Lovin' Summer: 10 Summer Movies We Love

When thinking about Summer movies, one usually comes upon films jam-packed with stars, action and buzz. The summer months are very important for Hollywood studios, and these are the times you see a lot of the big-budgets films getting released. Here for you now are my Top 10 Favorite Summer Films of All-Time.

10. "The Hangover" (2009) This comedic gem starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis and Justin Bartha as four friends on an insane Bachelor Party trip to Las Vegas. The relatively low budget film took the country by storm and grossed over $277 million dollars. It's sometimes crass but often genius humor was perfect fare for the Summer movie goer. The film is a throwback to the hard-R rated comedies of past eras, and it's sequel "The Hangover Part II" is due in theaters this summer.

9. "Toy Story 3" (2010) Last year, Pixar released the final installment of the Toy Story franchise starring Tom Hanks and Tim Allen as Woody and Buzz Lightyear, two toys whose owner Andy, is now 17 and leaving for college. As is typical of Pixar's last few films, Toy Story 3 packs a real wallop when it comes to heart and emotion. It's a perfect Summer film in that it has comedy, great action sequences and a story that keeps your attention from opening credits to the closing titles. The fact that it grossed almost $415 million domestically is a testimony not just to the power of Pixar, but to the power of a true Summer Blockbuster.

8. "Batman" (1989) Tim Burton directed, and Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson starred in this first modern cinematic adaption of Batman's saga. This film epitomizes the Summer Blockbuster. There was insane buzz around this film, which translated into a $250 million dollar domestic haul. At the time this film was released I was living in a small mountain town with a one-screen movie theater, and it was the first film I'd ever seen the line to get in wrap around the building twice. The merchandising for this film reached almost Star Wars-like heights, which is another key component to a summer film: Toys, Shirts, Mugs, you name it.

7. "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991) In this follow up to the 1984 original, Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises his role as a cybernetic assassin. This time however, he's sent back in time not to kill John Connor (Edward Furlong) but rather to protect him. Linda Hamilton also stars in the film as John's mother Sarah. The film raked in over $203 million domestically, and was all over pop-culture that summer. James Cameron's pioneering use of computer generated graphics took this special-effects-heavy blockbuster to a whole new level. Everything about this film screams "Summer Release." Fast paced action and lots of explosions galore.

6. "Spider-Man 2" (2004) The sequel to Sam Raimi's original "Spider-Man" did what very few sequels manage to do; it was better than the first film in nearly every way. Starring Tobey Maguire as the web-slinging hero with Kirsten Dunst as MJ and future Academy Award nominee and host James Franco as Harry Osborn, Spider-Man 2 was the number two film of the Summer season in 2004. It grossed more than $373 million domestically and much like "Terminator 2" it was a chock-full of action, explosions and amazing special effects. It even had a very strong plot, lending it credibility beyond just a big-budget summer release date.

5. "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) Clearly the Star Wars films all embody the spirit of the Summer Blockbuster. Arguably the best of the franchise, Empire stars Mark Hammil, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher as Luke, Han and Leia. Director Irvin Kershner imbued a real emotional depth into this dark and brooding tale of Darth Vader relentlessly pursuing Luke and luring him into a confrontation using Han and Leia as bait. I can only image the sensation that Vader's revelation of being Luke's papa did to fans as they awaited confirmation with "Return of the Jedi" that indeed it was all true. Once again, the combination of amazing special effects, breakneck speed action and a cliff-hanger ending make this a true Summer Blockbuster.

4. "The Dark Knight" (2008) Christopher Nolan both resurrected and restored the Batman story with his first film in the franchise "Batman Begins". Then in 2008 with a cast of Christian Bale returning as the caped crusader and Heath Ledger as the most disturbingly psychotic Joker yet to hit the silver screen he blew the roof off the joint. Dark Knight was the number one grossing film of the summer of 2008 with a staggering $531 million dollar domestic gross. This film had it all, damsels in distress, cool gadgets, awesome chase scenes and more explosions than you could shake a Batarang at. The plot is pretty standard Batman stuff; a super villain terrorizes Gotham and it's up to Batman to figure out how to stop him. But the emotional stakes are much higher for Bruce Wayne than in any other Batman film, making this possibly the best one ever. The only knock on this film is just the sad reality that Ledger's tragic passing ensured that we'd never see a reprise of his portrayal of The Joker ever again.

3. "Jaws" (1975) Steven Spielberg's masterpiece about a shark terrorizing the eastern seaboard was a Summer smash. Starring Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss as two men hell-bent on bringing the shark to justice, the film forever shaped the way great white sharks are seen. So iconic is John William's score that just two notes played correctly can immediately evoke imagery from the film. Jaws is almost the prototype for all other Summer movies. Studios hope that their summer releases are able to capture the attention of the country like Jaws did in 1975.

2. "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982) Steven Spielberg films the #3 and #2 spots on my list. E.T. was a box-office record tyrant for years and years. Starring Henry Thomas as the boy who stumbles upon this short, leathery, long-necked visitor from another planet, this film smashed into the public psyche and made "Phone Home" a household phrase and made us all want to eat Reece's Pieces. Merchandising on this film was everywhere for years and years. When it comes to summer movies, you really can't have a list without putting E.T. on it somewhere.

1. "Star Wars" (1977) A space-aged soap opera about a young boy's coming of age doesn't sound like it'd be a cultural phenomenon on paper; but when George Lucas' "Star Wars" was released in May of 1977 that's exactly what it was. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammil), Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) burst onto the silver screen and virtually created the idea of the Summer Blockbuster. The special effects were groundbreaking, the score anthemic and moving, and the merchandise was in high-demand. Star Wars wasn't just a movie, it was an event, a happening. The greatest Summer Movies all transcend the medium and become spectacles in and of themselves. "Star Wars," perhaps more than any other movie released in the months of May-August captured the hearts and imaginations of movie goers from all walks of life; and became entrenched in society and culture at large. "Star Wars" really is The Summer Movie of all time.

What do you think of my list? Think I missed one or two or ten? Leave me a comment!