Top 10 summer movies

Some people are starting to return to school, which is the first sign that summer is drawing to a close.

But, there are still a few weeks left in the season, which is why I recommend the following films that I've always felt were particularly suited for summer viewing.

10. Independence Day (1996): Granted, this story of aliens invading Earth doesn't do anything the classic H.G. Wells story War of the Worlds didn't do already, but it has a great title (guess when it takes place) and is exciting from beginning to end.

9. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983): No list of summer movies would be complete without this gem, which became a film series of its own. Chevy Chase plays Clark Griswold, who takes his family on a cross-country trip from Chicago to Wallyworld in California. Along the way, they deal with such obstacles as car trouble, Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca) and a beautiful temptress (Christie Brinkley).

8. Summer Rental (1985): The late, great John Candy shows us how good he was with this underrated comedy in which he plays a man taking his family to Florida on vacation. Despite some mishaps, he is determined to enjoy himself, even if it means locking horns with an egotistical sailing champion (Richard Crenna).

7. Weekend at Bernie's (1989): This comedy centers on two down-on-their-luck pals (Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman) who are invited to the summer home of their boss (Terry Kiser), only to find him dead once they get there. Just avoid the 1993 sequel.

6. Field of Dreams (1989): Many play sports during the summer. This baseball flick, about a man (Kevin Costner) who is urged by a voice to build a baseball field on his own farmland, celebrates the appeal of doing so.

5. Jurassic Park (1993): Steven Spielberg's legendary dinosaur flick will always have a special place for me because the outdoor locations, where the dinos in the title park were placed before they began wreaking havoc, just shout summer to me.

4. Friday the 13th (1980): No, this is not a great movie, but the film which introduced the world to Jason Voorhees has a great atmosphere, thanks, in large part, to Harry Manfredini's music.

3. Star Wars (1977): Jaws introduced the concept of the summer movie blockbuster, but Star Wars put that concept in stone. The classic story of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Darth Vader officially made Memorial Day the start of summer for filmgoers.

2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974): Like Jaws, this shocker centers on people being terrorized in the dead of summer. The culprits here, though, are a group of cannibals whom five young people traveling in the title state encounter. By the climax, you'll have as much perspiration on your face as the last survivor does.

1. Jaws (1975): This classic will always top the list for me, and not just because its success is credited with making summer the prime release period for Hollywood's big-budget blockbusters. Although he made great films prior to this film, Steven Spielberg deservedly shot to the top of the A-list with this chiller about a massive great white shark terrorizing an island community.