“Batman” is the film that made me understand and ultimately appreciate just what a summer blockbuster should be. 

The film presents a true, honest, and ultimately entertaining look at an ugly time in the city’s past, a time of cynicism and pessimism when New York City was like living in a hellscape.

Atomic Blonde” presents a visually sleek, stylized, and dynamic look at Berlin just before the fall of the Berlin Wall while featuring a soundtrack as killer as its lead actress.

“Uncle Buck” is a comedy that could have fallen flat but is elevated by talents of its star and director, who both show an evolution in their craft.

Kirk being forced from multiple directions to deal with his own mortality and the mortality of those he loves after a career of cheating death and the no-win situation is what makes this the best of Star Trek.

“Juice” looks at how an unforgiving world can produce someone who is willing to tear down everyone around him just to feel like they are on top.

“Back to the Future” makes the the year 1985, awash in decay and stagnation, Kansas while the year 1955, bristling with innocence and promise, stands in as Oz.

Teenagers need a voice to rally around. “Pump Up the Volume”, the 1990 film directed and written by Allan Moyle”, understands this quite well.

Chuck Russell’s 1988 remake of the original 1958 film is a prime example of something that would qualify as a B Movie that far surpasses its original source material.

“Halloween”, the 1978 horror film from John Carpenter, really did set the template for the slasher films to come in the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond.

There is still a special fondness in my heart for “Jaws: The Revenge”, no matter how atrociously bad it is in both concept and execution.

These same horror stories, these same archetypes, and these same concepts have been proven to appease the audiences and keep them from revolting.

What makes “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” so effective is Tobe Hooper’s knowledge of and ability to let the audience know that rural American can be absolutely terrifying.

According to “Zombieland”, the 2009 comedic take on the zombie genre from director Ruben Fleischer, rules play a very important part in surviving the wasteland that was once modern society.

“Happy Death Day”, the 2017 film from Christopher Landon, takes the premise of “Groundhog Day” and applies it to the slasher film genre, unfortunately, to mixed at best results.

You never know when the creepy skeletons in your mind’s closet are going to come out and make a night’s sleep a disturbing experience.