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.

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