The Shining (1980)
The greatest horror of all time? I certainly think so. This is perhaps not the cosiest movie to curl up to, but it is a cracker. 'The Shining' tells the story of a family that heads up into the mountains to look after a hotel during the winter period. Whilst there the father goes insane and makes attempts to kill his wife and son. As the snow sets in the feeling of isolation is increased emphasizing how trapped these people are. Jack Nicholson nails the role of the psychotic Jack Torrance, truly bringing all he possible can to the character.
Fargo (1996)
'Fargo' is set in the frozen and bleak winter wilderness of the upper Midwest of America. It tells the story a man who attempts to gain money of his father-in-law, by setting up the kidnapping of his wife, and have him pay the ransom. But thanks to the poor efforts of his bumbling henchman and persistent police work of pregnant Marge Gunderson. People may have noticed in my 'Frances McDormand' article, that I do have a strong love for her acting talents, and she truly deserved the Oscar for the role of Marge.
Die Hard 2 (1990)
This may not be the best actual film within the 'Die Hard' series, but it is my personal favourite. Bruce Willis returns to the role of John McClane to stop a group of mercenaries who have seized control of an airport's communications, and threaten to cause plane crashes if their demands are not met. This is perhaps my favourite of the series because of the element of danger brought about by the blizzard conditions which have come about during the Christmas period in which the film is set.
Billy Elliot (2000)
'Billy Elliot' is about a boy who finds himself torn between his newly found love for dance and the resentment his family feels towards this newly found talent. Jamie Bell and Julie Walters are superb in the roles of the title character and his dance teacher. Although this movie is not predominantly set in the snow, I had to choose it for how much I love the snow set scenes in the film. These moments follow a scene where Billy dances up a street in frustration at his family's attitude, and falls to the ground against a wall. The audience is meant to believe he has only been there for a moment, but it actually involves two separate moments threaded beautifully together, as Billy stands up runs back down the street which is now covered in snow.
Home Alone (1990)
'Home Alone' is one of the greatest Christmas films of all time, but what is so good about it is that it can be watched all year round. It tells the story of Kevin, an 8 year old boy who finds himself left alone whilst his family flies to France for Christmas. Whilst alone, Kevin has to defend his home against idiotic burglars, with a vast array of home made booby traps, which lead to hilarious consequences. The winter setting of this film makes it so engaging, creating a contrast between the freezing outdoors and the warm interior which Kevin is keeping the burglars out of.
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Probably the best of the 'Star Wars' series, this film is where so many of the most famous moments from the saga have occurred: 'I am your father'. It is in this installment that Luke takes his Jedi training from Yoda, whilst his friends find themselves relentlessly pursued by Darth Vader, as part of his plan to capture Luke. Some of the best scenes in the film are those set on Planet Hoth. The planet is covered in snow and ice, creating a challenging terrain which makes the Rebel's attempts to defeat the Empire all the more difficult.
Groundhog Day (1993)
One of the funniest movies of all time, 'Groundhog Day' stars Bill Murray as a weatherman who travels to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for the annual Groundhog Day celebrations, and finds himself living the same day over and over again. The repetitive nature of this film creates some fantastically funny set pieces as Bill Murray's character begins to reap the benefits of living the same moments as many times as he likes. Some of best moments within the film happen because of the snowy setting.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Although not my favourite of the James Bond Movies, 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' has one of the nicest locations set within the snow covered Swiss Alps. In this installment George Lazenby takes on the role of Bond, in his one and only outing as the infamous character. Bond goes undercover to uncover the true reasoning behind Blofeld's allergy research within the Swiss Alps. This movie is significant in that it is the only film in which Bond actually falls in love and marries a Bond girl for a change. which ultimately leads to one of the most poignant moments of the series.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
One of many Johnny Depp/Tim Burton pairings, and possible the best one. This beautiful film tells the story of an unusually gentle man, who has scissors for hands. Throughout the course of the movie we see this outcast trying to fit into a normal family, where he falls in love with the daughter. The wintry scenes in the film are effective in building up atmosphere towards the latter half of the film. This movie is both funny and touching in equal measure, and definitely worth watching.
Inception (2010)
The biggest movie of the year, 'Inception' proved to be both immensely clever and entertaining, I personally saw it 3 times in the cinema. The film looks at technology which allows the film's characters to enter the human mind through dream invasion. A highly skilled thief is given his hardest challenge to date in which he has to perform Inception, a job which provides many difficulties along the way. Another film which is not mainly set within wintry locations, but the climactic scene at the end provides one of the most exciting sequences to ever be shot within snow.
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