The Smoke Signal

By Jamie Lin

Movies

It was a sad summer for movies, but a few superstars shone above the rest. Animated family fun reigned supreme with Toy Story 3, appealing to those who grew up with the first two as well as the new generation of kids. Despicable Me, another animated kid-friendly flick, also proved as formidable as its supervillain characters.

While big-budget films like The Last Airbender and The A-Team disappointed critically and financially, Inception was the must-see movie of the summer. Besides keeping its number one spot for three weeks, it has the best international gross of 2010 for a movie not released in 3D.

Nerds continued to rejoice with Scott Pilgrim vs the World, an action/fantasy/romantic comedy adapted from Bryan O’Malley’s comic books. Though critically praised, Scott Pilgrim has yet to defeat the world financially.

Music

Summer music really kicked off with Lady Gaga. Her “Alejandro” video was provocative and very Gaga. Whether you love or hate her, there’s no denying that her tour is one of few that actually was financially successful this summer.

Then came Katy Perry’s infectious “California Gurls”, along with a Candyland-esque music video to boot. Eminem made a fabulous Recovery, especially accented by the sizzling music video for “Love the Way You Lie”, featuring Rihanna.

The indie scene didn’t disappoint either, with Arcade Fire’s much anticipated third album The Suburbs easily becoming a chart-topper while earning universal acclaim from critics as well.

But the most memorable and unfortunately explicit song of summer was Cee-Lo’s “F— You”, a fun and ridiculously catchy song with an equally fun video. Too bad we’ll never hear it on the radio.

TV Shows

Before any show could hope to establish themselves, they had to contend with the fervor of FIFA World Cup 2010. America cried as we lost to Ghana in the round of 16, and the world watched intensely as Spain beat Netherlands for the title.

Post-FIFA, cable TV reigned supreme. From USA’s fun and fast-paced Covert Affairs to the return of acclaimed shows like AMC’s Mad Men and HBO’s True Blood, cable hooked its viewers.

With summer also came the return of reality competition shows like Project Runway and Top Chef, which this year won the Emmy for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program, breaking The Amazing Race’s streak.

The Emmys ended summer famously, awarding new shows like Modern Family for Outstanding Comedy Series and again rewarding favorites like Mad Men for Outstanding Drama Series.

Image from http://theblackboxoffice.com/, http://aquilogy2.blogspot.com/