Product Details

• Actors: Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas, Bruce Davison, Catherine Burns, Ernesto Gonzalez
• Directors: Frank Perry
• Format: NTSC
• Rated: X (Mature Audiences Only)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Key Video
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00019713E
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217,484 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

A wonderfully acted film about the experiences of four teenagers vacationing on the beach at Fire Island, Long Island. When tragedy strikes, the four youths are bound together for life by a terrible secret. Academy Award Nominations: Best Supporting Actress--Catherine Burns.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "LAST SUMMER" Deserves Anamorphic Widescreen DVD, July 16, 2005

By 

Sandra Levin "Sandra Levin" (NY NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Summer (VHS Tape)

I saw this film when it first opened in NYC with the actor Richard Thomas in the audience, an instant turn on feature. It was I belive his first movie and was very touched by it's content. Since the topic deals with the pains and delights of growing up from childhood to adulthood. A critical period, that to all of us, is the stuff of the fondest memories and secrets.

It's an extraordinary movie very similar in many ways to "Summer of 42" released 2 years after "Last Summer." I have always considered that both films topics were by some means inter-related, or that the first one somehow, inspired the other to be made. "Last Summer" takes place in Fire Island, Long Island during the late 1960's social revolution, whereas the other story happen at a New England beach colony during the Second World War.

Unfortunatelly, while "Summer of 42" was released by Warner Brothers on DVD to great lyrical intensity. "LAST SUMMER" STILL AWAITS TO BE REDISCOVERED BY A NEWER GENERATION OF FILM LOVERS.

PLEASE CAN SOMEONE DO SOMETHING TO HAVE IT SOON RELEASED ON DVD. BECAUSE THIS STORY GOT SO MUCH SOUL THAT IT COULD BRAKE YOUR HEART.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Forgotten Classic! Where's the dvd?!, November 3, 2005

By 

dekkard8 (outside the circle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Summer (VHS Tape)

Late 60's coming of age psychodrama. Three teens(Bruce Davison, Richard Thomas, Barbara Hershey) on Fire Island deal with their awakening sexuality and a new resident, played by Catherine Burns(whatever happened to her?), who wants to be friends with them. The standout scene is when Burns delivers a monologue that is one of the finest ever filmed. I think she was nominated for an Oscar based on that scene alone. It's that moving. This movie is known best for it's ending but there's a lot more to appreciate. Directed by Frank Perry('The Swimmer').

I would love to see this one dvd with cast and crew reflections and a look at Fire Island, then and now.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LORD OF THE FLIES ON FIRE ISLAND...., January 10, 2006

By 

A. J. Busch "abusch10" (Santa Barbara, Ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Last Summer (VHS Tape)

There are certain movies from my childhood that were more frightening then any horror film - one of them is "Last Summer" and it is easy to see how similar this film is to "Lord of the Flies", in this case teenagers and not children are left to their own devices without parental interference in any way - basically the story is the same, that human nature is cruel and hierarchy building and will destroy the most vulnerable souls in the quest for power and dominance. That even those with perhaps the greatest potential for kindness - in this case Richard Thomas (& brilliant here), will run with the tribe if forced to make a choice between doing what is good and standing alone or doing unspeakable cruelty to be spared the tyrany of the majority. In reality, unlike Lord of the Flies, by acting on his better self the dynamic would have been tied as there are only 4 characters here -- however, the point of this movie is that human nature is basically weak of character and depraved and therefore a nihilistic view of humanity - which we see in the broken bird that must be killed as it is not strong enough to fight for its existence; as a metaphor for the fat girl who although morally superior is physically weak and therefore damaging to the social order in her quest for supremacy against the beauty and strength, portrayed to perfection by Barbara Hershey. Perhaps this movie is meant to show there is no room for nuance in nature and that the weak must be eliminated to make room for the survival of the fittest-- This is why I think this movie stays with you - I like to think the fat girls reasoned arguments for humanity as separate and better then the will of nature is supreme and true but this movie doesn't take that stand on this issue and leaves you to ponder the other point of view equally - that Ms Hershey is a queen bee who must fulfil her rightful place - there is no moral to this story, no feel good conclusion and it hurts. It is a great, small and underestimated film - The boys here by the way are meerly pawns in this dynamic. All 4 leads are superb - Great screenplay by Perry who also with his wife wrote and directed another gem "the Swimmer" .