What '70s movie is credited as the first blockbuster?

Remember when summer meant popsicles, sunburns, and the occasional forgettable matinee? Neither do we. These days, summer arrives with a tsunami of CGI, marketing blitzes, and ticket prices that make you wonder if popcorn is made of gold.

But this cinematic circus didn't just pop up overnight. Nope, it all started with one film back in the '70s with a movie so massive it redefined summer, transforming sleepy box offices into gold mines overnight. It broke records, blew minds, and made studio execs' eyes turn into dollar signs like some kind of Looney Tunes cartoon.

The result? A seismic shift in Hollywood's calendar. Suddenly, summer wasn't just about beach trips and barbecues - it was about spectacle. Hollywood had cracked the code: mix star power, shameless merchandising, and some killer effects, and voila! You've got a money-printing machine.

What '70s movie is credited as the first blockbuster?