Thursday 13: My Summer Movies

Last night my usual bout of pregnancy insomnia kept me up until sometime around 1 a.m. (Believe it or not, I prefer this to falling asleep at 10ish, then waking up at 4 a.m. which was the pattern up until last night.) As I was finally ready for bed, I noticed the opening credits for Al Pacino's Author, Author starting up on HBO. I had no desire to stay up and watch it, but I had to smile because I remember watching it countless times during countless summer breaks growing up and I think it's kind of cute that they still play it. There are several other movies that also remind me of summers past either because they were released at that time or because that's when HBO decided to play them non-stop during the late afternoon when it was just too hot to be outside. So here are 13 movies that just say "summer" to me:

1. Six Pack-Does anyone else remember this one? It starred Kenny Rogers and young 'uns Diane Lane and Anthony Michael Hall. HBO played this many a hot afternoon and me and the rest of the neighborhood kids watched it so much we could repeat the dialogue word for word. It was on a few times this summer on the country music channel. Dave and I watched it for nostalgia's sake, but my kids weren't too impressed by it. Natalie did recognize Ms. Lane though, and thought it was pretty cool that she is still working. I think so too.
2. If You Could See What I Hear-Mark Singer before V playing Tom Sullivan. I was probably WAY too young to watch this movie, but what can I say? As long as I was in the house, my mom wasn't big on supervision. I haven't seen this in ages, but I know it would remind me of childhood summers if I did. (Before the days of VCR's, I had this one, Six Pack, and The Muppet Movie on audiotape to listen to in the car on road trips. Did other families do this or was it just my Dad?)
3. Grease 2-Another HBO constant-and an all-time favorite movie of mine even though I recognize it for the sub-par sequel that it actually is. Sometimes, nostalgia trumps reliable discernment over what is and what isn't quality filmmaking. (Not to mention quality acting...)
4. Peter Pan-One of my all-time Disney favorites! They showed this at the Norman Public Library every summer and we never missed it. While I understand why showing movies at the library would no longer be the big deal it was when I was a kid, I wish they still did it. My family used to go to Andrew's Park at around 10 a.m., play until it was time for a picnic lunch, then spend the afternoon cooling off in the big room at the library watching a movie. (Peter Pan was a popular one, but I also remember frequent showings of Oklahoma, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Hobbit, and Free to Be You and Me, and one about some family in the backwoods that tries to hide the fact that they are orphans-saw it several times, but the title escapes me right now.)
5. Houseboat-This came from a later era in my life when the 4th of July weekend meant going to Canadian, TX with my friend Lanie. Because entertainment there was limited, Lanie's mom made us bring lots of movies-many of them taped off the Disney channel. This one came on the other day and only Natalie wanted to watch it with me. Close enough. Other movies from the Canadian, TX era include:
6. Dangerous When Wet-How can you go wrong with Esther Williams, Fernando Llamas, and Uncle Charlie from My Three Sons? Not to mention an inexplicable cameo from Tom and Jerry?
7. Three Little Words-Fred Astaire at the end of his career and Vera Ellen at the start of hers. I still love this movie.
8. Summer Magic-There was always someone we could paint as "Cousin Margaret" when we watched this. This is one I would love to see again. I'm not sure how Tristan would feel about it, but the girls would love it. I should probably pay closer attention to the Disney channel to see if it's going to air before the end of next month.
9. Return of the Jedi-This opened at the Satellite Twin theatre in Stubbeman Village on OU's campus just after I finished the 5th grade. I wasn't there for opening night, but I lived within walking distance of that place and walked over there every time I had enough money saved up for another ticket to see it. I think I managed four screenings that summer. I might have seen more, but there was an arcade right next to the theatre and that's usually where my leftover quarters went. I didn't have Pac-Man fever, but I loved to play Ms. Pac-Man, Q-Bert, and that cheesy Star Wars game quite a lot back then. I know summer is when they released all the other Star Wars movies as well, but I remember that ROTJ summer the most fondly.
10. Star Trek: The Search for Spock-Because I'm not really a very good Trekkie, I'm not sure which number this one was, but it did play opposite Return of the Jedi in that same theatre for most of that summer, and I had to see it too. That was one good summer.
11. Harry Potter-The movies aren't always released in the summer, but a summer vacation in 2000 was when I discovered the books (as audios on vacation), it's when the new books were released, and the three movies that have been released in the summer have prompted trips to our favorite drive-in theatre (The Chief in Chickasha). So for me Harry Potter and summer are synonymous, even if they really aren't.
12. Dirty Dancing-"Nobody puts Baby in a corner." Need I say more?
13. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves-Though I would just as likely slice my own palm with a knife than sit through this again, it was all we could watch, quote, or listen to the soundtrack from during THE Summer of '91 and I never see it while flipping channels (or listening to the radio) without remembering those days fondly. So, it makes the list even though it's not one I would watch again by choice. (Though, sadly, my kids love it now-so it occasionally makes an appearance in my living room.)

*BONUS* I can't believe I forgot to list HBO's other 80's favorite: The Pirate Movie! I loved that one. Still do on the rare occasion that it shows up on TV. Sadly, I can still sing along with it too.

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