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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’.”
BY BELINDA M. PASCHAL
With unemployment rising faster than Megan Fox’s hemlines and gas prices oscillating like Tila Tequila’s sexual preference, folks are canceling vacations and seeking cheaper alternatives. If your purse strings are tighter than Beyoncé’s weave, there’s a way to hit the highway without shifting the car out of park. It’s one of our most revered cinematic pastimes: The road trip movie.
For the cost of two, maybe three, gallons of gas, you can see the world without enduring traffic jams, flat tires, the eternal wait at baggage claim or Mommy’s Little Precious playing punt-the-passenger on the back of your seat. So pop some Orville Redenbacher’s, fire up the DVD player, and settle into that you-shaped groove in your sofa.
This list isn’t comprehensive by a mile because there are so many road trip classics, including “It Happened One Night,” “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World,” “Smokey and the Bandit,” and of course, “Easy Rider” – not a personal pick, but nonetheless a linchpin of the genre.
Even “The Wizard of Oz” is a road trip – bonus points because it’s on foot! More recent years have brought “Dumb and Dumber” – I’m not a fan, but many are; “Sideways,” which I haven’t seen but hope to; and “Road Trip,” which I’ll never see for two reasons: Tom. Green.
I’ve narrowed my choices down to a few favorites from the last three decades:
* “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983) – The quintessential road trip flick, featuring Chevy Chase at the height of his hilarity.
* “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” (1985) – Tim Burton kicked off his directorial career with man-child Pee-wee’s search for his stolen bicycle, a trek that takes him to truck stops, biker bars, tourist traps and don’t forget – The Alamo.
* “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” (1987) – This screwball comedy manages to have heart and depth, thanks to funnymen Steve Martin and John Candy.
* “Thelma & Louise” (1991) – A chick flick that feels like a dude movie, except dudes wouldn’t hold hands and grin during their final trip. I won’t spoil it for the three cave-dwellers who haven’t seen it; let’s just say the last journey is a short one.
* “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” (1994) – Forget “To Wong Foo.” This Aussie trio makes those so-called drag queens look like … well, three guys in women’s clothing.
* “The Muppet Movie” (1997) – A froggie goes a-courtin’ stardom, as Kermit heads to Hollywood. I dare you not to get misty during “Rainbow Connection.”
* “The Straight Story” (1999) – An unconventional road tripper featuring one man, one riding mower and a six-week trip to make peace with his estranged brother. Even weirder: It’s a David Lynch film.
* “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan” (2006) – Reporter come to U.S. for do movie-film about greatest country in world and hopefully make sexy time with Pamela Anderson. High five!
* “Little Miss Sunshine” (2006) – “National Lampoon’s Vacation” for the indie set, with a more dysfunctional family and a kiddie beauty pageant thrown in for extra laughs.
BY BELINDA M. PASCHAL
"Goldfingahhhhhhhhhh!"
"Live and let diiiie … dunt, DUNNNNN!"
"Nobody does it better … baby, you’re the best!"
"For your eyes only, only for yoooooou …"
Despite never having watched a single James Bond flick in its entirety, I can sing the theme songs to many offerings from the Connery and Moore eras, which ran from the early 60’s through mid-80’s, when Tim Dalton took over in "The Living Daylights." It speaks volumes that all I can remember about that film’s theme is the title – because it’s the same as the movie’s – and the performer – a-Ha – because they did that really cool (for 1985, anyway) video that looked like a comic book.
There was a time when you couldn’t escape hearing silver screen theme songs – in the car, the dentist’s chair, an elevator – wherever you went. My eye still twitches when I hear the opening strains of Celine Dion’s "My Heart Will Go On."
The songs were as big as the movies themselves. We were born to be wild like "Easy Rider." We strutted our stuff with John Travolta ‘cos we, too, were "Stayin’ Alive." We shared misty, watercolor memories with Barbra Streisand. And when Isaac Hayes’ backup singers demanded that we shut our moufs, we innocently replied, "I’m talkin’ ‘bout Shaft!"
Whatever happened to definitive theme songs? There’s been the occasional hit in the last decade, but the stream of true blockbuster songs has pretty much run dry. They just don’t write ‘em like that anymore.
In honor of these odes of yore, below are a few of my favorite movie theme songs. They’re all from the 1980’s because was my theatergoing heyday. I spent much of my free time at the movies because my neighborhood wasn’t wired for cable, VCRs were the size of Buicks and I hadn’t yet become too crabby to tolerate the annoying habits of other moviegoers – you know, talking … popcorn-crunching … soda-slurping … breathing.
* "Eye of The Tiger" – Survivor, "Rocky III" (1982). Show me a high school marching band that can't play this song and I’ll show you a geekatorium where Mathletes is the most popular team sport.
* "Flashdance ... What A Feeling" – Irene Cara, "Flashdance" (1983) This song/movie showed me my true calling as a breakdancer. In the Locked Bedroom Door Contemporary Dance Troupe, that is.
* "I Melt With You" – Modern English, "Valley Girl" (1983)
* "Ghostbusters" – Ray Parker Jr., "Ghostbusters" (1984)
* "Purple Rain" – Prince, "Purple Rain" (1984)
* "Don't You (Forget About Me)" – Simple Minds, "The Breakfast Club" (1985) – I was a combination of the “brain” and the “basket case,” according to a scientific study (translation: a Seventeen Magazine quiz).
* "We Don't Need Another Hero" – Tina Turner, "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" (1985)
* "Glory Of Love" – Peter Cetera, "The Karate Kid Part II" (1986). As twentysomething Ralph Macchio's age finally began to show, his turn as 17-year-old Daniel-san felt like a little bit of a stretch in this fairly decent sequel. I mean, the guy doesn't look a day under 19!
* "Take My Breath Away" – Berlin, "Top Gun" (1986)
* "Who Wants To Live Forever?" – Queen, "Highlander" (1986)
* "In Your Eyes" – Peter Gabriel, "Say Anything" (1989). This song and the scene it underscores inspired countless lovestruck teenage boys to let their boomboxes say what their knotted-up tongues couldn’t. It also inspired countless irate parents to file restraining orders.
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.
