Comedies come in cycles. There was a time in the late 1990s and continuing through the early 2010s when movie theaters regularly welcomed rated-R-for-raunchy flicks with over-the-top humor. 

But as social mores changed, and movie theaters struggled to get people into their buildings, many of those movies went straight to streaming.

Wolverine Productions' Benjamin Vomastek misses when salty comedies with no-holds-barred japes populated the cineplex, and the University of Michigan grad is doing his part to bring them back.

Vomastek's film debut, 2024's Rosetta Stoned, filmed in Ann Arbor on a $30,000 budget, features a pothead who convinces a socially awkward classmate to exchange homework answers for weed. 

The new Hometown Summer, also filmed in Tree Town, premieres at the Michigan Theater on Thursday, May 22, at 7:30 pm. The cast and crew will appear after for a Q&A session.

In Hometown Summer, three young pals spend the warm months in Ann Arbor, and all kinds of mayhem happen when they get mixed up in a crazy business plan and indulge in all sorts of vices.

Vomastek makes no secret that his films are indebted to outrageous comedies of the past, such as Superbad and There's Something About Mary, so I asked him to discuss some movies that were direct influences on Hometown Summer.

"Each of these films carries a theme of human authenticity and realism that has inspired me as a filmmaker," Vomastek said.

American Pie
(1999)
I've never seen a movie that is so honest and relatable about going through high school as a boy. The movie does such a wonderful job of focusing in on five main seniors in high school who are all uniquely different, but are also relatable. Everyone who went to high school knows exactly who Jim, Kevin, Chris, Paul, and Steve are in real life.

I appreciate the focus on sexuality as this is often a topic that is considered to be too "indecent" to ever discuss, given the way sex is portrayed in United States culture.

I also appreciate the overall honesty of the film. It's not sugar-coated. Everything is so real. I particularly love the character of Steve Stifler—even though he's not the most politically correct person, he treats the people around him poorly, and he's immature. The screenwriter, Adam Herz, didn't shy away from including him because, whether you like it or not, Steve Stifler and people like him are prevalent in society.

I particularly love the scene in which Steve laughs at Chris for his mishap with a girl earlier in the night. While the behavior is rude and unbecoming, I love it because it's honest. That's 100% how that character would behave in real life, and I feel like this sort of thing has been lost recently in cinema.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High
(1982)
The honesty and humanity that this movie portrays are nothing short of brilliant. This is the perfect example of a movie in which you feel like you're a fly on the wall observing real people. What makes this movie so special is that even though it was released in 1982, it is still relatable in 2025 because the movie tackles universal themes and experiences that everyone goes through in their high school years. It doesn't matter that the cars look different or that no one has a cell phone, because the odd jobs the characters work, the complicated experiences they have with relationships and lust, and just their overall interactions with people and the world they live in are all too familiar with anyone who's ever been a teenager.

One scene that I'll never forget from this movie is when Mark asks Stacy for her phone number—aside from the overall honesty and awkwardness that the two characters display in this interaction, the moment when Stacy asks him if he has a pen because the one she has is out of ink is such a beautiful human moment. Instead of everything flowing well, we have this moment that will seem small and insignificant to many upon first glance, we get this genuine moment that further deepens the feeling that we aren't even watching a movie but instead two actual people conversing.

Old School
(2003)
The Hangover
(2009)
Writer-director Todd Phillips is the single greatest comedy filmmaker of all time, in my opinion.

Todd writes the most realistic comedic dialogue and directs the most authentic comedic performances I've ever seen. He never settles for "good enough"; he always pushes every scene to its maximum comedic potential.

Todd does two things particularly well and uniquely in that, one, he doesn't try to reinvent the wheel with his comedy, but instead plays off of familiar people and situations to everyone, and two, is unafraid of pushing any boundary for the sake of great comedy.

The thing that stands out the most in a Todd Phillips comedy is not the big set pieces, but the line-by-line dialogue. Whenever I think of my favorite moments in his comedies, it's always just scenes of people talking to each other.

A particular scene that comes to mind is in Old School when Frank gives Mitch a housewarming gift, but it turns out to be the exact gift that Mitch gave Frank for his wedding. Again, this is just a moment exploring the humor in our daily lives. This is absolutely something that would happen—and I'm sure has happened many times over—in real life.

In Hometown Summer, I try to explore the genuineness and authenticity of humans, and to make light of these everyday situations. It's my hope that everyone in the audience will recognize and "know" the characters in the film as people from their personal lives.

Christopher Porter is a library technician and the editor of Pulp.

"Hometown Summer" premieres Thursday, May 22, at 7:30 pm at the Michigan Theater, 603 East Liberty Street, Ann Arbor. Visit marquee-arts.org for tickets and more info.