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Preconsiderations:
1.- I wasn't taking the list that seriously.
2.- Those weren't even small reviews of the films I listed. Just some brief comments, not even intended as capsule reviews. But... whatever...
Now, on to line out some things:
-"Big Kahuna" and "Virgin Suicides": I saw "Big Kahuna" at the South by Southwest Festival in Mid-March, yes, but the full release came in late April in many theatres. I realize that it got later release dates at some theatres, but none were later than mid-May. Although the latter is the beginning of the summer season, I don't think that a movie that started getting released during Spring and had its last release dates during the mere beginning of Summer qualifies as a summer movie. As for "The Virgin Suicides", Cranky reviewed it one week late, and that was on 05/04/00. That weekend it got some more expansion, but, again, a movie that got released during Spring and what shouldn't really be considered the first week of Summer should not be considered a summer movie.
-"The Patriot": I was not counter-reviewing you. In fact, I never read any of your reviews. I was addressing the general crowd when I was talking about historical inaccuracies, since that was one of the two areas that it got most fire from (the other being the sap, which I also addressed). I can understand your reasons for not liking the movie, but they're not any objective arguments for me to take the film off my list.
-"Gladiator" problems: minor stuff (although I saw the movie way back at the end of April as part of a pre-release, I saw it again with my girlfriend, recently, so my memory can serve me better). The real Commodus was Caligulesque, so, even as Joaquin Phoenix was pretty mean, I expected his character to be more depraved. The recreation of Rome and the Colleseum was impressive at the same time that it looked a tad fake. Five fights were not enough. Scott moved the camera too much during the first fight scenes. A couple of chopped heads that were included in the pre-release were edited out of the major release. Overall, however, I can find more good things to talk about, regarding this film.
-Nothing to press about "What Lies Beneath". Whether a movie disturbs a person or not is extremely subjective, unlike just startling by jumping out and saying "BOO!" I think that Zemeckis tried doing both, although his main objective was the first. I can't say I was very disturbed by the film, but I did find quite a few disturbing moments and concepts. Aside from whether it succeeded in scaring anyone at any level or not, I thought it was a well-done film. But I can understand how many can be bored by it.
-"Scary Movie": if "Scream" was a parody that frightened people, it was because it was a higher level of parody, a deeper concept (yet it wasn't thaaat sly, or at least not if you're a hard core horror fan). Maybe you would understand better if I asked you what would be the point of spoofing the Coen's films?
As for the trailer, I can't really say that's what pulled people in. I think people just flocked because there weren't any major comedies released during the weeks that this was, and the American crowd flocks to comedies over the summer. Also, they flock to just about any major summer release in mid-summer if they've watched everything else ("General's Daughter", anyone?). As well, the teen crowd wanted to watch something other than romantic comedies. Plus, you get all the fan crowd of "Scream". Finally, they hauled in the cynical crowd: those who think that they're too cool for horror movies, as well as the morons who didn't like "The Blair Witch Project" who wanted to see it spoofed (as if we hadn't had 7 parodies already made, not to mention commercials and clips in shows).
- "Bossa Nova": fine, I haven't seen it, but it's marketed and described as an older-chick flick, not only here but also in Latin America.
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