By Sara Snoddy and Tanner Dedmon // Staff Writer & Lifestyles Editor
With the semester barely started, students find themselves excused from class once again for a second snow day. Many opt to indulge in the safety and warmth of their home instead of braving the black ice and flurries. But really, with all the fantastic movies on Netflix and other streaming services, there’s no reason to go past your mailbox. There are so many streaming sites out there, so people should be able to find some films. Also, if people wanted to watch even more films, they could try and access some streaming sites in other countries. By using a free proxy from free-proxy-list.net, for example, people can easily bypass content restrictions. Hopefully, this will give students more films to watch whilst the snow is falling outside. Enjoy these snowy flicks, minus the frostbite and slush:
1. Ice Age: The Meltdown (on Netflix)
Though this glacial comedy lost some of the charm of its predecessor, the brotherly back-and-forths between Manny the mammoth, Diego the saber-tooth tiger and Sid the sloth keep the laughs coming as the unlikely trio seek refuge for the inevitable ending of the Ice Age. If all else fails, the saber-toothed squirrel, Scrat, can carry the film alone with his constant struggle to hoard his nuts.
2. The Shining (on Netflix)
In the snowy mountains of Colorado, Jack Torrance and his family are the caretakers of the Overlook Hotel in its off-season. Shut away from the world for several months, Jack slowly succumbs to the psychological effects of “cabin fever” and the supernatural forces of the hotel. The Shining is a perfect film to watch if you’re snowed in, but it may make you leery of your fellow hostages.
3. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
An enchanting tale about a young girl who discovers a magical realm, this classic film is an adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ famous book series, The Chronicles of Narnia. World War II is raging in London and the Pevensie children must be relocated to the countryside for their own safety. There in the home of Professor Digory Kirke, Lucy, the youngest Pevensie, walks straight into a winter wonderland through the back of an old wardrobe. Watching her delight will surely bring out your inner child.
4. The Grey
One of Liam Neeson’s more intense films, The Grey pits John Ottway, a skilled and deliberate huntsman, against a pack of wolves that hunt him and his team after their plane crashes in the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness. The title sums the movie up perfectly: it’s bleak, it’s brutal, it’s suspenseful and it’s enthralling throughout. If there are any plans to binge-watch movies, it’s probably best to schedule a more up-beat film after The Grey.
5. Misery
After a serious car accident, novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan) finds himself stuck in an ex-nurse’s home on bed-rest. This Stephen King adaptation remains the only one of his works to win an Oscar, which Kathy Bates won for her performance as Sheldon’s psychotic fan, Annie Wilkes. Probably one of the creepiest films on this list, Misery redefines what it means to be someone’s “biggest fan” and to be a poor celebrity trapped inside with them through a blizzard.
6. Home Alone
A movie that needs no introduction, Home Alone has been a winter staple since it’s release. Suspend reality as 8-year-old Kevin McCallister protects his home from the infamous and bumbling Wet Bandits, Harry Lime and Marv Merchants. The only issue with this movie is it may be difficult to hear it while the audience quotes it word-for-word.
7. Anastasia (on Netflix)
The story of the Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikoleavna, the youngest of the Romanov dynasty, has always been one of intrigue, spurred by the fact that her body was never found after the Bolsheviks executed her family. The critically acclaimed film begs the question of what might have happened if the young Duchess had escaped. In this highly fictionalized account, sorcerer Rasputin places a curse on the Romanovs, sparking the Russian Revolution. Years later an eighteen-year-old orphan ‘Anya’ pairs up with some con men to discover her royal heritage. Although it’s animated, this musical may very well scar some children for life.
8. Frozen
Another animated film that took the world by (snow) storm, Frozen is one that everyone has heard of, even if they haven’t seen it yet. Join sisters Elsa and Anna as they attempt to reverse a never-ending winter. Who knows? This movie may inspire viewers to go outside after all, maybe build a snowman or two.
9. Edward Scissorhands
“Why is it snowing Grandma? Where does it come from?” asks Kim’s (Wynona Ryder) granddaughter. Apparently it comes from Johnny Depp. In a Gothic mansion on the edge of a suburb, the Inventor created a human-like boy with scissors for appendages, but before he could have real hands his creator died of a heart attack. Dubbed ‘Edward’ by his Avon-selling foster mother, this misunderstood boy uses his scissors to swiftly carve ice statues, creating an effect of snowfall in his wake. It’s a timeless movie that’s full of magic and humor, perfect for a snowy day.
10. Dead Snow (on Netflix)
A cult hit if there ever was one, Dead Snow finds a way to make Nazi Zombies even more terrifying: frozen Nazi Zombies! If the premise sounds ridiculous, it’s because it is. This B-movie is obscure, sometimes gory and always subtitled. For those who want to add another film to their “Well have you seen THIS one” list, this movie is a must-have.
Honorable Mentions:
Snowpiercer (on Netflix)
Frozen Ground (on Netflix)
The Frozen (on Netflix)
Encounters at the End of the World (on Netflix)
Eight Below
Fargo
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
The Ice Storm
The Thing
Let the Right One In (on Netflix)
Follow Sara Snoddy on Twitter at @Sara_Snoddy.
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To contact Lifestyles editor Tanner Dedmon, email [email protected].
