Summertime is when the best Popcorn Movies are usually released. So loosely defining the "Hollywood Summer" as including any movie released between April 1st and August 31st, what year was the best summer of movies ever?

(And, from the opposite side, what was the worst summer of movies ever?)

Well, in general nobody counts April as summer movies. At least not in the industry. For the last few years, the first weekend of May was the real start of the summer movie season, though this year they tried, but didn't really succeed, to start it at the end of April. But before that, it's always been May, at one point Memorial Day weekend being the real start, at least until Twister came out. I don't consider films like The Matrix and Sin City actual summer movies.

Nonetheless, I digress. Favorite summer movie season? This one is shaping up very nicely...so far, all three of the big budget blockbusters that I think are great. I'll always have fond memories of 1994 too...I LOVED True Lies when that came out, Forrest Gump was great, The Mask was a good time, The Lion King a gorgeous film, Speed a rollicking good film. 94 was a good summer indeed.

All right, since I started this thread…

1982 – my pick for best Movie Summer ever.

The release highlights:

Conan the Barbarian - (released 14 May 1982)
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid - (released 21 May 1982)
Rocky III - (released 28 May 1982)
Poltergeist - (released 4 June 1982)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - (released 4 June 1982)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial - (released 11 June 1982)
Blade Runner - (released 25 June 1982)
The Thing - (released 25 June 1982)
Tron - (released 9 July 1982)
The Beastmaster - (released 20 August 1982)


It’s amazing how many movies released in this short span of months are now either classics of their genres or cult favorites. Even something as cheesy as The Beastmaster has remained a surprise favorite of certain Superstations. This was a memorable Summer for movies, one that few Summers have come close to matching in quality.

Hollywood has been treating April as an early Summer for years, with releases then of traditional Summer fare like Lost in Space, so I think allowing Popcorn Movies released in that movie to count is okay, especially given that they are the ones that will still be in theaters when May rolls around. (I'd even allow The Matrix to count, although its actual release date was March 31st, 1999.)

Well, it's your thread, so whatever works for you.

That's a bunch of bullshit, because Lost In Space came and fucking went, as do most films that are released now (especially in April... Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy anyone?). Lost In Space had it's moment by taking Titanic's #1 spot and then it dropped. Hard.

Should we call Constantine a "summer film" because it was a $100 million popcorn production released near the end of February?

As others have usually mentioned, most in the industry do not consider the summer movie season starting until the beginning of May (and that only really happened because of films like Twister and Gladiator). I would never call something like Sin City a "summer" film. It was released in the spring, both by how "actual" seasons go and how the industry works.

If it was in fact a "summer" film, the studio in question would've waited to release it in May (or June, July, or August). Mostly, April (just like January, February, and March) are considered "dead" months (but however, there's always exceptions).

1989 was pretty strong: Batman, Ghostbusters II, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lethal Weapon 2, Honey! I Shrunk the Kids, Dead Poets Society, Field of Dreams, Do the Right Thing, When Harry Met Sally, The Abyss, Star Trek V, License to Kill

That's a pretty good mix of franchise films (you're never going to see a summer with Batman, Bond, Peter Venkman, Captain Kirk, Martin Riggs and Indy together again), dramas, comedies and kids fair.

Coincidentally, because of this summer's overcrowding of big pictures, Bond and Star Trek permanently moved to Christmas release dates for all subsequent sequels. They probably would have performed better if not for the overcrowding (and Star Trek V was admittedly bad).

Yep, the 80's were a good decade for popcorn flicks:

1984
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Ghost Busters (1984)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Gremlins (1984)
The Karate Kid (1984)
Purple Rain (1984)

I thought "US Marshals" ended "Titanic's" #1 run.

Anyways, "Jurassic Park" was a great Summer movie. It is the definition of a Summer Popcorn Movie. The original "Batman" also ranks up there.

Worst....I don't think "The League of Extraordinary Gentleman" improved anyone's Summer.

It was "Lost in Space."

Link'd

1984 or 1989.

Those were the golden summers, never to be seen again - for good reason.

Whatever year Jaws came out. And just because it was Jaws.

Cant think of past summer blockbusters but maybe Spider Man 2?

2001. Why? Here's why:



I saw this 19 times in the theater. Once, I saw it 5 times in one day. It went beyond obsession. It still does.

Count Von Groovy lives!

I have little doubt that you have some sort of mental disease or illness.

US Marshals missed by 800K. I think I remember when the first numbers came in for that, it was ahead. But I guess it was overestimated a bit. Clicking that link reminded me that Titanic was #1 for 15 straight weeks. WOW

Hardbodies

All time Summer Movie:

Jurassic Park

Didn't Moulin Rouge come out in Febuary of 2001.

I think 97 was one of the worst summers.
Batman and Robin
Speed 2
Lost World
Con Air
But it did have Face/Off as well.

Yeah, I'd have to agree that was a pretty strong year. What a line-up.

Also MIB. This has to be my pick for worst...nearly everything was a dissapointment, although it did have Face/Off, AF1, and Contact.

This summer's been a good one imo, even with just Cinderella Man, Batman and WOTW it's better than any recent yrs.

Before I even opened the thread I thought of 1982, but seeing the list of sweet flicks that came out in 1989, I'm going with that one.

I'd have to go with 1984. It's funny, I can vividly remember seeing the movies stinkeye listed, but I always associate Gremlins with winter.