Watch Last Summer For Free

The Worst Film Ever

Overrated

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

about cruelty and innocence. adventure and revenge. past and future. a kind of Lord of the Flies. a group of teenagers. a vulnerable young woman. a seagull. and the flavor of sexuality. convincing acting, beautiful images and four inspired actors. film about lost of an age, seduction and worlds. about profound need by the other, it is special. for the exploration of force and for clear image about sensitivity. for the picture of an age with great accuracy. for the end who remains a question. for the parable about freedom and need of absolutely control. for the look of Catherine Burns and her touching confession. for the flavor of youth, desires and fall.

There isn't anything very good in this film. The screenplay is flippant and shallow with a 60's style beach blanket bingo veneer containing pointless cruelty and rape. The performances from Hershey and Burns are good. Bruce Davidson gives no hint that he will become excellent though. And Richard Thomas, is Richard Thomas. What you see is what you get: cute, and serviceable as an actor. The killing of the pet seagull, and the gang rape at the end of the film, only make any sense in the plot if they are presented as the early manifestations of three burgeoning sociopathic co-serial killer/rapists practicing on their first victims. These types often begin with animals, the seagull, and then move to human victims, Catherine Burns. But that is not how this story is presented or written. It is just poured into your lap as "kids can be so mean sometimes". Well, there's "mean", and then there's "gang rape". And, if you're the ring leader in a gang rape, Barbara Hershey, this is just the beginning. But instead of the creepy scene, as in Hannibal Lecter at the pay phone foreshadowing the worst yet to come, this creepy little film just ends with all the rapists walking into a beautiful sunset, role credits... It should also be noted that the sound mixing is total crap. The ambient music covered up the dialogue in several places. And considering this screenplay, that may have been the point. If you like young hot bods in tight swimwear and don't mind pointless cruelty, this films for you. Count me out. I'd rather watch a lion take down a Zebra on Wildlife Kingdom. At least the violence I'm grossed out by there has a useful purpose in the food chain.

What I noticed about this movie was there was a scene where someone turns the radio on and WABC 770AM during its Heyday as the no. 1 Top 40 station of its time was on. This brought back so many memories. Any Baby Boomer would recognize this. If only I had known about Fire Island back then. The movie doesn't mention Where on Fire Island this movie was shot. Any one know? I ran this movie on Starz Movie Channel when I was living out in Colorado, and when that WABC radio scene came on I went to Blockbuster to rent the movie myself, since I could not watch it while at work, because I was busy loading tapes of other movies. I have not seen this movie since I ran it on STARZ. I wonder if this movie is in the Vaults never to be shown again. It's hard to believe this movie was rated X at first. Hopefully this movie will be shown at film festivals or other Movie Channels - even PBS.

The summary is not meant to be a put down, just an apt description of Frank Perry's provocative, compelling and generally unsentimental coming-of-age film. Last Summer has allegorical overtones; the isolated island setting without adult supervision suggests Lord of the Flies. All the expected elements of a loss-of-innocence tale are here: sex, booze, pot, and homosexuality, but the atmosphere, acting and the dialog avoid clichés, even if the director indulges in a few. The four leads embody their roles superbly, and Thomas and Burns are particularly affecting. Burns received an Oscar nod for supporting actress. The feelings of power and powerlessness, isolation, and the herd mentality are persuasively rendered. Despite being released on VHS some years ago, this film has pretty much remained obscure. Worth seeing, and it holds up as well as 1969's Best Picture winner, Midnight Cowboy.