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The many ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ‘Jaws' on Martha's Vineyard

The many ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary of ‘Jaws' on Martha's Vineyard

Boston Globe23-05-2025

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A series of talks and presentations will be held throughout Amity Week, including an in-depth look at what makes 'Jaws' a masterpiece, presented by historian and
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Jaws' expert Bow Van Riper; a talk by author Christopher Shaw Myers, nephew of Robert 'Quint' Shaw, about growing up with his legendary uncle, and a presentation by renowned ocean advocate Wendy Benchley on her journey from the 'Jaws' set to global conservation efforts, highlighting groundbreaking marine research and shark protection initiatives. Cort Corino will share his story behind building a full-scale replica of the cabin on the boat 'Orca,' and retired Edgartown Harbor Master Charlie Blair will share his experiences on the set of 'Jaws,' advising filmmakers on tides and ocean conditions. There's a daylong reunion with meet-and-greets with island residents who participated in the film's production, and a 'Jaws'-inspired dog costume meetup.
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Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at

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Steven Spielberg says he thought Jaws would be the ‘last movie I would ever be given to direct'
Steven Spielberg says he thought Jaws would be the ‘last movie I would ever be given to direct'

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Steven Spielberg says he thought Jaws would be the ‘last movie I would ever be given to direct'

Steven Spielberg may be one of the most recognisable directors today, but he thought his career was over 50 years ago. At 78 years old, Spielberg has made iconic films such as Schindler's List (1993), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and The Post (2017). Among other prizes, he has won three Academy Awards, including two accolades for Best Director for Saving Private Ryan (1998) and Schindler's List as well as the Irving G Thalberg Memorial Award in 1987. In a new interview, as per The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker reflected on one of his earliest hits, Jaws, telling audiences that he thought it 'would be the last movie I would ever be given to direct'. Released in 1975, the shark thriller became a classic, but the disaster-plagued production left a mark on its maker. 'In most circumstances, summer in the Vineyard is a dream,' he said in reference to Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts where Jaws was filmed. 'But when you are over budget and over schedule and when I am over my head, that summer of 1974 was a bad dream before it ever became the dream of a lifetime.' Spielberg made the comments as part of a video message to an audience in Martha's Vineyard attending a National Geographic world premiere for Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story on Friday (20 June). He had been a 27-year-old director at the time and chose to shoot in Martha's Vineyard because he wanted his mechanised shark to swim in real waters. Speaking about Jaws @ 50, he continued: 'It details how young and unprepared all of us were for the challenges of shooting in the Atlantic Ocean with a mechanical shark that was more temperamental than any movie star I have ever worked with since, and how in the wake of running over schedule and budget, I truly believed that Jaws would be the last movie I would ever be given to direct.' The film budget ultimately tripled to $9m, with the schedule stretching from the originally planned 55 days to 159. Jaws proved so troublesome to produce that Spielberg said he had a 'full-blown panic attack' after the film wrapped. 'I couldn't breathe, I thought I was having a heart attack. I couldn't get a full breath of air,' he said. 'I kept going to the bathroom and splashing water on my face. I was shaking. I was out of it – completely out of it' Spielberg said it was thanks to cinema-goers that he was able to work again, recalling how theatrical audiences threw him a 'life preserver' in 1975. 'Fifty years after its initial release, making Jaws remains a seminal experience for every single one of us, and five decades has done nothing to dim the memories of what remains one of the most overwhelming, exciting, terrifying and rewarding experiences of my entire career,' the director concluded. Jaws went on to earn over $475m at the box office, becoming the first true summer blockbuster. It won three Academy Awards and has gone down in cinema history, but the experience left Spielberg with 'consistent nightmares' for years. Directed by Laurent Bouzereau, Jaws @ 50 will air on National Geographic on 10 July before it is later released on streaming services Disney+ and Hulu.

Fifty Years After ‘Jaws,' Shark Science Is Still Surfacing
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When Steven Spielberg's famous mechanical shark, Bruce, first appeared onscreen in the summer of 1975, Chris Lowe thought it looked fake. Dr. Lowe, who now leads the Shark Lab at California State Long Beach, was 11 that year. He had grown up on Martha's Vineyard, the island in Massachusetts where 'Jaws' was filmed. He had watched Mr. Spielberg's crew transform his hometown into 'Amity Island.' Some of his schoolmates served as extras; he saw the mechanical shark in person. But one of the film's characters in particular captured his attention: the marine biologist Matt Hooper, portrayed by Richard Dreyfuss. Dr. Lowe credited Hooper for first stirring his curiosity about shark scientists. 'Hooper kind of got me interested in this idea that there are scientists that get paid to study sharks,' he said. Dr. Lowe wasn't the only one. 'Jaws,' the highest-grossing movie of its time, cast a long shadow over the reputation of sharks. Throughout the 1970s and '80s, these ocean predators were vilified as voracious monsters and were drastically overfished. The only good shark was a dead shark, the thinking went. But the film also ushered in an era of curiosity, inquiry and shark science. It produced a generation or more of researchers fascinated with these creatures that remain largely unknown. 'I call it a blessing and a curse,' Dr. Lowe said. Before 'Jaws' premiered in 1975, most shark research was conducted by the U.S. Navy. Much of it involved experimenting and testing repellents to prevent shark attacks on sailors. Very little was known about sharks, and the research sought to understand why they attacked people. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.

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