Well, it’s summer blockbuster time at the googleplexes again, and we’ve already got babysitters lined up for Saturday night (Iron Man) and next Friday (Speed Racer). Y’all know I used to go to 60 movies a year, but nowadays if I’m gonna spend up to $50 (including the babysitter and movie snacks), I better see a flick that delivers some kind of spectacle that doesn’t automatically translate well to DVD.

I grew up on summer popcorn flicks, in pretty much what I consider the Golden Age for them (1982-1991)… It started with E.T., rambled through Jedi, hit its peak with Ghostbusters, Gremlins and Back to the Future, and went out with an effing bang: Terminator 2. The Onion has posted its “18 Pretty Great Summer Blockbusters NOT Directed by Steven Spielberg,” and the only glaring error in that list is the inclusion of… ugh.. Con Air.

I have two lists: First… The Spielberg/Lucas division, then everyone else.

Spielberg/Lucas

1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
3. E.T.
4. Star Wars
5. Jaws

Everyone else:

1. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
2. Back to the Future
3. Ghostbusters
4. Die Hard
5. Aliens
6. The Bourne Ultimatum
7. Finding Nemo
8. Robocop
9. Gremlins
10. Batman Begins
11. The Untouchables
12. The 40-Year-Old Virgin
13. Gladiator
14. Alien
15. Airplane!

What are YOUR all-time favorite summer blockbuster type flicks?