Viewer Vomits at Early Screening of Jaws

In 2018, a fascinating behind-the-scenes photo from the iconic film “Jaws” started circulating online. The image depicted a child on an inflatable raft seemingly about to be devoured by a giant shark. As it turns out, this photo featured a dummy of Alex Kintner, a character in “Jaws”, that was initially created for the movie but didn’t make the final cut.

According to Bloody Disgusting, this revelation came through the documentary “The Shark is Still Working,” included in the “Jaws” Blu-ray release. The documentary detailed how the dummy was built specifically for a particular scene in which the mechanical shark surfaces from the water and bites down on Kintner. Though the scene was actually shot by second-unit director Joe Alves, it was ultimately removed from the film.

This raises an intriguing possibility: could the mystery person who vomited during the first “Jaws” screening have witnessed a version of the movie that included the original Kintner death scene? Could this intense scene have triggered such a dramatic reaction? It’s possible.

Adding another layer to the story, “The Shark is Still Working” also unveiled some 8mm footage from Carole Fligor, a Vineyard resident. Her footage seemingly captured the shooting of the full Kintner kill scene. Interestingly, even this behind-the-scenes footage doesn’t show the kill as particularly graphic, which further deepens the mystery.

So, while we have a clearer picture of what happened to the full Alex Kintner death scene, the exact cause of the unexpected vomit during the test screening remains unknown. Nevertheless, “Jaws” has certainly cemented its place among the pantheon of horror movies that caused physical reactions from audiences.

Even more intriguing is Steven Spielberg’s confirmation regarding the test screening incident. He revealed to Vanity Fair that the individual who vomited did not flee the theater entirely. “The great news was, about five minutes later, he went right back to his seat,” Spielberg shared. This underscores that despite the visceral reaction, the movie’s gripping narrative kept the viewer engaged.

Source: Bloody Disgusting, Vanity Fair