gt gadabout: Heatwave classics to cool you down

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Australia is having somewhat of a record breaking heatwave at the moment and with that has unfortunately come bush fires, a sad companion to summer heat. Today in Melbourne, I was woken by rain at 5am followed by strong winds and heat predicted to be 37 degrees just to keep things interesting. Sometimes when the heat can get you down, I like to think of the aspects of summer that are memorable and joyous, like those great swims, yummy ice-creams, not needing to wear socks and layers and layers of clothes and the films I tend to want to watch.

Somehow I find that selecting films to suit the weather almost makes it like you are watching a 3D movie! The hotter the heat in the movie, the more my temperature seems to rise, whereas when they are in a swimming pool or beach, I can feel the cool breeze and the splash of the water. Sounds odd or do you agree? It's all about psychology after all and tricking the brain. And if by chance, my Summer dreams can trick me into being serenaded by Elvis, or wooed by Paul Newman then I'd say this is a rather fun game to play!

I've included a few of my basic Summer heat staples, but there is of course more to the mix, but I always like to start with an Elvis flick- it's not too taxing on the mind or plot for that matter, he wears great clothes and so do the women and they are always shot in sunny locations. Win win I say! Gidget is another one, Gidget and her great striped red bathing suit that she coped flack for in the movie but that I actually wish was worn by more women at the beach then some of the shockers I am to endure nowadays, but I digress. Spending her days sunning at the beach learning how to surf, makes me almost think I can do it too just by watching her lessons! And finally, it seems that Paul Newman makes it to 3 of my favourite Summer flicks. You may wonder how you can possibly cool down with these when surely he would make your temperature rise just by looking at him! Yes, true, but he is also so cool, so suave and such a classic that he can do no wrong for me, and that is in itself refreshing whether he is playing opposite the seductive Elizabeth Taylor in Cat on a hot tin roof which inspired me to spend days at home in a white slip, or opposite his wife Joanne Woodward sizzling up the screen, you can feel the heat between the two and get lost in the story. That's the making of a great film. I hope I've inspired you to check out these classics if you haven't already and do you have a favourite film to watch over the Summer?