The "Traverse City Comedy Arts" festival ended today. I was able to take in a few movies, but the Comedy Arts Festival wasn't just about movies (it showcased standup performances by Roseanne Barr, Jeff Garlin of "Curb your Enthusiasm", and other live comedians). One of the free events was an outdoor showing of "Groundhog Day". Yes, outdoors. I think the temperature dropped from the 20s into the teens at some point during the movie. It was announced before the movie that there would be a live guest who starred in the movie. It turned out to be David Pasquesi, who played the psychiatrist. Oh yes, there was a groundhog there too. Pasquesi is introduced by Michael Moore prior to the movie in the video clip below:
It was really a great time. I had not seen the movie in many years, and the sound and picture quality were excellent. "Groundhog Day" is a great movie to show outdoors, in the dead of winter. So I was wondering, what other movies would be good? Winter movies that are not Christmas-related movies. Yes, no Santa or Scrooge allowed.
I did come up with a few:
- "Groundhog Day" Of course
- "Frozen Stupid" (a recent Ernest Borgnine icefishing movie taking place on Houghton Lake in Michigan)
- "Grumpy Old Men" (the movie Odd Couple get cold and grumpy in Wabasha)
- "The Empire Strikes Back". So, have any of my readers in northern Minnesota ever had to slice open a Tauntaun and crawl inside in order to survice a blizzard?
- "The Shining". Don't go stir-crazy when the blizzard snows you in, ok?
- "Never Cry Wolf" Charles Martin Smith eats a mouse sandwich while researching wolves in the Great White North. Yes, I did go to the theatre to see this one right away when it first came out.
- "Grumpier Old Men" (the movie Odd Couple get colder and grumpier in Wabasha, Minnesota)
- "March of the Penguins" Feel the deep chill with real-life Chilly Willy's.
Are there any good winter or very chilly cold movies I'm missing? There are only 8 so far, but I will bring it up to 10, and then beyond, with reader suggestions.
And below is the "postcard of the day", a large-letter postcard of Punxsatawny.
8 comments:
Dr. Zhivago, in which the Russian winter inspires Yuri to write bourgeois poetry?
How about "The Ice Storm". Cold weather, colder hearts!
Oh! And "Misery"! That was wintery and one of my favorite King adaptions for the screen.
"Cool Runnings" about the Jamaican bobsled team. Half of it is in the cold anyway.
I am sure that there are other movies about winter sports, just can't think of them at the moment.
I love Laura B.'s choices. I should probably rewatch both of those.
Chris: I've not seen that one, but the theme music is by one of the greatest movie theme composers ever (Maurice Jarre). Good recommendation.
Laura B: I found that "Ice Storm" researching this post, but had not heard of it before. I will have to check it out. "Misery" is quite familiar.
Laughing: Great suggestion. I was just talking with someone about it a few days ago, and it is one of the few John Candy movies I've not seen yet.
And the winter sports thing brings to mind the hockey movies: Slapshot, and the Kurt Russell Olympic hockey movie. Both have been recommended... and I've seen neither.
really great postcard....
How about THE LION IN WINTER? :-)
But, seriously, THE ICE STORM makes me cold just thinking about it!
thanks for the tips...were expecting a snowstorm this weekend so will check them out!!:)
I don't recall The Ice Storm having much of a winter theme.
Cool Runnings and Miracle on Ice are good, as is The Cutting Edge. But movies with winter sports don't necessarily have a strong winter vibe.
Iceman is good for students of anthropology. Fargo should be on the list.
The Shining? Happy Feet? Stallone's Cliffhanger?
Some lists of snow-related movies:
http://movies.ign.com/articles/102/1021977p1.html
http://www.nerve.com/CS/blogs/screengrab/archive/2008/01/29/10-movies-for-a-snow-day.aspx
http://www.amazon.com/SNOW-good-movies-lots-snow/lm/16O8CIC4EO8P6
Post a Comment