The dog days of summer are the perfect time for some summer-themed movie screenings.
First up, the comedy classic Meatballs (rated PG, avg review rating 4.75/5, $2.99 to rent, $9.99 to buy). From Amazon :
Bill Murray is at his hilarious best in this classic comedy that’s “Animal House goes to summer camp” (Newsweek). Murray plays Tripper, the wisecracking, rule-bending head counselor at Camp North Star. Whether playing pranks on Camp North Star’s clueless director, wooing a female counselor, or scheming against the rich brats … of a rival camp, Tripper delivers fun and mayhem.
Note to parents: While Meatballs got a PG rating when it was released, by today’s standards it would be more like a PG-13.
A more recent entry in the summertime movie canon is the sweet, funny and poignant Adventureland, starring Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland, The Social Network), Kristen Stewart (Twilight films, Snow White and the Huntsman) and Ryan Reynolds (The Green Lantern). The movie also features Saturday Night Live alums Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. This film is rated R, has an average review rating of 4/5 stars, and is priced at $1.99 to rent and $9.99 to buy. From Amazon:
A comedy set in the summer of 1987 and centered around a recent college grad who takes a nowhere job at his local amusement park, only to find it’s the perfect place to get him prepared for the real world.
Fans of director Savage Steve Holland (Better Off Dead) and 80’s teen comedies are sure to enjoy One Crazy Summer (rated PG, avg review rating 4/5 stars, $2.99 to rent, $9.99 to buy). The film stars John Cusack and Demi Moore. From IMDB:
An aspiring teenage cartoonist and his friends come to the aid of a singer trying to save her family property from developers.
Note to parents: While One Crazy Summer got a PG rating when it was released, by today’s standards it would be more like a PG-13.
It’s the last day of Camp Firewood’s season, but there’s still time for the big talent show, a little romance… and for everyone to be wiped out by the piece of NASA’s Skylab that’s hurtling toward Earth.
Strange events threaten an entire family when two brothers move with their divorced mother to a California town where the local teenage gang turns out to be a pack of vampires.
Jack Chester, an overworked air traffic controller, takes his family on vacation to the beach. Things immediately start to go wrong for the Chesters, and steadily get worse. Jack ends up in a feud with a local yachtsman, and has to race him to regain his pride and family’s respect.
Note to parents: Summer Rental got a PG rating when it was released, by today’s standards it would be more like a PG-13.
The Griswold family’s cross-country drive to the Walley World theme park proves to be much more arduous than they ever anticipated.
So turn on a fan, make some iced tea or lemonade, and pull up a chair for some cool, vicarious summertime adventure and laughs, courtesy of Amazon Instant Video.