Staff
- Jun 30, 2017

The Weekend Watchlist: Summer Blockbusters Edition

Matt Linton

Ghostbusters (June 7, 1984) – This is the first movie I remember seeing in theaters. I was nine years old, and the library scene scared the crap out of me. Slimer and the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man made me laugh. And the end battle against Gozer was thrilling. I’ve obviously gotten a lot more out of it as I’ve gotten older, but even at the time it was everything I wanted in a summer blockbuster.

Available to rent on Amazon Video, YouTube, iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play Movies for $2.99.

Batman (June 23, 1989) – Tim Burton’s Batman film made such an impression (even before it was released) that I still remember the release date 28 years later. From the first trailer, to finding every scrap of info possible in the pre-internet days – Comics Scene magazine was a lifesaver, to going to the theater for a 12 AM screening the Thursday before it opened, I don’t know that there was a film before or since that I was more excited for.

Available to rent on Amazon Video, YouTube, iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play Movies for $2.99.

Prometheus (June 8, 2012) – Okay, hear me out. This is, more than likely, not a great film. Maybe not even good. But it’s beautiful to look at, has some great performances (especially Michael Fassbender), and most importantly, it was the non-comic book movie I was looking forward to the most that summer. I haven’t seen it since the one disappointing viewing in theaters, but a part of me is still convinced that if I watch it again, with more realistic expectations (and maybe lower standards?) I’ll like it a lot more than I did.

Available to rent on Amazon Video, YouTube, iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play Movies for $2.99.

Shelby Cadwell

Face/Off (June 27, 1997) - Nothing about this movie should work. The premise is nonsensical. The acting is bizarre. Even the title is cringe-worthy. But against all odds, Face/Off is an absolute classic. Much like Nicolas Cage's career in general, this film is either so good it's bad or so bad it's good and there is really no way of knowing which.

Available to rent on Vudu, Amazon Video, Youtube, iTunes, and Google Play for $2.99.

Speed (June 10, 1994) - Another cheesy action film, Speed (or as some call it, Die Hard on a Bus) gets by on the charm of its leads, Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, and the mania of its villain, Dennis Hopper. The scene where Reeves is lowered under the speeding bus to defuse the bomb still makes me tense up, even though I've seen the film dozens of times.

Available to stream on HBO GO. Available to rent on Vudu, Amazon Video, Youtube, iTunes, and Google Play for $2.99.

Jurassic Park (June 11, 1993) - After the release of the incredibly disappointing Jurassic World in the summer of 2015, I re-watched Jurassic Park for the first time in many years as a bit of a palate cleanser. Even though I absolutely loved the original film as a kid, I was slightly worried that it wouldn't hold up after 20+ years. That worry was completely unfounded, as the film is still as genuinely scary, thrilling, and moving today as it was to me at 6 years old.

Available to rent on Vudu, Amazon Video, Youtube, iTunes, and Google Play for $2.99.