02
Jun

SLANT MAGAZINE REVIEW OF PING PONG SUMMER

Ping Pong Summer

BY GLENN HEATH JR.

Ah, summer vacation—when virgins seek deflowerment, keg stands are ubiquitous, and hearts are broken. Crazy spreads like wildfire and curious pubescent teens prowl for life-changing experiences on the sands of coastal burrows. In the 1980s, many films, from Stand by Me to One Crazy Summer, specialized in depictions of young people coming to grips with sexual identity, death, and impending adulthood throughout hot summer months. Movies since have paid tribute to this seasonal nostalgia in more darkly comic ways, but Ping Pong Summer opts for a more sincere approach. A heartfelt retro flashback littered with pop-culture iconography and much slang, it focuses on the importance of friendship and loyalty rather than social standing…

READ MORE