Knit to This
Knit to This: Snow Movies We Love
Dear everybody,
Season’s greetings to you! Whatever your day brings today, we hope you have time for a bit of rest. To that end, we humbly submit the following ideas for something to watch.
No matter where we are, this new winter season makes us crave snow movies.
Watching a snowy movie is like eating spicy food when it’s hot. It warms us up—a relief to know that however cold and shivery we are, we’re not having as rough a time of it as those poor sods in that snowy movie.
Reader Faves
MDK readers suggest the following. (Links are to Amazon, where these can all be rented. At this point, there are so many platforms that your best bet is to search the movie name, then go with whatever platform makes sense for you! Or just yell it into the air and it will show up on your phone, or something.)
Jeremiah Johnson. Robert Redford snow plus the dark scary wilderness.
Downhill Racer. Robert Redford snow plus ski racing.
Murder on the Orient Express. The 1974 one. Lauren Bacall, Martin Balsam, the whole gang!
Never Cry Wolf, based on the Farley Mowat book. Snow with wolves.
The Thing from Another World (the 1951 version) or the newer John Carpenter version, The Thing. Antarctic snow plus monster.
Our Shortlist
Here is our time-tested list of excellent snow movies—a batch for every possible taste.
Dr. Zhivago. Epic doomed Russian revolution romantic snow. Filmed-in-the-’60s snow.
Encounters at the End of the World. Documentary snow. Werner Herzog goes to Antarctica to meet the people who are willing to live on the edge.
The Shining. Stanley Kubrick superscary snow.
March of the Penguins. Morgan Freeman-narrated snow.
Fargo. Creepy Coen Brothers snow.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Suspenseful Daniel Craig Swedish snow.
Finally, the best snow movie of all time:
Groundhog Day. Bill Murray living the same day over and over, trying to win over Andie MacDowell.
Would love to hear more snow movie ideas—this is a deep, snowy category.
Sending all our love for a quiet, peaceful day for you,
Ann and Kay
Three of my favorite snowy movies are Smilla’s Sense of Snow, Gorky Park, and Fanny and Alexander.
Second Smilla’s Sense of Snow.
Great ones!
Good ones!
A new favorite- A Reindeer’s Journey. Ailo’s Story. I could watch the arctic stoat for hours. Donald Sutherland does a masterful job of narrating.
Lovely cooling pictures on a 30deg Christmas Day here in Sydney, greeting and blessings everyone
Where Eagles Dare. World War II actioner with Richard Burton and a young Clint Eastwood. LOTS of snow.
Yes! Good story! And that “I’m so handsome” blonde German guy with the pouty lips!
Just thought of another that is snowy and Christmas-y too .. The Bishop’s Wife with Cary Grant, David Niven, and Loretta Young.
One of my all-time favorites!
Best. Movie. Ever!
Agreed!
The Mountain Between Us. The WORST movie to watch on a plane. While flying over the Rockies. But it was a good movie with a satisfying ending.
Snowball Express with Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette. A Disney snow caper with bad guys, snowmobile race in the Rockies and good fun all around.
Home Alone.
I vote for “The Claim,” an adaptation of The Mayor of Casterbridge set in a gold rush-era Sierra Nevada mining town
Grumpy Old Men. Lots of Minnesota snow. We watch it, and Grumpier Old Men, each year around Thanksgiving time.
Yes, us too! And Snow Dogs (more of a January movie) and Bridget Jones’ Diary and Christmas in Connecticut (Barbara Stanwyck version).
Bridget Jones Diary! *happysigh*
8 Below. A great movie with Paul Walker where he is forced to leave his team of sled dogs in Antarctica and what befalls them while he is gone. Dogs and snow!
You must see The Night Visitor, Max Von Sydow, 1971.
A favorite in my house is 30 Days of Night. Dark Barrow, Alaska, snow with Josh Hartnett facing off against some vampires.
The Revenant is pretty snowy and intense.
Dr Zhivago – you forgot Omar-Sharif-with-ice-in-his-eyebrows snow. *faints*
Actually it’s at the top of her list.
But they didn’t mention Omar Sharif!!!!
My first serious crush!! I watch Dr Zhivago every year the day of the first big snow.
Gremlins. Snow, a broken snowman, more snow, and a cameo by Snow White. What more could you ask for?
Gremlins. Snow, a broken snowman, more snow, and a cameo by Snow White. What more do you want?
Snow Falling On Ccedars.
Read the book!
Snow Piercer – dystopian snow on a train.
Yesssssss to this.
I’ve got a few to add to your list: The Hateful Eight, The Revenant, Everest, Snowpiercer, Transsiberian, and Misery.
My two favorites:
Everest is the true story of a fateful climb up the world’s tallest peak.
Transsiberian is a suspenseful train trip through Siberia and the different characters encountered on the journey.
I forgot Cliffhanger: John Lithgow as the villain and Sly Stallone as the hero…great action flick!
Also The Grey: Liam Neeson, the Alaskan wilderness, and wolves
Yes also to Transsiberian
The Polar Express and White Christmas. 2 movies I just must watch every December
Absolutely!
“The Snowman” A little charmer!
Hauntingly beautiful music in ‘the snowman’!
Balto. A childrens movie set in Alaska.
And “Let The Right One In”! Disarming, horrific enchantment with a soaring, crystalline score.
Yes! Scary!
Snow Falling on Cedars
The 2020 Call of the Wild with Harrison Ford (bonus points for excellent knits) and if you need more sled dogs, Togo with Willem Defoe is another winter favourite arond here.
I read the book but haven’t watched the movie. Sounds good though!
*Call of The Wild.
Fellowship of the Rings-Sean Bean and creepy voices in the snow that forces you into the mines of Moria.
Prancer!
So underrated! I loved that movie
I love “A Christmas Memory” starring Patty Duke ! I can’t remember the little boy’s name who plays Truman Capote as a young boy ! Not much snow ❄️ but lots of love !
Truly a wonderful movie about love. Great performances by the entire cast.