The Jaws Book - by I Q Hunter & Matthew Melia (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

After 45 years, Steven Spielberg's Jawsremains the definitive summer blockbuster, a cultural phenomenon with a fierce and dedicated fan base. The Jaws Book: New Perspectives on the Classic Summer Blockbuster is an exciting illustrated collection of new critical essays that offers the first detailed and comprehensive overview of the film's significant place in cinema history. Bringing together established and young scholars, the book includes contributions from leading international writers on popular cinema including Murray Pomerance, Peter Krämer, Sheldon Hall, Nigel Morris and Linda Ruth Williams, and covers such diverse topics as the film's release, reception and canonicity; its representation of masculinity and children; the use of landscape and the ocean; its status as a western; sequels and fan-edits; and its galvanizing impact on the horror film, action movie and contemporary Hollywood itself.

Review Quotes

The Jaws Book is rich, insightful and comprehensive. It revisits this landmark film from an extremely wide range of perspectives, covering production, film style, genre, representation and reception. As a consequence, it is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of American popular cinema, as well as the impact and legacy of this enduring, ever-popular film
Kate Egan, Senior Lecturer in Film and Media, Northumbria University, UK

An excellent variety of fascinating readings about a surprisingly complex film of the 1970s. The range of approaches is stimulating, accessible, and superbly thought out. Each essay increases our knowledge of Jawsfrom a variety of perspectives and heightens our understanding of the film.
Robert P. Kolker, Emeritus Professor of English, University of Maryland, USA

45 years after its release, Steven Spielberg's Jaws continues to endlessly fascinate and function as a cornerstone for contemporary popular culture. Hunter and Melia's collection brings together an impressive group of scholars, who deftly debate and analyse Jawsin a series of original, insightful and highly readable essays. Distinguishing fact from myth, and scrutinizing details pertaining to its production, textual organisation and reception, The Jaws Bookoffers genuinely new perspectives on why the film continues to resonate. No doubt, it will appeal to everyone interested in the film, its director and the industrial, cultural and political cultures that produced it.
Yannis Tzioumakis, Reader in Film and Media Industries, University of Liverpool, UK

About the Author

I.Q. Hunter is Professor of Film Studies at De Montfort University, UK, and the author of British Trash Cinema (2013), Cult Film as a Guide to Life (2016), editor of British Science Fiction Cinema (1999) and co-editor of British Comedy Cinema (2012) and The Routledge Companion to British Cinema History (2016).

Matthew Melia is a Senior Lecturer in film and television at Kingston University, UK. His research interests include the work of Ken Russell, Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg.