Film appreciation society to show ‘Jaws’ as its first summer matinee

Lake Park High School's Film Appreciation Society is hosting its inaugural summer matinee screening on Saturday, June 22.

The featured film is Steven Spielberg's 1975 suspense thriller “Jaws.” Based on the Peter Benchley novel of the same name, the film is considered the first “summer blockbuster,” and essentially changed the business model for the Hollywood film industry.

The unforgettable trio of Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and a young Richard Dreyfuss anchor the storyline of the small, coastal New York beach town of Amity as it aims to balance the safety of its residents against the summer tourism dollars that keep the town afloat. When initially released in theaters, people who saw the movie were left so frightened, as beachgoers they were afraid to go in the water!

The film, which is 124 minutes, will begin at 2 p.m. in the Lake Park High School West Campus auditorium, 500 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. in Roselle. Admission to the event is free.

Community film buffs are invited to attend the cinematic presentation and stay for an in-depth panel discussion regarding the background and history of the featured film. Patrons also will be able to cast their votes for the film selections of future Lake Park Film Appreciation Society presentations.

The Lake Park Film Appreciation Society aims to engage the community in the presentation, exploration, interpretation, and critical discussion of classic cinema. For information, visit www.lphs.org.