SummerMovies Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Harold Ramis is the comedy writer and director everyone's cribbed from, from Sandler to Apatow. After leaving "Second City TV," Ramis went on to write, direct, and occasionally star in comedic touchstones like Animal House, Caddyshack, Stripes, Groundhog Day, and of course, Ghostbusters, which have starred a slew of loveable losers fighting to get their sh*t together in the army, on the golf course, or in the middle of a war with supernatural beings. After taking a few years off, Ramis is taking it back to the beginning with this summer's Year One, which stars Jack Black and Michael Cera as loveable loser cavemen who, when Black's Zed accidentally burns down the village, find themselves in the middle of a very familiar holy war. Read on and find out what the big daddy of buddy movies had to say about evolution and self-improvement, male full frontal nudity and the lack thereof, and what the heck is up with Ghostbusters 3.

Year One opens nationwide this Friday, June 19th.

Cinematical: How much more stressful is it to deal with marketing a summer blockbuster and competing with the other movies that are out?

Harold Ramis: You know, it's the same level of stress every time you make a movie, because you've pinned all your hopes and dreams on it and you've fantasized what success will be like, but at the time you can't escape fantasizing what failure will be like. [laughs]

I conceived this movie on a big scale, to do a Biblical epic comedy. I knew it was ambitious and when the studio said "Yes, we'll do it," and it became real, I thought, "Oh my God!" [laughs] It's one thing to fail small, but to make a big movie that doesn't work is so risky.

Ah, 1980. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear when Jimmy Carter was in the White House, Hewlett Packard announced the release of its first home computer, and I was about to embark upon my senior year of high school. My hometown was pretty far off the beaten path and our nearest single screen movie theater was 13 miles away with the closest multiplex being 45 miles. In those days I wasn't always able to see every movie I wanted to, but I got caught up in my college years when I discovered premium cable channels and the newly born home video market. There were some classics that summer (The Empire Strikes Back, anyone?), some stuff I'd like to forget (Xanadu or Xana-don't?) and at least one film I can't find any record of (read on for that one).

Here's how the Summer of 1980 went:

May 9
It's interesting to note that the first two releases for the Summer of 1980 have both been recently remade more or less. I generally don't like slasher flicks but I make an exception for Friday the 13th because it hit before most of the genre cliches were established and that ending where Jason bursts out of the water literally had me jumping out of my seat. The Nude Bomb was a pretty awful feature version of the Get Smart TV series. When the film eventually played network television it was renamed The Return of Maxwell Smart.

Gentlemen, do you drag your dates / girlfriends / wives along to see testosterone-fueled action epics? Ladies, do you force your significant romantic partners to watch chick flicks with you at the theater? These thoughts are prompted by a list compiled by our cousins at Asylum: "Summer Chick Flicks No Man Should Be Forced to See." Their reasoning is that no woman should be forced to see a junky action movie (hello, Man with Adamantium Claws!), so why should a man be dragged along to "potentially dreadful rom-coms and weepy dramas"?

Among others, they cite Julie & Julia (with Meryl Streep), The Ugly Truth (with Katherine Heigl), The Proposal (with Sandra Bullock), and two titles starring the once-beloved Nia Vardalos. Oddly enough, these same titles popped up in a recent article by our own Monika Bartyzel. Monika was trying to look on the bright side, but acknowledged: "We might have a sadly plentiful dose of sadly typical romcoms."

I'm between relationships right now and have become accustomed to solo moviegoing. Thus, I never have an argument about what movie to see. But in the past, I can recall delicate -- and sometimes tense -- negotiations. (Which reminds me of that Star Trek / Borg tag line: "Resistance is futile.") Of course, when you compromise and see something you're not inclined to enjoy, you demonstrate your maturity and willingness to 'give and take' in an adult relationship. On the down side, you might be throwing your money away and spending a miserable two hours. So, back to the question: do you drag your mate to see what you want to see? Do you go your separate ways at the multiplex? Or are you completely simpatico about everything you watch?

There are no songs written about the summer of '87, but I remember well. As well as someone who is in her 30's can remember when she was 11, anyway. There were some fine movies out that summer, and when I say fine, I mean "I'm Netflixing this ASAP" fine or "this was totally awesome when I was 11" fine. There were the Bangles, the Borscht Belt, big schwartzes, and much more.

5/1 -- The Allnighter: Did someone forget to tell me that there's a romcom beach bunny movie starring Susanna "Manic Monday" Hoffs and Joan Cusack with a Pam Grier cameo? I don't care if it got 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, I am adding this to my Netflix Slumber Party list right now.

5/8 -- Hot Pursuit // River's Edge: Another "I'm so lovable yet dorky" John Cusack vehicle versus Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper dancing with a blow-up doll, and a dead body? The grown-up me says River's Edge all the way! If you've ever heard Crispin Glover humor audiences with his actual Southern Cali accent as heard in River's Edge, you'll know it's a treat. On the other hand, Hot Pursuit was written and directed by Steven Lisberger, who wrote the original Tron as well as its remake!

For me, 1985 set up all the years that followed. While Scott's great list for 1984 came to my eyes later on public channels and scratchy vhs, 1985 was the first year that I went to the movies a lot, when the occasional visit turned into the almost weekly plan for this 8-year-old. In fact, for me, my beloved summer season stretches well into spring because April brought Ladyhawke and Girls Just Want to Have Fun -- the perfect start for a young girl -- Michelle Pfieffer's tragic love topped with Velcro clothing and crazy dance fests. (Plus, there was a little film called Moving Violations, which would figure heavily into my circle of friends once high school hit with daily recitations of that old batty driver's lines.)

But back to summer. There was one film I was itching to see: Ghoulies. I was too young and out of the movie release loop to know that this was a March release -- I just knew I wanted to see green things pop out of toilets, and I couldn't believe my parents finally said yes and were bringing me to my teeny local 4-plex. I soon learned why: I kept saying Goonies, not Ghoulies, so of course my parents agreed to a kids-hunting-for-fortune flick! When the buggers didn't pop up during the bathroom scene, I knew I'd made a mistake. But luckily it was a mistake that brought one of the best action adventures of the '80s to my attention. And that's only one part of an amazing summer.

Erik Davis ordered me to come up with a new approach to summer movies, and he demanded that the concept be intelligent, engaging, and jam-packed with vowels and consonants. (One out of three isn't bad.) And since I'm a childish movie nerd who had a deep affection for all things nostalgic, my first idea was "Hey, let's have the writers pick their favorite 'movie summer' and write a piece about it." And since my next eleven ideas stunk, he said "Ugh, fine. Do your Favorite Summers thing. But don't forget the vowels."

Nearly all of the Cinematicaleers will be penning their own pieces, but since I like to lead by example (when I'm not leading by guilt), I figured I'd get the ball rolling first. (Special thanks to Box Office Mojo for displaying OLD release dates in very handy fashion.) Also, for the sake of this series, let's say "summer" counts as "May through August," even though May is technically spring and part of September is definitely summer.

5/4 -- The Bounty // Breakin' // Hardbodies // Sixteen Candles -- So which one of these would be the big "Iron Man" release? We got Gibson and Hopkins in a nautical remake; a whole lot of pop-lockin' looneys; a leering sex comedy that helped to kill the sub-genre of mid-'80s sex comedies; and the directorial debut of one John Hughes.

5/11 -- Firestarter // The Natural -- Robert Redford knocking the cover off a baseball and Drew Barrymore immolating George C. Scott. Now THAT's summer!

5/18 -- Finders Keepers // Making the Grade -- A pair of justifiably forgotten farces, yes, both of which I saw theatrically.

5/23 -- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom -- Even back in 1984 Indiana Jones demanded his very own weekend ... one that starts on a Wednesday, no less! I distinctly remember seeing this on the afternoon of opening day, and while I was waiting for Mom to come pick us up, there was a woman BERATING the box office girl. Honest! Something about the heart-tearing scene had upset her small child. And just like that, the PG-13 was born.

Can you make a summertime movie that gives audiences excitement, adventure and real drama -- and still have it flop? Are Hancock's reviews missing the big picture? And does the success of Sex and the City mean that the niches of movie marketing are going to get even more narrow? Joining us this week to talk about all these topics and more is David Poland, editor-in-chief of Movie City News and author of The Hot Blog. Cinematical's podcast is now available through iTunes; you can subscribe at this link. Also, you can listen directly here at Cinematical by clicking below:



As ever, you can download the entire podcast right here -- and those of you with RSS Podcast readers can find all of Cinematical's podcast content at this link.

For the first time in weeks the box office top five was free of arachnids, with Spider-man 3 crawling its way off the list entirely, and Danny Ocean and his charming cadre of thieves from Ocean's 13 stole the top spot from that other set of bandits in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Hostel II surprised some people by pulling in a mere $8 million, showing that folks seem to be more in the mood for laughs and some swashbuckling rather than a bolt-cutter to the toes. Here are the numbers for last weekend:

1. Ocean's Thirteen: $37.1 million
2. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: $21.3 million
3. Knocked Up: $20 million
4. Surf's Up: $18 million
5. Shrek the Third: $15.8 million

Comics fans lamenting the wallcrawler's departure from the top five should take solace in knowing that this weekend will see the premiere of another comic book sequel. Let's take a look.

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
What It's About: The super powered quartet from 2005's Fantastic Four return to protect the world from a silver clad surfer dude from the stars, and the team's arch nemesis Dr. Doom returns to stir up his own brand of evil as well.
Why It Might Do Well: This flick easily had the coolest trailer of all the summer blockbusters, featuring a scene of The Human Torch (Chris Evans) chasing the Silver Surfer (Doug Jones) across the New York City skyline. although that may be my inner comic book geek talking. The first film in the franchise had a $56 million opening weekend before going on to gross $155 million domestic, so it's reasonable to assume a lot of those ticket buyers will be back for more. Also, Spider-man 3's record breaking numbers demonstrate that comic book adaptations are still hot. Finally, a film's box office figures will NEVER be negatively effected by the presence of Jessica Alba in a form-fitting costume composed of unstable molecules.
Why It Might Not Do Well: Elektra proved that a film adaptation of a Marvel Comics character isn't necessarily a license to print money.
Prediction: $60 million

Nancy Drew
What It's About: Based on a series of young adult mystery novels, Nancy Drew tells the tale of a small town girl detective (Emma Roberts) accompanying her father on a business trip to Los Angeles. While there, Nancy uncovers evidence in a long unsolved case involving a murdered movie star.
Why It Might Do Well: While I've never read the books, a character that has been in print since 1930 must have something going for her.
Why It Might Not Do Well: With Pirates, Shrek and Surf's Up still out there, there's some stiff competition for the family film dollar. The trailer makes this one look like a de-fanged version of Mean Girls, and braving the summer movie season without star power is the tough way to go.
Prediction: $4 million

I've dusted off my crystal ball, spritzed it with Windex, and glanced at this coming weekend's box office top five (PLEASE NOTE: Crystal ball is no longer under warranty, has been dropped several times, and usually the best I can get out of it are Bonanza reruns, so judge these results accordingly.):

1. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
2. Ocean's 13
3. Knocked Up
4. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
5. Surf's Up


Last Week's Prediction Rankings
1. Rob: 16
2. Brody: 12
2. Bubba8193: 12
2. Gilbert Davis: 12
2. Tangoeco: 12
6. Patricia: 10
7. Chris: 9
7. Lyz: 9
9. Mario: 7
9. Opp-Neg: 7
9. Dylsan: 7
9. Goulet: 7

Don't forget, predictions for this week's box office top five need to be in by 5:00PM on Saturday. Good luck to all.

Though Hollywood begins its summer earlier and earlier each year, in general, Memorial Day weekend brings us the season's unofficial start and everything that goes along with it. Hell yeah, it's time to open up the pool, grease up the barbeque and talk big budget blockbusters baby!

Growing up, with no school to occupy my mind during those three months off, there was nothing to look more forward to than a classic summer moviegoing experience. Now, in order to have such an experience, certain elements were required to be in place. First off, there needed to be a certain amount of hype connected to the film (or films). Usually, a teaser trailer over the Christmas holiday was enough to get any kid pumped up. As its release nears, deciding where to see the film and who to go with was (and still is) a problematic situation. For the most satisfying overall moviegoing experience, I suggest attending its opening night with one, or two of your best mates. Keep in mind, you will need to get there real early, but the wait is worth it ... depending on the film, of course.

Seeing as I'm only 29-years-old, the following films were chosen because a) I was able to see them in the theater when they were first released and b) I specifically remember each one bringing me a classic and unforgettable summer moviegoing experience. Sure, they may not be the greatest films ever made, but I can connect each one to a different time in my life. So, what is the ultimate summer moviegoing experience? That's up to you. Here are mine ...