On Location: Destination Sun Belt Quiz

Perhaps there is no sunnier American city than San Diego, and no movie that emphasises the glorious climate more than "Top Gun" (1986). In this movie there is a scene of a beach volleyball match between Top Gun rivals Maverick (Tom Cruise) with his wingman Goose (Anthony Edwards) against Iceman (Val Kilmer) and Slider (Rick Rossovich). This protracted, unnecessary scene pulls the fans because of its obviously beefcake setting of four good-looking young men, tanned, shirtless and ripped, wearing Aviator sunglasses. (To be fair, Anthony Edwards, who was to find fame as Dr Mark Greene in "ER", kept his shirt on). Those sunglasses feature prominently in the movie, emphasising the sunny location. The movie was shot on location at the US Navy training base at Miramar, San Diego.

This question was spiked into the quiz by amateur beach volleyballer 1nn1, whose days of playing shirtless are over.

"Tremors" (1990), directed by Ron Underwood, is a frightful film presenting unseen, underground creatures, later revealed to be worms, that torment the unfortunate people in the desert east of the Sierra Nevada mountains in an isolated settlement called Perfection, Nevada. The movie stars Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward as two handymen, who are weary of their dreary desert lives when mysterious deaths caused by the monstrous worms lead them to a fight for their survival. "Tremors" is the first movie for country singer Reba McEntire, who plays survivalist Heather Gummer in the film.

The gigantic worms in "Tremors" take advantage of the expansive desert location of Nevada, tunneling underground to appear suddenly at any location with a burst of sand to set upon their hapless victims. The entire movie, aside from two interior sets (Walter's store and the basement of Burt and Heather's house), is located in the harsh desert conditions of Nevada. And if you couldn't get enough of the treacherous, giant worms in the original movie, the "Tremors" franchise includes five sequels and one prequel, as well as a 2003 television series.

This question was wriggled in by Phoenix Rising's Rizeeve.

"Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (1974) is a comedy-drama largely set in Tucson, Arizona. The hot, dry climate is part of the way of life and a consistent backdrop for its characters.

After the death of her domineering husband, Alice Hyatt (Ellen Burstyn) decides to leave New Mexico with her precocious pre-teen son, Tommy (Alfred Lutter), and return to Monterrey, California, her hometown. Determined to rekindle her singing career, she needs to work along the way and ends up waitressing at Mel and Ruby's Diner in Tucson, Arizona. A relationship with regular customer and rancher David (Kris Kristofferson) leads to strife over parenting styles, but the two reconcile and Alice concludes that she can sing anywhere.

This film proved a financial success, and was director Martin Scorsese's first Hollywood studio production, including himself in a cameo role as a customer. Other notables in the supporting cast were Diane Ladd (waitress Flo), Jodie Foster (the tomboyish Audrey), and Harvey Keitel (hot-tempered Ben). A spinoff inspired by the film was the television sitcom "Alice" (1976-1985), although only Mel (Vic Tayback) reprised his movie role.

Nominated for three Academy Awards, Ellen Burstyn picked up the Oscar for Best Actress, while Diane Ladd and writer Robert Getchell missed out on Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay, respectively.

Phoenix Rising's psnz has often dreamed of second chances (and third, fourth, ...) and was happy to include this film in the quiz.

"Crazy Heart" (2009) is a drama, written and directed by Scott Cooper. The film won two Academy Awards from three nominations, with Jeff Bridges winning Best Actor, and Maggie Gyllenhaal picking up the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. The cast also included Colin Farrell and Robert Duvall.

Bad Blake (Bridges) is a former country music legend with a destructive lifestyle. Aspiring writer Jean Craddock (Gyllenhaal) comes to interview Bad in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the two form a relationship. It all comes to a sudden end when Bad's alcoholism results in his losing Jean's young son that he was supposedly watching. Bad uses the experience to write of his love for Jean in his new song, "The Weary Kind".

The Santa Fe and New Mexico scenery and weather are an ever-present backdrop to this film. Bad's road trips and motor vehicle accident, plus his fishing sojourn, all remind us of the "country music" aspect to his life and singing career.

Phoenix Rising's psnz composed this question for the quiz.

Based on Cormac McCarthy's 2005 novel with the same title, "No Country for Old Men" (2007) is a crime thriller directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, set in the desert of Texas in 1980. The film premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, and won four of the eight Academy Awards for which it was nominated (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay).

"No Country for Old Men" follows a hunter and welder named Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) as he stumbles upon two million dollars left at the scene of a violent gun exchange between drug runners that resulted in all their deaths. Psychopathic killer Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem, winner of the Best Supporting Actor Oscar) tracks Llewelyn to retrieve the money, dispatching seemingly everyone in his path during the pursuit.

Marfa, Texas was the location where most of "No Country for Old Men" was filmed. "There Will Be Blood" (2007), a movie that experienced similar success at the same 80th Academy Awards, also took advantage of the desert setting of Marfa, Texas, and Joel and Ethan Coen had to delay shooting their movie one day when a cloud of dark smoke from the filming of "There Will Be Blood" infiltrated the clear, sunny skies the Coens envisioned for their movie.

This question was wrangled in by Phoenix Rising member Rizeeve.

Directed by Herbert Ross, "Steel Magnolias" (1989) is a film adaptation of the 1987 play of the same name by Alabama native Robert Harling. The film is set in a small town in Louisiana: its title, a reference to the state's floral emblem, implies that women can be as strong as steel, in spite of their delicate appearance. The group of Southern ladies who are at the heart of this funny, heartwarming movie certainly prove its title right. Harling's play was based on the story of his own sister, Susan, who passed away in 1985 from diabetic complications.

Much of the action revolves around a beauty salon owned by Truvy (Dolly Parton), and the women who are her regular customers. "Steel Magnolias" boasts an ensemble cast of A-list actresses who bring these lovable small-town characters to life, including Academy Award winners Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Julia Roberts (in one of her earliest roles) and Olympia Dukakis, as well as Parton and Daryl Hannah. Famed actor, playwright and screenwriter Sam Shepard also stars as Truvy's husband.

The movie was filmed in the small city of Natchitoches in northwestern Louisiana, famous for its antebellum cotton-producing plantations, which took full advantage of the area's hot and humid summers. Visitors to the city can go on a tour of "Steel Magnolias" filming locations, including a bed-and-breakfast named after the movie.

LadyNym was happy to offer you this tough but fragrant question.

"In the Heat of the Night" (1967) is a mystery drama set in Sparta, Mississippi. The film was actually shot on location in Sparta, Illinois because of racial tensions in the American South at that time. Both the sweltering Mississippi summer temperatures and humidity along with the overarching hotbed of racial tension added a gritty reality to this movie.

Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier) is a black homicide detective from Philadelphia, passing through the town when he finds himself under suspicion of the murder of a prominent local businessman. White Spartan Police Chief Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger) is reluctantly forced to seek Tibbs' help to solve the crime.

The film won five of the seven Academy Awards for which it was nominated. It garnered Best Picture (Walter Mirisch), Best Actor (Steiger), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing. Norman Jewison missed out on the Best Director Award, with Mike Nichols picking up the Oscar for "The Graduate".

The American Film Institute compiled "100 Years... 100 Movies" (10th Anniversary Ed., 2007) listing their 100 greatest American cinema films at that time. "In the Heat of the Night" was #75. The US National Film Registry (Library of Congress) added the movie in 2002, as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Phoenix Rising's psnz reflects that in the light of the day, this film is one of his top ten favourites.

Set in a small town in rural Alabama, where the summers are long and sweltering, "Fried Green Tomatoes" (1991) celebrates friendship between women, as well as traditional Southern cuisine. The film is based on the 1987 novel "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café", written by actress and author Fannie Flagg, who is a native of Irondale, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. The Whistle Stop Café was inspired by a real-life Irondale restaurant, owned by the author's aunt.

Directed by Jon Avnet, the film stars Academy Award winners Kathy Bates (Evelyn) and Jessica Tandy (Ninny), two women who meet in the Birmingham nursing home where Ninny lives and Evelyn is visiting her aunt. As their friendship develops, Ninny tells Evelyn stories about her youth in the small town of Whistle Stop, now abandoned. The movie's main plot is focused on the friendship between Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson), Ninny's sister-in-law, and Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker), and the café they ran together.

"Fried Green Tomatoes" was filmed in Juliette, Georgia, a small town that was nearly deserted at the time. After the movie became a surprise box office hit, Juliette also became a tourist destination, and a real Whistle Stop Café was opened in the town's main street. At the 64th Academy Awards, Jessica Tandy was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and Flagg and screenwriter Carol Sobieski for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The rather delicious dish that gives its name to the movie, though maybe not very suitable for dieters, makes good use of the tomatoes that grow plentifully in Alabama's hot and humid summers - gathered when still unripe, coated with cornmeal, and deep-fried.

This question was dished up by Phoenix Rising's LadyNym, who is not ashamed to admit she cried when watching this movie.

In "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" (1997), the historic city of Savannah, Georgia - with its magnificent colonial architecture, lush vegetation, and steamy climate - is as much of a protagonist as the human actors. Directed by Clint Eastwood, this film is based on the 1994 novel of the same title by John Berendt. As Berendt's story was based on real-life events, some of the character's names were changed in the movie to protect their privacy. On the other hand, a number of famous Savannah residents - such as transgender entertainer The Lady Chablis, and musician Emma Kelly - appear as themselves.

The plot focuses on the story of antiques dealer Jim Williams (Kevin Spacey), on trial for the murder of Billy Hanson (Jude Law), a male prostitute. John Cusack plays John Kelso, a reporter from "Town and Country" magazine, who travels to Savannah to cover one of Williams' celebrated Christmas parties, and then finds himself covering the murder trial. Eastwood's daughter, Alison, stars as Mandy, John's love interest.

"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was filmed entirely in Savannah, with several historic buildings - such as the beautiful, 19th-century Mercer House, Williams' residence and the scene of the murder - used as locations. The titular garden of good and evil is a cemetery in Beaufort, South Carolina, near which one of the film's characters, folk-magic practitioner Minerva, lives.

"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was a box-office flop, and quite a few reviews focused on the mismatch between Eastwood's minimalistic directing style and the story's Southern Gothic atmosphere. The book's author was also particularly unimpressed with Kevin Spacey's performance.

Phoenix Rising's LadyNym conjured this mysterious question out of thin air.

"Body Heat" was released in 1981, and is classified as a neo-noir erotic thriller. It was Kathleen Turner's film debut, and it launched her career into superstardom. She later expressed gratitude that her first film role was a leading character, and that she didn't have to climb up the career ladder via smaller roles.

The movie was directed by Lawrence Kasdan. He had a great cast to work with, including William Hurt, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, and Mickey Rourke. But perhaps the biggest character of the film was the steamy locale of southern Florida. Today it's difficult to imagine the movie set anywhere else, but it was originally intended to be set in frigid New Jersey. A schedule delay prompted by a writer's strike forced the producers to relocate to a warmer climate, where snow wouldn't be a concern. Most of the film was shot in Palm Beach County, Florida, including Lake Worth and Manalpan. Every scene of the film seems to be defined by the steamy, sweaty climate.

The plot centers around Ned Levine (William Hurt), an inept lawyer, who begins an affair with the married Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner), and the complicated attempt to get Matty's husband out of the way.

This question was heatedly submitted by Phoenix Rising's Chiroman.

Nick Cassavetes directed "The Notebook" (2004) a romantic drama based on Nicholas Sparks' 1996 eponymous novel. The film starred Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, with James Garner and Gena Rowlands playing older versions of their characters. Although initially a moderate success, in the manner of sleeper hits the movie later gained a cult following.

Like "Fried Green Tomatoes", "The Notebook" begins in a nursing home, where an elderly patient, Duke, reads a romantic story from a notebook to another patient. The main plot is set in 1940, when Noah (Gosling), a young man from a poor background, meets Allie (McAdams), a wealthy heiress at Seabrook Island, South Carolina, where she is spending the summer with her parents. This tale of star-crossed young love has a surprise twist at the end - a genuine tear-jerker, though in a good way.

"The Notebook" was filmed entirely on location in South Carolina, though not on the original setting of Seabrook Island, which is one of the barrier islands off the Atlantic coast, about 40 km (25 mi) south of Charleston. With its mild climate, moderated by the ocean breezes, the island is popular as a summer resort, especially for affluent people, who can take advantage of its extensive golf courses, equestrian centre, swimming pools, and beach club.

Phoenix Rising's psnz related the story of this movie to LadyNym, who expertly produced this writeup.

"Cape Fear" (1991) is a remake of a 1962 movie based on a novel, "The Executioners" (1957), by John D. MacDonald. In all three modes, the story involves an ex-prisoner seeking revenge on the lawyer who sent him to jail for 14 years. The later movie is set in fictional New Essex in North Carolina. The sticky, steamy heat of a Southern summer adds to the claustrophobic atmosphere of this film noir.

Interestingly, the North Carolina setting came from Gregory Peck, who starred and produced in the first movie. He did not like the title of the book for his movie, so he found Cape Fear, NC on a map, and the title was changed (and retained in the 1991 version). While North Carolina is on the northern edge of the Sun Belt, the book was set in Florida, the first movie was filmed in Savannah, Georgia, and the latter movie in Savannah, Fort Lauderdale, and the Everglades. These warmer locations than North Carolina may have contributed to constant oppression of heat that permeates the entire movie.

This question was steamed into the quiz by Phoenix Rising team member 1nn1.