Released in the Toto days of 1939, it provided the template, in a way, for all summer movies: Dramatic effects, a mix of jittery drama and light comedy, and characters we love enough to revisit again and again. And many a summer night has been lost to watching it synced to Dark Side of the Moon.

Operating on a simple, terrifying premise — and delivering on it flawlessly — it ushered in the era of the blockbuster.

Hollywood's biggest hit at the time created the gold standard for every summer movie to come.

C'mon, it has a song called "Summer Nights."

Set in mountains during a devil of a snow storm, Stanley Kubrick's creepy adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel is a summer movie that feels nothing like a summer movie. Which is the least unsettling thing about it.

Capturing both our hearts and our imaginations, this was a movie kids — and adults — saw again and again. It's proof that blockbusters can make you cry.

The perfect blending of SNL, SCTV, and ghosts.

The '80s was the first full decade that really let the summer blockbuster flourish, and this is the charming epitome of an '80s movie with its skateboards, life-preserver vests, and, of course, '50s nostalgia. Never have we wanted so badly to turn our cars into time machines.

This one's come closer than perhaps any other to having something for everyone: great action scenes, unforgettable music, sweeping romance, and, of course, beach volleyball.

The funny tale of a teenager who becomes an adult overnight, this critically acclaimed summer movie made Tom Hanks what he is today.

The first three Indiana Jones movies were spectacular, and Last Crusade provided the perfect capper to what maybe kinda should have remained a trilogy. It was the rare third part in a series that is better than the second, and worthy of the first. The fourth wasn't a total embarrassment, but nothing could live up to the originals.

Today the summer box office is crammed full of superhero dramas. For that, you can thank this film, in which Tim Burton proved that comic book characters can be brought to the big screen without camp.

We had to have one serious movie, right? This one is a perfect reminder that summer can be a tense time. (So does Lee's also-excellent Summer of Sam.)

A massive summer event that raised the special effects ante for years to come — for better and worse. It's also one of the few blockbuster sequels so good it improves the (classic) movie that inspired it.

Steven Spielberg's dinosaur epic pushed special effects even further into the future by looking back at creatures long gone from the earth.

When you tire of seeing robots and aliens and explosions, it's nice to have a few laughs during the summer. This Farrelly Brothers' flick was pure joy.

It's hard to think of a superhero movie that stayed more true to its (brilliant) source material.

A blockbuster with heart, this Spider-Man flick is the franchise's best. With all the origin story out of the way, the film was able to explore the danger and pain associated with leading a double life. And, like its predecessor, it was a load of web-spinning fun.

Thanks to its sweeping cinematography, superior script and a chillingly sinister performance from Heath Ledger, this became the biggest summer blockbuster ever.

How do you make fans of a long-awaited film about a dream team of superheroes fighting together even more excited? Put that film in the hands of writer and director Joss Whedon. His trademark wit permeates the film, which both honors a group of beloved characters and shows that, despite their individual powers, they are better as a team. The movie, which was the biggest release of 2012, grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide