

To mark his 60th birthday, we celebrate the genius of Steven Spielberg by counting down (in no particular order) the greatest moments, amazing stories and monumental impact of the world's greatest film director...
WORDS: Ian Freer and Ross Bennett
|
 |
Have Your Say
Let us know what Spielberg means to you, share your thoughts on the Empire Forum. Click here.
|
|
 |

That He Kick Started The Summer Blockbuster

Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss in Jaws.
In the summer of 1975 a new unstoppable force reached theatres across the world. As Jaws became the biggest movie of all time - and the first to smash through the $100m mark - Spielberg's monster flick began to change everything. Following the shark's box-office devouring stand, studios began shifting their energies into producing big, action extravaganzas; the possibilities of what a big-hit movie could achieve now seemed limitless. Until Jaws, the Christmas Holidays were the usual time the studios would unleash what they considered to be their box-office smashes. Spielberg and his fish film immediately moved the big-budget spectaculars to summer release slots. Although it may be an exaggeration to claim that the director invented the blockbuster movie, Jaws certainly redefined the boundaries of cinema as a global, cultural force.
|
 |
|