Cold Open · Essay · aug 27, 2025

Jaws: The Birth of the Summer Blockbuster & the History of Creature Features

In honour of Jaws's 50th anniversary, Laura Gommans and Tom Ooms dissect Spielberg's masterstroke — from its thrilling mechanics to the happy accidents that made it an instant classic. The film that invented the summer blockbuster also happened to launch one of cinema's great careers, and this episode asks what it actually takes to make an audience afraid of something they cannot see. The episode also explores the wider history of the creature feature: the films that gave us our most primal cinematic fears, and why we keep going back for more.

By Laura Gommans

Film Journalist · Celebrating Cinema

In honor of its 50th anniversary, Jaws emerges from the depths of the cinematic sea to remind us why it remains the archetype of the summer blockbuster, forever shaping our fear of the ocean and giving sharks a bad rep. Join Laura Gommans and Tom Ooms as they dissect Spielberg’s masterstroke, from its thrilling mechanics to the happy accidents that made it an instant classic.

This episode also explores the evolution of creature features, tracing how this genre once thrived on tangible, terrifying creatures—and why such films are rarely made the same way today.

Get tickets to ⁠Jaws⁠ @ LAB111

Get tickets to ⁠CC Film Club: Charlie’s Angels⁠ @ LAB111

Subscribe to our podcast