10 Best Horror Movie Villains From The 70s

When Steven Spielberg undertook Peter Benchley's 1974 novel Jaws, he envisioned for the man-eating shark to feature much more prominently. However, creating a mechanical shark that would move in fluid motion AND look realistic proved highly problematic and thus, the shark only had four minutes of screen time.

However, this was a blessing in disguise for the story as the fear of Bruce (the unofficial name of the aquatic beast) was all the greater because audiences had no idea what he looked like - they only knew he was a relentless man-eating machine who would stop at no one. And his unseen presence on screen is enhanced by the simple, yet harrowing two-note "Jaws" theme, expertly composed by John Williams.

The reveal of the shark's full appearance is one of the most spine-tingling moments in cinematic history, made even better by the film's brilliant pacing and the unexpected nature of it all. From them on, viewers knew Chief Brody and his crew were dealing with an almost unbeatable killer.