MONSTERMINIONS Top 5 Scenes from JAWS

As a cinematic experience Jaws (1975) has few equals. I have never seen a more riveting film in a theater. Jaws glued you to the seats. It was a roller coaster ride that kept outdoing itself with memorable scenes. I saw the flick 12 times in a theater setting and couldn’t get enough of Brody, Hooper and Quint. Here’s my 5 favorite scenes:

• Ben Gardner’s Optic Nerve.  Earlier in the film young Hooper is greeted at the docks by a rugged outdoorsman. “Hello Back”.  That’s Ben Gardner and Hopper meets him again, but under different circumstances underwater.  The timing, editing and use of sound for the sequence is sublime.  It’s one of the greatest scare moments ever constructed for cinema.
• The Attack on the Dingy.  After the shark enters the estuary pond and attacks a dingy and an opinionated fellow, we see a fantastic lateral shot of the Great White moving in for the kill… And then there’s that severed leg that garnered a PG rating.
• Quint and the Chalk Board.  SCRATCH SCREECH. “You all know me… You know how I earn of livin…”  We’re introduced to one of the most powerful characters ever conceived for film.  How does Robert Shaw not get a supporting actor nom?
• The Indianapolis Speech.  This scene still raises the hair on the back of my neck.
• Search for the Rogue Shark.  Drunk Brody and Hooper set out to find the rogue shark feeding at night.  I love the dialogue, cinematography and John Williams creepy score.  This of course leads to the discovery of Ben Gardner’s boat.

What are your favorite scenes in Jaws?