Re-visit summer film classics
Henry Sincic | Contributor
Summer is (almost) here, and I couldn’t be happier about it. The beautiful weather and the break from school are highlights of the season, of course, but, for my money, I get equally excited about the prospect of seeing new summer movies. The coming months are positively rife with sure-to-be big cinematic events, from “Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning” to “Superman” (side note: reminder to plead with James Gunn not to disappoint me). There’s a special sort of prestige that comes from being considered a “summer blockbuster,” because one would be joining the pantheon of legendary summer flicks from ages past. The following three movies are of that ilk. They are my personal recommendations for movies that, in some way, connect to summer, having either been released in or around the season, or having a “summery” vibe to them. If you have not seen these movies, I hope you are urged to do so by my ramblings. Have a nice summer, and happy watching!
‘Jaws’ (1975)
“Jaws” is a movie that means a lot to me, and it’s a movie that, more than perhaps any other, really evokes “summer vibes.” I have vivid memories of watching it with my dad when I was growing up. He always did have a penchant for introducing me to his favorite childhood movies. After all, he is the man who so gleefully showed me such kid-friendly flicks as “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Poltergeist” when I was barely 10. I guess he had a thing for Steven Spielberg, and rightfully so. It was this movie that put Spielberg’s name on the map. Before “Jaws,” his name didn’t appear on the poster of the movie. Afterwards, there was no going back.
The story is as simple as it gets: a small summer resort town is besieged by a nasty ol’ great white shark, which chomps one swimmer after another as the town’s authorities skirt their responsibility and continue to let people on their beaches, all in the name of money. It’s up to a crack team consisting of an intrepid police chief, marine biologist and salty sea captain to hunt the shark down and save the day. The simplicity of the premise serves to the film’s benefit, as it’s really the wonderful characters and suspense that make this a timeless classic. The titular novel it is based upon, written by Peter Benchley, is not to be missed, either!
‘A Goofy Movie’ (1995)
I felt that this movie was destined to be picked for this smattering of summer movie recommendations. It deals with a road trip that occurs just as school is let out for summer break, and it has an atmosphere of fun and (dare I say) goofiness that befits the carefree summer months. It also just celebrated its 30th anniversary! The recent video interview on the official Disney YouTube channel between Bill Farmer (Goofy) and Jason Marsden (Max) is so sweet that it could probably make the Grinch’s heart grow five sizes.
This is one of my very favorite Disney animated features, right up there with “Aladdin.” It’s endlessly sweet and relatable for both the teenager wanting to strike out on their own and the parent, desperately trying to hold onto the innocence of their children. I mean, I guess I don’t have children to be able to confirm how that feels, but I’ve heard so from people that do. The animation is stellar, the characters are great and the songs are absolutely bangin’. So do yourself a favor this summer and see this movie. Until you do so, you and I may never see “I 2 I.”
‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)
Finally, here’s the preeminent summer movie of my childhood. When “Mad Max: Fury Road” premiered in May of 2015, almost 10 years ago, it was a big deal. A big-name action franchise being resurrected from the dead with a gilded cast and budget to match, this movie had a lot of hype leading up to it. Luckily, the movie was excellent, and a box office smash to boot.
As a series of films, “Mad Max” stands out to me as being one of the few long-running franchises to never (IMO) have a bad installment. My dad ensured I would become a fan by showing me the original films, and “Fury Road” contains a lot of the same kinetic action that those films are known for. The “Mad Max” films take place in a post-apocalyptic version of the “down under,” filled with rogue gangs and weapons of vehicular manslaughter. There’s a certain atmosphere to these films that really stands out: it’s desolate, war-torn and not altogether friendly, but the heroic actions of some create a glimmer of hope.
“Fury Road” is an almost non-stop barrage of action, but it is excellently paced and contains enough memorable characters and setpieces to never be boring. The music, done by Junkie XL, is also fantastic. Any fan of blood-pumping summer action flicks can scarcely do better than this one.
