HOT FILMS IN THE SUMMERTIME

BY BELINDA M. PASCHAL

Looking for a cinematic treat while beating the heat and kicking up your feet? Cool your heels while watching these summer-themed flicks from the last few decades:

“Summertime” (1955) – Katharine Hepburn was nominated for an Oscar for her turn as a vacationing spinster who falls for a married antique dealer in Italy.
Memorable quote: The film’s tagline: “She came to Venice as a tourist … and went home a woman.”

“Suddenly, Last Summer” (1959) – A stellar cast (Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn and Montgomery Clift) lights up Gore Vidal’s somber adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play known for such then-verboten themes as homosexuality, cannibalism and lobotomy.
Memorable quote: “We would carve each day like a piece of sculpture, leaving behind us a trail of days like a gallery of sculpture until suddenly, last summer.”

“The Endless Summer” (1966) – The “ultimate surf movie” follows avid boarders to California, Hawaii, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa in search of the perfect wave.
Memorable quote: “Malibu Beach, California, famous for its Malibu Outriggers, surfing, and girls. THIS is a girl … and for those of you who are maladjusted, THIS is a Malibu Outrigger.”

“Summer of ’42” (1971) – A bittersweet coming-of-age film in which the lovely Jennifer O’Neill’s main concern is her soldier husband’s fate in WWII, while three hormonal teens’ main concern is the lovely Jennifer O’Neill.
Memorable quote (as the boys gawk at a medical journal about sex): “Before I saw these pictures, I didn’t think it was possible, either.”

“Corvette Summer” (1978) – A high schooler’s automotive passion leads to a dream job as a Corvette mechanic, but he’s soon embroiled in the bossman’s dirty dealings. (Believe it or not, Mark Hamill DIDN’T do this for the money; he was already rolling in “Star Wars” dough!)
Memorable quote: “Ya wanna hitchhike, ya gotta stick somethin’ out.”

“One Crazy Summer” (1986) – An aspiring cartoonist (John Cusack) and his pals come to the aid of a singer (Demi Moore, back when Ashton was 8) to save her family property from developers.
Memorable quote: (While reading the obituaries) “You ever notice how people die in alphabetical order?”

“I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997) – Four teenagers try to cover up a hit-and-run, but SOMEONE knows what happened. And they’re out for revenge.
Memorable quote: “We should have a plan. Angela Lansbury always had a plan.”

“Summer of Sam” (1999) – Spike Lee’s spin on the “Son of Sam” murders during the summer of 1977 centers on the residents of a South Bronx neighborhood living in fear and distrust of one another.
Memorable quote: “Evil spelled backwards is live!”

“(500) Days of Summer” (2009) – Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a young man who believes in true love. Summer (Zooey Deschanel) is a young woman who doesn’t. CON: It’s as disgustingly hip as the parentheses in the title. PRO: Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Memorable quote: (Narrator): “Tom Hansen of Margate, NJ, grew up believing that he’d never truly be happy until the day he met ‘The One.’ This belief stemmed from early exposure to sad British pop music and a total misreading of the movie ‘The Graduate’.”

THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SNOW BUSINESS

BY BELINDA M. PASCHAL

Oh, the weather last week was frightful and being snowed in was none too delightful. Especially if you happened to be stranded away from home and the comforts therein – your own bed … your own broken-in sofa with your own personal butt groove … your own remote control that you don’t have to steal from your mom while she’s taking a nap.


I spent much of my confinement surfing the tube for a good winter movie, but the closest thing I could find was “Home Alone.” While that light-hearted tale of child neglect indeed takes place during the snowy season, it’s really more of a Christmas flick than a movie in which the weather has a starring role.

Next time a freak snowstorm hits, I’ll be better prepared with a few films to nicely complement my wintry mood:

* “Misery” – You'll think twice about driving in the snow after watching this 1990 thriller. Suddenly, that quick run to Speedway for nachos and a tub o’ soda won’t seem so important.

* “Snow Day” – One free day isn’t enough for the conniving schoolkids in this comedy that’s bound to give young viewers a few ideas, most of them illegal. Any flick featuring Iggy Pop just might be worth the cost of springing Junior from kiddie jail.

* “Cool Runnings” – Four Jamaican bobsledders plus one dream plus 25 below zero equal 98 minutes you don’t have to spend shoveling snow.

* “Groundhog Day” – Think you’ve got it bad? Imagine you’re Bill Murray living through the longest winter ever as Feb. 2 repeats over and over and over. Or worse, imagine being Punxsutawney Phil.

* “Alive” – This is the true story of a Uruguayan rugby team stranded in the Andes after a plane crash and driven to, um, “desperate measures” to survive. This is a movie you can sink your teeth into, an affecting tale that’s bound to eat away at you long after it’s over. Any further plot spoilers would be in, ahem, bad taste.

* “MXP: Most Xtreme Primate” – Best. Snowboarding Monkey. Movie. Ever. Period.

* “March of the Penguins” – Narrated by Morgan Freeman (who also does voiceovers in my head), this documentary follows the annual mating trek of Emperor penguins across the unforgiving Antarctic, where they endure sub-zero temperatures and gale-force blizzards, risking life and wing all in the name of love. Apparently, they’ve never heard of eHarmony.com.

* “Happy Feet” – This animated Oscar-winner takes a light-but-still-educational look at penguin mating rituals and, without becoming heavy-handed, teaches important lessons in accepting each others’ differences. It also teaches us that, even in cartoon form, Robin Williams will shamelessly chew every bit of scenery that crosses his path.

* The Shining” – A snowbound writer (Jack Nicholson) goes all Lizzie Borden on his wife and son in this Kubrick classic.

On second thought, I’d better scratch that last one off my list. It’s probably not the best thing to watch when you’re snowed in at your mom’s for three days.