Wind down the season with blockbusters of summers past

Published 3:10 pm Wednesday, August 25, 2021

From left: Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jonah Hill and Michael Cera in a scene from "Superbad" (2007).

Even though we’re facing the unofficial end of summer with Labor Day weekend fast approaching, you can still relive summers past by revisiting some of your favorite, or not-so-favorite, blockbuster movies. Maybe you have a fond memory of sitting in the icy, air-conditioned theater munching popcorn as Maximus shouted “Are you not entertained?!” from the base of the Roman arena, or remember screaming with glee when Tony Stark ended a press conference with his iconic “I am Iron Man.” While summer may not be the only time to catch a blockbuster nowadays, from 1978 until very recently, the movie theater was the place to be between the months of May and August.

”Spider-Man” (2002) — Since we finally got the trailer for “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” set to be released in December, now’s a great time to revisit the first of the movie adaptations that really worked. In it, we see the web-slinger himself, Peter Parker, played by Tobey Maguire, go up against high school bullies, the small-time crooks of New York City before meeting up with the big bad, the Green Goblin. Not everything works and some of it is pretty hokey, but Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin is undeniably perfect (plus his unmistakable laugh popped into the new trailer released Monday night, so it’s possible we’ll see his wide-triangular smile again). Stream it on Starz or rent it on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu or YouTube.

”Gladiator” (2000) — Gladiator was huge in 2000 and went on to scoop up some Oscars the following year, which blockbusters don’t really do anymore. The epic swords-and-sandals film centers on Maximus (Crowe), a former Roman general who is sent into slavery after a power struggle with the emperor (Joaquin Phoenix) that gets his family killed. So he must fight in the gladiatorial games until he dies, or get out and enact his vengeance on the corrupt ruler. Rent it on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu or YouTube.

”Toy Story 3” (2010) — Arguably the best entry in the franchise that left millennials bawling in the theaters. Instead of just being a quaint story of toys that come to life and have to learn to get along, this one takes the drama and pain of growing up and leaving your childhood behind. So under a Randy Newman score, Andy’s toys, led by Woody and Buzz (voiced by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen) end up mistakenly in a daycare and have to try and bust out before Andy takes off for college. Grab your tissues especially if you or your kids are about to head to school this fall. Stream it on Disney+ or rent it on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu or YouTube.

”Iron Man” (2008) — The blockbuster that kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe, restarted Robert Downey Jr.’s career and made director Jon Favreau the go-to guy for reinvigorating old IP also changed cinema as we know it. The first installment of the universe gave us a sympathetic but quippy Tony Stark/Iron Man (Downey Jr.) and introduced non-comic book fans to this world of superheroes that was kind of cool and is one of the pinnacle successes of morphing nerd culture with pop culture. Stream it on Disney+ or rent it on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu or YouTube.

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”Ghost” (1990) — Not all blockbusters are action-packed thrill rides. This one is the schmaltzy romance that sparked a thousand parodies of the pottery scene but still maintained audiences the summer it was released, mainly because of its leads, Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, as the lovers torn apart by the murder of Sam (Swayze). So now, as a ghost, he enlists the help of a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) to help him reconnect with his lost love (Moore), giving audiences the waterworks in the process. There’s also the whole finding out who killed him storyline, but that’s not the one you remember. Stream it on YouTube or rent it on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play or Vudu.

”Superbad” (2007) — The talk of every high school/college student the summer of ‘07 with the name McLovin emblazoned on our memories forever. Centered around a couple of best friends and their last days of high school, when they try to score enough booze to bring to a big house party. It’s raunchy, inappropriate and a time capsule of what a teenager on the verge of adulthood in the mid-2000s found hilarious. Stream it on Netflix or rent it on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu or YouTube.

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