Every summer movie buffs like myself look forward to the upcoming Summer blockbuster slate. The Summer blockbuster season is defined as movies released from early May to mid-late August covering the entire Summer. It is comprised of big-budget action, adventure, or comedy films with a Horror or thriller big budget film sprinkled in. And usually there are big promotions and merchandise associated with these blockbuster films.
I went down the rabbit hole of movies released during the summer of 1989, and hot damn it may just be the greatest Summer blockbuster season ever. Batman was released June 23rd, 1989 and one proved superhero movies had a place, and with the merchandising power behind it. Seemingly created the merchandise mania that would follow blockbusters in subsequent years. Batmania was everywhere that year thanks to the merchandise. I was only 3 years old but I distinctly remember going to General Cinema theater and the whole concession area was overran by Batman merch.
Batman wasn't the only film released that summer, a great deal of popular sequels debuted that summer. Ghostbusters II and Karate Kid III were also released in June. With Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade which saw Harrison Ford partnering with Sean Connery as his father released in May. The fifth film in the Star Trek series Star Trek V The Final Frontier debuted in June as well. The 16th film in the James Bond franchise License to Kill starring Timothy Dalton as Bond was released in July. Lethal Weapon 2 starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover with Joe Pesci joining the cast premiered in July as well. That is a heavy hitter roster of film sequels debuting weeks apart.
Spike Lee's classic film that is still oh so relevant today Do The Right Thing debuted in July as well. While adult comedy cult classic Weekend At Bernie's was a mid-summer hit. On a more family friendly note, Disney's classic backyard adventure film Honey I Shrunk The Kids premiered the same day as Batman. Parenthood starring Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Rick Moranis, and a young Joaquin Phoenix and Keanu Reeves debuted in August that year. John Candy's classic Uncle Buck released in August as well, prepping audiences on the importance of family right before school season kicked back up.
In the horror realm Friday the 13th VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan was released, even though the franchise had long ran it's course by then. Ditto for Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child which was the other horror summer blockbuster that year. James Cameron sci-fi cutting edge effects film Abyss premiered in August. Movie buffs spent a lot of money that year going to the movies.
When you look at that roster it just maybe the best blockbuster season ever. Every week that year provided quality highly anticipated movies for audiences. All of those films have a lasting legacy 35 years later, which says alot about just how special that year was for Hollywood. I'm going to do my due diligence and research other years, but I truly believe from the beginning of the season to the end no other year compares one bit.
That year is so iconic the 2017 horror film IT which is set in 1989 references two of the biggest blockbusters that year. Also doesn't hurt all three films were released by Warner Bros. Studios. So I've said all that to say this, the blockbuster movie season of 1989 as a whole may be untouchable.
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