Thanks to a little movie called Jaws, we'll always fear the ocean. No number of documentaries about diminishing shark populations or their hesitation to approach, much less attack, humans will change this—primarily because, for every one of those pro-shark flicks, there are several more movies like Steven Spielberg's classic 1975 horror flick that reinforce the image of them as bloodthirsty, prehistoric predators.
But then, of course, there are also cinematic jokes like Sharknado and Sharktopus to remind us that, you know, sharks can also be pretty fun. The ultimate reminder of that is, yes, Discovery Channel’s annual celebration of all things authentically Jaws-like, "Shark Week." This year’s edition kicked off yesterday, beginning seven days’ worth of informative and endlessly watchable specials like Lair of the Mega Shark, Monster Hammerhead, and I Escaped Jaws 2. Your DVR isn’t ready.
To get you in the mood, here are the best shark attacks in movies, a delightful, gruesome, and mostly cheesy-looking reminder that just because Shark Week’s Spawn of Jaws 2: The Birth will make you wet your skivvies, that doesn’t mean you should overlook the wonder of Dinoshark.