Summer has arrived and to get you into that sunny mood, Her.ie are bringing you our top five summer films to kick-start the holidays.
1. Grease
It is the original story of summer lovin.’ Grease is a tale of romance between whiter than white Sandy played by Olivia Newton John and bad boy T-Bird Danny played by John Travolta. With hit songs including ‘You’re The One That I Want’, a very handsome leading man and those oh-so-tight black trousers, Grease will have you smiling and singing along in no time. As if that’s not reason enough to watch this Seventies summer classic, you can also steal a few style tips from the Rydell High gang including patterned dresses and short shorts.
2. Dirty Dancing
Why is it that summer always puts people in the mood for romance? More importantly, who cares! We love this tale of forbidden romance played out by Jennifer Grey and the late Patrick Swayze. The two, whose lives are worlds apart, meet at a summer camp and fall hopelessly in love much to the dismay of Baby’s family and others. Great songs and lots of dancing, of the dirty variety of course, make this classic a guilty pleasure that you will have to watch time and time again.
3. (500) Days of Summer
As one of standout films of recent years, (500) Days of Summer is not your traditional tale of boy meets girl but it is most definitely worth a watch. Zooey Deschanel gives her breakthrough performance as Summer, the girl who doesn’t believe in love, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt playing the poor soul that falls for her. Expect romance and heartache aplenty plus a few surprises too because (500) Days of Summer is definitely not your typical Hollywood romance.
4. Stand By Me
A touching tale about a group of friends who start out on a journey to find the body of a missing boy, Stand By Me has become a classic. Along the way they encounter a terrifying dog, some blood-sucking leeches and the meaning of friendship. River Phoenix and company all deliver fantastic performances and by the end of the film, you cannot help but feel for these characters. Have your tissues, and your best friend, at the ready.
5. Dazed and Confused
With a casting list that goes on for a lifetime and is full of A-List actors including Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey, Dazed and Confused is one of those great films that hasn’t got the recognition it deserves but is a major cult classic. Set on the last day of school before summer in the year 1976 this film sees senior students falling in love, junior students being bullied by older kids and everyone trying to get laid, high or drunk. With more characters than sense and a haircut you would never expect to look good on Matthew McConaughey you will be dazed, confused and mesmerised by this summer flick.
With so many great summer-themed films out there, we couldn’t expect to cover them all. If your favourite summer film isn’t here or you would like to comment on our choices, just give us a shout. In the meantime, we’ll be practising our Dirty Dancing moves…
