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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Jon Harvey

Jaws at 50: Spielberg’s marine masterpiece transformed the movies – and us

Jaws Steven Spielberg United States Peter Benchley Ross Williams
Poster artwork for Steven Spielberg’s Jaws
Poster artwork for Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, which was released in June 1975. Photograph: Universal/Sportsphoto/Allstar

Fifty years ago the world was changed for ever by a shark. On 20 June 1975, cinemagoers in the US were the first to experience the visceral thrills and oceanic spills of Jaws.

It’s the original blockbuster, it inspired an entire genre of “sharksploitation” entertainment, and it transformed what millions thought about sharks, for better and for worse.

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