Jaws
Movies you like and movies that get inside you. Jaws is the latter. Released in 1975 it has never really gone away. Sure it scared an entire generation out of the water but it’s also a legitimately excellent movie. From the three wonderful performances at the center to the John Williams score that wrings your innards like salad creeps it comes together expertly. Not to mention that even with its minimal screen time, the shark is somehow still the most frightening thing you’ll ever see.
If there’s a Jaws fanatic in your life they don’t just like it. Love pours out of them whenever this movie comes up. Not love as nostalgia. Not love as kitsch. Love as unspeakably satisfying piece of cinema that happens to also be a ton of fun.
So buying for them is easy… and terrifying. Easy because when someone loves something as much as they love this they appreciate gifts that fit. Terrifying because there’s a lot of crappy Jaws merch out there. Stuff that leans into the jokes. Generic prints. Stuff that reduces it to a sideshow.
But we aren’t interested in that movie.
We wanted things that love this movie as much as you do. The why people actually adore Jaws. From the craft and care that went into creating the atmosphere to the specific joy of watching a movie that respects your intelligence and rewards patience with truly horrific scares. We wanted stuff you’d put on your wall. Not just cover your garage in posters.
We wanted stuff you’d be proud to have in your home. Not embarrassed to show guests.
We also kept thinking about who. Who’s birthday is coming up? Who needs a gift because they rewatch this movie all summer long? Who’s a film student that can recite every reason why the Indianapolis speech is one of the greatest moments ever put to paper? We had all these folks in mind curating this list.
So please enjoy nothing on here because it was an easy grab. It’s here because we would buy it for ourselves.