35 years of Summer Blockbusters - June 4

June 4, 2004 - Six years ago Harry Potter went from being a Holiday hit to a summer blockbuster with the release of the third film in the series, Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban. The summer move was not as successful as the holiday showings. The film deviated from the original book more than the first two and so far, is the least successful of the series with only $249 million in U.S. ticket sales.
At The Movie House rating *** stars

June 4, 1999 - Eleven years ago Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding Jr. starred in Instinct. Hopkins chews the scenery as a man living in the wild who is accused of murder. The film was a flop and did not make back its production cost. At The Movie House rating **stars

June 4, 1993 - Seventeen years ago Michael J. Fox starred in Life With Mikey about a grown up child star who runs a low level talent agency with his brother played by Nathan Lane.
At The Movie House rating **1/2 stars

Also opening was the thrill less thriller Guilty As Sin directed by Sidney Lumet. It tries to be another Jagged Edge, but does not come up to par. At The Movie House rating ** stars

June 4, 1982 - Twenty-eight years ago Paramount resurrected the Star Trek franchise with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The sequel to the 1979 flop featured all the elements Star Trek fans were looking for. The film is considered one of the best of the whole franchise.
At The Movie House rating *** 1/2 stars.

On the same day MGM released, what is now a classic horror movie, Poltergeist. With the tag line "They're here" Steven Spielberg took us to the place we least expect to find monsters, our own suburban living rooms. The film still gives chills. And who can forget that clown!!
At The Movie House rating *** 1/2 stars

Also opening was the Gene Wilder/Gilda Radner comedy Hanky Panky. A fairly lame comedy, but notable for being the film that brought Wilder and Radner together. They later married.
At The Movie House rating **stars