first hit theaters. Scared the hell out of me. It hits you different on the big screen.

[@garykuovideos]

12:50 You’re one of the few who has ever pointed out the beauty of the music during the discovery of Ben Gardner’s boat. As a composer myself, I think this cue is one of John Williams’ finest efforts from both an artistic and technical perspective and I never get tired of listening to it by itself. Thanks for another fun reaction and outro!

[@mako88sb]

Well said. It will be a great day when she reacts to Amadeus!

[@jakerazmataz852]

It won an Academy award for best music(original score), and best sound mixing.

[@edwardgirard6983]

AGREED.......John Williams is a master of making an awesome movie score!

[@VictorLugosi]

“Composer” is a working title.. if you’re not paid to compose, you’re not a composer, you have a hobby.

[@RossWrock]

6:12 "Censored because I don't hate you." lol...thank you so much. The worst part about this whole movie.

[@locutus9956]

to quote Lenny on the Simpsons.... "mmmmmm.... Alcohol and night swimming! Its a winning combination!"

[@michaelcoffey1991]

@Whimsory this is why us old folk Miss Spielberg doing horror as he was so brilliant at doing it. Great reaction

[@jackasswhiskyandpintobeans9344]

I've swam in many oceans, but my most terrifying experience was in a freshwater lake in Minnesota. When younger I would fish in a 10' Alumicraft canoe. One day when the water was a still as glass I was fishing in Muskie Bay. I looked down to my right and saw a Muskie as long as my canoe just lazily cruising maybe a foot below the surface.

[@bryansyme6215]

You do really good outros. I'm in my mid-40s and watching you as the younger generation react to all these movies that I grew up with is really refreshing and makes me want to watch them all over again.

[@Aurochhunter]

This movie has stood the test of time. And speaking of the theme music: I remember years ago there was a boy in my dorm who would play John Williams' music, the Jaws theme was one of the tracks.

[@davidevans3175]

To add context, I grew up in the area. Martha’s Vineyard where this was shot, Nantucket and Cape Cod are tourist areas. In the off-season, Sept through June, the population drops to about 10%. In the summer the tourists flood in and that’s where the majority of the area’s income comes from. So the issue of keeping the beach open is critical to the livelihoods of the residents. And the residents are the ones who vote for their Mayor.

[@finnmeister]

One of the greatest movies of all time. It's that simple. Not just a masterpiece of film making but also notable for being the original summer blockbuster.

[@Skyruff-the_original]

The actor Robert Shaw and Roy Scheider were both really big movie stars at the time Jaws came out. It’s just their films we’re not blockbusters so they do not get as much promotion these days. But their best movies are on your list so keep watching.

[@IAMGUAMCPA]

I loved my smile when you commented "I am not afraid of sharks". I keep hearing Yoda "You will be .. you will be". I was raised in the islands and watched this on release at the theater, didn't go in water for weeks. I lot of people reacted the same way was quite the "phenom". Always enjoy your content and your insight.

[@Dr.Acula76]

I'm with her. Never been afraid of sharks. I was surfing the weekend after I first saw this movie. Also love diving with them

[@lewstone5430]

@Michael Barto yes! Yoda’s warning to Luke also ran through my mind there.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

oilfan pw Ok. Now go for a swim off the Farallon Islands.

[@Dr.Acula76]

@@lyndoncmp5751 it's on my bucket list

[@nickmorgan1690]

I don't know why, I always loved how during the credits you can see Hooper and Brody make it to shore.

[@friendlyneighbourhoodsteve4087]

Ahh sharks... the puppies of the sea I call 'em. Cuddly, playful, and oh so cute.

[@SirHilaryManfat]

I recently watched another reaction to Jaws and the reactors came across as disinterested and bored, treating it as though it was some kind of lame old fashioned movie that they had to sit through, to appease their followers. It's understandable that Jaws will never have the same impact and effect as it did on release, but your reaction was perfect Whimsory. You picked up on every element that makes this movie great, such as the characters, dialogue, music, build up of suspense and atmosphere. It's very clear that you do this with a passion for movies above all. You treat every movie with respect, by researching every part of the movie, understanding and appreciating the movie making process and realising that these movies mean so much for older generations like myself. I promise that your hard work and dedication doesn't go unnoticed Whimsory. Thank you.

[@mostvaluableproduction]

As an aspiring filmmaker, I have been loving your reactions. First, I think using the IMDB top 250 is an ingenius way to start going through beloved films of the past. Second, I enjoy getting your initial reaction along with a review that follows repeated viewings and some reasearch. You are immensely entertaining, but you also take your leap into these films seriously. Keep doing what you do!

[@Whimsory]

Thank you so much! ☺️

[@lyndoncmp5751]

The IMBD list is ridiculous. No films have a 10/10 rating and barely any even have a 9/10 rating. The top 250 are almost all between 8 and 9. No way is The Shawshank Redemption the number 1 film of all time. And no way should The Dark Knight be anywhere in the top 10. The Matrix is over 200 places ahead of Jaws. That's just nonsense.

[@burntvirtue]

​@@lyndoncmp5751Correct.

[@machfront]

I agree the list is severely lacking. However, for a younger person who is quite seriously exploring cinema, it’s a start. No worries. She will soon find her feet. She is clearly no dummy to be swayed merely by the winds of critics and cries alone.

[@liljoe31]

"You know those guys in the fantail launch out there? Well none of them are getting out of the harbor alive" lol

[@mhlevy]

The reporter, reporting from the beach, who ended with "in the shape of a killer shark." was the author of the book this movie was based on, Peter Benchley. All of the actors are fantastic in this movie. A truly great movie that features Robert Shaw and also includes Robert Redford and Paul Newman (one the the greatest American actors) in the movie called "The Sting."

[@skyhawksailor8736]

As an old Sailor, I am very impressed you took the time to discover about the USS Indianapolis. Enjoyed watching you and the scene which maid my US Marine Wife jump and scream out. I read the book when I was in the 10th grade back in 1974/1975. I could not put it down and finished it in one weekend.

[@billbabcock1833]

You mentioned the book's author, Peter Benchley. He was in the movie as the TV reporter who talked about a cloud in the shape of a giant shark. When this came out, people were just blown away. No one had seen a movie like this before.

[@MarcosElMalo2]

It defined a new sub genre of horror movies, animal horror. And I think it got a lot of its scare power from the fact that the monster was natural, not supernatural. It was plausible in a way that vampires or giant mutants are not. It could really happen.

[@karenwhitaker5646]

It's great to see a young person reacting to Jaws. Dad took us all to the drive in to see this movie and I haven't set foot in the ocean since. I even had a notable panic attack in a lake soon after seeing it. A family friend thought it would be funny to yell "shark!". I suppose it was. I'm almost certain that I ran across the top of the water all the way to shore. I watch this movie several times a year. It never gets old for me.

[@gregghelmberger]

Whimsory: I've not afraid of sharks. Me: (leaning forward like Yoda) Oh, you will be. You will be.

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

Nice editing on the dolly zoom at 5:18! Steven Spielberg named the mechanical shark "Bruce" after his lawyer. It broke down a lot, which limited the number of scenes it could be used in. This actually improved the movie. The fact that we don't see the shark all the time increases the dramatic tension, and makes the scenes where we do see it more impactful. Did you notice on the death certificate that the word "Coroner" was misspelled as "Corner"? I've wondered whether that was deliberate. Quint was a lot like Ahab in Moby-Dick. He was a sea captain who was obsessed with getting revenge on a giant white sea creature, and his obsession led to his destruction. Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss hated each other. For some reason, Shaw had a disdain for Dreyfuss which he displayed openly. Since he's not an idiot, Dreyfuss noticed this and gave some of it back. The tension between the two came through on screen, which worked out well for the film (since the characters didn't like each other, either). I've read the Peter Benchley novel. In my opinion, this is one of the few cases where the movie is better than the book. The line, "You're gonna need a bigger boat," wasn't scripted. It was a joke among the film crew, and Roy Scheider decided to use it at the appropriate moment. Spielberg liked it, and left it in the movie (and added some "bigger boat" lines a few more times for good measure). Director Bryan Singer named his production company "Bad Hat Harry Productions" after the line in Jaws. Richard Dreyfuss went on to become a big name after this movie. His best-known films are Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Mr. Holland's Opus. He had a small but important role in Stand By Me. Prior to Jaws, he was in American Graffiti. Robert Shaw was a character actor who specialized in playing tough guys. He had a big role in The Sting, which is also in the IMDB Top 250 list.

[@michaelgonzalez6295]

Hiya @Whimsory. 👋 Old guy here with a history nugget. This movie made so much money in so short a time, it is considered the first "summer blockbuster" film. When lightning struck twice with Star War in summer 1977 and thrice with Superman in 1978, it effectively reduced the role of smaller budget independent filmmaking which was starting to come into its own in the 1960s-1970s before. So the studios followed the money and started the trend you see today.

[@cherylsims5636]

Did you know"Smokey and the Bandit" (my all time favorite comedy) almost beat out Star Wars for Best Movie of the year in '77?

[@aceldamia9114]

As she said in the outro.

[@cherylsims5636]

@@aceldamia9114 Who said what?

[@nmt2k2]

I saw this in the summer between Sophomore and Junior years in high school at the Puente drive-in with Rick and Tiny. For years after that when we would go out drinking and it would get to be the end of the night we would inevitably start singing "Show me the way to go home. I'm tired and I want to go to bed. Had a little drink about an hour ago and it went straight to my head."

[@Jessica_Roth]

The illustrated humor magazine "Mad" would do musical parodies of contemporary films, where they would illustrate scenes from the movie with song lyrics. Here they did the end of the film with Brodie singing a version of "On the Street Where You Live" from the musical "My Fair Lady". So, for 40+ years, I have had this stuck my head: "All those floating bits were once Jaws out there Along with other bits of Robert Shaw's out there"

[@dr.burtgummerfan439]

10:16 The actress playing the mother had never done a stage slap before, so she really popped Scheider upside the face, his reaction was real. They both rdmained in character and finishdd the scene.

[@ronfehr7899]

Also, a fun fact. People would sometimes come up to her and ask to have their faces slapped.

[@lewstone5430]

fUn FaCt!

[@rollomaughfling380]

". . . had never done a stage slap before . . ." Umm, excuse me? She most certainly had. "I slapped him hard with a loose wrist, which was what I was taught in acting school." -Lee Fierro, who had become the artistic *director* at the _Island Theatre Workshop_ the year Jaws was filmed. Also, she slapped him in 17 different takes, once knocking his glasses off. His reaction was the reaction of a good actor, not some fluke.

[@davidanderson1639]

The actor who played Alex Kitner (Jeff Voorhees) lives on Martha’s Vineyard & owns a restaurant. Back in 1999, Lee Ferro who played his screen mother in Jaws visited the restaurant purely by chance & noticed that there was an ‘Alex Kitner Sandwich’ listed in the menu. Ferro then told the staff that the sandwich was named after her son in Jaws….only for the manager, Voorhees , to come out & see her for the first time since they had filmed Jaws.

[@tetleyT]

Nice job Whimsory! You're a natural born editor my friend.

[@JohnnyMac2237]

First time watching this channel. She reminded me of something very important regarding filming Jaws and why jump scares are cheap. When Spielberg first screened the film for audiences it didn’t have the “Gardner head” scene. When the audience saw the shark pop out during the chum scene all of the audiences screamed and popcorn went flying. The studio wanted another scare scene. Spielberg filmed the head scene in his editors pool and added it in for test audiences. The screamed…threw their popcorn..when the shark emerging during the chum scene every single audience had 1/2 the reaction as the screenings without the head when the scene came. Spielberg said “I learned a valuable lesson in filmmaking..the audience no longer trusted me after the head scene and we’re watching the film waiting for the next scare” She illustrates this perfectly..after the head scare reaction..which terrified her…she later on says “Just no more heads” lol…and when the chum scare came..it was not equal to the first. This is why Spielberg is the best…he is just so aware.

[@zedwpd]

We had sunscreen in the 70's. Everyone had Coppertone on. Jodie Foster was in a Coppertone commercial in 1965.

[@nicolasbaron4506]

I LOVE Jaws! But then again, who doesn’t? This is a masterpiece of a film! It does everything right! Great cinematography, great acting, great intensity, everything about it is amazing! They do a great job of making it feel very terrifying. The acting makes it seem like they are in real danger. Even the music give it an intense feel! That famous theme still creeps me out to this day! It’s very intense and it all feels real! That’s why this is one of the greatest movies ever made! As for the sequels, yeah, those were awful. But the original is still and will forever be a great classic.

[@OroborusFMA]

The book is great. The movie is stupid. And the sequels are worse than stupid.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Oroborus, Hardly anyone considers the book great. The movie is widely considered a cinematic masterpiece. The book has a good start and good ending but the rest of it is mediocre. None of the characters are likeable.

[@BubblyRainbows]

I didn't think all the sequels were awful. The second movie was entertaining enough. It's impossible to recreate what they did with the first one since people know what to expect from a sequel with the same premise, but Jaws 2, imo, is entertaining enough to be worth a watch. Certainly not a masterpiece but entertaining enough.

[@mako88sb]

@@BubblyRainbows Yes, I enjoyed the second one. Certainly not to the same level as the original but still pretty darn good.

[@RafaelMercadoSalas]

The dedication you put into what you do never ceases to amaze me. I watch a lot of reaction videos to classic movies, but no one watches movies 3 times, takes notes, or researches as much as you do. Your final comments are always very interesting because you are really informed. Congratulations. You achieve excellence in what you do. Greetings from Perú 🙌.

[@YeOldeSpellbooke]

I wholly agree. I'm a "Behind the sceens" kind of a guy. I love learning about the nuts and bolts that made the movies i love, and some times Whimsory finds some nugget of information that i missed. It's a sheer joy every time I see her post a reaction video. Greetings from Sweden 🖖

[@asdfasdf7199]

spielberg and williams announcing who's in charge now. legends.

[@joejesswein9740]

This movie is where the term blockbuster came from because of the long lines. It also caused a dip in beach tourism for the year

[@kevincosta9228]

Did you do Jaws justice? Yes! Your reactions are some of the best on KZbin, and you didn't disappoint here. I'm old enough to have seen this as a teenager when it came out. The reaction of everyone in the movie theater when that head came floating out... You can't match that experience by streaming it at home.

[@alvargas5095]

Jaws is the only movie my father ever took my brother and I to see at a movie theater. We were 13 and 12 years old respectively when we saw it in 1975. It is the greatest movie going experience for me bar none. The theater was packed no empty seats. Watching Jaws at the theater was like being there on the Orca with Quint, Brody and Hooper. My mind was so engrossed in the movie from the very beginning when the ominous tune started underwater. You could hear a pin drop. I can still remember looking into Quint's crystal clear light blue eyes when he introduced himself at the town meeting. He left an impression. When Ben Gardner's head popped out of that hole the whole audience jumped out of or sunk into their seats in unison. Quint's monologue was unforgettable. It horrified me when he said, "the ocean turns red and despite all of the pounding and hollering, they all come in and rip you to pieces". Yikes! Great review. Thanks

[@andreim.5324]

I've become addicted to your reactions, Whims! I just love seeing and hearing you, especially your discussion/outro! That scene with the floating head gets EVERYONE who watches this movie. To me and most people, that was more of a jump scare than any shark scene in the movie. My favorite part about the movie though will always remain Quint's Indianapolis speech. It freezes the blood in my veins every time I hear it. Fantastic acting by Robert Shaw. Jaws remains one of the best movies ever and it actually was the movie that kick started the whole summer blockbuster concept in Hollywood.

[@LocalFoe]

I was so in awe of this team that while in high school in the 80s, I special-ordered a Soviet jersey and would wear it to hockey practice. You can imagine the 'conversation' starter that was. IMO, the greatest team ever. Thank you for the post.

[@dsscam]

You are a phenomenal reactor. I just watched your amazing reaction and "outro" to The Truman Show and fell in love. Now Jaws- also spectacular. I love your detailed outros and analysis. So much research and thoroughness after you watch the movie. You're one of the best reactors out there!!

[@jimglenn6972]

Hi there! I was 12 years old when this came out. My family vacationed in Nantucket, next to Martha’s Vineyard where this was filmed. Luckily my parents didn’t let me see this even tho it was PG. I remember that everyone was freaked out by it. Sadly, over the next several summers, tourist fishermen kept catching tiny sharks and leaving them on the beach. Also, you made a quizzical face when Hooper spat in his mask. Spitting in the mask keeps it from fogging up when underwater. I’m glad you liked it.

[@paulcarfantan6688]

I was 7 years old when this movie came out, it`s a good thing I didn`t see it. My family and I would spend three weeks in August every year starting in 1971, during that decade, not on Nantuckett but we would go swimming at Veteran`s Beach in Hyannis almost everyday. I remember those big white and black ferry-boats in Hyannis Port and it brings back good memories seing the summer of 1974 in color.

[@Ranadicus]

The story Quint told about the cruiser USS Indianapolis is true. Also, Mythbusters tested a number of Jaws myths if you want to search them up for fun. There's something of an ongoing debate about which was the officially the first Hollywood blockbuster movie, Jaws or Star Wars. I update my comments as we go along so I don't forget things, but I need to remember that you're the only reactor who researches the movies after watching them and wait until the end of the video before I start. Also, your outro isn't too long as long as it continues to be informed and informative

[@johnfriday5169]

Jaws is generally considered the first summer blockbuster in 1975. Star Wars was released in 1977 so I don't understand where the debate is.

[@orangeballoffailureNYC]

@@johnfriday5169 *star wars 77

[@johnfriday5169]

@@orangeballoffailureNYC oops, my bad. I'll correct it. Thanks.

[@Ranadicus]

@@johnfriday5169 The debate is I didn't say Summer

[@wanderinroy]

Reactor Shanelle Riccio will also look up some trivia and facts after she is done with the movie. She is pretty good, as well.

[@handfuloftrains4781]

Every youtube reactor: "Not the kid! Not the dog!" Spielberg: "The kid. The dog."

[@Buddy-Dale]

When the mayor tries to tell Brody that Mrs. Kitner was wrong but he simply but sadly replies "No she's not" always hits me. Such great acting

[@thelionsshare6668]

Fun fact: there were GREAT doubts during filming if this was going to be a good movie or not. But after editing, and adding the music... during the test screening, the producers were startled by the audience reaction--which was visceral. They had never seen people react to so emotionally to a movie before. The author was upset with Spielberg changing the ending, but when he saw the audience CHEER LOUDLY, he grudgingly admitted that the director did the right thing.

[@malcolmdrake6137]

??...you're going with, "it's a fact there were great doubts"...WOW! Let me go out on a limb and say, you're an American, with that kind of reasoning capability. 😂

[@OroborusFMA]

I thought the author wrote the screenplay, including the stupid exploding shark. He should have been a lot more upset then . Spielberg is a hack.

[@ashscott6068]

They had no choice but to change the ending, really. They put a dwarf in a wetsuit in a cage with a real great White, to scale the shark up, and the poor dude shit himself and refused to go back in the water. It was just quicker and cheaper to have Hooper survive. But that scene where ths shark is tangled in the wires supporting the cage, is way better than anything we could do with CGI, or ever will be able to. Cus it's all 100% real and in-camera, and the shark is a real shark.

[@longtallshorty5791]

Stop saying fun fact. Stop it. F*****g stop it.

[@daerdevvyl4314]

Malcolm Drake Bigots like you make me sick. BTW I'm not American, I just don't believe in judging whole huge nations of people as if they're all the same.

[@ziggystardog]

Whimsory, Chrissy wasn’t afraid of sharks until she got ate. The tag line for this movie was “You'll never go in the water again.” I highly doubt Jaws II is on your list. Kinda the epitome of a crappy sequel. But it had an even better tag line: “Just when you thought it was safe to go in the water again.”

[@MLJ7956]

Jaws 2 is an underrated decent sequel...the two after that (Jaws 3-D & Jaws: The Revenge are the truly awful ones).

[@stpetie7686]

I swear the cutest line I'm gonna hear all week is, "I'm glad I saw this later in life." That probably means I'm old now.

[@bobbyj5375]

Your startled jump was priceless. You look fairly young , so happy that you watch these older movies and find them satisfying. Some more options to try: "Death Wish 70's".... "F/X"....." Cape Fear 91"......"Tremors"....."Panic room"

[@JeffersonMills]

Great reaction and analysis as usual! I was 10 when this came out, and I remember people lined up around the block to see it. And a lot of people actually became scared to swim, even in pools, for a couple of years afterwards. All of that is a testament to the creative genius of Spielberg, the writers, actors and crew. Absolutely huge cultural impact!

[@dan_hitchman007]

This is a movie you could call a happy accident. The movie got better because the mechanical shark barely worked when Spielberg needed it and so "Jaws" became a character driven film with more suspense. Because the shark would not be present for the bulk of the movie, famed composer John Williams came up with the primal, two-note shark theme, and that became a great stand-in for the mostly unseen monster. It allowed the audience to fill in the blanks and the shark became scarier by virtue of their imagination. The unpredictable practical effects led to a massive rewrite in Martha's Vineyard on set, and A LOT of ad libbing on the part of the cast. Much of the dialog was thought up on the spot. The famous U.S.S. Indianapolis speech Quint gives was co-written by actor Robert Shaw and delivered while he was actually half drunk.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Its exaggerated though. Bruce was never scheduled to be used for the first half of the film. The beach attack scenes were filmed May to early July 1974. First scheduled use of Bruce wasn't intended until July for the Orca based scenes. The pier scene was filmed in May, before they were even aware that the mechanical sharks wouldn't work, so there were always going to be suspense scenes with no shark seen at all. The documentaries totally exaggerate it, but if you read the more detailed books like The Jaws Log and Memories From Martha's Vineyard you'll get a more nuanced account. It was the ocean based Orca scenes where it all went wrong. The first half of the movie went more or less on schedule.

[@no_one01-5]

Wasn't Shaw always half-drunk?

[@ftumschk]

@@no_one01-5 Shaw struggled with alcoholism throughout his adult life. If he was drunk during filming, it didn't stop him turning in his usual brilliant performance. Shaw, Scheider and Dreyfuss were wonderful in this movie.

[@dan_hitchman007]

@@lyndoncmp5751 There are more accounts that the mechanical shark did cause problems early on and it was supposed to be used more often than it was. The dailies were showing the shark was not behaving as planned. Spielberg felt he was going to be fired and so he and the cast rallied together and reworked the script, so the shark was not used until it absolutely had to. That delay allowed the effects team time to work on the issues with Bruce. Those problems also led to using more shark POV shots, the barrels, waterline shots, the John Williams' score using music to cover for the lack of the shark, etc. This was causing Spielberg, the cast, and crew to become more creative. There is also some who believe those diaries used in the book were somewhat altered to try and cover for some of these production woes.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

@@dan_hitchman007 Im afraid that's not true. The shark was never scheduled to be used for the beach attack scenes, which were filmed May to early July. Not only that, the water was too shallow off State Beach and Harthhaven. Only 3 to 5ft deep. The mechanical sharks needed much deeper water. Here's Carl Gottlieb's The Jaws Log, page 159: "The training period for the special effects (shark) was that May 15th to June 15th period, but the beast didn't even get wet until June 15th, two weeks away from it's scheduled debut on film" So when they started filming the beach attack scenes in May with the pier scene without the shark, they didn't even KNOW that the shark would malfunction later on when it was due to be used and would not work. They assumed all would be fine. They had a perfectly working fin contraption (used in the pond scene). This was just towed. If Spielberg wanted to show some of the shark during the Chrissie and Alex Kintner scenes he could have easily used the fin contraption and showed a fin, or part of it, either swimming past or disappearing. He didn't. He specifically chose to not show any of the shark during those scenes and the pier scene. He wanted the shark to remain hidden. Spielberg was always a Hitchcockian suspense type of director. Watch Duel and Something Evil. Two films he made before Jaws. In those films, Spielberg uses suspense and the hidden adversary. The first half of Jaws is like Duel and Something Evil. It's unfair to Spielberg to say the suspense in Jaws was due to a non working shark. Not so. Spielberg was already a director that heavily used suspense. That was his style. Cheers 👍

[@tofersiefken]

Thank you for muting the "nails on chalkboard" scene and for not hating your viewers. Every other reactor not only cringed to the sound themselves, but left the sound in, causing them to cringe again in the edit, and causing their audiences to suffer. We feel loved.

[@ronfehr7899]

One thing that made this movie so successful was the suspense, getting hints that the shark was there but never actually seeing it, until the final third of the movie. The main reason for the film being done this way was necessity. There were three animatronic sharks made for the film, all which had been tested in fresh water. When it came to filming, the salit water caused numerous problems, and the sharks were often out of commission when it came time to shoot. Little did the crew realize that this was a blessing in disguise, as many movies since have followed a similar formula by often leaving the audience in suspense for much of their run times.

[@robertstuart480]

"Jaws" is a top tier film. I watch it every Summer. I am happy to see you reacting to it, Whimsory.

[@JugheadJones03]

Love your energy and vibe as always Whim! : ) Thank you.

[@little-wytch]

It always amuses me to see actors go from one role to a completely opposite role later in their careers. The chief of Police hates the water but lives on an island here... but in the 90s he played a character named Captain Bridger on a show (and submarine) called SeaQuest and he absolutely loved the water lol.

[@51tetra69]

Also, Whimsy, the scene when they are examining Ben Gardner’s beat up fishing boat, and Hooper pulls a shark tooth the size of a shot glass out of the hole in the hull -- just as Ben Gardner’s mutilated head suddenly appears -- is one of the greatest jump-scares of all time!

[@TheFemiaTeam]

Always look forward to your reactions. So smart; such a great style!

[@Craigyboi01]

Oh no no no no haven't you had enough? You've eaten everybody. Whimsory Evey video you have a stand out line that has me in tears 😂 love from England xx

[@user-us5pv8zw3z]

I grew up on Martha’s Vineyard and I clearly remember when Jaws was filming here. My friends and I were never afraid of the shark because we saw Bruce, the mechanical shark all the time.

[@orchidwave2574]

My brother and I were kids from Manitoba, Canada, about 8 and 9 years old...parents took us for a trip to England. In London, we saw the premiere of Jaws. The next day, with zero sense of irony, dad took us to a nice beach on the ocean. My brother and I would wade in about 3 feet, yell 'shark!!!' and race back to the shore. Dad just swam about 200 feet offshore without a care in the world, wondering why we were constantly rushing out of the water and creeping hesitantly back in... Still surprised we dared to put so much as one toe in the water, I remember how insanely unnerved we were (and trying to pretend otherwise!!)

[@MLJ7956]

Great reaction Whimsory.... About 95% of the movie was filmed on location (the other 5% was filmed at Universal Studios in California and a few reshoot shots in editor's Virginia Fields swimming pool - pertaining to the scene finding Ben Gardner's body underwater). The bulk of the movie was filmed in & around Martha's Vineyard (doubling for the fictional Amity Island) which is a real actual island & part of the state of Massachusetts. Many of the locations seen in the film are still there today and are tourists attractions now that the pubic can visit 😁👍

[@glennwisniewski9536]

Barack Obama ($11.75 million waterfront house situated on nearly 30 acres) and many other big shots have homes on Martha's Vineyard.

[@jkayrichardson3366]

Was gonna go to bed but this one is a personal favourite of mine, so i have to stay up to what it. I love how most the suspense is created by what you cant see rather than the horror of the shark itself, which oddly enough was mostly because the shark animatronic kept breaking down.

[@MrDeadstu]

"I'm not scared of sharks" says Whimsory. Wait until the next time you are swimming in the ocean, or even a lake.....you WILL recall this movie.

[@pineconey]

As the lore goes, part of what makes it great is that the shark was malfunctioning so much that they couldn't show it as much as they wanted to, so it made for a much better, subtle build-up. Robert Shaw was, reportedly, kind of mean IRL, and gave Dreyfuss a hard time, so the tension between Quint and Hooper is somewhat real.