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Our lucky Bumbles dodged a bullet recently with Hurricane Earl. Down here in Florida, I knew how they felt...whenever we see a swirling mass of stuff roaring towards us out in the Atlantic, we get an involuntary twitch and wonder if our number is up (like it was in 2004). So as you can imagine, their minds were on storms, and decided it would be a good week to use that as a theme for the Monday Movie Meme.
Even though hurricanes are at the top of my list of fears, I did try to give equal opportunity to all storms. Before you declare me caffeine-deprived because I didn't list The Perfect Storm or Wizard of Oz, please know that is because the Bumbles got to them first. They ARE the ultimate storm movies! Here are some I came up with:
1. Twister - of course. I grew up in the midwest, so I saw this one initially with trepidation. I was terrified of tornadoes as a kid, and this movie did a pretty good job of reenacting the "finger of God". Universal also has an Twister attraction where you are at the drive-in theater when the Big One hits. It is pretty fun, even if you don't have to strap yourself in and go upside down!
2. Trouble the Water - Unless you were in New Orleans in late August 2005, you will never get closer to Hurricane Katrina than watching this documentary. This movie is about way more than the storm itself, as you can imagine, but the hurricane footage, shot from the Ninth Ward with a video camera, is terrifying.
3. Their Eyes Were Watching God - After Hurricane Katrina, the deadliest hurricane was one that hit Okeechobee in 1929, when the storm surge caused the lake to breach it's dikes and kill over 2,500 people. This event was the climax in the film based on the novel by Zora Neale Hurston. The movie can't match the beauty of the novel, but the storm scene is memorable.
4. The Shining - haha. I knew I would manage to slide in one of my favorites! I was looking for an example of a snowstorm, and this takes the prize. Snowstorms can be a marathon, and make you feel claustrophobic and slightly crazy, which is why this is the perfect way to end the perfect horror film.
5. The English Patient - I thought it would be fun to add a sandstorm to the mix, and while I THINK there was one in Lawrence of Arabia, I couldn't resist this one. If you have seen the movie, then you will remember how Count Lazlo and Katherine rode out the sandstorm together in their Jeep, and set the stage for what was to come.
What are some of your favorites?
Even though hurricanes are at the top of my list of fears, I did try to give equal opportunity to all storms. Before you declare me caffeine-deprived because I didn't list The Perfect Storm or Wizard of Oz, please know that is because the Bumbles got to them first. They ARE the ultimate storm movies! Here are some I came up with:
1. Twister - of course. I grew up in the midwest, so I saw this one initially with trepidation. I was terrified of tornadoes as a kid, and this movie did a pretty good job of reenacting the "finger of God". Universal also has an Twister attraction where you are at the drive-in theater when the Big One hits. It is pretty fun, even if you don't have to strap yourself in and go upside down!
2. Trouble the Water - Unless you were in New Orleans in late August 2005, you will never get closer to Hurricane Katrina than watching this documentary. This movie is about way more than the storm itself, as you can imagine, but the hurricane footage, shot from the Ninth Ward with a video camera, is terrifying.
3. Their Eyes Were Watching God - After Hurricane Katrina, the deadliest hurricane was one that hit Okeechobee in 1929, when the storm surge caused the lake to breach it's dikes and kill over 2,500 people. This event was the climax in the film based on the novel by Zora Neale Hurston. The movie can't match the beauty of the novel, but the storm scene is memorable.
4. The Shining - haha. I knew I would manage to slide in one of my favorites! I was looking for an example of a snowstorm, and this takes the prize. Snowstorms can be a marathon, and make you feel claustrophobic and slightly crazy, which is why this is the perfect way to end the perfect horror film.
5. The English Patient - I thought it would be fun to add a sandstorm to the mix, and while I THINK there was one in Lawrence of Arabia, I couldn't resist this one. If you have seen the movie, then you will remember how Count Lazlo and Katherine rode out the sandstorm together in their Jeep, and set the stage for what was to come.
What are some of your favorites?
17 comments:
We had a bit of a heat wave last week with temperatures around 106-110. It's supposed to be much nicer this week, thank goodness. My first thought of weather movies was Twister--so was glad to see it on your list. We've had a few here in So. California since I've been here. Mostly minor ones and only one I can remember that actually did any damage.
Cool way to approach the theme. Will have to look for the film version of Their Eyes Were Watching God as I loved the book. Thanks!
Being a midwest girl, tornadoes are simultaneously something to fear and something so common it's hard to get scared. Hmm...confusing yes? What I mean is that tornado watches are so common I barely notice them but tornado warnings are enough to get the blood pumping something fierce. All of this is to say that Twister is definitely my storm movie.
You know, my husband has a penchant for watching bad disaster movies, and so, so many involve weather catastrophes. I don't have any titles, because frankly, there have just been too many of them at this point. You've picked some good ones though, especially Twister!
Love Twister! Every time the weather gets stormy, I'm tempted to put on the DVD :oD I recently saw A Serious Man & it ends with a tornado (don't worry, that's not a spoiler) that touched down in Minnesota around 1965.
Once again, I've never seen any of those movies - I feel so underwatched!
Very challenging theme today! I wonder if volcanos count? They're sort of weather-esque....
I haven't seen "Their Eyes Were Watching God" or "Trouble the Water." How could I have forgotten "Twister"? What a great storm movie!
Superb choices, especially The English Patient!
Ahhhhhh finally! A movie that I've watched. Twister. LOL. It's been raining here a lot so I definitely should find some "stormy weather" movies...
Shutter Island comes to my mind right at this moment. This will be one of the movies I'll have to watch it again besides Twister and The Shining!
I hate weather...I hate wind and thunderstorms and lightening...and hurricanes. I watched and watched Earl come up the coast, headed, rarely enough for NJ..and then they decided he was going to turn east.
My favorite storm movie...The Perfect Storm.
Also a book I loved.
I like your creative take on the topic this week. I tried to think of snowy storms and horror ones but drew lots of blanks - duh - The Shining!!!
I've never seen Twister - do you think the effects would be too cheesy now?
Have you ever seen the Mia Farrow movie Hurricane?...I think it was an early 80's film...I'm in MS but only an hour from New Orleans and will NEVER forget Katrina.
After watching Twister I just knew I could never live in the Midwest. That movie scared the bejesus out of me and I live in Earthquake country!
Good choices. I am haunted by Margaret Hamilton on her bicycle in The Wizard of Oz (and from having lived in Kansas where you can see those funnel clouds from miles away; even before then, the sky takes on a yellow-greenish cast and it is too still and quiet -- and then the sirens go off).
The one about the supervolcano in Yellowstone was really fun. That aired on the Discovery Channel, I believe, but it was really well-done.
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