Why risk heat stroke by going outdoors? Fire up the air conditioner or fan and curl up in front of the TV to enjoy some of the Today section staff’s favorite weather-related movies — five to keep you cool and five to remind you how hot it’s been. (Movies are available on DVD, Blu-ray and on-demand services, unless otherwise noted.)
5 movies for chillin’
1. "Fargo" (1986): The Coen brothers’ black comedy is so wintry it might be just what you need to take the edge off this heat. William H. Macy as a bumbling crook of a car salesman desperate for cash and Frances McDormand as sharp-as-an-icicle cop Marge Gunderson are convincing enough to transport you up north.
2. "The Shining" (1980): There are so many hair-raising scenes in Stanley Kubrick’s now-classic horror movie that you could easily forget its snowbound climax: Jack Nicholson’s character, the insane Jack Torrance, chasing his son through a hedge maze piled high with snowdrifts before freezing to death. The chill you feel could easily be one of fear, but you’ll get the shivers nonetheless.
3. "Meru" (2015): Three elite climbers tackle the gnarliest ascent in the Himalayas, a fin-shaped wall of granite named Meru, also the name of this terrifying documentary. You can feel your veins freezing over as they gnaw on frozen hummus. The movie is still playing at Kahala 8. "Everest," another film to cool off with, opened Friday. Read the review on D3.
4. "Frozen" (2013): Yes, it’s an obvious choice, but what better way to cool down with the kids than grabbing some Popsicles and pressing "play" to watch this animated Disney mega-hit? Your family will be transported to Arendelle as Elsa releases her icy blast on the Nordic town. By the time she’s saved by her sister Anna, you’ll forget it’s 90 degrees outside and spend the rest of the day humming "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?"
5. "The Day After Tomorrow" (2004): If the movie poster showing the Statue of Liberty engulfed in snow doesn’t bring a cold shudder, then maybe seeing Jake Gyllenhaal and Emmy Rossum soaked to the bone and huddling for warmth will. The cold and wet pair take shelter in a library as global warming brings severe flooding, torrential rain and plummeting temperatures to New York City (and the rest of the world). Far-fetched when released a decade ago, the disaster film seems prescient now — especially after new El Nino predictions that Hawaii’s ongoing bout of extreme weather will likely extend to the end of the year.
5 movies that make you sweat
1. "Rear Window" (1954): It could be worse. You could be stuck in a wheelchair with a heavy leg cast in the middle of a New York City summer like the perspiring Jimmy Stewart in this Alfred Hitchcock thriller. The master of suspense knows just how to make you sweat, both with a claustrophobic setting and nail-biting plot.
2. "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015): If Charlize Theron’s buzz cut in George Miller’s action-packed remake doesn’t give you the impression that it’s hot out there in the post-apocalyptic desert, all the explosions and vehicle crashes will. Tom Hardy, in the titular role, doesn’t say much but his scowl smolders.
3. "Body Heat" (1981): The only thing hotter than the Florida setting in Lawrence Kasdan’s thriller is its star, Kathleen Turner. As Matty Walker, a sultry temptress with murder and sex on her mind, she leaves her lover (William Hurt’s obsessed attorney Ned Racine) exhausted, sweaty and willing to kill for love. The two stars heat up the screen with steamy trysts and razor-sharp banter.
4. "The Lion King" (1994): Against a backdrop of menacing vultures circling above barren trees and the parched African savanna, a royal-born, outcast lion cub seeks his destiny as leader of the pride. Disney’s trademark singing animals and happy ending aren’t enough to cloak the scorching "Hamlet"-like tale of dark ambition and betrayal. 5. "Do the Right Thing" (1989): Think it’s hot in Hawaii? Imagine yourself surrounded by concrete in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood, as shown on one sweltering day in Spike Lee’s masterpiece. Then throw in racial tensions that make the melting pot boil over. Suddenly 96 degrees in the shade without tradewinds doesn’t feel so bad.
5. “Do the Right Thing” (1989): Think it’s hot in Hawaii? Imagine yourself surrounded by concrete in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood, as shown on one sweltering day in Spike Lee’s masterpiece. Then throw in racial tensions that make the melting pot boil over. Suddenly 96 degrees in the shade without tradewinds doesn’t feel so bad.
