What film is credited with launching the modern blockbuster era with its release in 1975?

The film credited with launching the modern blockbuster era with its release in 1975 is "Jaws." This film, directed by Steven Spielberg, introduced several key elements that would come to define the blockbuster format, including a high-concept premise, a massive marketing campaign, and a summer release strategy that aimed to attract large audiences.

"Jaws" was one of the first films to create a sense of event around its release, generating significant media buzz and anticipation. Its unprecedented box office success demonstrated the potential of films to draw in large audiences and achieve substantial financial success. This set the standard for future films and established a new model for how movies could be marketed and presented to the public, leading to the eventual rise of franchises and sequels that dominate the film industry today.

While "Star Wars," "Rocky," and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" also had significant impacts on cinema, they came after "Jaws" and were influenced by the blockbuster model that "Jaws" helped to establish.