Chilly movies and books and games
June 29, 2019 5:32 PM Subscribe
It's stupid hot and humid outside. Disrespectful. I seek imaginative escape.
At such times, I love watching movies and reading books/stories set in cold places. Examples: Snowpiercer, The Left Hand of Darkness. Also! Playing games like Shawn White Snowboarding: Road Trip. (I also do the opposite during polar vortex season.)
Any genre/medium welcome. Music, videos of trains in Scandinavia, etc.
Chill my brain, friends.
At such times, I love watching movies and reading books/stories set in cold places. Examples: Snowpiercer, The Left Hand of Darkness. Also! Playing games like Shawn White Snowboarding: Road Trip. (I also do the opposite during polar vortex season.)
Any genre/medium welcome. Music, videos of trains in Scandinavia, etc.
Chill my brain, friends.
Oh agreed! This is a great question. I recommend Touching the Void, if you want a seriously good movie, or Frozen if you want one you can kind of laugh at with friends (not the Elsa animated one; the one with people on a ski lift). Both of those will have you regarding the heat a bit more positively!
posted by salvia at 5:42 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by salvia at 5:42 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
The Terror is pretty good for making me appreciate heat.
posted by odd ghost at 5:44 PM on June 29, 2019 [8 favorites]
posted by odd ghost at 5:44 PM on June 29, 2019 [8 favorites]
I like to watch Elf here about this time of year. Crank the AC for a few hours and get under blankets with cocoa or tea for maximum effect.
posted by PaulaSchultz at 6:17 PM on June 29, 2019
posted by PaulaSchultz at 6:17 PM on June 29, 2019
Trapped (Icelandic murder-mystery TV series)
Fortitude (British suspense series set in an arctic location)
posted by alex1965 at 6:39 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
Fortitude (British suspense series set in an arctic location)
posted by alex1965 at 6:39 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
The Thing
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:47 PM on June 29, 2019 [12 favorites]
posted by Rust Moranis at 6:47 PM on June 29, 2019 [12 favorites]
South: The Story of Shackleton's Last Expedition 1914-1917 by Sir Ernest Shackleton, and Endurance and Shackleton's Boat Journey: The Narrative from the Captain of the Endurance, both by Capt. Frank Worsley, are books written about the legendary Antarctic expedition in which the ship HMS Endurance was trapped and crushed by ice, and the entire crew escaped in lifeboats. The third book specifically covers a most legendary boat journey in the lifeboat James Caird, 800 freezing miles of open ocean in a small boat with 6 men, followed by a crossing of South Georgia Island at indescribable risk, all with nary a warm day, and often no solid ground beneath them.
The recent Liam Neeson ... not really a thriller, but let's call it that, "Cold Pursuit," as well as the better Swedish original "In Order of Disappearance," with Stellan Skarsgård, are dark and cold; I recommend the latter, but the former will do in a pinch as long as you accept that it's not the actiony thriller that Liam Neeson's publicist probably wants you to think it is.
posted by Sunburnt at 6:49 PM on June 29, 2019 [4 favorites]
The recent Liam Neeson ... not really a thriller, but let's call it that, "Cold Pursuit," as well as the better Swedish original "In Order of Disappearance," with Stellan Skarsgård, are dark and cold; I recommend the latter, but the former will do in a pinch as long as you accept that it's not the actiony thriller that Liam Neeson's publicist probably wants you to think it is.
posted by Sunburnt at 6:49 PM on June 29, 2019 [4 favorites]
Jack London's short story To Build a Fire had me shivering in a hot seventh-grade classroom many years ago.
posted by bryon at 7:13 PM on June 29, 2019
posted by bryon at 7:13 PM on June 29, 2019
The Long Dark is on the Steam summer sale (single player survival, includes Canadian winter, wolves, auroras, etc etc, can be very calm and meditative at Pilgrim or die-fast-and-horribly on Stalker).
posted by Mary Ellen Carter at 7:15 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Mary Ellen Carter at 7:15 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Horizon Zero Dawn has some great snow zones, and an expansion pack of frigid northlands.
posted by sacrifix at 7:19 PM on June 29, 2019
posted by sacrifix at 7:19 PM on June 29, 2019
There's a great horror collection called Cold Shocks edited by Tim Sullivan. It's out of print, but you can find it cheap on ebay. It contains the only horror story that ever scared me, "The Sixth Man" by Graham Masterton.
posted by goatdog at 7:25 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by goatdog at 7:25 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
The White Darkness was the first YA novel I ever read where I genuinely thought the narrator might not survive.
posted by praemunire at 7:57 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 7:57 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
The game Never Alone is a snowy puzzle/platform game in which you play as an Inuk and her snow fox companion.
posted by ejs at 8:37 PM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by ejs at 8:37 PM on June 29, 2019 [3 favorites]
If ya like the sci-fi, Helliconia Winter and Helliconia Spring have some chilly stretches.
posted by j_curiouser at 8:39 PM on June 29, 2019
posted by j_curiouser at 8:39 PM on June 29, 2019
Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin
The Snow Child by Eoyn Ivey
posted by brookeb at 8:49 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
The Snow Child by Eoyn Ivey
posted by brookeb at 8:49 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
Wind River! This movie is just plain cold. And so good.
posted by Sassyfras at 9:05 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Sassyfras at 9:05 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]
I haven't thought about this movie in a long time and only saw it once in the theaters back in 1997 but you might like Anthony Hopkins Alaskan wilderness survival movie The Edge. I remember it being pretty much freezing outdoors for most of the movie. Also, there's a bear.
posted by acidnova at 10:01 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by acidnova at 10:01 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
imdb put together a poll for coldest movies. Here's the voting list!
posted by acidnova at 10:06 PM on June 29, 2019
posted by acidnova at 10:06 PM on June 29, 2019
If you're looking for a realistic story where a lot of seamen freeze to death, then check out HMS Ulysses. The weather in this book is brutally cold.
posted by puddledork at 10:38 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by puddledork at 10:38 PM on June 29, 2019 [1 favorite]
A Winter Book and Moominland Midwinter by Tove Jansson (Wintery without being Christmassy).
posted by Balthamos at 1:15 AM on June 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Balthamos at 1:15 AM on June 30, 2019 [2 favorites]
Seconding 'The Terror' (I've only read the book not seen the series, but the series should serve the same purpose!)
If you watch the (mediocre) Scott of the Antarctic, you're then totally primed for the Synfonia Antarctica to bring lots of good cold feelings for you.
posted by Vortisaur at 2:05 AM on June 30, 2019
If you watch the (mediocre) Scott of the Antarctic, you're then totally primed for the Synfonia Antarctica to bring lots of good cold feelings for you.
posted by Vortisaur at 2:05 AM on June 30, 2019
30 Days of Night if you like vampire stories
Cold Fever
Doctor Zhivago
Insomnia (Norwegian original or American remake)
posted by kokaku at 3:33 AM on June 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
Cold Fever
Doctor Zhivago
Insomnia (Norwegian original or American remake)
posted by kokaku at 3:33 AM on June 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
In addition to the Shackleton expedition memoirs, there’s a rather good TV dramatisation starring Kenneth Branagh.
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 3:42 AM on June 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 3:42 AM on June 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
The BBC nature documentary series centred on Antarctica, Life in the Freezer.
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 5:10 AM on June 30, 2019
posted by Morfil Ffyrnig at 5:10 AM on June 30, 2019
The original Swedish version of Let the Right One In is very cold and dark.
This video of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Johnny Cash's version of "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)"
This film adaptation of To Build a Fire, directed by Orson Welles. I remember watching this in English class.
Billion Dollar Brain is a classic of the "60s spy movie with action scenes on snowmobiles" genre.
The Italo disco song "Colder Than Ice."
I was going to recommend Atanarjuat the Fast Runner and the Thing (the John Carpenter version from 1980), but people already have. Both are seconded! I think The Thing is probably my personal go-to cold weather movie.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 9:34 AM on June 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
This video of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Johnny Cash's version of "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)"
This film adaptation of To Build a Fire, directed by Orson Welles. I remember watching this in English class.
Billion Dollar Brain is a classic of the "60s spy movie with action scenes on snowmobiles" genre.
The Italo disco song "Colder Than Ice."
I was going to recommend Atanarjuat the Fast Runner and the Thing (the John Carpenter version from 1980), but people already have. Both are seconded! I think The Thing is probably my personal go-to cold weather movie.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 9:34 AM on June 30, 2019 [3 favorites]
The Snow Walker
If you can find it, The Winter Guest.
Fargo
The Ref
Groundhog Day
Wind Chill (2007)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
and don't forget Christmas movies, and Christmas horror movies ... Rare Exports and A Christmas Story come to mind off the top of my head ....
posted by gudrun at 11:19 AM on June 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
If you can find it, The Winter Guest.
Fargo
The Ref
Groundhog Day
Wind Chill (2007)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
and don't forget Christmas movies, and Christmas horror movies ... Rare Exports and A Christmas Story come to mind off the top of my head ....
posted by gudrun at 11:19 AM on June 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
Into Thin Air and any books/movies about Everest
posted by odd ghost at 11:21 AM on June 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by odd ghost at 11:21 AM on June 30, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Okay you are all invited to my birthday party (July 3) where we will have a movie marathon in the living room, a gaming session in the (curtained) sunroom, and music in the kitchen.
Food and drink suggestions welcome.
Mefi friends, thank you for making the last day of my vacation, otherwise humidly blah, so very chilly and warm, all at once.
posted by Caxton1476 at 1:35 PM on June 30, 2019
Food and drink suggestions welcome.
Mefi friends, thank you for making the last day of my vacation, otherwise humidly blah, so very chilly and warm, all at once.
posted by Caxton1476 at 1:35 PM on June 30, 2019
Food and drink suggestions welcome.
Frozen grapes as ice cubes. Other frozen fruits (bananas with toppings instead of ice cream).
Ambrosia salad. Watergate salad. Ocean Pudding Cup (using vanilla pudding and blue gel food coloring.) Red, white and blue poke cake.
posted by TrishaU at 9:58 PM on June 30, 2019
Frozen grapes as ice cubes. Other frozen fruits (bananas with toppings instead of ice cream).
Ambrosia salad. Watergate salad. Ocean Pudding Cup (using vanilla pudding and blue gel food coloring.) Red, white and blue poke cake.
posted by TrishaU at 9:58 PM on June 30, 2019
Antarctica, a novel with a some adventures and thrills written by SF writer Kim Stanley Robinson, was based on his experience travelling to McMurdo Station as a "woo," that is, one of numerous artists who are annually invited by the US Navy to spend a few weeks there to take in the wonder of the continent. He also based a small part of Red Mars on this, the start of a trilogy about settling on Mars, wherein his many (200?) Mars-bound astronauts were isolated there as part of a pre-space-voyage observation period. Mars, by the way, is also cold AF, but anyone who finds themselves there will be equipped to handle it, generally.
posted by Sunburnt at 10:15 PM on June 30, 2019
posted by Sunburnt at 10:15 PM on June 30, 2019
A TV series, but suitably chilly: Fortitude
Arthouse drama/coming of age story set in the Australian snowfields (also the beautiful soundtrack is made out of icicles!): Somersault
posted by Coaticass at 10:26 PM on June 30, 2019
Arthouse drama/coming of age story set in the Australian snowfields (also the beautiful soundtrack is made out of icicles!): Somersault
posted by Coaticass at 10:26 PM on June 30, 2019
Seconding Halpirn's Winter's Tale. There was a movie made of it a few years back but the general consensus is that it was kind of meh.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:32 AM on July 1, 2019
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:32 AM on July 1, 2019
Blue Planet is my go-to for this. Stay cool!
posted by easy, lucky, free at 4:24 PM on July 1, 2019
posted by easy, lucky, free at 4:24 PM on July 1, 2019
The Terror by Dan Simmons. Fictionalized retelling of the failed 1845 expedition of the HMS Terror through the Northwest Passage. It's a very cool tale. (Get it?)
posted by ScaredOfWidths at 2:51 PM on July 3, 2019
posted by ScaredOfWidths at 2:51 PM on July 3, 2019
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posted by phunniemee at 5:39 PM on June 29, 2019 [2 favorites]