Get freaked out for free? North Jersey theater offers courtesy screening of 'Jaws'
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HAWTHORNE — Any more hype for this weekend’s screening of “Jaws,” and Flavio Romeo is gonna need a bigger theater.
But the Lafayette Avenue multiplex is where the event ought to be, he said, because that is where he remembers seeing the horror film when it came out in the summer of 1975.
Romeo was 12 years old and “would not go in the ocean.”
“I wouldn’t go in after that movie,” said the borough resident, now 60. “I didn’t go in the ocean.”
Romeo said he hopes to generate the same nervous excitement when the film is shown at the movie theater at 7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.
Romeo, the founder of The Towncast, a local podcasting network, rented the theater for the community. “It seems like the best movie to kick off the summer,” he said.
The Oscar-winning film defined the term “summer blockbuster.” According to the Guinness World Records, it is the first blockbuster of the season that had people lining up around the block. It was also the first film to net $100 million at the box office.
A great white shark terrorizes beachgoers on the fictional Amity Island as a police chief tries to hunt it down with a fisherman and a marine biologist. The film is based on a novel of the same name by the late Peter Benchley.
It delivered one of the most oft-quoted lines in the history of cinema. Roy Scheider, who played Chief Martin Brody, utters it moments after dropping a chum line and spotting the 25-foot beast.
“You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” he says, clearly terrified.
The success of “Jaws” was a breakthrough for filmmaker Steven Spielberg, and it led to a litany of sequels.
The Towncast has sponsored classic films at the theater on a quarterly basis since the pandemic. It began, Romeo said, with the holiday staple “It’s a Wonderful Life” in December 2020.
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The self-professed film buff said he wants to increase the regularity of complimentary screenings. He is thinking about future presentations of “The Sting,” celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” the first movie to feature Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. The latest, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” was released on Friday. “A lot of people never had a chance to see them on the big screen,” he said.
George Sayegh, whose family owns the theater, said he was grateful to Romeo for drawing crowds to his business. “It’s nice to see a packed house and people watching good movies,” he said.
To reserve a seat at Sunday’s screening, visit The Towncast online.
All-time blockbusters
“Jaws” is ranked No. 14 on the list of highest-grossing blockbusters, adjusted for inflation. This is the top of the list, so says IMDb.
“Gone With the Wind”: Released in January 1940
“Avatar”: Released in December 2009
“Titanic”: Released in December 1997
“Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope”: Released in May 1977
“Avengers: Endgame”: Released in April 2019
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: North Jersey theater will offer free screening of 'Jaws'
