Summer Movie Suicide Mission: An Introduction

In which one man attempts to view every summer blockbuster for the entire season, regardless of taste, genre, or obvious suckitude.

Another summer movie season has been thrust upon us, the opening salvo having been fired by last week’s Iron Man (which, incidentally, looks totally awesome). Dozens more will follow — some entertaining, some not, but all disposable. This year, I plan to see every movie churned out by the dirty Hollywood sausage factory between May and August, 2008.

Perhaps I’m betraying my goal a bit. This is a genuinely exciting project. More than anything other than perhaps huge televised events, the summer blockbuster is society’s great shared cultural product. Billions of dollars will be spent at the box office and the entire industry will plan the film schedule for the following years based on what succeeds and what fails in the summer. During the blockbuster season, there are no niche markets — few independent or genre features are even released, let alone become successful — and the cinema becomes more of a spectacle than it already is. Summer movies are rarely the best films, but for the industry, and the general public who gladly shell out the billions, they are the most important.

On its face anyway, seeing all these films feels a bit populist; I’m throwing my lot in with the huddled masses. But, really, I just like going to the movies. In the midst of all the bombast, I find it hard to believe that any of these movies could be completely disappointing. The whole idea of the blockbuster is to throw in a little something for everyone. Mostly I just want to experience it all for myself, without hiding behind critical reviews and hearsay. Everyone is entitled to his opinion; when making mine, I’ll let the text speak for itself. I’ll write about every movie, and my thoughts on the ongoing project, in this space.

Rules and a full list of movies after the jump.

Mentos and Manatees is Back! And Improved!

This long dormant blog is back on the air. I’ve decided to expand the focus beyond television to focus on film, with additional content regarding web video.

A major project is in the works. See above.