Movies for a Heatwave

When I wrote this it was hot! Really fucking hot! Here in New York, it was 97 degrees, but it felt like 104 with the humidity. The West coast was even hotter! It was just disgusting and I refused to go outside (Yes I’m a giant baby in the summer). So if you hide from the heat like me, or are recovering from a day of summer fun, here are some great summer movies to chill out to. Most of these are older movies. For me, these seem to capture the feel of a gross, hot summer. Then click here to see our previous list of our top summer camp movies!

• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – Is there anyone reading this that hasn’t seen it? Hot, dry, dusty Texas town. An empty farm practically in the middle of nowhere. A wacko hitchhiker and a creepy, family of cannibals living next door. And Leatherface!

• The Hills Have Eyes – A family is driving through the desert and tries a side road to save time. Of course, they get stuck. When will people learn to listen when the creepy old man in town says not to do something? There are cannibals up in the hills and they’re hungry. It’s the perfect double feature with Chainsaw.

• Cujo – Cujo is a sweet, fuzzy St. Bernard. Until one summer he gets rabies. As it gets worse and starts affecting his brain, he starts killing people. Unfortunately, Dee Wallace Stone and her son end up trapped in her car in the brutal heat while he stalks them. The film takes a bit to get going, but it’s definitely worth it!

• Tourist Trap – Do mannequins or dolls creep you out? If they do, then don’t watch this alone! A stop at a roadside attraction during a summer road trip seems innocent, right? Well not if it’s at a rundown wax museum that has freaky, lifelike mannequins, a guy with telekinesis, and a crazy caretaker. It has a little dark humor, but those creepy mannequins will stick in your head for a while after it’s over!

• The Cabin in the Woods – I love this movie! No, it’s not scary, and yes it’s a horror spoof, but it’s so much fun. I thought the plot was ingenious. It has horror character cliches, mythical monsters, and lots of blood and death. If you haven’t seen it, you need to immediately. 

• Piranha 3D – Don’t go in the water people! This is bad but in a good way. And it’s not scary, but I don’t care. It’s the beach! It’s your basic something underground releases prehistoric monster movie. It’s cheesy and doesn’t take itself too seriously. You can’t see it in 3D obviously but go for it anyway.
• Jaws – “We’re gonna need a bigger boat”. Need I say more?

These are just the ones I go to, I know I left so many out! Don’t forget to click the link to our Summer Fun article to find the best summer camp horror movies. So next time it gets so hot in your neck of the woods that you can’t think of something to watch – put on the a/c, grab a cold one, and give one of these a try.