Lovesusti The Worst Film Ever

Maidexpl Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

prguy721 Last Summer is a shockingly bold film for its time period (late 1960s) and very well acted, featuring actors who went on to virtual stardom at a time when they were just starting out: Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas and Bruce Davison. Portraying restless teenagers at Fire Island for the summer, they meet and begin hanging out together, eventually encountering Rhoda (Catherine Burns), a teenager who doesn't quite fit their mold but wants to make friends. And this is where the story really gets moving. As the plot advances, it seems the behavior of the original three becomes increasingly edgy and even cruel. Meanwhile, Rhoda, with her sincerity and vulnerability, senses she is out of place but desperately hangs in to be part of the group, even though she sets herself up for embarrassment, conflict and possibly even danger. Unfortunately, copies of Last Summer are pretty much impossible to find and it is almost never shown on television. I saw it when it was originally released, but the only time I saw it on cable TV was in 2013; to my great disappointment, the print wasn't in letterbox and had been edited for content, reducing both the film's impact and significance.

hkfilmbuff I read this haunting tale by Evan Hunter in the late 1960's, and felt numb afterwards. It was a devastating story, but came across honest and true. I wasn't aware that it had been made into a movie until much later, but never felt compelled to "revisit" it, until it turned up on TV (TCM, I think) recently. The movie did capture the essence of the novel, unsupervised (neglected) adolescents from well-off, dysfunctional (hinted), families spiraled out of control when their ambiguous and budding desires fed off each other in a vicious circle, culminating in something akin to evil. The psychological and sociological overtones reflected the zeitgeist of the sixties - sex, drugs, violence, and the mob mentality.The sexually suggestive scenes and the violence was tastefully done, necessary but not exploitative. This film was definitely targeting a more mature audience, but surely will not unduly shock or traumatize the precocious youths of today. Nevertheless, portions of the story are unpleasant enough to discourage repeated viewing. In any case, the message is potent enough to come across loud and clear just going through it once.For the more inquisitive viewers who might wonder whether the worst had happened to Rhoda, I suggest a reading of the excellent book by Evan Hunter. ("The Blackboard Jungle" and "Mr. Buddwing" are among the films based on his books. In fact, he wrote a sequel to "Last Summer", aptly named "Come Winter". He was also well-known in another genre under the name Ed McBain.) In retrospect, I wish I had not read the novel before I saw the movie. I always prefer watching the movie before reading the book (if there is one). In my opinion, the medium lends itself to greater dramatic and emotional impact, and provides a more primal sensory experience, but there are invariably certain elements in a book that no motion picture can convey.I suspect my rating for this film would have been higher had it not been for the unpleasant and unresolved emotions and thoughts it provoked, but did (could) not provide any hope or closure in the ending.

Armand about cruelty and innocence. adventure and revenge. past and future. a kind of Lord of the Flies. a group of teenagers. a vulnerable young woman. a seagull. and the flavor of sexuality. convincing acting, beautiful images and four inspired actors. film about lost of an age, seduction and worlds. about profound need by the other, it is special. for the exploration of force and for clear image about sensitivity. for the picture of an age with great accuracy. for the end who remains a question. for the parable about freedom and need of absolutely control. for the look of Catherine Burns and her touching confession. for the flavor of youth, desires and fall.

JasparLamarCrabb Two teens (Bruce Davison & Richard Thomas) come across the enigmatic Barbara Hershey caring for a sick seagull on a beach. She seems earthy, loving and caring. She's also unusually cruel. The boys are soon infatuated. Things get complicated when a fourth teen (another girl)joins the mix. As Rhoda, Catherine Burns is awkward, precocious and very sensitive (something Hershey is repulsed by). Frank Perry directed this totally engaging coming-of-age film and it's one of the best of his spotty career. He coaxes thoroughly natural performances from the three leads and a miraculous one out of Burns. Ironically, Burns, who received the film's only Oscar nomination, did NOT go on to have a career nearly as substanitive as Hershey, Davison and Thomas. The perceptive screenplay is by Eleanor Perry. Filmed on Fire Island, but the film could have taken place anywhere.