31 Days of Halloween October Horror Movie Challenge - Day 8: Frozen (2010)

Day 8 - Frozen (2010) 

Platform: 

OverDrive

Quote:

“Remember how I said I’ve done this before? I totally lied. I’m scared shitless.”

Synopsis:

Three college students hit the slopes by sneaking on the ski lift before closing, but then they get stuck overnight in the freezing cold, up in the air, with wolves prowling below. Adam Green (Writer/Director of the Hatchet series) manages to bring the gore in this survival horror picture.

Review:

You wouldn’t think that a movie about just three people sitting on a ski lift in the cold could get that gruesome, but Green manages to work in some great effects. There’s really only one practical effect that just doesn’t look right. That probably comes mostly from over exposure. If they hadn’t shown it as much as they do, it probably wouldn’t have stood out. All of the other effects are fantastically done. Even putting the effects aside, the film is really well done. The isolation in the cold, the tension of the relationships of two best friends with a new girlfriend to one of the guys thrown in the mix, the threat of the wolves prowling below -- all of it works really well to tell a great survival story that also works as a horror film. Many have compared it to Jaws in the snow. The  film itself even calls out Jaws in the character dialogue when they discuss the cover and how getting grabbed from below wouldn’t be as scary as seeing what was coming for you and knowing you couldn’t do anything about it. Personally, I can see the connections, but the threat in Jaws is always the creature on the hunt. While there are wolves that threaten the characters, the wolves feel more like a background threat. The wolves are there, and they are a danger, but the real force of nature that is barreling down on the characters is the storm and the bitter cold that is wearing away at them. If there is a good lesson to take away from this one, it’s ALWAYS PAY FOR YOUR TICKETS!!! That way you’re accounted for and no one gets left behind. This was an interesting piece with a lot more drama than the other entries so far and was a great addition to the list. Another solid recommend.

Movie Count

New: 6

Total: 8

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