5 good movies on Amazon for Hump Day: August 4, 2021
By Renee Hansen
Welcome to the first Hump Day for August 2021. This month, Amazon released 65 new movies and shows on Aug. 1. It’s an amazing list of new movies on Amazon ranging from the ’70s through to 2013.
The midweek slump can hit hard, and Amazon is there to provide quality content to help you make it through. Be sure to watch great movies like Moneyball, Made of Honor, Patriot Games and My Best Friends Wedding.
Along with the new movies to Amazon, some great series have been added as well. Check out Be Cool, Scooby-Doo, Chesapeake Shores, The French Chef with Julia Child, and How the Earth Was Made.
Need specific movies on Amazon to get through Hump Day? We’ve got you covered.
5 must-watch movies on Amazon for August 4, 2021
La Bamba
This film is a biographical film about the life of rock n roll star Ritchie Valens. La Bamba is a film that has been added to the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Lou Diamond Philips plays Valens, who became a superstar in the world of rock ‘n’ roll. He fell in love with a girl named Donna (Danielle von Zerneck) whom he wrote the song “Donna.” Because of his ethnicity, her father wasn’t keen on this relationship. The film follows the problems of this relationship as well as Valens’s relationship with his mother and stepbrother Bob (Esai Morales).
It is an amazing rag to riches story that ends in tragedy. Valen’s impact on the rock ‘n’ roll world as a pioneer of Chicano musicians is a huge testament as his career only lasted 8 months.
Soul Surfer
This 2011 film is based on the true story of surfer Bethany Hamilton and her horrific shark attack that caused her to lose an arm. Soul Surfer is based on Hamilton’s book Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board.
Hamilton grew up with a passion for surfing that extends through her family. Her parents, two brothers, and best friend Alana, all avid surfers, lived on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. One day while Hamilton, Alana, and her family were surfing, and as they took a break, Hamilton dangled her arm in the water, and out of nowhere, a shark bit off her arm just below the shoulder.
This event was a tragic event that halted Hamilton’s asperations at competing in surfing competitions. It is a miracle she survived due to the blood loss she suffered. It is a story of a family who overcomes a tragedy by a strong family support system and their faith.
The film stars AnnaSophia Robb, Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, Lorraine Nicholson, Kevin Sorbo, Craig T. Nelson, Carrie Underwood, and Branscombe Richmond.
Jaws, 1, 2 and 3
Amazon has released the first three films in the Jaws series for your viewing pleasure. This film franchise has spawned three sequels, theme park rides, a musical, video games, and people’s fear of shark attacks. Stephen Spielberg directed the first film from 1975, but he never returned for any of the sequels.
The original was based on a novel by Peter Benchley, and the four films have earned $800 million collectively. Jaws (1974) received critical acclaim, but each sequel received worse reviews than the previous films.
The films are classified as horror and focus on great white shark attacks in the US and Bahamas. The films have caused many people serious anxiety regarding shark attacks. The author, Benchley, later regretting penning the novel as it has resulted in the widespread killing of sharks in which many species are now endangered.
Throughout the series of films, many big-named actors have had roles in one or more of the films. Roy Scheider (1–2), Robert Shaw (1), Richard Dreyfuss (1), Lorraine Gary (1–2, 4), Murray Hamilton (1–2), Joseph Mascolo (2), Jeffrey Kramer (1–2), Collin Wilcox (2), Dennis Quaid (3), Bess Armstrong (3), Simon MacCorkindale (3), Louis Gossett, Jr. (3), Lance Guest (4), Mario Van Peebles (4), Karen Young (4) and Michael Caine (4).
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
This coming-of-age film from 1982 was a screenplay written by Cameron Crowe in which he went undercover at Clairemont High School in San Diego to acquire the source material. Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a comedy that shows the life of ’80s high school students.
The fashions and music are quintessential ’80s, which is great for those who grew up in this era. The film features many actors who have gone on to have extensive careers. Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Nicolas Cage, Eric Stoltz, Forest Whitaker, Anthony Ewards, Brian Backer, Robert Romanus, Ray Walston, Amanda Wyss, Scott Thomson, and Vincent Schiavelli.
It is a fun film that will take you back to your days in high school, especially if you grew up in the ’80s and hung out at the mall in your free time.
Hook
This film is a sequel of sorts to the tale of Peter Pan and Wendy. Steven Speilberg directed Hook, the story of a grown-up, Peter Pan, who has forgotten about his childhood.
Robin Williams plays Peter Banning/Peter Pan, a corporate lawyer who has a strained relationship with his family. Work always seems to come first, causing much resentment from his son. Peter and his family travel to London to visit Grandma Wendy (Maggie Smith). When his children are kidnapped by the evil Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman), Peter encounters Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts), who takes him away to Neverland.
The film shows many of the characters and elements familiar from the well-known Peter Pan story. Peter must remember his childhood and regain his power to fly to save his children.
It is a great tale to carry on the legacy of Peter and Wendy. The film also stars Bob Hoskins, Gwyneth Paltrow, Caroline Goodall, Dante Basco, Laurel Cronin, Phil Collins, Charlie Korsmo, and Amber Scott.
It is fun for the whole family film you are sure to enjoy.
Which movies on Amazon are you watching to get over Hump Day? Let us know in the comments below.
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