It’s our five-year anniversary this week! And to continue with the theme, we are sharing movies that share this year with us as a landmark! We’ve already done 8 Movies That Turn 50 in 2015. The following films came out in 1990 so this year they will celebrate their 25th Anniversary.

1990 Highlights

Big things were going down in the world when these movies came out in theaters. In February alone, the Communist Party relinquished sole power in the Soviet Government leading to the dissolution of the USSR and Nelson Mandela is released from prison after 27 1/2 years of incarceration in South Africa. The Western Alliance ends the Cold War and East and West Germany are reunited. Not all is happy, however, as the Persian Gulf War begins in August when Iraqi troops invade Kuwait and Margaret Thatcher resigns as the British Prime Minister in November. As far as history being made in the entertainment arena, the X-Rating is replaced by NC-17, The Simpsons debuts on FOX to instant acclaim, and Seinfeld debuts on NBC. This is the same year that Milli Vanilli owns up to lip-synching and has their Grammy revoked and the Hubble Space Telescope is launched.

The Grifters

Release Date: January 4, 1990
Starring: Anjelica Huston, John Cusack, Annette Bening
Directed By: Stephen Frears
Tagline: Seduction. Betrayal. Murder. Who’s conning who?

Based on Jim Thompson’s pulp novel of the same name, John Cusack loved the book so much that he wanted to option it in high school. When he was cast he accepted much less than was his going rate at the time. Produced by Martin Scorsese, he called in Stephen Frears who had just finished directing Dangerous Liaisons. It was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. The last scenes were so intense for Anjelica Huston that it took hours to emotionally recover after filming it and she spent the night throwing up.

Tremors

Release Date: January 19, 1990
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross, Reba McEntire
Directed By: Ron Underwood
Tagline: They say there’s nothing new under the sun. But under the ground…

This was the first film in which Reba McEntire acted. Filming for Michael Gross began the day after the final episode of Family Ties. Tremors was not a box office smash in theaters but became a cult hit once it went to VHS, making back three times its budget. There have been three direct-to-video sequels and one attempt at a television series that lasted from March to August of 2003. Tremors 5: Bloodline with Jamie Kennedy is set to be released in October of this year. Michael Gross is the only actor to have appeared in all five movies and star in the short-lived TV series.

The Hunt For Red October

Release Date: March 2, 1990
Starring: Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, Sam Neill
Directed By: John McTiernan
Tagline: Invisible. Silent. Stolen

Based on Tom Clancy’s 1984 debut novel, it is the first to feature the character of Jack Ryan, ex-Marine turned CIA analyst. It won the Academy Award for sound editing. It is rumored that they spent $20,000 on a hairpiece for Sean Connery. John McTiernan has a penchant for missing directorial opportunities for sequels; because of filming conflicts with The Hunt for Red October, he was unable to direct Die Hard 2. And he also was not able to direct the sequel to The Hunt for Red October because he was directing The Medicine Man (also with Sean Connery). There is also a bit of an easter egg in The Hunt For Red October. At the end Jack Ryan brings a teddy bear home—it is the same teddy bear John McClane arrives with in Die Hard.

Pretty Woman

Release Date: March 23, 1990
Starring: Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Jason Alexander
Directed By: Garry Marshall
Tagline: Who knew it was so much fun to be a hooker?

Set in Los Angeles, this would be Ralph Bellamy’s final performance. It was also one of the highest grossing films in 1990, the highest ever for a romantic comedy. Julia Roberts won a Golden Globe for Best Actress and received an Academy Award nomination in the same category. It is still one of the most financially successful romantic comedies of all time. Along with When Harry Met Sally, it served to reincarnate the genre on the whole seeing as Hollywood hadn’t churned out any that would fit that specific bill since the Doris Day/Rock Hudson days. The soundtrack was released on Valentine’s Day in 1990 and went platinum three times.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Release Date: March 30, 1990
Starring: Judith Hoag, Elias Koteas, Josh Pais
Directed By: Steve Barron
Tagline: Lean, green, and on the screen!

Featuring Corey Feldman as the voice of Donatello and a very young Sam Rockwell as “Head Thug,” this was the first film adaptation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. It serves as an origin story, mainly, with the introduction of April O’Neill and Casey Jones to the teen reptiles. It is still the second highest grossing independent film of all time and was the ninth highest grossing film of the year. The turtles were created in Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in London and at the time he said they were the most advanced thing he had ever worked with. Many major production companies including Disney and Warner Bros. turned down the film but it finally found distribution through the then-small New Line Cinema. The sequel released also achieved success however the third installment released in 1993 was a flop. Another attempt to bring another sequel in, this time with CGI turtles, was released in 2007. In 2014 they rebooted the franchise starring Will Arnett and Megan Fox.

Total Recall

Release Date: June 1st, 1990
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside
Directed By: Paul Verhoeven
Tagline: They stole his mind, now he wants it back.

Arnold Schwarzenegger had a huge role in having this film finally developed. It had been in the writing stages for 16 years before he picked it up. One of the most expensive films ever made for that time period, it is loosely based on the story “We Can Remember It For You Whole Sale” by Philip K. Dick. The original score was composed by Jerry Goldsmith and won the BMI Film Music Award. Piers Anthony did a novelization of the film that corresponded pretty well with it. 2002’s Minority Report originated as a sequel to Total Recall, however it was put on the back burner and once it finally did get picked up it got re-written so many times and it was produced as a completely independent film. It was remade in 2012 with Colin Ferrell and Kate Beckinsale.

Ghost

Release Date: July 13th, 1990
Starring: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg
Directed By: Jerry Zucker
Tagline: Before Sam was murdered, he told Molly he’d love and protect her forever.

Whoopi Goldberg won both an Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a begrudgingly helpful psychic in Ghost. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards and besides Best Supporting Actress, Bruce Joel Rubin took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. It was a huge financial success and was the highest grossing film of 1990. Sandwiched between Road House and Point Break, this was quite a serious turn for Patrick Swayze’s acting skills and he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance.

Problem Child

Release Date: July 27, 1990
Starring: Michael Oliver, John Ritter, Jack Warden
Directed By: Dennis Dugan
Tagline: Attila the Hun. Ivan the Terrible. Al Capone. They were all seven once.

This was not the movie that Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski wanted to write. They had initially intended for it to go along the lines of the many grown up films starring kids such as Mr. Mom and Kindergarten Cop. It had been inspired by a real life news article of a couple who sued an orphanage for not disclosing the issues that they had been having with their adopted son who had already been returned to the orphanage for his behavior problems multiple times. Alexander and Karaszewski imagined something dark and satirical. Universal Pictures, however, demanded that it be rewritten as a children’s movie. Anticipating a huge flop, they were surprised to find that it was met with a successful release. It inspired one theatrical sequel and one TV movie sequel as well as a cartoon. Just a side note, the day this movie released, Zsa Zsa Gabor began her three day jail sentence for slapping a cop.

The Witches

Release Date: August 24, 1990
Starring: Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher, Rowan Atkinson
Directed By: Nicolas Roeg
Tagline: Saving the world from witches is a tall order for a boy they’ve turned into a mouse!

Based on the book by Roald Dahl, Jim Henson Productions took this movie on. This would be the last movie distinct with Henson’s personal touch before he died and the last movie based on one of Dahl’s books made while the author was still alive. Though it didn’t do well in the box office, it has since been very well-regarded. It has a very rare Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%. Generally it is seen as a vehicle by which we can enjoy a unique and incredible performance by Anjelica Huston. Cher was originally thought of for the casting of the Grand High Witch but she was busy filming Mermaids.

Goodfellas

Release Date: September 21, 1990
Starring: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
Tagline: Shooting people was ‘no big deal’.

Joe Pesci won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in this film but it was nominated for five more including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Film Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also won the BAFTA awards for Best Screenplay, Best Direction, and Best Film. Based on Nicholas Pileggi’s Book “Wise Guys” about the real life of mobster Henry Hill, Martin Scorsese cold called Pileggi to ask if he could adapt it into a film, he was that impressed. It is also preserved in the film registry of the Library of Congress based on its cultural significance.

Home Alone

Release Date: November 16, 1990
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O’Hara
Directed By: Chris Columbus
Tagline: A family comedy. Without the family.

Written and produced by John Hughes, this was the second movie to be released starring Joe Pesci in 1990. With an original score by John Williams, its music was nominated for two Oscars. The idyllic, and very large, McCallister Home (seriously, what DID those parents do for a living?) is in Winnetka, Illinois. The film was so financially successful in the box office that by the time its theater run was over it was the third highest grossing film of all time, and the highest grossing comedy ever. Two years later it would release a well received sequel with all of the original cast returning. There was a third sequel that had all different actors but it wasn’t nearly as successful as either of the others. The fourth movie was only made for TV and was the only one John Hughes did not write the screenplay for.

Dances With Wolves

Release Date: November 21, 1990
Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene
Directed By: Kevin Costner
Tagline: Lt. John Dunbar is about to discover the frontier…within himself.

Almost sweeping the Oscars with seven wins, Dances With Wolves won the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score as well as Golden Globes for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Score, by John Barry. This was the first movie that Kevin Costner would produce and direct as well as star in and it was selected to be preserved in the Library of Congress’ Film Registry for its cultural significance. The dialogue spoken in the film is largely Lakota with English subtitles. Its positive characterization of Native Americans resulted in Costner being adopted into the Sioux Nation as an honorary member, though it is not without its historical inaccuracies as is to be expected.

Misery

Release Date: November 30, 1990
Starring: James Caan, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth, Lauren Bacall
Directed By: Rob Reiner
Tagline: This Christmas there will be…Misery.

Stephen King’s novel comes to life through Kathy Bates’ psychopath, Annie Wilkes, for which she won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Actress. She was the first woman to receive a Best Acting Academy Award for a horror or thriller. It’s the only Stephen King film to win an Academy Award. William Goldman adapted it to the stage as well and it premiered in 2012 at Bucks County Playhouse.

Edward Scissorhands

Release Date: December 14, 1990
Starring: Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall
Directed By: Tim Burton
Tagline: His story will touch you, even though he can’t.

Tim Burton hand-picked Caroline Thompson to write the screenplay for this film after he read one of her short stories. The concept of Edward Scissorhands’ character came about from a sketch Tim Burton had done in high school. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Makeup and a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical. The role of the inventor was written with Vincent Price in mind. His unfinished product, Edward, played by Johnny Depp, is left with scissors for hands when the inventor dies unexpectedly. It was the fourth time Burton would work with Danny Elfman for the original score. Close friends for a long time, their professional collaboration has spanned 30 years.

Mermaids

Release Date: December 14, 1990
Starring: Cher, Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci
Directed By: Richard Benjamin
Tagline: This is our mother. Pray for us.

Released on the same day as Edward Scissorhands, in which she also starred, Winona Ryder was nominated for a Supporting Actress Golden Globe after her performance in Mermaids. Though she was a blonde in Edward Scissorhands, Mermaids had her in her natural brunette. Cher plays her non-traditional mom going it alone in the early 1960’s. Christina Ricci makes her feature film debut as Ryder’s young sister. It’s based on a novel of the same name by Patty Dann that had been published four years earlier in 1986.

Hamlet

Release Date: December 19, 1990
Starring: Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Alan Bates, Helena Bonham Carter
Directed By: Franco Zeffirelli
Tagline: The extraordinary telling of a classic tale.

It is the first film produced by Mel Gibson’s Icon Productions which Gibson founded because no other production company had wanted to take on a Shakespearean film. Hamlet received Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. This was Glenn Close’s only attempt at a Shakespearean role either on stage or on-screen. Meanwhile, Gibson had already played Juliet in an all male production of Romeo and Juliet in Australia.

Awakenings

Release Date: December 22, 1990
Starring: Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Julie Kavner
Directed By: Penny Marshall
Tagline: There’s no such thing as a simple miracle.

Based on Oliver Sacks’ 1973 memoir around his work with encephalitis patients and the successful usage of L-Dopa medication. It was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor (Robert De Niro) and Robin Williams was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. Vin Diesel debuts his acting skills as an uncredited orderly. Opening to a limited release in December qualified it for that years Academy Awards. Its wider release didn’t occur until January of 1991, however.

As we’re caught in the middle of the whirlwind that is the holiday season, many of us will be traveling great distances, arguing with our families at the dinner table, receiving shitty gifts we have to pretend to like, and putting on fake smiles as we try our damnedest to ignore the pulsing headache that tortures us so in these early winter months. Sure, some people (psychos) actually enjoy the holiday hustle and bustle, and once the dust has settled and you cuddle up in front of the fireplace with your loved one, there’s still something very special about the “most wonderful time of the year.”

But there was an even more special time in all our lives, when we didn’t have a care in the world and our major concern was whether or not Santa was going to bring us that certain gift we’d been nagging the hell out of our parents for. Childhood was a time when, before we became snooty cinephiles, we could watch movies dozens of times over without mulling over things like cinematography and performances. I swear, when I was a kid, I could watch The Beast twirl Belle around that ballroom all freaking day if my mom would let me (I was obviously destined to become the badass I am today.)

There isn’t anything quite like the first time you acquaint yourself with the magic of movies; everything was dazzling, because you had no reference for what was “good” or “bad.” All you knew was that you liked what you saw on that silver screen, and that was more than enough.

Now, take a break from the holiday insanity and relax as we at Way Too Indie share our favorite childhood movies.

Happy Holidays! (Ya filthy animals!)

Our Favorite Childhood Movies

Goonies

I guess I was never a big fan of escapist fantasies like Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark growing up. Sure, they were fun, but while my friends would obsess over those classics I would be watching The Goonies repeatedly. Of course, The Goonies isn’t exactly a realistic movie, but the protagonists being ordinary middle class kids stumbling into an epic treasure hunt made my 7 year old self think that it could happen to me as well. For that reason I fell for the movie completely, watching it over and over. Of course it helps that Richard Donner and the whole cast (including Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton and Josh Brolin in their younger days) perfectly capture the camaraderie between neighborhood friends. It’s the only film in the 70s-80s era of Spielberg blockbusters (he didn’t direct, but he produced and created the story) that I truly loved, it’s a personal favourite of mine and even now I can still watch it for the umpteenth time without getting tired of it. [CJ Prince]

Labyrinth

Every once in a while as a child, flipping through the channels available in our limited cable subscription, a channel that was normally static fuzz would suddenly appear clearly, a scrolling phone number at the bottom of the screen, and I’d know that rarest of TV phenomena had occurred: a Disney Channel Preview Weekend. It was on one such special weekend, glued to the TV, that I was first exposed to the strange wonder that is Labyrinth. The film follows Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), an especially imaginative and day-dreamy teenager, who isn’t particularly fond of her stepmother and baby stepbrother, Toby, who she regularly is stuck babysitting. Always straddling reality and fantasy, Sarah is so fed up with Toby one stormy night she decides to quote the incantation that will bring the Goblin King to rid her of Toby forever. Surprisingly, her wish comes true and a clan of puppet goblins descends, taking Toby to the Goblin King’s far-off lair. Realizing she may have been hasty, Sarah argues with the Goblin King Jareth (my first introduction to the androgynously mesmerizing David Bowie) asking that Toby be returned. Instead he gives her 13 hours to make her way through his labyrinth to find the child.

Sarah’s journey introduces her to many strange Jim Henson creations, usually accompanied by equally strange musical numbers (the best of these sung by Bowie). Though I’d been exposed to Jim Henson before, the Muppets being an 80s-child staple, Labyrinth has a dark quality to it that intrigued 11-year-old me. I found Sarah to be a bit whiny (always shouting about how unfair things are) but her romantic nature fit my own bookish tendencies, and the starry-eyed tension between her and Bowie’s Jareth appealed to my budding hormones. This film ended up being Henson’s last directing endeavor and his meticulous attention to detail is truly incredible. Each handcrafted puppet fits perfectly into his fine-tuned fantasy world, my favorite being a wall of rubber hands that form talking faces. The storyline may not hold up all that well now that I’m an adult, and most of the songs, though full of 80s pop goodness, make no sense whatsoever; but I still find myself taking this one out on sick days, ready to feel like a kid again. Viewer be warned, however, Labyrinth may lead toward an unhealthy obsession with David Bowie and/or a tendency toward impractical crushes on sexy villains. [Ananda Dillon]

Home Alone

Macaulay Culkin may be a ghoulish, pale-skinned, drug-addict looking guy these days, but when I was a kid, watching him beat the living shit out of Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern in Home Alone pretty much made him my idol. Chris Columbus’ home invasion comedy about a boy abandoned in his family’s giant house for the holidays was everything I wanted in a boyhood fantasy; it had action, it had excess, it had humor, and in the end, the kid outsmarted the grumpy adults!

Culkin’s Kevin McCallister did what any young boy would do in his situation; he played adult! Or, his idea of adulthood at least. He ordered out for pizza, watched violent movies and, of course, made his hilarious and now classic attempt at shaving. When Pesci and Stern’s bumbling “Wet Bandits” try to raid the McCallister household, setting off Kevin’s kick-ass array of booby traps he’s strewn about the house, it makes for one of the most delightful, broad, wacky climaxes in any kids movie I can recall (the nail through the foot is still wonderfully gross!) It was Looney Toons, it was sadistic, it had some heart, and it’s my favorite childhood movie. [Bernard Boo]

Transformers: The Movie (1986)

Transformers: The Movie was BY FAR the film that I spent the most time with as a kid growing up in the late 80s and early 90s. Back when we had video stores (you kids are missing out now), my dad and I would drive to the nearest Pop N’ Go video store every Friday night to rent the newest movies. While he would get something different every week, I stuck with this animated movie from 1986 that, to a 6 year old boy, had everything one could ask for. I couldn’t even venture a guess of how many times I’ve seen it. Ok, I will. It’s probably easily over 60 times. These days, I only watch it once a year just to remind myself of the total awesomeness that permeates the film. The story is pretty terrible (bad robots look to incinerate good robots while a massive robot planet looks to destroy everyone), but when you have voice work from Leonard Nemoy, Judd Nelson, Robert Stack and even Orson Welles himself, who cares?! While the voice acting is great, hands down the best part of the film is the soundtrack, which is comprised of both original works (by Stan Bush) and songs from the likes of Weird Al to White Lion. Transformers literally rocks for pretty much its entire 85 minute runtime. I guarantee that by the time the end credits roll, you’ll be belting out the lyrics to The Touch. [Blake Ginithan]

The Sound of Music

When she skipped over hills and onto screens 48 years ago, Julie Andrews had no idea she would be melting hearts across the world, producing the highest grossing film of its day. The Sound of Music is a well known classic with good reason; from its lovable characters to its thoroughly enjoyable songs, even hardened cynics would be hard pressed to find something to dislike about this film. If you’re unaware of the plot, you’ve got something of a massive gaping hole in your life, but just as a reminder, the delightful Rodgers and Hammerstein musical tells the tale of a young, rebellious nun who, upon deciding that convent life isn’t for her, becomes governess to the seven children of Captain Von Trapp, all in the midst of Nazi-riddled Austria. We’re quickly swept away by Maria’s charms, and for so many children across the world, she resembled something to aspire to – an independent, somewhat off-beat woman that found her place in life – so it definitely holds a place as a childhood favorite for me. Not to mention they’re all totally good at tricking Nazis. [Pavi Ramani]

You’ve Got Mail

As a 90s kid, my memories of the movies are flooded with classics by Meg Ryan, Sandra Bullock, and Tom Hanks. While you were sleeping, Forces of Nature, Speed, French Kiss, Sleepless in Seattle, Forrest Gump, Toy Story, Cast Away are all the movies that come to mind when I think about my favourite childhood films. I’m assuming it’s a testament to being raised by a mother who was in love with all three actors and refused to accept anyone else existed.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that my favourite movie consists of two of those three. Yes, You’ve Got Mail, is my all time favourite childhood film. It’s probably a bit out of place in this list but what of it! Being that it was released in 1998 means that I was 7 when it came out. I remember falling in love with the characters, wanting so much for them to realise who each other were, and to run into each other’s arms and live happily ever after. I must say, I never really thought I’d be admitting all of this for the world to see, but I’m hoping my fellow writers aren’t too judgmental considering their picks! [Amy Priest]

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure

This was an easy topic for me because my mother loves to tell the story about six-year-old Dustin and how I watched Pee-wee’s Big Adventure…on repeat, in the same sitting. Looking back on that now, two things come to mind. First, just how much work that required for parents who had to manually rewind the VHS tape (which as a kid felt like an ETERNITY!) Second, just how messed up Tim Burton’s first film is now as an adult (or maybe it’s the combination of him and Paul Reubens.) This highly intoxicating visual adventure starts with a bang as Pee-wee Herman’s Rube Goldberg invention makes his breakfast in the morning, and never lets up after his precious bicycle gets stolen. What makes this wild adventure film work is the writing credits; shared by Reubens who makes sure his character is felt in every scene, Burton who gives the film a slightly dark tone, and Phil Hartman who brings his comedic mastermind to the table. As an adult having re-watched it not too long ago, I was surprised how much enjoyment I got out of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure as a kid and that I was not completely terrified of it (though I still blame the film for my dreadful fear of snakes.) Yet with every scene offering overwhelming amounts of stimulation either by goofy dialog delivery or wacky visuals, it is easy to see how a child would not get bored with a single frame of the film. [Dustin Jansick]

There’s a famous urban legend concerning a man who accidently trapped himself inside a freezer. Understanding his death to be inevitable, he vowed to document his own death, writing down the experience of freezing to death for the sake of science. Found dead the next morning, an examination of his body concluded it was hypothermia, however, an inspection of the freezer found that it had been broken for some time. The temperature had never dipped below 50 degrees.

Whether it’s true or not, it’s generally agreed the mind is a powerful thing. Now August is upon us and with it that clothes-sticking heat, so we here at Way Too Indie prescribe a little mind control to combat the sun. We present our top ten films guaranteed to chill you right down. And let’s face it – with movie ticket prices being what they are and the electric bill on the rise from constant A/C and fan use – this really is the ideal alternative.

Way Too Indie’s Best Films to Cool You Off

#10 – Frozen River

Frozen River opens with Ray Eddy (Melissa Leo, whose career was launched because of her incredible performance here) finding out her husband took off unannounced, leaving her with no money or way to support her kids. Ray soon learns about a scheme involving immigrants being smuggled across the icy St. Lawrence River that pays more than enough to cover Ray’s bills, and she reluctantly accepts an offer to help drive immigrants into America. Most of the film’s nail-biting tension comes not only from Leo’s Oscar-worthy performance (she lost, but made it up soon after with her role in The Fighter), but the film’s wintery setting. The cold, barren landscape of Frozen River‘s border-town only heightens the characters’ desperation. When driving across thin ice and avoiding the authorities are the only things separating you from trying to survive in the middle of winter, it’s easy to see why Leo’s Ray would take the risk. [CJ Prince]

#9 – Home Alone

Easily the most ridiculous film of the bunch, but nonetheless an entertaining winter film. Penned by the notorious John Hughes (who also wrote The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Vacation), Home Alone was an instant hit in the early nineties as it broke box office numbers for a comedy and ended up receiving two Oscar nominations (thanks to John Williams’ score). The film was so successful that it spawned several follow-ups, though it is best to pretend the third and fourth films in the series never happened. Macaulay Culkin was just ten when he starred as the sassy but lovable Kevin McCallister, the youngest of four siblings, whose family accidently leaves him at home while traveling on a Christmas vacation to France. Kevin utilizes the winter conditions in his favor to hilariously ward off two goofy criminals who intend to rob the house. Home Alone is a staple in my household to watch during winter/Christmas for its sidesplitting humor that appeals to everyone regardless of age. [Dustin Jansick]

#8 – The Last Winter

This science fiction/horror/thriller hybrid went pretty much unnoticed when it was released 7 years ago but honestly, The Last Winter was one of the more refreshing genre pictures to come out that year. Set in the cold and unforgiving frost of the Northern Artic Circle, this film involves members of an American oil company who must figure out what a mysterious entity is before it threatens to destroy humanity. Yes, it’s one of those films and yes, it gets a little preachy near the end. But those who seek this underrated gem out will find a film that has loads of great atmosphere and some pretty good spooks as well. Did I also mention that it stars Ron Perlman? [Blake Ginithan]

#7 – Werckmeister Harmonies

Bela Tarr is one of the few filmmakers whose work could be described as pure cinema. Taking place in a small Hungarian village during an especially cold winter, Werckmeister Harmonies opens with a 9 minute shot of a bar’s drunken patrons acting out a story told by their friend. Tarr’s precise camerawork, combined with Mihaly Vig’s gorgeously melancholic score, turn what starts out as a silly scene into something profoundly beautiful. These kinds of scenes happen throughout Werckmeister Harmonies, as the arrival of a circus into town triggers a panic that feels downright apocalyptic. The harsh winter climate in the village isn’t unusual for Tarr, as he’s known for being quite bleak, but Werckmeister Harmonies may be his most accessible film. Don’t let the drab setting or long shots (39 in 150 minutes, to be exact) turn you off from seeing this movie either, as you’d be missing out on an experience unlike any other film you’ll ever see. [CJ Prince]

#6 – A Simple Plan

Sam Raimi (pre Spiderman) was known as the guy who did the Evil Dead series until he made A Simple Plan, his personal masterpiece. Bill Paxton is a simple man in a small town who stumbles upon a crashed plane one day while out hunting. He finds a bag full of cash and takes it home to his pregnant wife (Bridget Fonda). Then all the trouble starts. It is no long before he has federal agents and even mobsters coming looking for the cash. Things get nasty in a hurry and he soon has to deal with his brother who is mentally handicapped but morally aligned, his wife who slowly becomes a vicious puppeteer pulling the strings behind Paxton’s view, and friends who think they deserve some of the action. Featuring some of the tensest scenes you’re likely to see, top notch acting and directing; a simple plan would be to not skip this film. [Blake Ginithan]

#5 – The Thing

There’s a smorgasbord of sci-fi horror awesomeness to feast on in John Carpenter’s sci-fi horror classic, from shape-shifting aliens, to a group of batshit-crazy scientists, to some of the most gruesome, yak-worthy animatronic work ever, to Kurt Russell’s flamethrower (oh yeah) and his glorious beard (oooh yeahhh.) But seriously, the (ahem) thing that makes The Thing a heavyweight modern horror classic rather than just another light 80’s gore factory is its quiet, crushing sense of isolation. The setting—a remote Antarctic base surrounded by infinite ice and snow—is vital to the story and injects every moment with raw intensity and fear. There’s nowhere for the poor souls to run. It’s just them, a vicious shape-shifting alien, some explosive equipment, and the vast, icy abyss. [Bernard Boo]

#4 – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

If you fancy something a little different than your average heart wrenching Kate Winslet plotline, then catch her in this because it’s a great gem. In addition to Winslet, Jim Carey’s typical typecasting also throws caution to the wind and allows us to catch a glimpse of his well hidden diversity. While not necessarily all about the cold, wintery weather, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is still set in a very chilly climate where most of the more memorable segments of this couple’s relationship take place on an iced lake. You find yourself feeling very cooled down when watching this amazing masterpiece by Michael Gondry. [Amy Priest]

#3 – Let the Right One In

A tender, clever vampire tale with a big ol’ beating heart, Let the Right One In is the prettiest vampire movie you’ll see. The ballad of bully magnet Oskar and his blood-sucker friend/protector, Eli, is one of the best films of last decade and my personal favorite vampire movie. The setting—a snow-dumped Stockholm suburb—is elegant, richly textured and eerily tranquil. Director Tomas Alfredson’s beautifully composed shots exude a sense of stillness and serenity that reverberates throughout the film and makes the intermittent splashes of crimson all the more vivid. The film’s color palette is almost exclusively black and white, but expert utilization of contrast and texture makes every vision of snow and ice interesting and unique. Alfredson’s modern masterpiece is the definition of atmospheric and never fails to give me chills. [Bernard Boo]

#2 – The Shining

Forget heat-induced delirium. The Shining shows us that the bitter winter cold combined with a secluded and possessed mountain hotel can be far worse on one’s mental state. Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 classic, based (loosely) on the Stephen King novel, is a slow build in madness set amid the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson in absolute perfection) brings his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny, to the Overlook hotel to take on the roll of caretaker, write his novel, and patch up his family unit. The Overlook has a history and an intuition for the weakness of men, however, and Jack slowly gets taken over by the influence of the hotel. One of few horror films that can truly also be called a cinematic masterpiece, The Shining offers imagery that is both frightening and beautiful.  A terrifying chase through a snow-filled labyrinth in the film’s final scene is chilling in more ways than one and is guaranteed to leave goose bumps, one way or another. [Ananda Dillon]

#1 – Fargo

Fargo is one of my all-time favourite films, and one that will surely “cool you off”. As the title suggests the film takes place within the snowy city of Fargo, North Dakota and “Yah, you betcha” it’s cold. And I’m not just referencing the weather as the narrative is also just as chilling. The comically-disturbed directorial duo, The Coen Brothers, serve up a story that was based upon real events of an automobile salesman who hires two criminals to kidnap and ransom his wife for $1 million dollars in an attempt to get out of debt. The plan goes haywire and the situation becomes bone-chilling.

I assume (and hope) that many of you have already witnessed the greatness of this film, however, for those who have not seen it or are just looking for a way to cool off from the mad heat waves of the summer of 2013, Fargo is the film for you.
[Amy Priest]