Summer can seem like an endless time of
year, a time to relax, vacation somewhere warm, get together with
friends and perhaps watch televised soccer for the first time ever. A
time to test your limits as to how much you can physically
binge-watch your favorite TV series on Netflix. Recalling summers
when Redbox and Netflix were a fantastical, futuristic invention in
the same category as flying cars, it seemed like a dream to have a
wide array of movies at the click of a button. Kids these days don't
know how good they have it! Of course, that's totally arguable, but
c'mon- where was Netflix in 1998? In the form of Blockbuster. Ask
someone born after 2003 what a 'Blockbuster' is and you might get
blank stares. Rolling with the 'couch potato' theme and a
never-ending concern for the well-being of future generations, here
are six summer films millennials need to see as soon as possible:
Jaws (1975)
Ranked #56 on “AFI's 100 Greatest
Movies of All Time,” Jaws was one of Steven Spielberg's
earliest full-length feature films as a director, and the Hollywood
world made note of it. Spielberg brings to life the story of an
unforgettable summer in a small Massachusetts town where its beach
dwellers are terrorized by the sights and actions of a great white
shark. The ultimate scare factor is reviled in up-close moments of
the beast and its, well, huge set of jaws. As hearts' pound louder
and louder with every two-note crescendo, the unpredictability of
when she'll strike becomes unbearable, and it is then we immediately
witness the waters flow red. Jaws
is the millennial's “Paranormal Activity,” for cinema had
never captured this style of
fear without going 'overboard' on special effects. Something as
natural as swimming at a beach became someone's worst nightmare. A
great flick to catch while you patiently wait for Shark
Week
on the Discovery Channel.
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
Summer camp can be awkward enough as it
is, but when your camp staff consists of overstimulated, unmotivated
20-somethings who would rather focus on gettin' some than the safety
of their campers, it becomes an uphill battle to survive the summer.
In this raucously hilarious satire of a summer camp's
day-in-the-life, we live among a brilliantly casted camp staff of
comedians extraordinaire: Paul Rudd, Michael Ian Black, A.D. Miles,
and Amy Poehler to name a few.
It's apparent after the first twenty
minutes that this is no ordinary camp, and there's a small (large)
part of you that wants in on the fun.
The Great Outdoors (1988)
The late John Candy reinvents the
meaning of being 'one with nature' when he and his family attempt to
enjoy a fun and rustic summer vacation away from the suburbs, but not
without the interruption of his brother-in-law. Dan Aykroyd is uppity
Roman Craig who sees it as a no-brainer that his family should join
in on the Ripley's getaway, but is blinded by life outside of
solemnity and peaceful scenery. Aykroyd and Candy make a suburb team,
great wit, great timing. Even the hair-do's and grizzly bear
encounters are larger than life. Maybe a lesser known John Hughes
films, but still takes the time to throw in some shameless Chicago
quips here and there. And what makes a summer movie complete other
than mischievous raccoons that require subtitles!? Soooo 80's.
National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
This is an absolute must. Save yourself
the embarrassment of never laughing at the Griswold's expense and
watch NLV. THEN, pencil in December 1st as a time to watch
'Christmas Vacation,' since it's probably fair to assume you've never
watch that either.
Stand By Me (1986)
Emotional and thrilling, four young
friends set out to find the body of a missing local. There is zero
parental supervision or guarantee of survival, but you'd trust Gordie
Lachance (Wil Wheaton) to see the journey through, right? Gordie and
gang (Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, and the late River Phoenix)
face long and uncharted hikes through the woods, a full-speed freight
train running directly toward their impending doom and soulless
threats from the rough n' tough Kiefer Sutherland and his posse of
rednecks. Self-discovery triumphs thematically and uncertainty for
future summers and where these friendships will go leaves your heavy
heart resolved.
The Sandlot (1993)
Never over-quoted and too great to pass
up, The Sandlot is a
summer must. Rarely will you hear someone admit they've never watched
it, but that can easily be solved with a DVR'ed taping from ABC
Family. 'Sandlot' exudes the love of baseball from a teenage boy's
perspective, taking you through an entire summer's shenanigans and
mishaps. Even if you didn't have the faintest idea of what baseball
was about, you gained the knowledge of being able to recite 6 solid
Babe Ruth nicknames. At the end of a long day's game, you're never
too awkward to play on a team with Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez, the
greatest slugger around.
