So I went to Wal-Mart this week to see employees putting out Halloween candy.  HALLOWEEN.  What’s going on you guys?  Back in my day, August is still part of summah.  In fact, so is September.  What’s wrong with you big-evil-corporations?  Oh that’s right, you’re evil.  Other stores have started to follow suit as well.  It’s sickening.

Recently, I’ve been listening to the Who Charted? podcast.  Co-host, Sir Howard Kremer heavily promotes summah, and I feel like I should help spread the gospel.

So enjoy the summah!  Don’t know where to start?  Well let’s count down by five favorite summah movies to get you started on ideas!

 

5.  TINY TOON ADVENTURES:  HOW I SPENT MY VACATION

PLOT:  As another semester ends at Acme Looniversity, the Tiny Toon gang look forward to a summer filled with fun.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS FILM:  Um, everything?  From Plucky Duck joining Hamton’s family for a terrible road trip to Happy World Land, to Buster and Babs trying to survive a parody of Deliverance (seriously).

FAVORITE SCENE:  This, so much this.

ALSO CHECK OUT:   The Tiny Toon Adventures, duh.

 

4.AMERICAN GRAFFITI

PLOT:   A couple of high school grads spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies before they go off to college.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS FILM:  This film reminds me the of summer after graduating high school.  Many of my friends stilled lived in the area and we would get together and just drive around.  We spent a lot of time at the drive-in and, of course, challenging Harrison Ford to some good ol’ fashion street racing.

FAVORITE SCENE:   John and Young Indy talking smack before racing.  Also Carol yelling, “Your car is uglier then I am!”  cracks me up every time.

ALSO CHECK OUT:   Dazed and Confused.  More American Graffiti (if you’re nasty).

 

3.  WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER

PLOT:  Set on the last day of camp, in the hot summer of 1981, a group of counselors try to complete their unfinished business before the day ends.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS FILM:  So many of my favorite comedians are in this.  Ken Marino, Michael Ian Black, Amy Poehler, Michael Showalter, Paul Rudd…I love this film because it’s a great send up of summer camp movies of the 80’s, but is still able to be it’s own thing.

FAVORITE SCENE:  If you don’t find this funny, you’re dead inside.

ALSO CHECK OUT:   Meatballs, Addams Family Values, Jesus Camp (Okay, that’s probably a camp movie you can skip).

 

2.  NATIONAL LAMPOON’S VACATION

PLOT:  The Griswold family’s cross-country drive to the Walley World theme park proves to be much more arduous than they ever anticipated.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS FILM:  I saw this film when I was really young.  My family took a trip to Las Vegas when I was in elementary school and my dad would spend most of the trip calling me Rusty and my sister Audrey.  We even had a station wagon when I was younger!  (Not quite the family truckster, but it was a similar color).  I love this film because it was always referenced in my family and I imagine it shaped my sense of humor into what it is today (for better or worse).

FAVORITE SCENE:  Everything about this scene is perfect.

ALSO CHECK OUT:   Any of the other Griswold films. (except maybe European, although to each their own).

 

1.  JAWS

PLOT:  Bunch of people having a summah in the water.  Hell, even a shark enjoys summah in his own way!

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS FILM:  I mentioned in an earlier post how great this film still looks.  Part of what makes this film feel so real is that most of the extras were just locals.  Yes, you can sort of spot them occasionally look at the camera, but these people LOOK like real people that you’d see at the beach.  The non-sharky scenes feel like I’m watching a commercial telling me to visit Massachusetts.  And you know what?  I’m okay with that.

FAVORITE SCENE:  People splashing, effective dolly zoom, old man boobs!  What else could you want?

ALSO CHECK OUT:   Jaws 2, Jaws 3D, Jaws: The Revenge  (Kidding, don’t watch any of those.  If you want to watch something with Jaws in it, just watch The Spy Who Loved Me).