The dark days of summer film
Maybe it’s the desire to get out of the heat, or the fact that kids are busy not thinking about everything they learned in school, but summer movies seem to be best when they stick to light-hearted escapism, providing audiences with two-hour, fantastical respites from their own lives. Save the complicated plots and heavy moral dilemmas for Oscar season—summer is all about fun.
2009 was a bit of an exception to this rule. R-rated movies were surprisingly successful, and even films ostensibly directed toward younger audiences featured darker or more mature subject matter.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the sixth installment of Warner Brothers’ perennially lucrative franchise, managed to satisfy the legions of devoted tweenage fans by staying true to the spirit of J.K. Rowling’s beloved series, while remaining interesting to the casual moviegoer. This installment, however, is the darkest of the series so far, and finds Harry dealing with his transition into adulthood as he confronts his inescapable destiny as the savior of the world of wizardry. Audiences didn’t seem to mind the more overtly adult themes in the movie, though—it grossed nearly $300 million.
In fact, the only movie to make more money than Harry Potter was the Michael Bay-directed Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which ruled the box office despite almost universally negative reviews, grossing nearly $400 million. Its combination of nonstop CGI robot fighting mixed with plenty of screen time for a delightfully sweaty and dirty Megan Fox made it the prototypical summer flick, and no one seemed to mind the cheesy plot and occasionally subpar acting.
After 2008’s parade of comic book adaptations, this season only featured a single superhero movie, the middling X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a prequel to the existing X-Men films. Still, even though they didn’t feature any characters with actual superpowers, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra and Star Trek approximated the role, relying on CGI action sequences, explosions, and fate-of-the-world-in-the-balance climaxes.
More surprising than the dearth of superheroes, though, was the success of Neill Blomkamp’s District 9, which debuted at number one in the nation despite its “R” rating and lack of any star power (other than producer Peter Jackson). It is the anti-summer movie, a gory, violent, epic drama that forces audiences to consider a difficult and rather abstract issue: how should we treat a race of sentient, intelligent non-humans? The film’s philosophical bent and gritty realism make it an instant sci-fi classic.
The real shock of the summer, though, was the hilariously raunchy The Hangover, detailing the ridiculously tangled aftermath of an epic Vegas bachelor party. It was bawdy, coarse, and sometimes downright gross, but the effortless chemistry of the relatively low-profile cast helped it overcome its “R” rating to become the 4th-highest grossing movie of 2009.
The Hangover’s success is especially impressive given how poorly the season’s star-studded comedies fared. The likeable Will Ferrell and Danny McBride couldn’t save Land of the Lost from its abysmal script, and Judd Apatow’s attempt at serious emotional depth, Funny People, fell short despite its impressive comedic cast of Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, and Jonah Hill.
If audiences really are more willing to see R-rated movies and less dependent on star power, we can only hope that next summer will see more daring, innovative, upstart successes like District 9 and The Hangover. And if we can draw any conclusions from this summer, maybe we can say that Hollywood is moving away from the idea that summer flicks have to be light-hearted and easy to watch, and that audiences enjoy being challenged and stimulated.
—Sean Quigley
Beach-pop, mash-ups, and glo-fi: a summer of tunes
What makes summer so special? Is it the days spent lazing around at the beach, the nights spent dancing to the latest summer tracks, or the overall carelessness of it all? Who really knows. The one thing we can all agree on is that the various tunes that find their way into our ears during these summer months will stick with us for years to come, sometimes buried beneath our conscious psyches. Years from now, we’ll hear that cerain summer melody and end up in a nostalgic trance, transported back to those carefree days of young adulthood.
This summer has been chock full of remix and mash-up releases. They became so popular that eventually that Discovery song didn’t sound right without OJ Da Juiceman on top of it. First and foremost in the mash-up world were the much-anticipated albums of E-603 and Super Mash Bros. The latter’s All About The Scrillions was stuck on repeat on my iPod for most of the summer, whether blasting in my car, windows down, or at home, when I was dancing around with the friends I haven’t had the chance to see enough of for the past eight months. E-603’s sophomore release Torn Up, though not terrible, simply paled in comparison to the raw mashes of the Mash Bros. The Hood Internet, A Plus D, and Party Ben all continued their prolific mash-up careers, melding the likes of Beirut, Devo, and Lady Gaga to create what can only be described as the perfect summer dance party tracks.
On a mellower note, the tender melodies of Phoenix and Harlem Shakes also found their way into my summer days. The former’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix came back with the superb lyrical skill of Thomas Mars, coupled with an electro-pop style that doesn’t simply follow the over-used standard of MGMT-style indie bands. “Technicolor Health” also dropped early this summer from NYC’s Harlem Shakes. The quintet demonstrates a unique vocal/instrumental combination that’s hard to compare to any current band in the indie world. The Shakes’ new album and its refreshing lack of synths was looping on my computer and iPod during lazy summer days when I needed a little break from the insanity of remixes.
—Scott Munro
While Scott was making memories with his of-the-moment pop mashes, summer 2009 was, for me, all about looking back to the past. Blissed-out beach-pop was everywhere this summer, from the lazy chords of Real Estate to the noisy-Beach Boys stylings of Ganglians. Washed Out’s “Feel It All Around” is probably the first track I’d point anyone towards to define this sound – its hazy vox and synth-y textures sound like the best evenings at the beach.
Not all forms of Real Estate lost value this summer.
The glo-fi movement is even more retro-focused; it sounds best on a cassette because it sounds like a cassette: melting. Memory Cassette may have been one of the first to try this sound (and “50mph” is a fantastic soundtrack to a night drive—in a 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass, natch), but Neon Indian perfected glo-fi. Their synths drip off of delicious melodies while the hazy, nostalgic vocals sing of “Deadbeat Summers” gone by.
Whether you were hosting dance parties with The Hood Internet’s mash-ups of your favorite songs or cruising to Orchard Beach for a night on the sand with your boombox in tow, one thing’s for sure—the music is what will cement summer 2009 in our minds.
—Matthew Collins
2009’s recession fashionistas
This summer was tough—a rainy June and pockets full of nothing but lint dampened the sartorial mood across the boards. Apparently, there was a lot of fashion happening on runways and in magazines this summer, but who can think about catwalks when the pressing concern is the price of cat food? Besides, everyone knows that the streets are where real style rears its gorgeous head—where untrained eyes will not recognize your slouchy vest for what it really is: Mom’s mid-‘90s castoff.
Summer 2009 was a time for wardrobe reevaluation, a time to rifle through your clothes from high school looking for any thread of potential that would save you from a visit to the ATM and your depressing account balance. This summer, old became new as we shook the wrinkles out of the long dresses we bought during 10th grade hippie phases, and brought maxis back for real. Same goes for those cork wedges you begged mom to get you way back in 2001. Cognac leather and stacked heels will never die!
Designers realized adjustments were in order if they wanted to lift the huddled masses decked in tattered rags out of a deep depression brought on by feelings of wardrobe inadequacy. Big flashy belts rolled out at the Louis Vuitton shows, which was encouraging—we all have big belts in our closets! We can all be trendy again! Even statement jewelry remained in the public eye, so no one had to feel bad about recycling all those huge bangles and earrings purchased way back when we were flush.
Nail colors were a blast from the past—neon hues reminiscent of Barbie and grade school shoelaces were punchy enough to distract from the sad fact that the feet they colored went without a pricey pedicure. Fashion ended up being the sunny side of the summer—who can stay bummed when it’s finally time to start channeling Lisa Turtle and Clarissa Darling again? You know you were waiting for this day to come.
—Katie Norton
