"Jaws"...puts a whole new perspective on...sharks!

On June 20th, 1975, the movie "Jaws" opened...and man....did that "freak" people out or what! After that, going to the beach...one of my personal favorites...had a different outlook...and still does today.
 The 70's were a great era for some great movies with the state-of-the-art technology. Not long after Jaws came out, in 1977 Star Wars opened...and wow, for me I thought it was the utopia for movie goers.

 Jaws introduced Steven Spielberg, and the creation of his "shark friend" caused countless viewers to think twice, if not totally afraid to enter the waters of the ocean...anywhere. The movie soon became the highest grossing film in all movie history...until Star Wars came along in 1977.

 Jaws was nominated for an Academy Award under Best Picture category, and "took home" 3 Oscars: 1) best film editing 2) best original score and 3) best sound.
 Steven Spielberg was 27 years old at the time and 3 sequels came as a result of this now classic movie in the film making history.

  The story of Jaws is centered on a New England resort that is terrorized by the massive shark.  The actors included Roy Scheider (police chief Martin Brody), Richard Dreyfuss (Matt Hooper), and Robert Shaw (Quint). It was set on a beach town named Amity ( a fictional town), and was based on the best selling novel that was introduced in 1973, written by Peter Benchly. 

Yet, the making of Jaws...brought a variety of issues. Here are a few...
1. Originally, the director was Dick Richards and wanted to make "Jaws" the story of a whale. Richards was let go....before the making of the movie was even underway.

2. 3 mechanical sharks were used in filming "Jaws", and they malfunctioned...constantly. In fact, the first mechanical shark had never been tested in water, and when it came time for 'him' to make his opening debut as a ferocious shark....he sank...as soon as he was put in water.
Problems developed from the mechanical sharks and members of the crew nicknamed the movie "Flaws" because of the numerous issues they encountered.
3. Roy Scheider was skeptical during the scene where the boat the "Orca" sank. Scheider did not have the confidence the film crew cold save him if anything went wrong during the shooting. So, Scheider had axes placed in various places throughout the boat in case he would have to...save himself.
4. Steven Spielberg's own dog played the role of Brady's dog.

5. Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss had numerous differences and they didn't really get along.
6. "Jaws" was described to be 25 feet in length and to weigh in around 3 tons.
7. Although "Jaws" is referred to as a white shark, the shark was actually modeled after the Megalodon...a much larger prehistoric shark.

And what phobia rose to the forefront after the debut of "Jaws"?....

                                                           SELACHOPHOBIA
 "It is a phobia based on the fear of.....sharks. Symptoms include extreme anxiety, panic w/ shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, inability to articulate words, and literal shaking."

 This particular phobia had a sudden increase after "Jaws" appeared. In face, the last time a movie had such a profound effect on the American public was in 1960. A man by the name of Alfred Hitchcock introduced a movie called: "Psycho"...

  After the movie "Psycho" came out, a phobia known as "Ablutophobia"...the fear of taking showers....became an issue for some. ( This particular phobia is a serious one as well and tough to combat in everyday life).

                                                      This is why...




Phobias are very real to many people throughout the world today. Trauma has been a leading factor in a person battling with a particular phobia, and fear in any form is always a tough one to combat in life.
 Fear can strike at the heart of man and can sometimes be a lifelong struggle.
Sometimes fear is based on...things that really aren't so....at least not like we see in "the movies".
 I myself have to deal with some very real fears....and I don't know how else to do it except to face them head on....but...don't do it alone....you need support around you.
 Don't always believe what your eyes see....

What looks like this....maybe




        is really this!