Even though the weather gods that control D.C. have seemingly gone off their medications temporarily, it’s likely they’ll calm down soon and usher in that oppressive heat and distracting sunlight that outdoorsy people call “summer.” (EDITOR’S NOTE: This climate theory has yet to go up to peer review.) And though we don’t have to worry about ash clouds or earthquakes, sometimes enjoying the outside world can be boring. So here are our picks for entertainment that do a great job of explaining what summer is like, just short of stepping out your front door.
“Generation Kill”
Say what you will about the D.C. heat — we’re all probably better off than those stuck in a Middle East desert with a partially covered Humvee to give them shade. David Simon’s miniseries about recon marines during the invasion of Iraq is so realistic that you’ll soon find yourself talking like uber-eloquent elite soldiers and sweating just watching them run across the sand of southern Iraq, engaging in a battle dictated more by bureaucracy than conflict. We would likely run for the pool.
“Life of Pi”
The hero of this book would kill to see a beach. That’s because he’s stuck on a small lifeboat with a tiger, a hyena, a zebra and an orangutan. Eventually it’s just him and the tiger (for obvious reasons), and he quickly has to figure out how to survive both the elements and his new hungry friend. Yann Martel’s book is more philosophical fable than adventure story, but its simple plot is enough to keep you turning the page. Enjoy it on a beach, with the benefit of dry land.
“Brushfire Fairytales”
Sure it may seem an obvious choice, but few acts have turned a seasonal feeling into their own brand like Jack Johnson has. His laid-back, surf bum attitude leaks into and infects each song, until even the most jaded listener can’t help but feel their feet sink into the Hawaiian sand where Johnson got his start. His first full record “Brushfire Fairytales” contains the essence of his sound.
“Do The Right Thing”
Spike Lee has made some of the most notable films of the last few decades, and “Do The Right Thing” can fairly be called his best. It’s both his most limited in scope (telling the story of a single city block during a heat wave) and his most accessible — the racial troubles that serve as Lee’s muse are presented in a way that is urgent rather than abrasive. As a heat wave gets worse and worse, the troubles underlying this diverse neighborhood boil over into a cathartic final conflict as refreshing as turning on the air conditioning.
“12 Angry Men”
Much like Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” the outside heat of “12 Angry Men” makes the inner conflicts of these jurors that much more affecting. The characters are sweating because of the heat in the courtroom. But it’s their intense debates over the merits of not just the case they’re handling, but the entire system of justice, that will make the viewer feel as if they were under the bright examination lights. Tempers flare so brightly that no number of open windows will cool the fires of passion.
“Pet Sounds”
To say nothing of the massive influence this album has given musicians of all stripes, “Pet Sounds” is the embodiment of the surf sound that made the Beach Boys a staple of the beach lifestyle. Its elaborate harmonies and rhythms have influences from all over — from African tribal music to pop music from Britain and beyond — but songs like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” are pure Americana.
“Dog Day Afternoon”
After the rising heat gets a whole crowd out to watch an ongoing bank robbery, robber Al Pacino famously eggs them on, eventually joining along and chanting, “Attica! Attica! Put your fucking guns down!” Inside, the situation gets hotter for the noble robbers as the cops begin to close their noose around the bank. But the craziness of the outside crowd, encouraged by the beating sun, is just as troublesome to the viewer.
“Rabbit at Rest”
The final book of John Updike’s four-part “Rabbit” series, “Rabbit At Rest” concerns our hero Harry “Rabbit” Angstrom at the twilight of his career. He is now retired in sunny Florida, but the good weather isn’t preventing his life from falling apart again, starting with his marriage. The book is about the possibility of redemption from sadness, but its beautiful description of the Florida sun should be enough for some readers.
“XX”
The languid beats of The xx’s debut album have gotten them plenty of press, but it’s the feeling behind them that make the album so compulsively listenable. Though they may be Londoners and thus have never had the kind of summer we have here, they seem to understand the basics: slow beats, sexy crooning and the kind of flow that makes you want to put up your feet and lay in the sun.
“If You’re Feeling Sinister”
Truthfully, any Belle & Sebastian album could fit this bill. But “If You’re Feeling Sinister” is their most consistent, and the one that offers the most of their trademark twee-pop. The songs may be infected with a sadness that may keep it from a summer mix tape, but its curt dissection of the modern id is as beautifully mournful as a sunset on a nice day.
You can reach this staff writer at thescene@theeagleonline.com
