Depending upon the time of the year, I have to watch a certain film. For instance, at Christmas I don’t want to watch It’s a Wonderful Life, I want to watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Shitter’s Full). During Halloween I want to watch Hocus Pocus, and anything involving zombies. During the summer… Well, I’ve got to watch a few films in order for it to feel properly like summer. In no particular order, my top 5 summer films I watch year in and year out:
Wild Thing is rocking some slick frames.
I love me a good baseball movie. (Hey did you hear that the Pirates are above 500 and 1.5 games out of first place?! It’s been YEARS since they’ve played well. I’m not a fair weather fan, I watch the Buccos even when the were blowing chunks but it’s nice to go to the game and catch a few wins… anywhoo…BACK TO THE BLOG). In particular Major League is my favourite baseball movie (though props need to go to The Sandlot and Rookie of the Year featuring crazy teeth himself, Gary Busey). Major League features Charlie Sheen as “Wild Thing” (pre Torpedo of Truth days) as well as Wesley Snipes and Bob Uecker as the loveable announcer. It’s an 80’s movie to be sure, but the gags in it are just as funny today as they were back when I first saw it. It makes me want to head on down to the ball park and boo the Indians (as a Pittsburgher I have a hatred of all things Cleveland… Never mind the fact that Cleveland swept my beloved Buccos when they in Cleveland back in June -_-).
How's it sit, pretty cunning don'tcha think?
This is a story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down, it’ll only take a minute just sit right there and I’ll tell you how aliens blew up the White House and the Fresh Prince and Bill Pullman saved the day. Seriously, how can you NOT want to watch Independence Day? It also helps that it typically plays around the 4th of July. We kick some alien booty. It also is the first time I remember seeing one of my favourite actors in a film. (Adam Baldwin aka Jayne Cobb from Firefly). Cookies to the person who can tell me who he plays in the film WITHOUT using IMDB. Oh, and let’s not forget the always amusing Randy Quaid and Jeff Goldblum.
Released in 1979, I wasn’t even born when Bill Murray was out in the woods in this campy (PUN!) movie. Murray plays a camp councilor who leads a rag tag bunch of misfits in an Olympic-type game of challenge against a rival camp. I shouldn’t love this movie but I do. Heck, I’ll even watch the sequels if they are on TV. It reminds me of those summers long ago when I went to camp. I only wish my music camp had been as awesome as this one. Do kids even go to summer camp anymore? It was all the rage during my middle school years, now I don’t know any kids who go.
Best Counselors Ever.
I know, I know… two camp movies on the list? Shaddup. This film is fairly new (it’s only 10 years old I believe) but it’s perhaps one of the best ‘worst’ movies I’ve ever seen. If you’ve not indulged in watching this gem, it is available on Netflix. Let me run through the cast list for you: Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Michael Ian Black, Paul Rudd, Molly Shannon, Ken Marino, Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Banks AND Bradley Cooper. Oh, and Marguerite Moreau (you might know her as Connie from the Might Ducks films)! There are too many of them for me to put in all the links but you’ve got to admit that is an ALL STAR cast. There are so many things I love in this movie. Michael Ian Black and Bradley Cooper have a ‘commitment’ ceremony on the edge of the lake, and sex in one of the storage sheds. Paul Rudd though is the best. He cheats on”Connie and is an all around douche. He is busy making out with Elizabeth Banks and lets a kid drown. I won’t tell you what he does to the drowned kids ‘swim buddy’ you’ll have to watch it and see for yourself.
Nothing makes you want to go jump in the ocean more than Jaws does right? Oh sure, Discovery Channel has bought into the whole ‘sharks are scary awesome’ idea with Shark Week, but nothing is as awesome as Spielberg’s 1975 classic. Let’s not forget that it also stars Roy Scheider (not to be confused with Rob Schneider) who played Captain Bridger on SeaQuest. SeaQuest was like crack when I was growing up… I NEVER missed an episode. Let’s not forget the Jaws soundtrack. Two notes on a tuba, that’s all it took to make a villain. DUH-DUH. DUH-DUH-DUH.
Strangers in the Dark 