Temperatures are starting to get intermittently warmer and it feels more and more like summer, or at least that summer hasn’t forgotten to show up eventually. Regardless of the feel of things, summer officially starts today since it’s the summer solstice! That reminded me of my earlier review of “Fall Guy” and missing that Summer Blockbuster feel at the movies. This gave way to the idea that I should do Summer Blockbusters as a theme, but change it up a little by requiring the movie to be about something that happens during the summer. So, this will be the first of a four-part series looking at my pick for a great summer-themed movie from several different decades. We’ll get things started with what I find to be the quintessential summer blockbuster from the 1970s.

Technically speaking, blockbusters didn’t happen during summer months in the early years of movies. Typically, movie industries took it easy in the summer much like the rest of America tried to. Things started changing in 1973 with George Lucas’ release of “American Graffiti” which set a load of box office records despite its supposed doomed release window in the summer. But something was coming that would eat the competition for years to come:

MOVIE: “Jaws” (1975, PG, 124 min, watch it: DVD, Starz)

I checked the movie out from a local library, put it in my DVD player and sat down with a LEGO set. Multitasking is something I think I’m really good at, but as the two-hours of “Jaws” played out on screen, I found it nearly impossible to put my LEGOs together. LEGO sets and I aren’t easily separated… This was far from the first time I’ve watched “Jaws” and, given just how good it is, will surely not be the last time I watch it. Steven Spielberg is a master of suspense and is able to put together a movie with the simplest premise, a shark attacks swimmers in a tiny community, and still build up a movie around it that will keep you on the edge of your seat even though you know exactly what’s coming!

In case anyone doesn’t know what to expect from “Jaws,” a brief summary. In the tiny beach town of Amity Island, nestled in some undisclosed New England location, a woman leaves a beach party and unsuspectingly becomes a victim of a gruesome shark attack. After discovering what was left of her, the town disregards how she died to keep the community a viable Fourth of July vacation destination. Inevitably, more death ensues after their repeated resistance to closing the beach. Finally, a trio attempt to hunt down the deadly shark in the open waters.

Such a simple plot! Spielberg wisely deviated from the original novel quite substantially and created a movie that sails by quickly despite a relatively long playtime exceeding two hours. Given the age of the movie, I was imagining I’d be disappointed in the special effects, but honestly, I’m impressed at how well it holds up. Sure, a couple sequences with the shark are a little lackluster, but on the whole, things were downright scary still. Part of the suspense can be attributed to John Williams’ stellar score with the music cluing you in to yet another ominous appearance of the shark. Part can be attributed to the actors selling the scenes they’re in. Part of the horror is simply not knowing what is lurking under the water. All of it combines for a stellar, frightening experience that won’t leave you scared like a slasher movie might, but will make you think twice about getting any closer to large bodies of water. Fortunately a shark like that couldn’t live in Lake Superior! … Right?

So, are you wondering What2Watch to complement the summer vibes? This movie is where Summer Blockbusters got their name, takes place during the summer, has extensive time on the beach and open water and just oozes summer fun! And blood. Surprising amounts of blood. I’ll go ahead and warn people that the PG rating is because they didn’t have PG-13 designations in 1975 and some slightly laxer standards on language and blood. The movie isn’t for the faint of heart and might not be a great meal time choice, but it is otherwise always an excellent choice when you’re wondering what movie to put in next.

Kent Kraft is someone who is good with numbers but apparently bad with years! He apologizes for the mistake last week; “Flags Of Our Fathers” was released in 2006. Happy Summer Solstice! Hope everyone enjoys the longest day of the year.