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Ten ‘Summer’ Films to Escape the Heat

Jul 16, 2012

By Anealla Safdar, Digital Department, DFI

The temperature in Doha keeps flirting with the feared 50-degree Celsius mark according to the Qatar Meteorology Department, and generally everyone who bathes in air conditioning until sunset.

There’s a positive relationship between summer and movie-watching. On the likely occasion of cinema screenings being sold out (several “The Amazing Spider-Man” showings were full last weekend), take your pick from one of these ‘summer’ titles to escape the heat.

In chronological order:

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
Both Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman received Academy Awards for their performances in this adaptation of Tennesse Williams’ Pulitzer winning play. The classic picture addressed themes of social etiquette, mendacity, repression and death.
How hot? 40°

(L-R) Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in 'Some Like It Hot'

Some Like It Hot (1959)
Two Chicago musicians who witnessed the St Valentine’s Day massacre pretend to be women in an all-girl band to hide from the mob. It apparently took Marilyn Monroe (who plays Sugar Kane Kowalczyk) 47 takes to deliver three little words; ‘It’s me Sugar’.
How hot? 35°

Summer Holiday (1963)
This British musical is synonymous with the film’s repetitive song of the same name by Cliff Richard. Now a ‘Sir’, the performer was just 23 years old in “Summer Holiday” – the second most popular at the British box office in 1963 after “From Russia With Love”.
How hot? 17°

One Crazy Summer (1986)
A much rounder-faced Demi Moore played Cassandra, the young rock star trying to save her grandfather’s home from a greedy family, in this romantic comedy. Released in August, “One Crazy Summer” grossed $13.4 million in the US.
How hot? 20°

Heat (1995)
After “Heat”, a successful crime film, 13 years passed until Al Pacino and Robert De Niro would appear on screen together again. Rapper 50 Cent also starred in (the less successful) “Righteous Kill” (2008).
How hot? 39°

Boiler Room (2000)
Nineteen year old Seth Davis (Giovanni Ribisi) feels the heat of being a pressurised salesman along with co-stars Ben Affleck and Vin Diesel. “A super-charged, intensely-played picture,” said Empire Magazine.
How hot? 28°

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Critics celebrated the performance by Jim Carrey in one of the few serious roles he has undertaken. Before he expressed an interest in playing Joel, Nicholas Cage had been considered.
How hot? 40°

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
With a suicidal brother, pageant queen wannabe daughter, silent son, life-coach husband and a drug dealing father in law, Sheryl Hoover (Toni Collette) has plenty on her plate. This black comedy hit high notes, winning over 10 awards (including two Academy Awards).
How hot? 43°

I’ll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006)
The relatively unknown sequel to “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” is the third and final (thankfully) installment to the teen slasher series. With no original cast members, it went straight to DVD.
How hot?

(L-R) Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel in '500 Days of Summer'

(500) Days of Summer (2009)
“You should know upfront, this is not a love story”, warns the trailer’s voiceover. Refreshing, funny, and with a soundtrack to live your summer by, this is a film worth revisiting over and over again.
How hot? 50°

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