Saturday Six – Fourth of July Blockbuster Films

Welcome to the Saturday Six, where each week I let you get to know me a bit better with the help of a list. Any idiot can do a Top 5 list, which is why I kicked it up a notch to a Top 6. This week’s topic: Fourth of July Blockbuster Films

Back in the day, movies just came out when they were done post production. That all changed after a little movie called Jaws. It was the first real summer blockbuster film. After it’s success, studios began meticulously planning their schedule. Oscar bait comes in January. The worst crap comes out in February when no one has anything better to do. But they now try to build their entire year around the three major summer holidays of Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Let’s take a look at the best tentpole films released around the Fourth of July.

1. Independence Day – 7/3/1996 – If you’re picking Fourth of July released films, this has to be the top of the list. It’s in the name afterall. I am a huge ID4 buff. I was so excited as a kid for it. I had the novelization, the Marvel prequel comics, the playstation game, the works. While the effects don’t really stand up after all these years, the story (minus some glaring plotholes, like the “Mac that connects to alien databases” thing, which is actually explained in the book) is still a ton of fun. I however still prefer the original ending, where Randy Quaid flys his cropduster into the maw of the ship, as it was much more personal.

 

2. Terminator 2: Judgement Day – 7/3/1991 – I didn’t see it until many years later, but it was a beast at the box office at the time. It’s probably the best action movie ever made (at least in the extended edition). If you don’t get a little weepy at that thumbs up at the end, you are a monster.

 

3. Men in Black – 7/2/1997 – Why this got not one, but two sequels, I’ll never know. But at the time, Will Smith was still a juggernaut that could do no wrong. This changed two years later with Wild Wild West and that crazy mechanical spider.

 

4. Back to the Future – 7/3/1985 – Another one I missed the first time, but is just a great movie. And unlike MiB, the sequels were hotly demanded, and probably even better than the first one.

 

5. South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut – 6/30/1999 – It’s a little short, but this is such a great commentary on the state of the MPAA and American culture. A prefect example of that culture: Someone brought their two toddlers and a baby to the showing I was at, and left like after like 5 minutes. Plus the music was just catchy as hell. I remember rushing to the mall across from the theatre I saw this at and sprinting to the Sam Goody to pick up a copy of the soundtrack before they closed.

 

6. Superman Returns – 6/28/2006 – It’s a shame this movie sucked so much, because I was thoroughly excited to see it. It had alot going for it, like an excellent cast (Kevin Spacey was born to play Lex Luthor), and fans demanding a new take on Superman, but it just fell flat on just about everything. I went to the local science museum to see it on the big IMAX screen while wearing my child sized superman cape. I got some very odd looks. Cosplay wasn’t accepted then like it is now.

 

JohnScott is the proud owner of a life size replica Captain Kirk Chair. He is a hoarder of Comic Books, Transformers, and Star Trek action figures. He attended Space Camp as an adult. He has taken vacations to the closing of the Star Trek Experience and the final night Shuttle launch. He has been known to yell at his television when the kids can't put together the damn statue in the Shrine of the Silver Monkey. When not writing for InsufficientScotty, he is a Software Engineer for a major healthcare communications company. You can Email or follow on Twitter @NotEnoughScotty or Facebook