JAWS (1975)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
''Is it true that most people get attacked by sharks in about three feet of water?'' When this doom-drenched gem — the highest-grossing film on our list — hit theaters, it gave new meaning to the phrase red tide. Weeks over schedule and dizzyingly over budget, Jaws caused Spielberg more than his share of headaches — especially due to his temperamental star. No, not Richard Dreyfuss, but Bruce, the 24-foot-long malfunctioning animatronic great white named after Spielberg's lawyer. ''The fact that the shark didn't work was an artistic blessing in disguise,'' says Spielberg. ''It forced me to be Hitchcockian.'' It's true — Jaws is terrifying not for the few times we see the shark treating Amity's vacationers like a Red Lobster smorgasbord, but for those sharkless moments of fear and trembling as we wait for Bruce to feed again.
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