Now that it’s safe to say that summer is officially over, it’s also safe to declare that the summer film season is done. The summer film season is often decorated with giant blockbusters built with stacks of studio millions, but there are also films which fly under the radar and don’t always get their moment. This year, the summer film season started on the first of May and wrapped up on the 28th of August. That’s four months of movies, both good and bad.
The month of May had some pretty strong contenders to start the season, most notably Star Trek and Pixar’s Up. Star Trek was the perfect meld of entertainment and top quality filmmaking. I also know some Trekkies who said they were duly impressed. Pixar’s newest adventure pushed the bill for animation even further with great use of 3D. Sadly, neither of these films are in the top grossing films for the summer, but money doesn’t always reflect the quality of the film (Transformers 2 *cough cough*). Other notable films from May include: Outrage, The Brothers Bloom, and The Girlfriend Experience.
June was definitely a blockbuster month, releasing the money eating monster Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. The beginning of June also saw the release of the best comedy of the summer, The Hangover. Some would argue that it isn’t the best comedy of the summer, but out of all the people I’ve talked to, I’ve heard nothing but praise. Like usual, the best films from June were under the radar and not given wide releases. Most notable under the radar films from June: Tetro, Moon, and The Hurt Locker. The Hurt Locker had a wide release, but was often passed off as “another Iraq war movie.”
By July, anticipation had swelled around Michael Mann’s newest period epic Public Enemies, starring the brilliant chameleon Johnny Depp. Calling Depp’s performance in Public Enemies amazing would be an understatement. Anticipation was also hyped for Sasha Baron Cohen’s newest project, Bruno. Unfortunately, Bruno could not deliver the same raw hilarity as it’s bigger brother Borat. 500 Days of Summer, which did well at Sundance, turned out to be the breakthrough rom-com of the summer. I’ve gotten mixed reviews about Judd Apatow’s Funny People. I saw it with some friends and they thought it was too long and too dense for a comedy. I, on the other hand, thought it was great. The comedy is bitter and awkward most times, but I felt that it worked. Under the radar for July: The Cove, Shrink, and The Answer Man.
By the final month, the blockbusters had already crashed their way through theaters and eaten enough money (with the exception of the silly G.I. Joe). Personally, I believe that August held the best films of the summer film season, but that’s because I’m a Tarantino fanboy. Inglourious Basterds (spelled wrong on purpose) swept into town like the Wild Bunch, with its blatant violence and brilliant dialogue, dominating screens nationwide. Another breakout film was Neil Bomkamp’s District 9. Adapted from Blomkamp’s five minute short film, Alive in Joburg, District 9 spun the basic “alien/sci-fi” plotline 180 degrees with its acute use of documentary-like cinematography and terrific special effects. Under the radar for August: It Might Get Loud, World’s Greatest Dad, and Cold Souls.
As always, their might be films that one could enjoy, fully aware of it’s bad quality… I must confess I enjoyed such a film. My guilty pleasure this summer was a zombie horror flick from Norway called Dead Snow. Reminiscent of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead and countless other zombie-survival films, Dead Snow was pure popcorn fun. Coming from a budget of about $2 million (which is pretty cheap these days), Dead Snow has the feel of something made for a lot more. I won’t give too much of the story away, only that it has Nazi zombies and loads of blood in the snow.
With the fall/winter film season already in swing (and Oscar season just around the corner!), it seems like this summer’s season was pretty good… except for Transformers 2.
