Greetings, Retro Cult fans! It’s your old friend, Scott Cherry, from Barbarian Rage.
I know it’s been a while since the last time, but I am excited to be back with my top 5 Summer
Movie List!
Viewing is of every movie on this list is mandatory! There will be a test!

Mac and Me
Mac and Me bombed at the box office.
It was panned at the time for being a rip-off of E.T. and its gross commercial tie-ins.
But now everyone loves it because it’s a rip-off of E.T. and gross commercial tie-ins.
The shining example is the McDonald’s birthday party in the middle of the movie. Everyone
breaks into a choreographed dance where Mac is disguised as a robotic toy bear and dances
with the real Ronald McDonald.
Steven Spielberg said the first time you saw E.T., he didn’t want you to say, “Awww. Cute”.
But that’s what you say when you first see “Mac” and his family. But they are only cute until
you realize that they are naked and have no genitalia.

There is a great episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 where they watch Mac and Me.
I highly recommend watching it as well.
This movie was made notorious by Paul Rudd playing the same clip on every appearance he
made on Conan O’Brien.

Dick Tracy

The summer before “Dick Tracy” hit theaters,
“Batman” came out.
My twin brother and I went all in on Batman stuff. Toys, t-shirts, posters, cereal, trading cards
and (of course) comic books.
So, I was preparing for “This Summers Batman” the next year. I bought a Dick Tracy fanny
pack a bicyclist hat and a talking Dick Tracy game watch.
There was controversy over one of the action figures, “The Tramp.” That toy caught some heat
from homeless advocacy groups and was pulled from shelves. So I had to snag one of those. It
was the beginning of my toy collecting.
So, now I was ready to see the movie…
Okay…
“Dick Tracy” is not a good movie.
It’s stylish and pretty, has awesome makeup effects, and has an original score from Danny Elfman.
Dick Tracy is a highly polished turd.
How did it make this list, then?
Easy. I am nostalgic for it.
Nostalgic for being a dumb kid that bet what little money he had on a subpar movie. Then
I admitted defeat and looked at the pile of Dick Tracy junk that I had accrued.
Still worth a watch, though.

He-Man and The Masters of the Universe.
So much to unpack here from this Canon Films classic. As a vast He-Man fan, I won’t even be
able to scratch the surface.
First, this movie doesn’t really follow the mythology of the cartoon. A lot of the characters
and rogues gallery are either severely changed or completely absent.

Second off, this movie doesn’t have a discernible plot. Just a series of questionable decisions
by a couple of New Jersey teenagers that get caught up with evil villains from a different
planet.

“Masters of the Universe” was made to pump some life back into the Mattel toy line and help
fund Canon Films’ next film endeavor, “Spider-Man.”
Toy sales took a nose dive, and Canon never made Spider-Man.
The disappointment was confirmed with this movie as a kid, mainly because the bulk of it is based in
New Jersey and not on Eternia.
But I love this movie for its bizarre and unique plot structure.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
The anticipation for this movie reached a maximum level when it debuted 25 years ago. I had
already been a fan of the book and Bill Murray’s portrayal of Thompson in “Where the Buffalo
Roam”. Terry Gilliam was one of my favorite directors.
I had just discovered LSD and was eating it like a fiend. So, it goes without saying that we went
to the opening of this movie on a head full of acid.
The movie’s first hour reaches a peak of hilarity without ever delivering one joke.
Two twisted friends in search of the American Dream is something that still resonates today.
Gilliams film is an excellent adaptation of the book.
It is intelligent, funny, insightful, infinitely quotable, and has a fantastic soundtrack.
Fear and Loathing is a masterpiece and remains one of my favorite movies.

One Crazy Summer
Savage Steve Holland’s unofficial sequel to the cult classic “Better Off Dead.” After graduation
“Hoops” and his listless friend go to Nantucket in search of inspiration for a love story (Which
is told throughout the movie in beautifully animated vignettes)
The cast is a murderers row of comedic actors.
Holland’s unique vision as a director offers hilarious gags consistently throughout the movie.
The directors’ commentary offers a fantastic look behind the curtain. I can’t get enough of this
movie; I’ve seen it a few dozen times (by the very least!).
It makes me wish that Holland had directed more movies, but I am happy with the ones he has
given us.
It’s the most fantastic Summer Movie of all time and is a master class in 80s cinema onto itself.

Honorable Mention:

Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy is a “Made For TV Movie” focused on a summer camp starring Micheal J. Fox.
Nancy McKeon (Jo from “Fact of Life”) plays the nurse and love interest.
Robert Klein plays the Head Councilor and has a dozen other TV actors filling out the cast.
Micheal J. Fox is practically crushed under the weight of carrying this movie.
Nancy McKeon towers over him in their scenes together.
Here it is taped off of NBCs Sunday Night Movie with the commercials still in it for maximum
retro vibes.

Scott Cherry is a Southern California-based artist best known for his original toy art and creator
of the Barbarian Rage comic book.
Instagram: @barbarian_rage
BarbarianRage.com