I recently returned from a quick trip to Canada, where, as I drove through a blizzard, I was reminded that winter will soon be here.
Some work tends to be seasonal—certain types of projects seem to happen near the end of the year, new projects tend to start in spring. And like work, there are certain things that are better done at certain times of the year. Volleyball and golf in the summer, hiking in the spring and fall, and of course, watching your favorite movies or exploring new ones in the winter. Winter movie season is one of the best—there’s a reason why most Oscar-winning films are released in November and December.
Now before you start thinking winter is nothing but a cold, white, and depressing season, remember there are some great things to watch when you are locked away in your warm house. Here are some of my favorite movies to watch—some that you may not have heard of before.
The Fall
Starring Lee Pace (from Pushing Daisies, a great, short lived TV show that I would also recommend), who plays a stunt man from the earliest days of film. He befriends a young girl in a hospital they are both at and shares a story. Visually, this movie is amazing. It was filmed over a few years because the director (Tarsem Singh) needed extra time and money to film what he needed. The director is known more for commercials, so he actually made this movie in-between his other work. It took him 4 years and 28 countries to film the entire movie! Quite a daunting task! The end result is an amazing story with many visually stunning settings. 
Arsenic and Old Lace
This is a classic film with Cary Grant, one of my favorite actors of all time, and directed by one of the all-time greats, Frank Capra. A man finds out his lovely ole aunts are actually not as cordial as they seem. While Capra is best known for It’s a Wonderful Life, this is one of my favorite comedies from him. Cary Grant is great as well as the leading man trying to figure out if the craziness runs in his family or not. It is black and white and from 1944, but it is indeed a classic worth watching.
The Monster Squad
With Halloween just over, I am always reminded of this forgotten movie. A group of misfits are the earth’s only hope for stopping Dracula and all the other monsters from taking over the world. This is a great family movie from director Fred Dekker and starring a bunch of actors who I don’t recognize. This film is nice because it brings together the classic monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Mummy) and introduces them to kids in a semi-scary film, but very family-friendly film. This is a hard one to find, so if you get a chance to see it, please do.
So, there’s three that I like watching. What are your favorite films to watch during the winter season?
