Summer Blockbusters

The summer is in full blockbuster mode! After watching the latest hits at the theater, head on over to the library to check out similar movies! Below are four of this summer’s hits with a few suggested titles to try before or after.

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING

• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: HOMECOMING feels like John Hughes, the director of this classic high school comedy, made his own superhero movie. Look for all the local Chicago landmarks in between laughs!
• Batman: Michael Keaton goes from heroic Batman here, to villainous Vulture in HOMECOMING.
• Almost Famous: Parts of HOMECOMING are less about being a superhero and more about coming of age. Almost Famous has been cited by HOMECOMING’s director as a primary influence.
• Captain America: Civil War: Don’t miss Tom Holland’s first appearance on the big screen as Spider-Man! 

THE BIG SICK

• Funny People: A comedian, diagnosed with a terminal illness, tries to fix relationships he has damaged.
• Don’t Think Twice: An improv comedy troupe faces a series of crises.
• Obvious Child: An unemployed standup comedian deals with an unexpected pregnancy. 

BABY DRIVER

• The Blues Brothers: Car chases, good music, great laughs! Another Chicago classic makes a perfect pairing with this summer’s “Car Chase Musical”!
• Hot Fuzz: The director of BABY DRIVER, Edgar Wright, also directed this acclaimed crime thriller parody.
• Bullitt: This 1968 crime thriller features one of the most famous car chases in movie history!
• Heat: The quintessential heist movie.

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES

• Apocalypse Now: Woody Harrelson’s character in the latest Apes movie is a great homage to the iconic Marlon Brando’s portrayal of Colonel Kurtz.
• The Searchers: Despite its science fiction, post-apocalyptic setting, WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES owes a lot to classic westerns like this.
• The Great Escape: Another classic Steve McQueen film, this adaptation of true events during World War II is a great companion to the epic conflict shown in WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES.
• Cloverfield: The new APES franchise is not the first time director Matt Reeves has explored science fiction! Check out this surprising found footage film that also spawned a pseudo-sequel, 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE.