SHARK ATTACK!

By: Alyssa Pittman, Alivia Rhodes, and Kate Friedman

Da na da na na naaaaa- da- na da na naaaa! SHARK ATTACK! 

Steven Spielberg’s 1975 Jaws threw the scholars into the deep end during the second week of the GSP’s Classic Films series. Scholars piled into Faculty Hall 208, settling down with blankets, pillows, and towels. Their comfortability lasted mere moments before being plunged into timeless terror, gore, and jumpscares. For scholars typically accustomed to modern horror cinematography, Jaws was an exposé into the style of vintage 70’s horror film making.

The cult classic is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. First released in June of 1975, Jaws was based on the 1974 Peter Benchley novel of the same name. The thriller opens to the dismemberment of a young woman enjoying her night at a bonfire with friends. A small New England Island, Amity, is faced with a tough decision of whether or not to close the tourist beaches on the eve of Fourth of July, which as mayor Larry Vaughn states is “our whole town’s livelihood.” Attack after attack, death after death, the town is in a frenzy of shark hunting mania. Police chief Martin Brody invites an ichthyologist, Matt Hooper, to investigate these brutal incidents involving a shark charged with the crime. After thorough research, Hooper deduces that this shark is not the killer, and decides that he, Brody, and experienced shark hunter Quint, will find and kill the real culprit. 

Screams echoed throughout Faculty Hall as scholars all jumped back in their seats at the scares. The movie was generally well recepted by the moviegoers, with reviews such as, 

“It was interesting to see how they filmed in the water… seeing it multiple times I was able to reflect on the filmmaking and not the actual movie” – Maya Johnston

Edited by Josiah Self