The last long weekend of the summer is here which also means it’s back-to-school time as well. Some of the best Hollywood movies ever made have been based in school. There are so many “coming of age” teenage/school movies such as Grease, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Superbad, American Pie, American Graffitti, Dazed and Confused, National Lampoon’s Animal House, 16 Candles, Detroit Rock City, Old School, and probably the biggest teenage/school movie ever, The Breakfast Club. We’ve picked the best of this genre from the last five decades, from the 1970′s to present day. If you plan on staying in and enjoying the last long weekend of the summer of 2012, here are some movie choices for you.

National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978): Directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi, Mark Metcalf, & Kevin Bacon. Based in the 1960′s, this movie focuses on a group of misfit college fraternity kids that challenge the dean of their college. When two freshman try to join the Omega frat, they are instead pledged into Delta House, a frat known for their unorthodox rejects who are on the fringes of the “respectable” side of college. Toga parties, road trips, excessive drinking, and other misadventures run rampant throughout this classic. National Lampoon’s Animal House is a tribute to people who are picked on, ridiculed, and not accepted into regular society. (instant video via Amazon or purchase via Amazon here)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986): Directed by John Hughes and starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, and Mia Sara. Ferris, played by Matthew Broderick sets out to have a day off while skipping school. He convinces his girlfriend, Sloane (played by Mia Sara) and his best friend Cameron, (played by Alan Ruck), to also skip classes and head into downtown Chicago. This movie was ground-breaking because it showed Ferris speaking directly to the camera as he explained his thoughts and techniques on how to manipulate his situation. From baseball games, to singing “Twist and Shout” by The Beatles in a parade, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a fun movie showing you the perspective of a teenage kid who enjoys having some fun. (instant video via Amazon or purchase via Amazon here)

Dazed and Confused (1993): Directed by Richard Linklater and a cast full of soon to be (at that time), stars with Jason London, Milla Jovovich, Ben Affleck, Adam Goldberg, & Matthew McConaughey in one of his greatest roles as David Wooderson. Dazed and Confused is set in the last day of school in June of 1976. Dazed and Confused was not a box office smash yet has become a cult classic with so many distinctive quotes. The clothing, the cars, and the soundtrack are all authentic 1970′s so if you didn’t know it was made in 1993, you would think it was from the 70′s. If you were a teenager in the 1970′s this movie will bring back memories and if you weren’t a teenager back in the 1970 ‘s, Dazed and Confused will make you wish you were.  (instant video via Amazon or purchase via Amazon here)

Superbad (2007): Directed by Greg Mottola and starring Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Seth Rogen, & Emma Stone.  Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) are two high school seniors set out to win over the girls they like at a party thrown by Jules (Emma Stone). The saviour of the movie is Fogell, aka McLovin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), the geeky kid that gets a fake ID to buy alcohol for the big party. If you’re offended by vulgar language and adolescent behaviour than Superbad is not the movie for you however this is one of the movies that has so many great scenes and great lines that you will find yourself laughing uncontrollably. (instant video via Amazon or purchase via Amazon here)

The Breakfast Club (1985): Directed by John Hughes and starring Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, & Paul Gleason. No other teen movie has captured the attention of a genre like The Breakfast Club. One of the most popular hits from a soundtrack, “Don’t You Forget About Me’ by Simple Minds is from this movie. Five kids are in detention on a Saturday, all five from total different backgrounds, and all forced to spend the day in the library together. This movie is hilarious and an absolute time piece from the 1980′s. With it’s humor, there are some serious  issues dealt with.  Domestic issues, stereo-types, teenage struggles, teenage crushes, and teens looking for a sense of belonging make The Breakfast Club a multi-generational movie. This movie is considered to be the best of its genre and after twenty-seven years, The Breakfast Club is still as popular as it was back in 1985. A classic to say the least. (instant video via Amazon or purchase via Amazon here) The video clip below features the hit song “Don’t You Forget About Me’ by Simple Minds.

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The first Back To The Future movie was an instant hit when it was released in 1985. The setting depicts how it was for a teenager in that decade without the campy mocking that movies make nowadays. Marty lives at home, uses a skateboard to go to school with his back pack slung over one shoulder (this is still the way to do it, regardless if the remake of 21 Jumpstreet tells you otherwise). One of his closest friends is Emmett Brown, aka The Doc who invents a time machine out of a Delorean, (which is powered by plutonium that he stole from Libian terrorists).  Marty and Doc are found by these terrorists and while they shoot the Doc, Marty flees away in the Delorean and ends up in 1955.  While in 1955, Marty accidentally bumps into his father, who at that time was just a teenager.  Marty mistakenly interfers with how his mother and father would meet and ends up trying to fix it all before it’s too late.  Marty finds the Doc and explains everything which enables Doc to help Marty get back home.  Of course without plutonium, Marty won’t be able to get back unless a huge power surge is generated, luckily the lightening that hits the clock tower can send him back.  After getting his parents together, singing and playing a mean guitar to the Chuck Berry classic, Johnny B. Goode, Marty gets back in time to get back to the future of 1985.  

The first sequel takes Marty and Doc into the future of 2010 to help save Marty’s kids.  What turns out is not what was expected as Marty buys a sports almanac and it falls into the hands of Biff, the same menace from the original movie.  Marty and Doc then go back to 1985 to see everything has changed, they realize that Biff used the time machine and went to 1955 to give his younger self the almanac.  With all the money he made from betting on sports, Biff changed Hill Valley and Marty needed to go back to 1955 to retreive the almanac and restore a sense of normalancy to Hill Valley.  How the plot intertwines with the original movie is fantasic with scenes recreated to be from the first installment of the trilogy.  In the end , Marty gets the almanac and saves Hill Valley. For the third movie which is mostly a western, Marty travels to 1885 to save Doc from “Mad Dog” Tannen.  While there, Doc falls in love with Clara Clayton.  The movie has it’s great moments where Marty gets into trouble in a saloon, meets Billy the Kid, and in the end, is able to get back to 1985.  

The trilogy Blu Ray comes with some great features to be shared in your home theater.  This comes in widescreen (1.85:1) and is in DTS-HD 5.1 surround sound which sounds amazing.  The original movie has eight deleted scenes as well as director commentary.  There are documentaries, “In The Beginning, “Time To Go”, and “Keeping Time”.  There are lots of behind the scenes footage and a ten minute Q&A with Michael J. Fox.  Let’s not forget the theme song for this movie was “Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and The News and that is also on here and you can watch the music video right here.

Part two also has deleted scenes (seven).  There are more documentaries, “Tales of the Future” and “Time Flies”.  Thee is also “The Physics of Back To The Future with Dr. Michico Kaku”, a scientist that explains time travel. There are more behind the scenes footaage as well as theatrical trailers, photo galleries, making of the Delorean, and other special bonus footage.  Part 3 also comes with delete scenes, documentaries “Tales from the Future”, “Third Time’s the Charm”, and “Test of Time”.  Behind the scenes footage, outtakes, theatrical trailers,  and photo galleries are also included.

These movies are  one of the most enjoyable experiences anyone can have while watching a movie in their own home theater and they are great for any age as well.  If you have children or if you don’t, it will delight anybody in your family.   Being 23-27 years old,  they still stand strong against any movie that has been released over the years.  We highly recommend the Back To The Future trilogy to everyone.  If you haven’t seen it, you will be pleasantly surprised by how great these movies are.  Below, we have links to all three movie trailers and we hope you decide to watch these in your own home theater soon.

Enjoy the show!

Part 1 (original theatrical trailer)
Part 2 (original theatrical trailer)
Part 3 (original theatrical trailer)
Back To The Future (trailer for part 1 rereleased in theatres 2010)