I went to see the movie a few times in the theater. After a while, I could take my eyes off the screen and watch the audience. When the shark was attacking, people were gripping their armrests and swaying back and forth. A primal fear.
When I saw Jaws in the theater, at the part where Chief Brody is chumming the water and the shark appears, I instinctively jerked my hand back and smacked the lady sitting next to me!
I think she was so startled by that scene that she didn’t even notice I hit her!