20 Most Important Blockbusters That Changed Cinema Forever

4. Jaws

What are the key components of ensuring a blockbuster hit? Summer release? Wide appeal? Massive marketing campaign? Easy to sell idea? That all began with Jaws.

The third Spielberg movie on this list, Jaws didn't just change the mechanics of how blockbuster movies worked, it created them, irreversibly altering cinema in the process. It used to be the case a film would be released gradually over a period of sometimes years, building momentum through word-of-mouth. It's a totally obsolete method nowadays, although it does have some unconsidered positives; as it hinged so much on quality the better films tended to be the ones that turned a profit.

Jaws was released in a whopping 450 screens upon release, setting the ball rolling on the idea of immediate profits and blanket advertising. Thanks to being both incredibly tense and rated PG it captured the attention of just about every member of the film-going public; it's a corny phrase but there really was something for everyone in Jaws (scares, family drama, action, clashing personalities, a little gore).