In trying to decide on the Top 10 road movies, I inadvertently created a quite eclectic list, ranging from action to suspense to romance to high comedy to heartbreaking sadness. The only thing that truly ties them together is the open road (and with one notable exception, all take place in America).
It Happened One Night (Frank Capra 1934)
Though 75 years old, this gem remains fresh, funny and very entertaining. In telling the story about a runaway (actually kidnapped) bride and a reporter in search a story find each other, it was one of the first films that truly captured the America of diners, buses, highways and motels that most of us live near, yet rarely see on film. Furthermore, there is still genuine sexual chemistry between Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. The scene where they share a room together, separated by a makeshift barrier made from a clothesline and towel, while a thunderstorm beats against the window, is still one of the most romantic scenes in movie history.
Set against a changing American landscape, EL CAMINO follows Lily (Elisabeth Moss, from AMC's Mad Men) as she travels across the country with Gray (Chris Denham) and Elliot (Leo Fitzpatrick) with their friend’s ashes in hand. As these young adults confront their unrealized selves and their grief, nothing happens the way they expect.
We got a chance to catch up with Erik Weigel, Director of El Camino, and among other things, ask him about the production of El Camino.
Indiefilmchat: Tell us a little about your background and how you came to make films.
Erik Weigel: I grew up in San Francisco in a very creative family, my mother is a talented painter and exposed me to different art forms. At a young age she took me to a lot of films, going to the movies was one of our favorite things to do and was a special treat. I have always been drawn to writing creative stories, and I originally was a literature major in college. After briefly studying psychology and studio arts, I found that filmmaking really encompassed all these interests. I graduated with a degree in film production and moved to New York to pursue my career. After a brief stint as a chef and a bar back, I began teaching film production and making my own projects.
To me, the 1980s is still the best decade ever for summer blockbusters. In making my Top 10, I had to leave out some very good and entertaining films, yet I feel that all the films listed below are genuine classics which were not only innovative, but have stood the test of time well. I can confidently say that you can rent any of these films on a warm summer day and you won’t be disappointed. 1. Raiders of The Lost Ark (June 1981)
To me, this is still the king of all summer blockbusters and about as much fun as one can have at a movie. So many classic moments, from the giant stone orb, to the sword versus gun gag (one of the funniest movie moments ever), to the snake infested tomb to the truck chase (one of the best car chases ever) to the horrifying, infamous moment when the ark is opened and the Nazis get their just desserts. I remember when I left the theater as a kid and I had a feeling not unlike getting off a great roller coaster ride: I was totally spent and a bit disoriented-yet also exhilarated and ready to turn around and ride it again. A truly great movie.
Frost/Nixon is a political drama starring Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell and Kevin Bacon. Direct by Ron Howard.
Until George W. Bush came along, the great political “villain” in recent American history was Richard M. Nixon. The Watergate scandal, in which aides to Nixon broke into Democratic National Headquarters to obtain personal information on Nixon’s political enemies, resulted in the greatest public humiliation ever suffered by an American political figure (I personally can recall on the day Nixon died, a caller to CNN proclaimed that “This a truly great day. The flags should not be at half mast, they should be flying higher.”)
Before giving my Top 10 Summer Blockbusters, I want to first re-iterate my personal definition of a blockbuster:
Obviously, it must be released in the summer season, which I narrowed down to between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day.
It must be a big budget film, either full of special effects, big names or up and coming stars, or both.
The film is preferably rated G to PG-13 and designed to get the kids and teen audience, though in a few cases I let an R rated one slip in.
My third part of the definition was the primary reason I ruled out one of the key movies of the decade, Saving Private Ryan (July 1998). Though it meets the first 2 parts of my definition, it obviously did not meet the third (what parent would let their teen see Saving Private Ryan on a warm July day and then take them out for an Icee afterward? It doesn’t fit.)
In making my list for the 1990s, I decided that, overall, it was a weaker decade for blockbusters than was the 2000s-and (as you will see in my next list) nowhere near the level of quality of films found in the 1980s, when some true classics were made. Furthermore, there was a drought of quality summer blockbusters from 1995 to 2000. The drought could have been helped immeasurably if Titanic had been released as scheduled (it was scheduled for a June 1997 release, but was moved back to December of that year).
The Machinist. A psychological thriller starring Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Shanchez-Gijon, Micheal Ironside and John Sharian. Directed by Brad Anderson.
“That’s obviously not Christian Bale.”
I actually said that to the person I was viewing this film with during the opening few minutes. The frighteningly gaunt, emaciated figure with the sunken face couldn’t possibly be the same actor who played Batman. It wasn’t until the character looked into a mirror that I realized, shockingly, that it was Bale.
I was challenged to create lists of my Top 10 summer movie blockbusters from the past 3 decades—ten per decade. I soon realized it was a bit harder than I planned, as I first had to define exactly what a summer movie blockbuster is. My personal definition is as follows:
Obviously, it must be released in the summer season, which I narrowed down to between Memorial Day Weekend and Labor Day.
It must be a big budget film, either full of special effects, big name or up and coming stars, or both.
The film is preferably rated G to PG-13 and designed to get the kids and teen audience, though in a few cases I let an R rated one slip in.
In making my list for the 2000s, I noticed two inescapable trends in blockbusters: 1) the summers are dominated by superhero movies and 2) if the first one is successful, a sequel is virtually guaranteed (there’s also not much need for me to rehash the plots as I can safely assume most readers have already seen nearly all these movies).
A recent article in Home media Magazine highlighting the current state of Netflix includes a fascinating detail about Netflix customer rental habits. According to a recent study, 75% of Netflix business is for "catalog" titles. Generally speaking catalog refers to films that have been in release for at least three months. A couple years ago it would include titles in release for at least a year but times have surely changed to limit the definition. Either way, this term clearly doesn't apply to those new releases streeting in a given month. If this study is accurate, it reflects a consumer preference that flies in the face of wholesale buying patterns for both rental and retail which are disproportionately skued towards new releases.
There's always room to manipulate terms and definitions to help generate a preferred response, but these figures sure do look a lot like the buying patterns of dvd consumers from five or six years ago. Back then it was possible to place an attractive title in Tower Records or Borders and watch it slowly churn its way to respectable sales. As we've discussed before, those days are long gone for independent releases (as are Tower Records and much of the audio/dvd floor space at Borders). Brick and Mortar rental chains like Blockbuster have become almost completely dependent on new releases to drive their business. Even Netflix puts a clear emphasis on new releases. As I write this, five of the seven rotating banners on their home page support new releases. And yet 75% of their business if for catalog? How would that make sense?
Remember the well worn phrase, “Tis better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all?” Well, for most of us, that’s the same as saying “It’s better to have driven your car off a cliff than to have never driven a car.” Love is something most of us need, yet few things can make us as flat out miserable as well. Love truly stinks at times, and the 10 films that follow are prime examples of this fact.
Oral Fixation Label: Lifesize Entertainment
Genre: Horror
Synopsis:Rachel Marks is obsessed with her dentist. When he refuses to keep treating her, her fragile psyche cracks and she sets out to make herself part of his life by any means neccessary.
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Set against a changing American landscape, EL CAMINO follows Lily (Elisabeth Moss, from AMC's Mad Men) as she travels across the country with Gray (Chris Denham) and Elliot (Leo Fitzpatrick) with their friend’s ashes in hand. As these young adults confront their unrealized selves and their grief, nothing happens the way they expect.
1. Raiders of The Lost Ark (June 1981) 
Frost/Nixon is a political drama starring Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell and Kevin Bacon. Direct by Ron Howard. 
The Machinist. A psychological thriller starring Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Shanchez-Gijon, Micheal Ironside and John Sharian. Directed by Brad Anderson..jpg "Image")
I was challenged to create lists of my Top 10 summer movie blockbusters from the past 3 decades—ten per decade. I soon realized it was a bit harder than I planned, as I first had to define exactly what a summer movie blockbuster is. My personal definition is as follows:
A recent article in 
Oral Fixation
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Watch the first teaser for Summit's third installment in the teenage vampire series.