Product Details

• Actors: Susan Backlinie, John Bahr, Peter Benchley, Richard Dreyfuss, Lee Fierro
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Letterboxed, THX, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Universal Studios
• VHS Release Date: November 21, 1995
• Run Time: 124 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (694 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0783216084
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,689 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  #8 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Widescreen
  #8 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Action Directors > Steven Spielberg
  #80 in	Video > Classics > Classic Horror & Monsters

• This is item 1 in The Jaws Series.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video
In the vastly overrated 1998 book Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, author Peter Biskind puts the blame for Hollywood's blockbuster mentality at least partially on Steven Spielberg's box-office success with this adaptation of Peter Benchley's bestselling novel. But you can't blame Spielberg for making a terrific movie, which Jaws definitely is. The story of a Long Island town whose summer tourist business is suddenly threatened by great-white-shark attacks on humans bypasses the potboiler trappings of Benchley's book and goes straight for the jugular with beautifully crafted, crowd-pleasing sequences of action and suspense supported by a trio of terrific performances by Roy Scheider (as the local sheriff), Richard Dreyfuss (as a shark specialist), and particularly Robert Shaw (as the old fisherman who offers to hunt the shark down). The sequences on Shaw's boat--as the three of them realize that in fact the shark is hunting them--are what entertaining moviemaking is all about. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally On DVD, July 12, 2000

By	Thomas Magnum (NJ, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Jaws (Widescreen Anniversary Collector's Edition) (DVD)

Jaws was Stephen Spielberg's first hit and after his initial reluctance to release his movies on DVD, it finally makes its DVD debut. We all know the story, a great white shark terrorizes the waters off of Amity Island. The movie is based on Peter Benchey's best-selling novel. This is one of the rare instances where a movie is actually better than the book it was based on. In Mr. Benchey's novel, there is are some extraneous sections such as an affair between Ellen Brody and Hooper that really don't add to the story. The movie streamlines the book and the changes made bringing it to the screen actually improve on the book. The performances of three stars are superb. Roy Scheider plays Chief Brody as an everyman. We can all relate with him as he is just trying do his job and the right thing but is caught in the middle. He wants to close the beaches to catch the shark, but the people he is protecting want them opened as the water is the source of their livelihoods. Richard Dreyfus adds some comic relief to the film as the wise-cracking oceanographer, Matt Hooper. The late Robert Shaw takes what could have been a cartoonish role of the shark boat captain Quint and turns him into an obessive, vengeful man in the mold of Captain Ahab. The real star of the film could be its score by John Williams. The music adds tension and fear to the suspense much like the music from Psycho. The DVD contains some extra material including deleted scences, trailers and best of all a documentary on the making of the movie. This is a must see for all fans of the film. We learn of all the problems the crew experienced while filming on Martha's Vineyard, some original casting choices and other behind-the-scences tidbits. These are nice bonuses, but the movie's first appearance on the DVD format is reason enough to buy it. After 25 years, this movie remains a classic.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars and the dvd is a bargain, July 13, 2000

By	Musicfan (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jaws (25th Anniversary Widescreen Collector's Edition) - DTS (DVD)

Well, I bought the DVD dts and I think you'll like the extras such as the outtakes, deleted scenes, and especially an excellent documentary. You'll get the behind the scenes from Spielberg, the actors, photographers, and the producers. In today's film world this movie could be made rather easily, but back then you'll see the tremendous undertaking that went into this production. The movie itself, of course, is just amazing. At one point Spielberg says that the shark is the star, but the scenes on the boat will show you 3 stars at the top of their game. The sound quality is outstanding and exact, but I do have one complaint.... on the 5.1 DTS their isn't much activity from the back 2 speakers. The sound coming from the front 3 is great, but they could have done more. This movie is just as suspenseful as when I saw it in the mid-seventies. I hadn't really watched it in awhile and I had forgotten the outstanding acting performances by Scheider, Dreyfuss, and Shaw. Shaw's USS Indianapolis speech is about as good as it gets, while Scheider's everyman performance really rings true. You'll enjoy this DVD and it's at a good price. A good bargain. Buy it!

29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Has it been thirty years?, February 8, 2008

By	Gunner (Bethlehem,Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jaws (30th Anniversary Edition) (DVD)

Jaws DVD

Roy Scheider plays the police chief of Amity Island, a resort town somewhere in New England, which is being terrorized by a Great White Shark (GWS).

We were just sitting on the beach drinking beer and smoking pot when someone decided to go skinny dipping in the ocean. Bad idea!

The excellent music composed by John Williams will always make me think of JAWS.


The police chief, played by Roy Scheider is suspicious that it is a GWS but the mayor, of course doesn't want to believe him until it conclusive, which it is fairly soon. The police chief wants to close the beaches, but that would costs too much in economic terms so he is vetoed.

All-in-all an enjoyable movie, but not right before you go on vacation at the beach.


Throughout the movie the GWS is anthropomorphized so that we / the movie makers give him almost human intelligence.

Not recommended for anyone who wants to swim in the ocean. For me it's swimming pools from now on, Baby.

Gunner February, 2008