Lists! Best Summer Movies
We here at the Devil’s Avocado like our lists to come out on Mondays (or the Tuesday after a national holiday-Hey, I got BBQs to attend and war movies to watch), and like Spinal Tap’s amps, our lists go to eleven.
Now that school’s out, I’ve gotten my bike out of storage, and I’ve attended both the obligatory BBQ and day-Baseball Game, summer is here, regardless of what any calendar nazi might tell us. Following the last few weeks’ trend of sentimental lists here on TDA, this list is not of the top “Big-Box-Office Summer Movies”. There will be no Terminator, no Dark Knight. This list is a tribute to the real summer movies-the ones that leave you itching imaginary mosquito bites and treating severe sunburn, or at least make you regret choosing to live in any city that has such a thing as a wind-chill factor.
Top 11 Movies About Summer:
1. Jaws (75)
2. The Sandlot (93)
3. Top Gun (86)
4. Stand By Me (86)
5. Caddyshack (80)
6. Dazed and Confused (93)
7. Ernest Goes to Camp (87)
8. Do the Right Thing (89)
9. Bull Durham (88)
10. The Great Outdoors (88)
11. Wet Hot American Summer (01)
Here’s why:
Jaws (75)
Before 1975, there was happiness to be had in beach communities around the United States. Business was particularly good in Amityville, and affluent teenagers spent most of their time drinking too much, and then skinny-dipping at night without a buddy. It was this coastal Eden that Steven Spielberg infected with a monster fish he invented and called a “shark“. Summer would never be the same. I’m just glad that there is no such thing as a “shark”, or I don’t think it’d ever be safe to go back into the water again.
The Sandlot (93)
I don’t think there is a better guide to summer. Combine sweet nicknames, a vacant lot, a priceless baseball, and the grumpiest dog ever, and you’ve got yourself one heck of a pickle. These neighborhood kids run the gamut when it comes to wacky summertime adventures, from sneaking a kiss from a cute lifeguard, to throwing up tobacco juice on carnival rides. Oh, and then there’s the huge dog that’s chasing “The Jet” around the neighborhood. You’re killing me, Smalls.
Top Gun (86)
Back before he went crazy (or maybe he was always just secretly crazy) Tom Cruise fought the Russkies in a world of danger, supersonic speed, and endless “magic hour” shots. We got motorcycle rides, call signs, Tom Skerrit, and a contender for the best Kenny Loggins theme song of all time (there is, believe it or not, some stiff competition). The only thing that could possibly make this a better summer movie is there were some way to include a beach-volleyball scene in the plot. Oh, wait!
Stand By Me (86)
I remember when I was a kid, some close friends and I took a two-day hike down the tracks to see a dead body. It was the end of the last summer before we stopped hanging out (life is funny that way), and this camping trip is how I’ll always remember them. It’s funny, but I don’t remember ever seeing even a single camera filming us. The crew must’ve been good, because they captured all of the good bits, and even somehow got a microphone in my head to capture most of my poignant thoughts.
Caddyshack (80)
Rack up another contender for best Kenny Loggins theme song. I don’t really have to make a case for one of the most classic summer comedies of all time, do I? Fine. Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Spaulding, a floating candy bar, loose women, more quotable lines than the Bible and one viciously conniving Gopher. So, it’s got all of that going for it, which is nice.
I’m of the mind that the best summer music is always Classic Rock. Nothing flavors a cheeseburger like Creedence. This film actually has a nostalgic coming-of-age story to go along with the music too. We get to feel what it’s like to hang out with the cool, older kids. Sure, that main character touches his nose too much, but I’ll overlook it because of Matthew McConaughey as the coolest kid on the block, even if his character is a bit of a pedophile.
Ernest Goes to Camp (87)
This is the film that launched a thousand sequels, but none is better than the original. This movie is exquisitely asinine and most importantly, sweet. Ernest has a heart of gold and an optimism that only the very stupid can maintain. You can’t help but root for the fool, and it nearly breaks your heart when those mean kids make him cry. Nothing says summer like camp, and nothing says summer camp like Ernest.
Do The Right Thing (89)
Fresh out of film school, Spike Lee crafts an intricate skein of relationships strained to snapping, then sets the film on the hottest day of summer in Brooklyn. I don’t know what it all means, or why Mookie throws that garbage can, but I love this movie and the simple message presented in the title. That’s it? That’s it. Got it. I’m gone.
Bull Durham (88)
This spot could easily go to Field of Dreams, or any baseball movie starring Kevin Costner, I guess. Proving summer movies are nothing without nicknames, “Crash” Davis teaches “Nuke” Laloosh the finer points of playing in the minor leagues, namely never shake off your catcher’s signs. We learn to breath through our eyelids, and my imaginary softball team also has this movie to thank for our name, the “Lollygaggers.”
The Great Outdoors (88)
There’s John Candy and Dan Aykroyd. There’s waterskiing, hot dogs (er…lips and assholes), a home-invading bat, lightning, and one large bear. Let wackiness reign.
In this instant cult classic, actors like Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler (merely up-and-comers at the time) spoof the entire summer camp genre, and do it well (unlike more recent spoofs like Scary Movie, Date Movie, or Dance Flick). This movie is one that will be shown on during summer-movie marathons for years to come.
Summer movies are simple, if rarely done right. All you need is some nicknames, a mean dog, half-cooked schemes, and a Kenny Loggins song, and you’ve got yourself a classic.
