Hello hello, and welcome to Episode 30 of Life On the Brink!
It’s officially summer, wow! And today we are rounding out our seasonal movie night series with a special summertime episode.
If you’ve been listening throughout the past year, you will have heard how, with each season, my sister Sarah and I enjoy watching specific movies. Kind of like how Christmas movies are for November and December, but with each changing season. Sometimes the time of year makes an experience, even one as simple as watching a film, that much more special.
We’ve been making at Top 10(ish) of our favorite movies, and you can listen to those in the archives here on the blog!
This last episode for summer, though, is extra special because I’m joined by not just one sister, but two! You all will remember Sarah from our previous adventures, so let me introduce you to our little sister Nina!
The day we recorded this episode was Nina’s 17th birthday, as a matter of fact. So you get even more variety in the choice of movies this time (though, heads up, our #1 pick is the same for all three of us).
As always, our chats are a bit fluid (code: all over the place cause we’re just laughing the whole time) so I highly recommend listening to the interview yourself. BUT, for reference, these are the movies we talked about in this episode…
What’s in our teacups?
-Sarah: cold brew coffee with cream
-Nina: iced green tea
-Me: hot peppermint tea
What makes a movie a “summer movie?”
Sarah’s criteria:
-Anything that fits that backyard “summer movie night” or could be found at a drive-in theater
-Typically falls into the category of “fan favorites”
Nina’s criteria:
-Big summer VIBES
-Not necessarily set during summer
-Good summer personal memories associated with the film
-Nothing serious
My criteria:
-Sometimes the film is set in summer (or includes a lot of beaches)
-It falls into that “summer blockbuster” category
-Nothing serious, I’m here for fun
OUR TOP SUMMER MOVIES:
All-Around Top Pick: The Meg
There's really no explaining why we all love shark movies, but we do. And come summertime, we can't get enough shark movies. Whatever the budget, we'll give it a watch. Hands down, our go-to is The Meg.
Other shark movies we mentioned:
-Jaws. We obviously must pay respect.
-Deep Blue Sea. Actually a good story, and L. L. Cool J makes it.
-The Shallows. A solo survivor story. A little more gruesome.
-Soul Surfer. A true story! More about the post-shark recovery.
1. The Help. Sarah picked this one because it has a fantastic story, the fashion is lovely, and she loves Octavia Spencer. It will make you laugh and cry.
2. Jurassic Park/ Jurassic World. I have a love of dinosaurs and dino movies, and even though Jurassic World is my go-to, I love Jurassic Park as well. The T-Rex roar is so much deeper and terrifying.
3. Barbie in A Mermaid Tale. Nina unironically picked this one because it's one she grew up with that is always a nostalgic feel-good watch. You've got surfing, magic, mermaids, what more do you need?
4. La La Land. This one is a favorite of mine, and even though it goes through a whole calendar year, it's set in Los Angeles so it all feels like summer to my east coast heart. Everything about this movie is beautiful, and I love talking about it with other people. Neither of my sisters have seen it, but that will soon change.
5. Finding Nemo. Sarah's token animated pick. She implores everyone reading this to watch this one again, especially if you saw it a lot when it first came out but haven't seen it in several years now. It's a heart-warming story with a heart-breaking score, in my opinion.
6. Grease. It turns out that this is Nina's all-time favorite movie, most importantly "for the vibes," as she puts it. I mean, it's a classic, and the fashion is so fun. Sarah and Nina gushed about the prom scene for quite a while, and even though I don't love the life lessons (or lack thereof) at the end of it, I do enjoy a summer watch.
7. Baby Driver. We all kind of had this one on our list. It's fun, it's loud, it has a great cast and score, and really has you on the edge of your seat toward the end. Just watch the trailer, you'll be hooked.
8. A League Of Their Own. Sarah added this one to her list because it has a really nice story, 1940's fashion and hair, and what's not to love about a baseball movie in the summer? Not to mention one about women playing baseball. Plus it has a sister dynamic, we relate.
9. Over The Hedge. Nina had to add this one for one special reason: this was the only movie we ever had in the van whenever our family took a road trip, so we watched it on the tiny van screen more times than we can count. We could probably recount the whole movie, and each watch is just a nostalgic trip to the backseat of the family van.
10. 500 Days Of Summer. I just love this movie, and even though it's good all year long, the title alone puts me in a summery mood. This is one that gets better each time you watch it, and the music is perfect.
11. Ever After. This is one Sarah added to the list, though she couldn't pinpoint what makes it a summer movie to her. Either way, this beautiful historical retelling of Cinderella is heartbreakingly beautiful, and very human. And the Renaissance costuming is to die for.
12. 50 First Dates. I rounded out my list with this movie, mostly because it's set in Hawaii, which automatically makes me feel summery. It's a story of completely selfless love, and it's also super funny. You can't go wrong with this feel-good film.
13. Cheaper By The Dozen 2. Nina's final choice is one of those crazy ensemble movies that we grew up loving. Sarah and I remember watching it almost every day one summer when we were little. There's a lake, there's a cabin, there's a bonfire (all the summer vibes Nina needs), and it's ultimately fun and heartwarming.
We also mentioned these when we talked about it:
-High School Musical 2 (if you grew up with it, it's a staple)
-The Parent Trap (Both versions, honestly)
So there you go! This list was way more hodge-podge than our previous seasons, but summer is a crazy and wonderful season! I hope you enjoyed our little chat and will maybe plan a summer movie night in the coming weeks.
Speaking of which, can't have movie night without snacks....
SUMMER SNACK IDEAS:
1.My delicious cinnamony popcorn:
-1 tbsp salt
-2 tbsp coconut sugar
-2 tsp ground cinnamon
Just blend that in a food processor or personal blender until it becomes a fine powder. Then, drizzle your popped corn with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with this magic dust. Perfection!
2. Sarah’s frozen watermelon rosé recipe:
serves 2
-16 cubes frozen watermelon
-6 large ice cubes
-1/2 c moscato (or other wine of choice)
-3/4 c pink lemonade
-4 drops liquid sucralose (or 4 tsp simple syrup)
-a squeeze of lime juice
Just blend and serve!
3. Nina’s drink recipe consists of fresh mint muddled with frozen berries, topped with a drizzle of honey, then with ginger beer (or our favorite, Buffalo Rock ginger ale)
Nina’s Little Joy: #1 was that it was her birthday when we recorded this and she didn’t have to go to work that day. #2 was a toast that I’d made her earlier that week. Just a simple multigrain bread toasted, topped with ricotta, sliced strawberries, torn basil, olive oil, honey, and a sprinkle of salt. That, with green tea alongside, made a lasting impression, apparently.
Sarah’s Little Joy: Recently Sarah purchased a second-hand, one-time-used, commercial-grade Paragon popcorn machine. Not for any business or anything, but for her own personal use. It makes up to 32 cups of popped corn and, needless to say, the movie nights at her house will be poppin.
What We’re Listening To: I took music from all of the films on our list to create a Summer Movie Night Playlist. Just start at the beginning and let it take you to a summery frame of mind, starting mellow and ending super fun.
Thank you for listening to this latest episode, I so hope you enjoyed! If there are any films you would add to the list, just comment down below and we'll give it a watch!
Until next time, you have a lovely week.