5 Summer Films Millennials Should Watch ASAP (And 1 Pre-millennials Should See)
By Staff in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 29, 2014 3:00PM
Remember when Chevy Chase was hot? Probably not, if you're a Millennial.
Jaws (1975)
Ranked #56 on AFI's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time, Jaws was one of Steven Spielberg's earliest full-length feature films as a director, and the Hollywood world made note of it. Spielberg brings to life the story of an unforgettable summer in a small Massachusetts town where its beach dwellers are terrorized by the sights and actions of a great white shark. The ultimate scare factor is reviled in up-close moments of the beast and its, well, huge set of jaws. As hearts' pound louder and louder with every two-note crescendo, the unpredictability of when she'll strike becomes unbearable, and it is then we immediately witness the waters flow red. Jaws is the millennial's Paranormal Activity for cinema had never captured this style of fear without going "overboard" on special effects. Something as common as swimming at a beach became someone's worst nightmare. A great flick to catch while you patiently wait for Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
Summer camp may feel like the ultimate freedom away from mom and dad, but when your camp staff consists of overstimulated, unmotivated 20-somethings who would rather focus on gettin' some than the safety of their campers, it becomes an challenge to survive the summer. In this raucously hilarious satire of a summer camp's day-in-the-life, we live among a brilliantly casted camp staff of comedians extraordinaire: Paul Rudd, Michael Ian Black, A.D. Miles, and Amy Poehler to name a few.
It's apparent after the first twenty minutes that this is no ordinary camp, and there's a small (large) part of you that wants in on the fun.
The Great Outdoors (1988)
The late John Candy reinvents the meaning of being "one with nature" when he and his family, The Ripleys, attempt to enjoy a fun and rustic summer vacation away from the suburbs, but not without the interruption of his brother-in-law. Dan Aykroyd is uppity Roman Craig who sees it as a no-brainer that his family should join in on the Ripley's getaway, but is blinded by life outside of the open and peaceful scenery. Aykroyd and Candy make a superb team, great wit, great timing. Even the hair-do's and grizzly bear encounters are larger than life. The Great Outdoors may be a lesser known John Hughes films, but it still packs plenty of shameless Chicago quips here and there, in true Hughes fashion. And what makes an 80s summer movie complete other than mischievous raccoons that require subtitles!? Nothing! That’s right!
National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
This is an absolute must. Save yourself the embarrassment of never having laughed at the Griswold's expense and watch National Lampoon's Vacation. Then, pencil in December 1st as a time to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, since it's probably fair to assume you've never watch that either.
Stand By Me (1986)
Emotional and thrilling, four young friends set out to find the body of a missing local. There is zero parental supervision and no guarantee of survival, but you'd trust Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton) to see the journey through, right? Gordie and gang (Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, and the late River Phoenix) face long and uncharted hikes through the woods, a full-speed freight train running directly toward their impending doom and soulless threats from the rough n' tough Kiefer Sutherland and his posse of hoodlums. Self-discovery triumphs thematically and uncertainty for future summers and where these friendships will go leaves your heavy heart resolved.
[Ed note: And, let's be fair, and point out a Millennials' summer fave that other folks might have missed.]
The Sandlot (1993)
Impossible to over-quote and too great to pass up, The Sandlot is timeless. Rarely will you hear someone admit that they have never watched it, but that can easily be solved with a DVR'ed taping from ABC Family. The Sandlot exudes the love of baseball from a teenage boy's perspective, taking you through an entire summer's shenanigans and mishaps. Even if you didn't have the faintest idea of what baseball was about, at least you gained the knowledge of being able to recite 6 solid Babe Ruth nicknames. At the end of a long day's game, you're never too awkward to play on a team with Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez, the greatest slugger around.
By: Gina Ciametti