It’s only mid-June and we already have the first great blockbuster of the summer season. Steven Spielberg‘s Disclosure Day is the iconic director’s first sci-fi film in two decades and a very fun ride from start to finish. It’s also rife with theological ideas and biblical allusions. You can read my review below.

Summer is a thrilling time for movie fans. I often get nostalgic this time of year, thinking back to epic summer moviegoing experiences indelibly etched in my memory. Here are a few of my favorites:

Jurassic Park (June 1993): I was 10 and saw this opening weekend with my friend Matt at the Eton Square 6 in Tulsa. We had just gone to Bill Self’s summer basketball camp in the morning, and one of our moms dropped us off at the theater. What a thrill! Probably the most terrifying and memorable moviegoing experience of my childhood.

Independence Day (July 1995): My sister and I went with our cousins to a matinee of this 90s blockbuster at the (now closed) Colony Square 12 in Louisville, Colorado. Aliens blowing up world cities + Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum (riding his Jurassic Park momentum) + the president’s “we will not go quietly” speech = instant classic.

The Sixth Sense (August 1999): Before the internet made spoilers impossible to avoid, and before viewers came to expect twist endings from M. Night Shyamalan, there was the irreplaceable experience of watching Shyamalan’s debut film for the first time. I saw it at Cinemark Merriam (KS) and will never forget the thrills, chills, and genuine emotion of that first viewing.

The Dark Knight (July 2008): Christopher Nolan’s second Batman movie is arguably the best superhero movie ever made (also one of the best marketed). I saw it with some friends on a hot summer night at the (now closed) Krikorian theater in Redlands, California. Absolutely epic.

Mad Max: Fury Road (May 2015): George Miller’s post-apocalyptic spectacle is an unforgettable big-screen thrillride. I was lucky enough to see an advanced press screening at the ArcLight Hollywood (sadly closed permanently in the pandemic). Not since Terminator 2 did a summer movie choreograph an extended action chase sequence so well.

It’s interesting how three of the five theaters from my listed experiences no longer exist. Places are ephemeral, but memories linger. What are your most memorable summer moviegoing experiences?