Winding down after exams? Trying not to watch “The Office” or “Friends” for the millionth time? Here are some films to help de-stress before the summer.
“Air Bud” (Dir. Charles Martin Smith) — 1997
The grandfather of talking dog movies — in which the dog doesn’t talk, “Air Bud” follows a boy and a stray dog as the dog becomes the next basketball champion. Whether you laugh at the cheesiness of the premise or just love watching dogs, this film is for you.
“The Princess Diaries” (Dir. Gary Marshal) — 2001
Oscar winner Anne Hathaway got her start in this Disney film as Amelia Thermopolis Renaldi, heir to the throne of the kingdom of Genovia. Mia’s relatability and her relationship with her grandmother, the legendary Dame Julie Andrews, makes this a memorable comedy about an ordinary girl discovering she is a princess.
“Legally Blonde” (Dir. Robert Luketic) — 2001
Reese Witherspoon stars as Elle Woods, a sorority girl who decides to follow her boyfriend to Harvard Law school. While there, she realizes that she is smarter than she thinks, with friends supporting her goals along the way.
“The Lego Movie” (Dir. Phil Lord and Chris Miller) — 2014
This film takes the popular “chosen one” trope and flips it on its head in this story about a regular construction man named Emmett and his journey to retrieve the Piece of Resistance. From the writer/ director duo of “21 Jump Street” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse,” this film will have you laughing at the outrageous humor and creativity that comes from playing with legos.
“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (Dir. Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones) — 1975
Directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, this wacky comedy is a spoof on the medieval period that features a large lead cast. With cheap costumes and surprising humor, “Holy Grail” is a true classic with jokes that leave you unprepared and fly off the screen, one after the other.
“Empire Records” (Dir Allan Moyle) — 1995
“Empire Records,” starring Anthony LaPaglia and Rory Cochrane, is just a mid-90s high school comedy about bunch of teenagers working at a record store. When their jobs are threatened by a larger business, they use the rest of the day to take matters into their own hands to protect it while arguing about music selections along the way. What more could you ask for?
“Before Sunrise” (Dir Richard Linklater) — 1995
Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpie star as a man and a woman who meet on a train heading to Europe. This slow-burn film is reminiscent of late night conversations as these two strangers slowly fall in love with each other, knowing that it won’t last forever.
“Lemonade Mouth” (Dir. Patricia Riggen) — 2011
Joining the ranks of “High School Musical” and “Camp Rock”, “Lemonade Mouth” stars Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks and Hayley Kiyoko as a group of misfits who meet in detention, bond over a lemonade vending machine and start a band.
“The Princess Bride” (Dir Rob Reiner) — 1987
With great quotes like “Inconceivable” and “Have fun storming the castle!” and of course “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die,” this cult classic follows a farm boy-turned-pirate as he saves the princess and takes back the kingdom through dry wit and deadpan comedy performances.
“What We Do in the Shadows” (Dir Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi) — 2014
Waititi and Clement direct, write and co-star in this mockumentary about a gang of vampires who live with each other in a flat in modern-day New Zealand. They share their experiences of being immortal in the present day, roommate problems, fighting with werewolves and question the ethics of feeding off of other humans through dark humor and horror elements.
