We are well over halfway through October, but my heart is still back in the Spokane AMC, enjoying a summer night of cinema. Though I am a fall lover through and through, there is something about freezing my ass off in a theater while the temperature outside skyrockets that speaks to my soul. The theater is magical during the warm months. It’s where my best friends and I congregate, where my brother and I spend hours for double features, and it’s the go-to suggestion for all my evening plans. Studies have shown that I spend over 25% of my summers in the AMC. 2024 was no different, and the cinema gods served us devotees well.
Furiosa and Alien: Romulus are two standouts. Having never watched a single Mad Max or Alien film before these releases, both of them instantly beckoned me into their respective franchises. Romulus’s David Jonsson is an actor to keep an eye on, as his talent can only be out of the spotlight for so much longer.
I Saw the TV Glow is my favorite of the summer and holds a special place in my heart. It’s not suited for everyone, but it was hand-tailored for people like me. Time and again, I find myself watching something as wonderful as this and realizing just how much value there is in seeing your experiences represented on screen.
Not all of the releases were masterpieces, but not every film needs to be. Sometimes the best summer movie is found in a Trap or a Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. My most enjoyable viewing was seeing Twisters with my brother; I loved the universally hated Maxxxine, and my best friends and I had a great night at The Garfield Movie (I did fall asleep for the middle hour or so). Summer cinema isn’t just about what is objectively a “good” movie; it’s about how any movie can become something special to you.
Unfortunately, some of the bad movies were simply bad. But isn’t that what makes the good ones so special? Without having to endure the first 25 minutes of Babes, Garfield would have looked a lot worse. Strange Darling and Longlegswere my two biggest disappointments. Longlegs was perfectly fine, but I got myself so excited for it that it didn’t quite deliver what I wanted it to. Strange Darling, however, was truly awful. A group of mine tried to see it once, but the projector burnt out during the Nicole Kidman ad. We should have taken that clear sign and stayed away, but instead, we moved forward with our plans a week later. I am never one to snub a horror film, but Strange Darling lacked any substance, intrigue, fun, or morals that make up a good thriller.
I didn’t end up seeing any of the huge releases (Deadpool & The Wolverine, It Ends With Us, and Inside Out 2) and honestly, I think I am better off having not. Call me a film snob if you must, but just because it’s big at the box office doesn’t mean I want to spend my time on it.
Once Seattle winter begins, I know all I will long for is the sun shining outside, a Slurpee in my hand, and a huge screen in front of me. But just as a bad movie makes way for a good movie to shine, the long, cold winter makes the warmth of the summer silver screen all the sweeter.