A WINTER STORM OF HORROR
There are not very many New Year’s themed horror movies. (Ed Note: New Year’s Evil, Terror Train, Bloody New Year, Steel Trap…) In fact, I can think of only one and it is awful. However, keeping with a winter theme I have chosen a scary movie and a scary book both set in the snow.
First up, is a movie called Frozen (Ed Note: Did you secretly go see the new Disney movie?) which was released in 2010. This film was directed by Adam Green of Hatchet I, II and III fame. This is not your typical horror film. There are no murderous madmen, ghosts, or vampires. Frozen is the simple story of three young adults who go skiing and get stuck on the ski lift at the end of the day. It’s Sunday and supposedly the slopes will not reopen til Friday. What follows is a terrifying journey into panic, desperation, and survival. (Ed Note: As is every time I try to pick up a girl at a bar)
Although it seems a little unbelievable that ski slopes would only be open on weekends, the concept is very scary because it is possible. I personally would not be at risk as I have never been skiing and unless I suddenly got the urge to break every bone in my body, I will never go skiing. (Ed Note: Or have sex over the age of 60) If you are looking for a gory film with tons of dead bodies, this is not for you. This is a good a suspense/psychological horror film that I quite enjoyed.
TRIVIA:
– Emma Bell’s character, Parker O’Neil, has a cameo in Hatchet II.
– The film was shot with the actors actually suspended 50 ft in the air over a mountain in Utah.
– Kane Hodder has a cameo as the driver of a snowcat.
– Adam Green and Director of Photography Will Barratt shot the scenes of the chairlifts moving with the kids on them, themselves as the hired film crew was too nervous to dangle at those heights.
Overall I really liked this little film.
LITTLE MISS HORROR NERD’S RATING: 3 1/2 out of 5
I also would like to recommend a scary novel called Eternity by Tamara Thorne, published in 2001.
This novel is the story of a Los Angeles cop Zach Tully whose family is murdered by the serial killer he has been trying to apprehend. At some point after the murders he receives an invitation to be the Sheriff of Eternity, a California Mountain town. Once he arrives he finds out he is the replacement for the previous sheriff who was found chopped up (Ed Note: I would hope that there would be some law that would force this county into disclosing this information in the want as). Tully also discovers he was brought to Eternity to solve a series of serial murders that have been occurring off and on for 100 years.
Before reading Eternity I had not previously read anything else by this author. I was quite impressed with this story. It had everything one would want in a horror novel; gore, many murders, humor, mystery, strange characters, a small town and a twist. Eternity will be a quick but fun read with an original twist on an old story for anyone willing to give it a chance. (Ed Note: Go eat a stale cookie)
LITTLE MISS HORROR NERD’S RATING: 3 1/2 out of 5
To check out or purchase Frozen or Eternity, click the pics below!
I played this game a lot with my friends. At that time, we never missed an episode of Creature Double Feature on TV each Saturday. We were all psyched to find many of the movie monsters in the game as well.
