Image Credit: Everett CollectionJust stop, for a moment, and think about the following two words: summer movie. Okay, we all know what that phrase means: big-tent, maximum-escape entertainment, the pop-cornier the better. It’s sort of remarkable, though, that regardless of how big our blockbusters get — how much the budgets soar, the special effects dazzle, the buzz turns all but inescapable — the term summer movie has never quite outgrown its beguilingly casual, beach-party American innocence. It’s a term that reaches all the way back to an age when people went to the movies in the summer in no small part for the air conditioning.
In our era, “summer movies” don’t even have to come out during the summer. Special-effects fantasies, smash-and-grab comedies, over-the-top horror movies, and fluff-brained chick flicks are now an everyday, all-year-long event. Yet going to the movies in the summer is still a ritual of special, privileged feeling. It’s rooted for all of us, perhaps, in the sensation of pure thrilling escape — from school, that is — that summer represents to children. To go to a summer movie is, quite simply, to be a kid again. And right now, I want to celebrate some of our memories of summer movies — but, especially, the last 20 years’ worth, since too often those films, as beloved and popular as they may be, tend to get left off our mythological summer-movie radar.
After all, most of the films that really defined summer movies came out a long time ago. This summer marks the 35th anniversary of the release of Jaws, the Steven Spielberg shark thriller whose virtuosity and pulp mischief and juggernaut success combined to turn Hollywood on its head. Two years later, Star Wars famously upped the ante on Jaws — rewiring, in effect, the DNA of the entire moviegoing public (especially those who saw it when they were young). Those movies, along with what I’d say are a handful of others (Raiders of the Lost Ark, National Lampoon’s Animal House, Ghostbusters, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Top Gun, and a few more), belong on some Mount Rushmore of hot-season Hollywood escapism. The summer-carnival moviegoing spirit they represent may well have culminated with Tim Burton’s Batman, the movie that inaugurated the age of marketing as mass-media carpet bombing; it’s an era that has been with us to this day. What Batman also demonstrated, of course, is the highly ironic lesson that just because a movie is merchandised to within an inch of its life — sold, in essence, as fast food — doesn’t mean that it can’t be an enthralling work of pop art.
Summer movies, when you think about it, are a lot like summer songs: It’s almost impossible to separate a truly quintessential summer movie from the way that you first experienced it — from the friends, the theater, the magic of that particular afternoon or evening. My two personal fondest summer-movie memories: seeing The Gumball Rally (1976) at a drive-in the summer after I graduated from high school — its grade-Z make-it-up-as-you-go-along cheesiness seemed to be all about the freedom I was feeling at that moment — and, in 1985, going to a then-exotic Saturday-night sneak preview of Back to the Future, a movie whose fizzy, time-tripping magnificence I still can’t imagine experiencing during any other season.
It’s in that context that I feel the summer movies of the last 20 years have kind of gotten short shrift. Everyone who’s old enough remembers where they were, who they were with, and what it felt like the first time they saw Star Wars. But how about the first time you saw, say, Ghost (a movie I’ll soon be looking back on, at greater length, on the occasion of its 20th anniversary)? Or The Fugitive? Or Jurassic Park? Or Armageddon or The Blair Witch Project or My Best Friend’s Wedding or even — don’t laugh — Natural Born Killers? I’m not talking about any one movie. I’m talking about the summer movie of the last 20 years that, for whatever reason, defines you. Tell me what it is, why you loved it, and what you remember about seeing it.
BTTF!! Love all 3!!
The Dark Knight was THE best summer movie of all-time. Inception will be too.
All the other summer movies ain’t go no pancake mix!!
(Side Note):
EW, Stop deleting my pancake mix comments. They are epic! Everyone loves them. Don’t be a bunch of Nazis and start deleting people’s comments. Leave them alone!
what does “ain’t go no pancake mix” mean?!
If by “epic” you mean “annoying, repetitive, and adding no value to the discussion” then yes, yes they are.
EW, keep deleting as you see fit!
@Angela Well said! I concur.
Moe you are and idiot. Good Job EW!
“Ain’t got no pancake mix?” Is that like the poor man’s “pants on the ground?” Sheesh, The Situation sounds well-adjusted compared to you.
“ain’t got no pancake mix” refers to a video on youtube. look up ray william johnson, he helped spur its popularity.
I can take em or leave em at this point, but I do think it’s kind of silly for EW to keep deleting them. Seems kind of hypocritical. What if we had the power to delete all the Twilight posts?
Mary you are sensible. It is hypocritical. Not only are they deleting my posts but they blocked me from making any comments. Where are we living now? This isn’t the American I know.
Then reading EW and its comments sections would be a lot less annoying.
@Angela – agreed. EW should have discretion to delete comments by psychotic ppl who just keep posting the same nonsensical sentence on every EW post when it has nothing to do with anything EW covers. @Mary, it’s one thing to censor opposing opinions, it’s another to clear out spammy clutter.
The “you ain’t got no pancake mix” stems from a zach galifinakis skit from 2006 that some dips**t took and spurred it on 2 years later by yelling at some bible thumping moron the same phrase. everyone seems to think it was the dumbass kid who started it, but it was zach. and still that first hit youtube 2 years ago. Why is anyone still harping on it?
In re to EW deleting comments, banning access etc… um EW owns this site, they can do anything they want with it at anytime, to anyone, for any reason. Or for NO REASON if they so choose.
MOE, did you happen to read the disclaimer within the comment box you accessed and I am accessing now? Lemme help you out bud…
“The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject – or we may delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk (*) indicates a required field.”
Take it MOE, take it. Cuz you like that dont you MOE. You like that (enter explicative here) dont you MOE>
Both of them are awesome, but they’re not the only ones
Independence Day. It was pure action and gave us the first movie where I fell in love with Will Smith. Loved the president’s rousing speech and made me want to jump in on the action.
YES YES YES! Perfect example of a great summer movie. Add a predecessor, Apollo 13 (also a summer movie) and get Armaggeddon (another excellent summer movie).
I think my favorite has been Star Trek. There were others that I loved (Independence Day, Wall-E, Finding Nemo, Twister, Spider Man), but for me, Star Trek had it all. Action, heart, a blistering pace, a GREAT baddie, and a hot, fresh cast. Oh, and the effects. Let’s not forget those. Oh! And Chris Pine! Mmmmmmmm. See? I could go on for ages about that movie. Totally deserved the Oscar nom, and definitely deserves the top spot on my Summer list.
AGREED! Independence Day was summer movie PERFECTION. Star Trek was absolutely fantastic as well, probably coming in a very close 2nd for me.
I 100% agree with Jailyss on Independence Day – Will Smith awesome! Best summer movie of the 90s. I really enjoyed Spiderman in 2002 also.
A perfect list, Heather! You are a cnimea programmer’s dream, or my version of one anyway. And for all the right reasons too! You know what I’d switch out though? I’d lose Predator, which was good but a little more sizzle than steak for me, and replace it with Blade Runner. Then we’ve got a second version of my childhood/teenage flicks that put the Steve in Steve. Great picks! And some sinister reasons beneath the surface too, Labyrinth will always be a hard movie to explain to kids some things are better left for them to figure out anyway. If I’m not mistaken, Tremors is one of your trademark movies one of the ones I found out you loved when I was scanning your site for the first time. There’s something really authentic about Tremors and something that connects a lot of B, C and D list actors through the connections of Kevin Bacon.
Hands down my favorite summer movie is Pirates:Curse of the Black Pearl. That movie was pure escapism and it never ceases to entertain me.
Totally agreed
POTC 2 was good too, but POTC 3 wasnt that good.
when captn jack and will stole the ship from the british and he turns around…with that look…and smirks…it’s when I fell in love
Forgot about that one, but agreed. I loved it.
I loved the very first Pirates of the Caribbean. It was absolutely EVERYTHING. It had romance, action, adventure, an amazing score and pirates! And Johnny Depp made Captain Jack Sparrow a pop culture icon. I’ll never forget that final scene when he hums the Disney song (“Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho!”), gives one of his sly grins, slams his compass shut and the screen goes black as the powerful music starts and the credits roll. I remember just smiling.
‘The Dark Knight’ is THE best summer movie of all-time. ‘Inception’ will be too.
All the other summer films ain’t go no pancake mix!
(Side Note):
EW, Stop deleting my pancake mix comments. They are epic! Everyone loves them. Don’t be a bunch of Nazis and start deleting people’s comments. Leave them alone!
EW, please delete these annoying “pancake mix” posts.
That being said, my favorite summer movies of the past 20 years would have to be Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Carribean, Superbad, Independence Day, UP, all the Harry Potter Films (except Goblet, that one truly sucked compared to the epic awesomeness that is the book), Batman Begins (which I still like better than the Dark Night), and Die Hard 4, which in my opinion is the best DH film since the first one.
@Person Who Talks:
Don’t worry, HP4 didn’t come out during the summer anyways.
Another great (recent)summer movie has to be THE HANGOVER! LOVED that movie!! Also Star Trek! I was so worried Star Trek would suck and it such a great movie! Michael Giacchino really outdid himself with that soundtrack.
Inception? I don’t think so. Sure it looks entertaining and I plan to see it, but I don’t think you can compare this to other legendary summer blockbusters when you actually haven’t SEEN it yet
Not to be finicky and poison your pancake mix, though… 
Pancakes are delicious!
I agree completely. Even the awful sequels can’t diminish my love for it.
Without question: The Dark Knight. It embodied everything great about a summer blockbuster (action, superheroes, etc.) While still being a quality film with incredible performances.
Oh… I need to add that to my list as well. How could I have forgotten that!!!?
Yup, The Dark Knight for me too! Except I didn’t actually see that over the summer the first time I watched it. I’d have to add the Spiderman movies as well… love those superheroes!
Yea, I would agree. The Dark Knight is probaly the greatest summer movie but also one of my favorite movies all time.
I completely agree, The Dark Knight tops my list without a doubt It was exciting waiting for the movie (especially with all the viral marketing) and when it finally came out it went beyond my expectations.
Agreed – The Dark Knight and Spiderman are two movies with tons of hype yet still surpassed expectations.
You see, I HATE that Dark Knight came out in the summer. It has a “fall movie” feel to it, maybe even “winter” with its blue color scheme and dark subject. Though it is easily one of my favorite movies of the past 20 years, as a strictly summer entertainment, it doesn’t work for me… give me Jurassic Park, Iron Man, or PotC.
that is a ridculous analogy-WTF-IT’S A COMIC BOOK MOVIE-SFW about the color scheme-Go back and put on your Batman underroos you drip
Totally agree about The Dark Knight! The perrrrrfect summer movie! Fun, fear, big theme and characters and absolutely mind-blowing! I think a perfect summer movie should be just like riding your fav roller coaster…thrilling everytime, no matter how many times you have done it before!
Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and especially Pirates of the Caribbean.
Jurassic Park is one of the best movies ever
Love Jurassic Park, any of the Harry Potter movies that were released during the summer, Pirates of the Caribbean, the first two Spiderman movies, and definitely THE DARK KNIGHT!!
My comment didn’t post for some reason, but I completely agree with all three of your choices!
I have to concur..JP was one of the best summer flicks. I also have to agree with the poster above who said Independence Day and add Men in Black was a great summer flick….
Great article. That sums up exactly what I feel about summer movies. Probably the one that did it for me is Batman as I remember the build-up to the movie coming out, the merchandising, the numbers that it did. I’ve gotten this feeling again from time to time with Jurassic Park, My Best Friend’s Wedding, all of the Spiderman movies, The Dark Knight and most recently Toy Story 3. It’s one of those things that whenever you watch it again on TV, it’s like you’re reliving all those experiences you had when you watched it the first time.
Toy Story 3 FTW! Also, I loved The Dark Knight, The Hangover, Up and Drag Me To Hell.
you are so right about all of those movies! except for Drag Me To Hell… that one was not so great.
The Hangover and Superbad…two of the greats
I remember standing in line for 3 hours in a rainstorm to see Batman at midnight the day it came out in ’89. Totally worth it despite being almost totally soaking wet. 1989 was the year of blockbusters, huge sequels and classic films coming out that summer: Batman, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Do the Right Thing, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Turner & Hooch, Parenthood, Ghostbusters 2, Weekend at Bernie’s, UHF (“You get to drink FROM THE FIRE HOSE!”) and of course, the legendary… No Holds Barred. Hey, I was 10 years old and a Hulkamanioac, I didn’t know any better. What a summer.
Totally forgot about Honey I Shrunk the Kids! That was MY movie, at least I thought so at the time, lol. My mom took my brother and I to see it at least twice, and it never got old. I seriously could have wet myself during the cheerios part.
I know I am going to get flap for this, but mine would have to be Charlie’s Angels 2. It was released the summer before middle school, and it was the first film I remember fully appreciating the cinematic elements; the acting, the costumes, the awesome soundtrack, and the explosions. I was also able to spot the celebrity cameos; Pink, Eve, Carrie Fisher and Bruce Willis, etc. To add to this, afterwards discussing the film with my parents, I had my first conversation that was on par with a grown up. I know that even McG is embarrassed about this film, but dammit I love it!
I agree with you. It’s a fun film. I think people get too caught up in “high brow” entertainment and are so quick to look down on films that lack substance, but honestly, who cares about substance as long as a film entertains you and is enjoyable to watch?
The soundtrack is great, the action is fun, the color and vibrancy of the film is pure eye-candy. Perfect summer film.
THANK YOU! I could not have said it better myself!
I loved CA2! It was a very fun film, perfect for summer.
And Demi Moore looked FABULOUS!
I can go with CA2 as one of my better experiences, too. I was in a play at the time, and one of the guys in the cast worked for the movie theatre. They had to do a test run of the film before they played it publicly, to make sure that there weren’t any flaws in the actual film. So he invited the entire cast of the play to watch the test. We were the only ones in the place, it was incredible.
JURASSIC PARK, all the way. It’s not only (for me) the quintessential summer movie, but it’s the reason I came to love movies in general. I was 11 when it came out, and I can remember my dad dropping off my little brother and me on opening day to see it. It was completely transcendent. But it wasn’t just the visual effects, the characters and the story were rich and engaging as well, and full of heart. John Williams’ score was the very first instrumental album I ever bought, and I still have the original CD. That’s what so depressing about the recent crop of summer movies (including the JURASSIC PARK sequels): none of them have even a fraction of the magic of JURASSIC PARK. For me, every big action spectacular these days is missing the key ingredient to really engage audiences: heart.
You took the words out of my mouth. I was a bit older–14–when JP hit theaters in June 1993 but for me, hands down all the way, not only the best summer movie, but one of my faves of all time. Funny how it (and its then-ground-breaking FX) hold up better than its own sequels & other ‘big budget’ action flicks. One of the best most exciting movie going experiences.
II was about to write that! The magic and buzz that was around that movie was incredible and it stayed in theaters for 7 months… That is something!
Jurassic Park, definately! I think I was 16 when it came out, but I remember and still gets chills when the T Rex is starting to chase the jeep. I remember in the theater (one of the few movies my mom actually ever saw in a theater) when they were searching and Jeff G was in the jeep and the trembles started, it shook our seats! That is an experience! I still love it to this day and my husband rolls his eyes whenever I catch it on TV.
I have to agree. I saw Jurassic Park 9 times in the theater, and it’s one of my all-time favs to this day. Behind only the Star Wars trilogy (and maybe Gladiator) as best movie ever.
I was in college when it came out. I went to a late showing the night it started thinking, Fun, a dinosaur movie. Never occurred to me it might be scary.
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As crowd from the earlier showing filed out, I saw several friends of mine. One of them had this kind of dazed look on her face and said, “That was the scariest movie I have seen in a very long time.” And I was thinking, But what about Fun Dinosaurs???
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Saw it, it WAS intense (it WAS 1993 and the threshold for “scary” was a little lower). But I loved it.
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The best part about that summer? Telling friends of mine how great it was and convincing them to go see it — and I would sit there and watch them nearly jump out of their seats when the raptor jumped out Laura Dern right after she turned the power back on. THAT was Fun Dinosaur time!
We got tickets to a sneak preview of Juraissic Park-and the thaeter was packed-the old Egyptian Theater in downton Boise, ID. EVne the balcony was full. The audience was so pumped. During the previews they showed the Clint Eastwood movie where he’s a secret service agent and he looked right at the camera and said something-don’t even remember, and the whole audience burst into applause and cheering. The whole movie was like that-it was like we all knew each other and loved it together. Now THAT’S a summer movie
I was 11 as well! I saw it 14 times and saved all but one of the ticket stubs. I was well known for being obsessed with the movie among my middle school peers — my boyfriend at the time had the initials JP and I wrote “I love JP” on my notebooks knowing full well I meant both the boy and movie. Equally. For whatever reason, it just really captured my imagination. And I still own the score, too!
I was only 7 when Jurassic Park was released and I remember going to see it in theaters– 13 times! I am not even joking, I LOVED Jurassic Park. I went to see it whenever the opportunity arose, with friends and family members. I was never even remotely obsessed with dinosaurs or anything before the movie(or now for that matter), I didn’t have any dinosaur toys and my only experience with them was the Land Before Time. I have just always loved the movie, it is fun and exciting and I agree that it does have heart, and I still love it today. It is on my iTouch and I own the DVD lol.
Totally agree. Jurassic Park is everything a summer movie should be. I remember going with a group of friends and all of us jumping out of our seats. The story, music, and special effects have influenced dozens of summer movies that have come out since.
I was 17 when I saw JURASSIC PARK while on a college visit with my parents in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I remember the utter humiliation of having to go to a movie with my parents instead of going to a college party or doing something that I considered “cooler” at the time, but when the movie started, I was enthralled. Ironically, it was one of the few movie experiences that I remember distinctively, and now, I cherish that on that college trip, I felt like a little kid again and loved every second of that film. It started a trend with me too–The next summer, I went with my parents to see FORREST GUMP.
I was 8 years old when Jurassic Park stormed into theaters. It was the very first PG-13 rated movie my parents ever took me to. It was a defining moment for me. Jurassic Park jump-started my love of films, not to mention Steven Spielberg and Jeff Goldblum. I was entranced by the cinematography, special effects, and the score. It was exhilerating, terrifying, and hands down one of the greatest film-going experiences of my life. It’s a movie that brought one of my best friends and I together. We bonded over our mutual love of the movie. In fact, we can still quote nearly every line and regularly re-enact the “raptors in the kitchen” scene for fun. Did I mention I’m 25 years old now? Jurassic Park remains my favorite movie of all time and always reminds me of summer.
Same here. The best thing about the first Jurassic Park is that it STILL amazes me to this day. The cinematography, effects, music, EVERYTHING is still brilliant. I even still jump at the same parts even though I’ve seen the movie a thousand times! I always yell at the screen when the kids turn on the flashlight. lol.
Do any of you guys miss that Spielberg like I do? I know he’s a freaking genius, and I respect his work, but his output since JURASSIC PARK has been so much darker and less . . . fun. I know, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and SCHINDLER’S LIST are fantastic and important films, but where’s the magic? The closest thing to classic Spielberg we have now is J.J. Abrams. His STAR TREK is arguably the best of the recent summer blockbusters. And his next, SUPER 8 sounds like a throwback to the retro suburban fantasy of E.T. Much more promising than TINTIN.
“JURASSIC PARK, all the way. It’s not only (for me) the quintessential summer movie, but it’s the reason I came to love movies in general.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. I was about 9 or 10 when I first saw this movie. Granted, I didn’t see it in the theaters, during the summer, but it’s definitely a summer movie! I just remember being completely amazed by it. I went from a kid who just watches movies to a kid who loves movies. AND it still holds up to this day.
JURASSIC PARK, no question. Spielberg re-created the summer blockbuster with this movie, Jaws being the initial one. What an insane, massive talent Spielberg is. I must have been in 6th grade when my friend’s dad took us to the sneak preview, my first snake peak. I saw it the next day w/ another friend, and eventually 5 or 6 times after that. Never since JURASSIC PARK have I seen a movie that has such a sense of wonderment, as corny as it sounds. Maybe it was the great and simple idea mixed w/ the timing of the technology making it possible to put this on the screen… or maybe it’s just purely Speildberg’s awesomeness as a director… on that note, I just realized Minority Report is another movie that kind of takes me out of reality and into a movie’s world… I think it’s Spielberg, he’s the event movie king and I can’t to date think of anyone else topping his work. I love movies
In the summer of ’93 I was 150 miles from home, working a summer job during college, and my parents had left me on the doorstep of the house I was renting a room in with $40 in my pocket that was supposed to last me until my first paycheck. The absolute LAST thing I should have been doing on my first day off was blowing $8 on an evening showing of “Jurassic Park,” but it was quite possibly the most thrilling moviegoing experience of my life, and I can only remember it as being worth the ticket price and then some. Viva los raptors!
Summer Sisters is probably not pirpoarpate for teens. There is a lot of sexual content. I’m an adult and I skipped huge chunks that I thought were offensive.
I also wrote about being over summer, and nongilg for back-to-school. You are not alone! It’s funny to read another mom’s point-of-view, and to realize it could be so similar. I may try to read through all of the posts having to do with missing school. Thanks for sharing! I’m glad I stumbled upon your blog through Mama Kat’s there’s so much to read and ponder.
I agree with Jurassic Park. The one scene that sticks out in my mind was when Laura Dern and Sam Neill get out of their jeep and first see the dinosaurs. Speilberg had to be setting that up so that they would react as the audience would react that it appears as though real dinosaurs were on the screen. A true goosebump moment in a theater that has been rarely duplicated for me.
Gotta say, ‘Sex and the City 2′ was a pure summer entertainment film that I love. Even though critics panned it, I love the decadence and over-indulgent nature of the film. It’s a throwback to the old Hollywood films of the 30′s and 40′s. I agree with Michael Patrick King’s reasoning behind this film, when our country is in a state of economic turmoil, it’s nice to have a film we can watch and escape for a couple hours.
The movie isn’t realistic, it isn’t Shakespeare, it’s just pure entertainment and that’s what I love about it.
Independence Day. Hands down
DEFINITELY.
I remember when I was younger and thinking that the fact that there was a movie called “Independence Day” that actually came out on the 4th of July weekend was the coolest thing in the world. (Well, the coolest thing in the world other than those scary, gigantic spaceships that hovered over those major cities.)
Ditto! Welcome to Earth!!!!
YES.
Independence Day – yes!!! Nothing like standing in a long, long line outside the theater on the 4th of July, with my college friends. And looking at all those “ID4″ posters. And seeing Jeff Goldblum and about-to-be-super-famous Will Smith doing the “stud walk” in their astronaut suits.
Yes! Loved Independence Day!
Set aside reading time. It doesn\’t have to be a tboetxok.a0 It doesn\’t even have to be great literature.a0 For now, just get back into the habit of reading something—anything—at least once a day.a0 If you\’re not sure where to start, try our summer break recommendations.
Yes! This one and Men in Black. Will Smith was king of summer for a while there.
I waited tables across the street from a theater the summer Independence Day came out. We were packed, from matinee to late night, every day for weeks because of that movie. I didn’t even get to see it for a while, I was working so much. It was awesome. The movie is great, captures what we like to think is our American spirit, and I have really vivid memories of that summer in large part because of the movie.
Definitely Independence Day. I remember walking out of that movie with my family all pumped up and ready to kick some alien butt
ID4. Yes. That was the first movie I remember being excited about for months and months in advance. I almost tore the arm off my chair I was so excited when the explosions began, and the grin never left my face for three hours.
Can’t believe it’s been 20 years since Ghost came out! My parents took me and my sisters out to see it at a sneak preview showing(double feature w/Days of Thunder!) Remember packed theater, one of the first “grown up” movies I saw. Amazed with the range of emotions the movie made me feel; sad, scary, funny.
I remember Ghost being one of the first movies I saw without my parents. My mom dropped me and a couple friends off at the mall and I felt so grown up seeing it. It is still a great movie.
My mom took us to the drive-in, and The Jungle Book was supposed to be playing. They were showing Ghost, instead, and we totally lucked out, because my mom wanted to see it really, really bad. So, at 5, I watched it, and was scared sh*tless when those shadows came and got the bad guy. Oh, and the end, when he left her? I had to sleep in my mom’s bed that night, I was so sad.
Pirates! Definitely!!
I have several Summer Movie memories. The first time I knew I was watching a Summer Blockbuster on opening night was the summer of 1989 – “Batman”. That summer was very memorable for me as I was preparing to enter High School and I had an eye on the arts. I remember sitting in a packed theater with several of my friends and we are all just blown away at the visual spectacle that Tim Burton had painted for us to behold. The opening credits scene is still one of my favorites.
Later in life, I have fond memories of Summer Blockbusters like “Speed”, “Independence Day”, “Mission: Impossible”, “The Island”, “Transformers” and “The Dark Knight”. Even though I still love the arts, when I think of Summer Movies, I think of Action Escapism. And these movies fit that to a tee. I actually watch these movies on DVD during the spring as I anticipate the new Summer Movie Season.
If you said in the last 25 years, it would be Top Gun, hands down!
My ALL-TIME favorite summer movie releases would have to be Top Gun and Dirty Dancing (had to sneak into this one, extra hairspray and eyeshadow required, ha!)…I’m sure it’s all about the nostalgia, but I don’t think any summer release blockbusters have been as exciting for me as those were (okay, Eclipse), so I’d need the timeline extended too.
I went on a summer youth trip in June that year — saw “Top Gun” on the first night, and saw “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off” towards the end. SAVE FERRIS!!!! I still see that written here and there today.
Oh yeah, I forgot “Jurassic Park”. I remember seeing it on a Youth Choir trip with my church. I had no idea what it was about beside dinosaurs. I guess I had only seen the teaser trailers that didn’t reveal very much of the plot. I actually sat in the rear of the theater (which I seldom do) and got a kick out of watching the reactions from the audience at every lunging dinosaur and discovery of danger. It was one of the few movies I felt like I watched with hundreds of my closest friends. We all just got so wrapped up in the movie and we experienced it together.
The best summer movies contain thrills and laughs along with great characters.
Hence, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Fugitive, The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man 2, X-Men: X-Men United, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, There’s Something About Mary, Gladiator, and In The Line of Fire are all superb films.
I would include Jurrasic Park, but I did not think the characters were drawn especially well for the film. I love to watch it over and over but I consistently think about the lack of an ending and the lack of dimension of the characters.