Animal Jaws

What is the ideal summer movie? Jaws was the epitome of the summer blockbuster, but when you think about it, it’s an odd choice. Theoretically the summer is the time when one goes to the beach. So why produce a movie about the danger of sharks? The notion of danger lurking everywhere—even in beauty—is something that overly protective parents communicate to their children when they constantly warn them about wall sockets and the window as a possible guillotine. When you think about the summer you imagine a comedy like Animal House, though that too has it’s own jeremiad in the overdose which killed its star, John Beluschi. So what do we look for in a summer film? Remember that most people like to be on the edge of their seats. That is why they go to amusement parks where they endure the kind of gut wrenching fear generated by Coney Island’s Cyclone. Summer may be a time for chilling out on a hot beach, but most people court danger for pleasure, whether it involves surfing waves or rapids, galloping over jumps or negotiating challenging mountain biking trails. So summer movies will ultimately reflect this love of cheap thrills. Man of Steel, World War Z and Iron Man 3, three of this summer’s big releases, indeed fit the bill. Perhaps in the ultimate marketing coup,  Hollywood will create a blockbuster called Animal Jaws.