'Jaws' among movies to be shown at the beach at Long Beach on Saturdays

There's something on the water.

The iconic 1975 shark movie "Jaws" that chilled beachgoers for generations is playing on the beach at Long Beach next month as part of the city's summer movie series.

The events sponsored by the city and the Northeast Bay & Canal, West End and Westholme civic associations show movies every Saturday night through the summer. "Jaws" is scheduled to show Aug. 22 at the entrance from New York Avenue.

"It's really cool to sit on the beach and watch a movie on the big screen. What could be better than watching a movie about the ocean right in front of the Atlantic?" City Spokesman Gordon Tepper said. "It's becoming a Long Beach summer tradition."

City officials reassure residents that the water is safe and no attacks have been reported.

A 3,500 pound great white shark known as "Mary Lee" was spotted off Long Beach and Jones Beach in May, but a GPS tracker shows the shark was most recently near South Carolina and Florida.

Jones Beach swimmers were cleared from the water last week after a suspected shark was spotted. Another shark was seen about 70 yards off Overlook Beach in Babylon.

The next movie scheduled in the Long Beach series is "The Lego Movie," to be show Saturday at 8 p.m. at the New York Avenue entrance. Movies are planned through Sept. 19. The series concludes with "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

Entrance to the movies is free and beachgoers can bring beach chairs and blankets.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.