One Movie. One Meal. One Awesome Night. Some movies deserve more than a bowl of microwave popcorn. For our first edition of Movies on the Menu™, we’re heading to Amity Island for salty air, seaside suspense and a New England supper worth sinking your teeth into. Tonight’s feature is Steven Spielberg’s 1975 classic Jaws. On the menu: crispy fish and chips, creamy coastal coleslaw, shark bait popcorn and just enough strawberry lemonade to make the water look mildly concerning.

Don’t worry—you’re going to need a bigger appetite.

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Now Showing: Jaws

• Released: 1975
• Directed by: Steven Spielberg
• Starring: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss
• Running time: Approximately 2 hours and 4 minutes
• Tonight’s vibe: Seaside adventure with suspense, humor and one extremely unwelcome dinner guest
• Best for: Adults and older teens comfortable with suspense, blood and some distinctly 1970s language

At publication time, Peacock lists the Jaws movies among its streaming selections, although availability can change. Check your preferred streaming or rental service before dinner hits the oven. Check Peacock’s current listing.

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Why It’s on the Menu

Few movies feel as much like summer as Jaws. The beaches are packed. The sun is shining. The local businesses are ready to make their money—and Police Chief Martin Brody would very much like everyone to get out of the water. What follows is part horror movie, part character comedy and part high-seas adventure. It’s tense without being relentlessly grim, funny without becoming silly and wonderfully quotable without feeling like a two-hour collection of catchphrases. In other words, it’s perfect for dinner and a movie.

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The Muddy Moose Review

Almost 50 years after its original release, Jaws still works astonishingly well. Everyone remembers the shark, but the movie’s real strength is how long Spielberg makes us wait for it. Instead of constantly putting the creature on screen, he lets shadows, splashing water, underwater viewpoints and John Williams’ legendary score do most of the work.

That restraint wasn’t entirely planned. The mechanical sharks created for the production were notoriously difficult to operate in saltwater. Those technical problems forced Spielberg to suggest the shark’s presence more often than he showed it—and the film became more suspenseful because of it. The Associated Press explored how those production troubles helped shape the finished movie.

The other reason Jaws holds up is its trio of wonderfully mismatched heroes. Brody is the practical family man who would prefer to fight a shark from somewhere safely inland. Hooper is the enthusiastic ocean expert with expensive equipment and very little patience for local nonsense. Quint is…well, Quint. He is equal parts experienced fisherman, grizzled storyteller and walking occupational-safety violation. Put the three of them aboard one increasingly damaged boat, and Jaws becomes something more than a monster movie. Their clashing personalities create tension, humor and some genuinely human moments between the scares.

The movie isn’t flawless. A few effects show their age, and viewers who dislike suspenseful animal attacks will not suddenly become fans because dinner is delicious. But the storytelling remains remarkably tight, the performances feel natural and the final stretch is still gripping. It’s scary, funny, adventurous and strangely cozy—at least when everyone stays on land.

Moose Ratings

• 🫎 Moose Rating: 9.5/10
• 🍿 Rewatchability: 10/10
• 🤦 WTF Rating: 5/10
• 🦈 Likelihood of swimming immediately afterward: Absolutely not

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Tonight’s Menu

The Feature Presentation

Crispy New England Fish and Chips

The Supporting Cast

• Creamy Coastal Coleslaw
• Shark Bait Popcorn
• Blood in the Water Strawberry Lemonade
• Shark-Fin Ice-Cream Sundaes

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Crispy New England Fish and Chips

This version skips the vat of bubbling oil. You can prepare it in the oven or air fryer and still get crisp, golden fish with plenty of crunch.

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: Approximately 35 minutes

Ingredients

For the chips

• 1½ pounds russet potatoes
• 1½ tablespoons vegetable or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the fish

• 1½ pounds cod or haddock, cut into four to six portions
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon milk or water
• 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
• Cooking spray or a little neutral oil

For serving

• Lemon wedges
• Tartar sauce
• Malt vinegar
• Additional salt

Oven Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F.
2. Cut the potatoes into approximately ½-inch fries. For crispier chips, soak them in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain and dry them thoroughly.
3. Toss the potatoes with oil, salt and pepper. Spread them in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, turning once, until browned and crisp.
5. While the potatoes cook, pat the fish dry with paper towels.
6. Prepare three shallow dishes:
   • Flour mixed with salt, paprika, garlic powder and pepper
   • Eggs whisked with milk or water
   • Panko breadcrumbs
7. Coat each piece of fish first in flour, then egg and finally panko. Press the crumbs gently onto the fish.
8. Place the fish on a lined baking sheet or an oven-safe wire rack. Lightly spray or brush it with oil.
9. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, depending on thickness, until the coating is golden and the fish reaches 145°F in the center—or is opaque and flakes easily with a fork. USDA safe-temperature guidance.
10. Serve immediately with the chips, lemon, tartar sauce and malt vinegar.

Air-Fryer Instructions

• Cook the fries at 380°F for 18 to 24 minutes, shaking several times. Work in batches if necessary.
• Cook the breaded fish at 400°F for approximately 9 to 13 minutes, turning carefully halfway through.
• Cooking times vary by appliance and fish thickness, so use appearance and internal temperature—not the clock alone—to determine doneness.

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Creamy Coastal Coleslaw

Combine one 14-ounce bag of coleslaw mix with:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1½ tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon celery seed
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Make it before beginning the fish so the flavors have time to mingle.

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Shark Bait Popcorn

This snack is intentionally ridiculous, which is exactly why it belongs here. Toss freshly popped popcorn with small pretzels, blue candies and gummy sharks. Add a light drizzle of melted white chocolate if you want the whole thing to become dangerously snackable. Serve it in one large bowl and announce that chum is in the water.

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Blood in the Water Strawberry Lemonade

Fill a clear glass with ice and lemonade. Slowly add a spoonful of strawberry purée or syrup, allowing it to drift through the lemonade before stirring. For an adult version, add vodka or light rum. For everyone else, sparkling water gives it a nice bubbly bite.

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Shark-Fin Ice-Cream Sundaes

Scoop vanilla ice cream into bowls and add chocolate sauce, crushed cookies and blue sprinkles. Finish each sundae with a triangular chocolate wafer, cookie or piece of brownie standing upright as the shark fin. It requires almost no effort and looks surprisingly good—which is the sweet spot of themed desserts.

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“We Just Want to Watch the Damn Movie” Menu

Not every movie night needs to become a full-blown catering operation.

Pick up:

• Frozen fish fillets
• Frozen french fries
• Prepared coleslaw
• Lemonade
• Gummy sharks
• Vanilla ice cream

Cook the fish and fries, put everything in actual serving bowls and claim victory. The shark does not care whether you made the breading from scratch.

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Brody’s Landlubber Menu

Not everyone enjoys seafood, and no one should have to eat something they dislike for the sake of a theme. Replace the fish with crispy chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches or breaded cauliflower. Keep the fries, coleslaw, drinks and desserts exactly the same. You’ll still get the Amity Island experience—without putting anything from the ocean on your plate.

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Set the Scene

You don’t need to turn the living room into a maritime museum. A few simple touches will establish the mood:

• Use a blue or navy tablecloth.
• Add striped napkins or inexpensive nautical rope.
• Serve drinks in clear glasses so the strawberry effect is visible.
• Place a handwritten “Beaches Closed” sign near the snacks.
• Dim the lights once dinner is finished.
• Keep a shark fin somewhere unexpected for Jill to discover later.

That last suggestion is optional and may affect household harmony.

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Watch for This

Without spoiling the movie, pay attention to:

• How often Spielberg creates fear without showing the shark
• The changing relationship among Brody, Hooper and Quint
• Background reactions during the crowded beach scenes
• How John Williams’ music tells you danger is approaching
• The point when the movie quietly changes from seaside thriller to open-water adventure

Also notice how much personality the supporting characters have. Even brief appearances make Amity feel like a real community instead of a generic movie location.

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Five Pieces of Jaws Trivia

1. Martha’s Vineyard stood in for the fictional Amity Island. The location remains closely associated with the movie five decades later. Martha’s Vineyard Museum
2. The production used three full-sized mechanical sharks. Each measured approximately 25 feet and was designed for a different filming angle. The sharks were nicknamed Bruce. American Film Institute Catalog
3. The shark’s frequent mechanical failures encouraged Spielberg to keep it offscreen, unintentionally creating more suspense.
4. John Williams won the Academy Award for his now-iconic original score. Amblin’s official Jaws page
5. Jaws helped establish the modern summer-blockbuster model, changing how studios approached major summertime releases. Associated Press

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After the Credits

Before returning to regular Sunday-night life, discuss:

• Which character would you trust most aboard the Orca?
• Is Jaws primarily a horror movie, an adventure or a character drama?
• Did seeing less of the shark make it more frightening?
• Would Amity Island’s mayor survive a modern social-media scandal?
• What movie has permanently changed how you feel about an ordinary activity?

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Shop the Night

Affiliate Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. DOOZYDOO may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Possible additions to your Jaws movie night:

• Nautical table decorations
• Enamel fish-and-chips baskets
• Air-fryer liners
• Digital meat thermometer
• Popcorn bowls
• Gummy sharks
• Shark-fin ice molds
• A copy of Peter Benchley’s original novel
• Jaws on Blu-ray or 4K

Shop the Jaws Movie Night on Amazon →

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The Final Bite

A great dinner-and-a-movie night doesn’t require expensive ingredients, elaborate decorations or hours of preparation. It needs one movie worth watching, food that joins in on the fun and someone you genuinely enjoy sharing the couch with. For our first Movies on the Menu™, Jaws delivers everything we wanted: a classic movie, a playful New England meal and an excellent excuse to put gummy sharks in the popcorn. Just finish washing the dishes before you hear that music.

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Coming Next

Movies on the Menu™ • Feature #02: To Sir, With Love and British Pub Night