The streets were packed with people sporting Jaws merchandise, Richard Dreyfuss, who played the oceanographic institute scientist Matt Hooper, held court with fans, and just about any way visitors turned, the black eyes of Bruce the shark loomed.
You ever have a dream that lives in your bones for so long it feels like a part of who you are? That’s what Jaws has been to me since I first saw it at eight years old.
The idea for Jaws on the Water exhibit at the Carnegie Heritage Center was born from two anniversaries occurring at the same time: the 50th anniversary of the release of Jaws and the 50th year of the Vineyard Preservation Trust.
The Carnegie Heritage Center is one of the Vineyard Preservation Trust’s properties and in addition to the new exhibit opening Friday, it will be hosting a sold-out event on Saturday featuring recently retired Edgartown Harbor master Charlie Blair, who was a martime consultant on the movie.
The Jaws 50th celebration officially gets underway this weekend, but Island businesses have been hard at work in the preceding months gearing up with merchandise tied to the iconic film.
Jaws fans, movie buffs and Islanders all will find a lot to like in Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, the new documentary that premieres on the Vineyard with a series of sold-out screenings this weekend.
The drum and bugle corps is on screen for just a few seconds in Jaws, reminding the audience that the height of summer is near. But for the Island kids in that band, the scene lasts a lifetime.
