Missing the summer movie-going season? Yeah, me too. No need to worry, though, because the SiftPop crew has compiled a list of summer classics that will fill the void within your movie-loving heart! Let us know @siftpop what your favorite summer blockbuster is!
How many movies does a franchise get to before it begins to feel stale or that it’s jumped the shark? (Nuked the fridge?). Mission: Impossible does the impossible, it is on its 6th film and keeps getting better! Mission: Impossible – Fallout has so much insane fun that each major set-piece could be another film’s 3rd act. I don’t know what witchcraft Christopher McQuerrie is performing to get what he does in the budget he is given. 178 Million dollars and he’s putting to shame stunts and action of films nearly double his budget. It also has Tom Cruise, whose survival from the stunts he performs himself in Fallout makes the strongest argument for Scientology. The action, the drama, the ridiculous stunts you can’t believe are done practically, and the hilariously balanced tone from humor to suspense make M:I 6 an unbelievable treat to watch. I don’t know how they keep doing it but this is one mission that you’d be crazy not to accept. (Evan Lucken)
Ah, Roland Emmerich. So many movies, so little time. In this far-off year of 2020, it’s impossible to NOT associate Emmerich’s name with overblown, hyper-budget messes. I mean, FUN messes to be sure, but still. It’s easy to forget that Independence Day is the one that kicked off the concept of the summer blockbuster!
The effects, mostly, stand up to the test of time (let’s hear it for practical effects!!). The acting is cheesy and fun without delving into camp. Jeff Golblum is rocking his Jurassic Park best, Will Smith is just kicking off his Hollywood career, and the associated extra casts are really giving it their all. I mean, Bill Pullman’s “we fight back” speech is arguably one of the best inspirational speeches ever laid to film!
We just got done watching this over the July 4 weekend, not even trying to watch it ironically, and rediscovered the sheer joy of this classic. I suggest you do as well. (Donald Skidmore)
Frank here with his pick for best summer movie. Now I know you probably are thinking I picked Jaws, but when I did for Best Movie on HBO MAX I was told to go “F is for Family myself” ,so I have picked Back To The Future. Maybe this will make number one on the list. It’s a timeless classic of a teenager and an old man with the one thing they have in common is the Power of Love. Old man’s love for science and a young boy’s love for himself. Entire movie is all about saving himself from fading into non-existence history. It’s a feel-good adventure that any summer movie should make you feel. Just don’t think too hard about how the entire movie is possible because the Doc has terrorist connections. (Frank Kemp)
Before I can allow you to read any more, I’m going to need your attention, your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle. Terminator 2: Judgment Day, in my personal opinion, is by and far the best of the terminator movies and is a peak performance by the Governator himself as he shifts from villain to hero. Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) brings in an iconic performance as she continues her battle with Skynet, this time joined by her son John Connor (Edward Furlong). Meanwhile, Robert Patrick joins the story as what could be the most iconic science fiction movie villain ever (I still get chills seeing him in this movie). By and large one of director James Cameron’s finest pieces of work, I’m glued to the tv any time this is on. This movie has it all, a killer soundtrack, iconic scenes, and what I consider one of the greatest endings to a movie. All in all, this movie earns a thumbs up from me. (Joseph Davis)
You mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling. As always, I like to start my BEC’s with a quote and I picked this one because I think this line is Christopher Nolan saying it to the audience. Inception is such a radically different movie from anything I had seen before and it really shows in terms of the ways this movie unfolds in both its story, concepts, and characters. This is one of those movies that you look back after it’s finished and you ask yourself, “Who even thinks of this stuff?!” and the answer is Nolan, of course. But this movie works on so many levels (pun intended) because it is a psychological thriller, action, drama, comedy, and adventure movie; normally I’d say that’s too much because when movies are many things, they aren’t those things well, but this is Nolan we’re talking about and he manages to pull everything off so that the only way I know how to describe this movie is nothing less than excellent. (Aaron Schweitzer)
A movie that is just a few months younger than the person now writing on it, Jurassic Park is a timeless classic. Based off the book by the same name by Michael Chriton, this Steven Spielberg movie blends fantastical elements with science in a way that seems as if it’s possible (who wouldn’t want to walk amongst brontosaurus or a raptor……ok, maybe not the raptor), while warning of the dangers of unchecked advancement. The characters and the danger feel real, with a brilliant use of special effects, practical and computer generated. This, coupled with one of the most iconic soundtracks ever composed by the legendary John Williams, makes this movie a thrill from start to finish. If you have never seen this movie, do yourself a favor and find it. (Joseph Davis)
Few characters have stood the test of time better than Indiana Jones. The hat, the crack of the whip, the swashbuckling score from John Williams, what’s not to love? Indy made archaeology look cool (especially for this history buff), thanks in large part to Harrison Ford’s charismatic portrayal. The addition of the legendary Sean Connery for the third film elevated this entry to the next level. He and Ford had excellent chemistry and provided some of the best dialogue of the series. When it comes to summer fun, what tops the search for the Holy Grail and punching Nazis repeatedly in the face? ( Jake Bourgeois)
There can not be a summer blockbuster list that does not contain The Dark Knight. Christopher Nolan doesn’t just make films for the big screen, he makes them for the biggest screens known to man. The Dark Knight tells a thought-provoking and constantly entertaining story of control vs chaos. With incredibly tight thematic storytelling and an amazing award-winning cast including the late and great Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight is an endlessly rewatchable blockbuster that leaves an impression on not just the superhero genre but the film world as a whole. Seriously, what more could you ask for when walking into a theater to escape the summer heat? (Evan Lucken)
Why should you be afraid to go in the water? Jaws will always provide that answer. This film is the reason my grand mom never went back into the ocean after 1975 and the reason for the whole summer movies season. Jaws was that much of a game changer! But what makes this film standout from a laundry list of cheesy and mediocre shark movies that come out today. The answer is simple: it cares about its story and characters. Amity Island is a well realized town with the stakes of trying to balance a crisis and its economy (sound familiar?). Jaws gives a trio of fantastic and complex characters reinforced by excellent work from Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss. Most importantly, tension and subtlety provided the right amount of scares. (Shane Conto)
One of the most iconic movies on Earth, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope is one of those pieces of art that sets off a cultural movement in cinema, one that helped to put George Lucas on the map. Starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher (RIP General), Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, and James Earl Jones’s voice, among others, this 1977 film kicked off one of the greatest film and television franchises in history. Who didn’t grow up wanting to be a Jedi, or to be able to use the force to grab the remote for the TV? From start to finish, you have a great storyline that grabs your attention, with a soundtrack by the great John Williams (a common theme this week) that not only helps to carry the movie but that builds it as it goes (authors note: this is one of only four movie soundtracks I own on original vinyl, plus the poster that came with it). If you’re looking to get away this summer, why not join the rebel alliance? (Joseph Davis)
Honorable Mentions:
Wonder Woman
That No Man’s Land scene is breathtaking, and makes the entire movie worth it. That’s all you need to know. However, for those who need a little more convincing, I don’t blame you. When I originally went into this movie, I was quite sceptical, mostly because I was not on board with Gal Gadot as the chosen one for Diana Prince. I didn’t think she had the acting chops, or the right presence to pull off my favourite superhero. Especially in the first movie Wonder Woman would be getting! Well, all that to say that I was pleasantly surprised and was so thrilled by the end of my first viewing that I went back to the cinemas 2 more times. An interesting and engaging story, a great protagonist, and some fantastic action scenes (like I said, No Man’s Land), make the entire movie one of the most exciting ones to come out of the Summer season. Hopefully the sequel stands up when it finally graces our screens! (Alice-Ginevra Micheli)
Inside Out
While Pixar isn’t a studio that should surprise you at this point with how deep their imagination runs, I was still thrown back when I first saw their 2015 movie, Inside Out. That year was great for movies, and this was one of several that I saw more than once in theaters. The story takes place inside the mind of a young girl, Riley (Kaitlyn Dias), as her emotions, Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Bill Hader), and Disgust (Mindy Kaling), try to help her adjust to a new chapter in her life after she and her family move from Minnesota to San Francisco. While the whole voice cast is great, the work between Poehler and Smith is magnificent, creating a bond that’s as hilarious as it is emotional. With the story dealing with their friendship as they travel through Riley’s mind, we have a heart-tugging journey that goes in depth with how these two emotions coexist and how one can’t be without the other. The vast amount of detail that the screenwriters and director put into bringing the human mind to the screen is awe-inspiring and is what helped make it my favorite movie of 2015. The visual intricacies of the mind are on full display, and this movie adds a whole new group of memorable characters to Pixar’s ever-growing roster of masterful creations. This movie is funny, poignant, original, colorful, and voice-acted to perfection, and is one of Pixar’s finest contributions to not only animation, but film in general. (Vincent Abbatecola)
Apollo 13
Apollo 13, directed by Ron Howard, is an all-time favorite of mine about one of the greatest moments in NASA history. When the third mission to land the moon suffers a critical failure, NASA must work to bring the crew home safely in a dying ship hundreds of thousands of miles from home. Not only is this movie a thrill from beginning to end, but as someone who has read more about the Apollo missions than the average human probably should, it’s a movie that not only has a good flair for the dramatic but also sticks close to the reality of the steely eyed missile men on the ground and in space who brought the crew home. Not only that, but they even use a NASA plane aptly nicknamed the “Vomit Comet” for the scenes of weightlessness inside of Odyssey and Aquarius spacecraft, just to add the last true aspect of authenticity. If there is one thing to take away from this movie, it’s that sometimes failure is not an option. (Joseph Davis)
Shrek
What do you look for in your family entertainment? Well, most likely it will be an animated film. The kids want something fun and silly with cute characters (probably animals). Adults want something to grab their attention as well. The summer of 2001 sure had the whole family covered with Dreamworks’ Shrek. The perfect balance of kids’ animation and adult humor, Shrek is a special flick that has a cast of outrageous characters, pop culture music/references, and a surprisingly heartfelt story at the center of all of its satire. Shrek can have its cake and eat it too as it lampoons all things fairy tale related and still create a meaningful fairy tale. Oh….there is plenty of phallic imagery because what else tops off the perfect family film? (Shane Conto)
Star Trek (09)
When J.J Abrams decided to reboot the Star Trek franchise, he decided to keep a lot of what we love about the original while updating it for a more modern feel within today’s filmmaking, creating one of my favorite summer blockbusters ever. I think this first movie captures a certain charm that most reboots wish they’d have. The film decides to change up a few aspects that give it this amazing spectacle that really puts you on the edge of your seat during most of it. It’s also worth noting that the cast all work amazingly together and bring their A-game. The two main standouts that are the key to this of course being Chris Pine (James T. Kirk), and Zachary Quinto (Spock). If you decide to watch this movie for the first time without knowing much about Star Trek like I did, then this is great for beginners who are looking to understand the formula of what this series is like. (Alex Henderson)