Most kids add books to their summer reading list. I did that as well, but the horror fan in me always demanded more visual entertainment. As the weather turns balmy and the Sun bakes down, I am reminded of summers by the lake, in the ocean, or at camp. Of course I am referring to Crystal Lake, the ocean surrounding Amity Island and Sleepaway Camp. Those make up only part of my summer watch list. Now I'd like to share with you the rest of them. If you don't already have a tradition, I invite you to join me in mine.

I believe my first in the list is only logical since it also happens to be my favorite film. Jaws (1975) is the perfect summer movie. It's got beaches, cool water, happy-go-lucky people and a “cloud in the shape of a killer shark.” While most vacationers visit the ocean, I'll likely be watching it from a safe distance. Don't get me wrong. I swim in the ocean and I love it. But when Jaws pops into my mind, I'm out like a flash even to this day. It also happens in swimming pools but that's all due to another film that I will add to the list right now.

Alligator (1981) may be little more than a giant croc (ha!) of cheese to some but it helped define my youth as a kid who had irrational fears of creatures in the strangest places. It was a while before I could even go to the bathroom as a kid after this one. You never know when that big ol' gator might pull a “Land Shark” bit and pop out of the toilet. And that swimming pool reference I made earlier? You know the one. That kid walking the plank...wow. Good stuff. If you aren't familiar, throw it in the queue. It's a summertime must-see.

As long as we're already wet, let's take a look at the classic Piranha (1978). If I could type the sound the feeding frenzy makes, it might go something like “ffftttthhh.” Okay so I can't spell it but I'm certain you know the exact sound to which I am referring. It says summer to me just like the crack of a bat at a Braves game. Who says swimming in a closed off government pool you find in the middle of the woods is a bad idea? Oh yeah, Joe Dante said that in a roundabout sort of way. And even though we've seen sequels and remakes and there's another on the way, nothing will ever top the original. The Barbara Steele cameo alone is better than any 3D technology they can throw our way. And poor Keenan Wynn. There go his flip-flop wearing days.

our way. And poor Keenan Wynn. There go his flip-flop wearing days.

Moving on to those predators that prowl on land, summer camp quickly went from a place to escape school and the parents to a place of fear thanks to horror films like Friday the 13th  (1980) and Sleepaway Camp (1983) and their many, many sequels. But don't worry. You really only need to be concerned if the camp you frequent has “a death cuuurse.” Don't let the likes of Jason Voorhees or Angela steer you away from fun activities like archery with friends or playing with beehives. What's summer camp without a little bloodshed?

Maybe you aren't a beach-y kind of vacationer. Perhaps you're too old to visit a camp without being put on someone's other kind of watch list. Never fear, there's still plenty you can do. Why not take a drive and investigate some place you don't belong? How about a creepy wax museum courtesy of Tourist Trap (1979)? A word of warning, though. If you see Chuck Connors and he refers to you as “little giiiiirl,” you might wish to cut that trip short. Otherwise you could end up as a part of the exhibit on a permanent level. But then if I looked like Tanya Roberts in cut-off shorts and a tube top I might like to have that immortalized in wax.

old to visit a camp without being put on someone's other kind of watch list. Never fear, there's still plenty you can do. Why not take a drive and investigate some place you don't belong? How about a creepy wax museum courtesy of Tourist Trap (1979)? A word of warning, though. If you see Chuck Connors and he refers to you as “little giiiiirl,” you might wish to cut that trip short. Otherwise you could end up as a part of the exhibit on a permanent level. But then if I looked like Tanya Roberts in cut-off shorts and a tube top I might like to have that immortalized in wax.

With the economy being what it is now, family road trips are coming back in fashion. Just make sure you don't take a Wrong Turn (2003) in West Virginia. Those mountain folk don't always cotton to strangers. But maybe you're considering a drive through Texas. Got a hankerin' for chili made the old fashioned way? And by old fashioned I mean “[chili] is made of peeepullll.” Then go no farther than your local nut-job family catering business. What would summer be without the relaxing strains of a chainsaw slicing through the gristle? Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) will scratch every itch you have. But scratching itches with chainsaws might be overkill.

While you're traveling it's always a good idea to bookmark cozy little getaways in your itinerary. What would a summer road trip be without those local hole-in-the-wall motels to add a sense of adventure? Don't spend your time or money at a big chain hotel. Motel Hello, lovingly run by Farmer Vincent and sis, loves tourists...smoked and seasoned that is. Motel Hell (1980) is also scheduled for a remake. And even though I am curious to see what Steven C. Miller (Automaton Transfusion) will do with it, I can't help but think that no one will be as “smokin'” as Rory Calhoun. But then it “takes all kinds of critters....” You know the rest.

Calhoun. But then it “takes all kinds of critters....” You know the rest.

So now you “know what [I] did last summer” and what I'll be doing this summer as well. There are plenty of flicks out there to satisfy even the most discerning of fans in their search of warm weather fare. The above is but a sampling of those that will be required viewing for me. Do you have a summertime tradition? Feel free to share it with me. Who knows? Maybe it'll give me something else to do while I'm waiting in line at Six Flags.