by Michael Lyons
What happened? Wasn't Christmas just three weeks ago? All those twinkling lights, music, and goodwill have given way to the blank slate of January, a month filled with resolutions and W2 tax forms.
Remember when snow and cold weather were the backdrop of your favorite Christmas movie? Now, it's at the forefront of your life.
While there aren't many or any actual January-themed movies (Christmas now brings more movies than there are days in that month), plenty of movies are set during the bleak winter days. For those who would like to settle in warmly inside while the cold rules the outside, here are some movies set during winter that may just make January pass a little quicker
The Hateful Eight (2015)
Quentin Tarantino's widescreen epic Western about the title characters, a group taking refuge during a blizzard, is filled with all the director's trademarks: compelling monologues, despicable characters, and blood. Added to this is the chill of the film's snowy backdrop, which goes perfectly with this cold-blooded tale.
Frozen (2013)
Of course. No list of winter-themed movies would be complete without Disney's blockbuster animated take on Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Princess. The computer-animated snow and ice is a wonder, especially if you feel that "the cold never bothered, me anyway."
Fargo (1996)
One of the best crime-thrillers ever made and one of the best movies of the 90s. In her Oscar-winning role, Frances McDormand plays a police detective unraveling a kidnapping and homicide in the brutal, snow-packed winter of North Dakota. Scenes in this movie, filmed in such elements as barren fields and snow-packed parking lots, are enough to make anyone grateful for spring and summer.
Misery (1990)
After being injured in a car accident during a snowstorm, author Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is rescued and held hostage by his "number one fan, "Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates in her Oscar-winning role). Nowhere has winter "cabin fever" been captured better than in this classic from director Rob Reiner.
The January Man (1989)
With a cast that includes Kevin Kline, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Alan Rickman, Rod Steiger, and Danny Aiello, as well as a script by John Patrick Shanley, this comedy-thriller about a serial killer and an unorthodox detective who tracks him should have been a lot better.
But few movies are set in January, post-New Year's Eve, and include the month in their title, so add it to your winter watchlist.
The Thing (1982)
A research team in Antarctica, led by a helicopter pilot (Kurt Russell), is hunted by a gruesome, shape-shifting alien. Director John Carpenter's remake of the 1951 classic is an incredibly impactful horror movie, made all the more so by the frigid setting.
The Shining (1980)
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,"...especially if you're a writer who is alone with his family as the caretaker of a hotel during the off-season in Colorado. Jack Nicholson is brilliant in Stanley Kubrick's iconic adaptation of Stephen King's novel that's become the epitome of winter "shut in" madness.
Doctor Zhivago (1965)
Nobody crafted historical movie epics like director David Lean, and this one, about the Russian Civil War and a physician (Omar Sharif) whose life is changed by it, is about dreams never realized in a harsh world. Still, it's also a love song for the beauty of winter.
Ice Station Zebra (1968)
Rock Hudson leads an all-star cast as a US submarine races to get to a weather station before the Russians do. It's big-screen, 60s cinema at its best with the compelling feel of the pulp novel it was based on and lots and lots of action in the snow.
Road to Utopia (1946)
Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour's fourth road movie takes them to Alaska, with plenty of the team's classic humor, but this time with a cold-weather twist. At one point, Hope says, "Everything is cold! My nose is an iceberg," to which Crosby says, "Iceberg? That's a glacier!"
Hit the Ice (1943)
Another legendary comedy team, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, play two photographers here who get mixed up with some shady characters at a ski resort. And don't worry, there's a big comedic chase scene on skis to end the film.
So, there you have it - enough movies to get you through January and maybe even Valentine's Day. Throw another log on the fire, pour a cup of cocoa, and press "Play." It'll be spring before you know it.
Got the post-Holiday blues? Head over to Words From Lyons and enjoy my other articles, podcasts, learn more about my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance, or even treat yourself to a T-shirt inspired by a classic TV show or movie in the online merchandise shop!
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