SUMMERTIME CINEMA — When I think of summer, I think of no school, pool parties, popsicles and some great movies.

I'm not talking about big summer blockbuster releases, I'm talking about the summertime movies that come to mind when we think of the long days and warm nights.

With summer in the air, we thought we'd take a look at our favorite movies that feel like summer for the KSL Movie Club this month.

We’ll be chatting about each pick in more detail on the KSL Popcorn Report podcast throughout the month of June. We'd love for you to rewatch the movies (or watch them for the first time) and give us your feedback on each movie, either in the comments or by tweeting us, @KSLPopReport.

Dave's pick: "The Way Way Back"

My summer movie pick is "The Way, Way Back." As a kid and specifically a teenager, summer breaks were such a bittersweet time in my life. On one hand, I looked forward to it all school year, but almost as soon as it arrived, the boredom seemed to set in and days would feel like weeks.

It's funny how now I really only remember the moments of excitement that punctuated the long days of boredom. Unfortunately, as an adult, summers only seem to exist as the daylight I experience driving to and from work.

When I need that reminder of what it feels like to be an awkward teen again during the summer, I turn on this film and feel my way through every emotion of the movie. By the end of the film, I am always a bit empty and nostalgic for those days, but I am also grateful they are behind me.

There are so many great performances in this film from everyone in this huge cast, but I have to say Sam Rockwell is my favorite.

John's pick: "Mud"

My guess is a majority of people out there have not seen the movie "Mud" and that's really too bad. This movie is a slow-burn coming-of-age story with compelling characters, phenomenal performances and breathtaking cinematography.

The first time I saw "Mud," I was in a press screening and there were only about 12 of us in the theater. The entire place was entranced with the film, and once it ended, I just sat there staring at the blank screen trying desperately to absorb what I had just seen.

Again, "Mud" is the true definition of a slow burn, but it also encapsulates the vulnerability of being a kid, as well as the vulnerability of being an adult, grappling with the fact that you've grown up. Imagine if "The Goonies" were a drama set in the south with Matthew McConaughey as an incredibly good looking Sloth— that's sort of how "Mud" feels.

I love this movie and it oozes summer to me.

Curt's pick: "What About Bob?"

Baby steps to the couch. Baby steps grab your remote. Baby steps hit play on "What About Bob?" This is a summer classic and one of Bill Murray's best performances. Even when it's not summer and I watch it, I get excited for it to be summer.

If you have not seen this movie, here is the hilarious plot. It centers around a lovable psychiatric patient named Bob, who thinks he has every phobia known to man and follows his psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin and his family on summer vacation. Dr. Marvin, played by Richard Dreyfuss, is a little too much in love with himself and does not want Bob around, even though his family has grown to like Bob. Then hilarity ensues.

"What About Bob?" is a movie you will find yourself quoting a lot, especially on your summer vacation.

Faith's pick: "The Sandlot"

This movie is loved and quoted by ‘90s kids everywhere. The 1993 flick may be the epitome of summertime in America: It features never-ending pickup baseball games, treehouse sleepovers, fireworks, carnival rides and days at the local swimming pool. Literally, just thinking about this movie makes me want to go eat a hot dog and put on some tanning lotion.

Not only does this movie scream “summer,” but it is also just a great family film year-round. And I still can’t eat a s’more without saying, “You’re killin’ me, Smalls!”

Travis' pick: "Cool Hand Luke"

Whenever my dad would sit me down to watch a movie as a kid, I had a pretty good idea of what was coming. My dad was an LA cop, and his taste reflected that. He enjoyed westerns like “Vera Cruz” or “3:10 to Yuma" (1957) or even “Quigley Down Under” — movies that had very clear good guys and bad guys, where traditional values met the wild West.

So when my dad told me I needed to watch “Cool Hand Luke” with him, I wasn’t expecting a slow-roasted character piece devoid of black and white morality. “Cool Hand Luke” asks more questions than it answers, and there definitely isn’t a hero riding off into the sunset when the closing credits roll.

“Cool Hand Luke” is just a simple, sun-scorched performance vehicle that reminds the world why Paul Newman was nominated for best actor 11 times, and to this day, I have no idea why my dad loves it like he does.

All I know is when I get the chance to revisit it, I do, and KSL’s “favorite summer movies” topic has become the latest opportunity.

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