Hello there! And a very warm welcome to the final edition of the Friday Film Club for this calendar year! Yes, its December and the season of good will has begun, but we all know about Christmas movies and have seen many of them by now, so this year I am broadening the scope a bit. This December the theme is ‘Winter Wonderlands’, and we’ll be looking at films set in the wonderful season of Winter (but never fear there is one Christmas movie on the list). You may be wondering what on earth I mean when I say ‘wonderful season’, and no I don’t mean the dreaded rain or fog or the cold. I of course, refer to my favourite part of Winter and the festive season, that fluffy white stuff called snow; and since it’s been a while since we in the UK have had a proper White Christmas, I had chosen four films chock full of snow, perfectly representing the best of winter.
We start with the furthest thing from a Christmas film you’ll ever find, hit horror The Shining (1980). Based upon the 1977 novel by Stephen King, it was directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick (Spartacus, Full Metal Jacket) and features a cast spearheaded by Jack Nicholson (Batman 1989, The Departed). Nicholson brings to life Jack Torrance, a man who takes a job as the winter caretaker at the Overlook Hotel in the Rocky Mountains (The Colorado region), while the hotel is closed for the season. Upon his arrival he is informed by the manager of the hotel’s dark history: Jack’s predecessor killed his wife & two daughters, followed by himself inside the hotel. But undeterred, Jack insists on bringing his family along with him.
Back in Boulder, as the family prepares to depart for the mountains, Danny (Jack’s son) has a premonition and seizure, which results in a hospital trip where secrets of Jack’s family history come out. The Torrance’s later arrive at the hotel, but before leaving, the head chef Dick Hallorann (Scatman Crothers) informs Danny of his telepathic abilities (which the two happen to share) called “shining” and further warns him to avoid Room 237. As time passes by, Danny has increasingly frightening visions of the past residents of the hotel and Jack’s mental also begins to deteriate rapidly, as he desperately tries to resist the urge to become like his predecessor.
Considering what a classic it is now, it may be somewhat surprising to hear that The Shining originally opened to a varied response, even garnering two Razzie nominations (given to the worst films of the year, opposite of an Oscar). However, those responses have become more positive over time and plenty of re-watches. It was ranked 75th in a Sight & Sound magazine (a publication we have in the Library’s journal collection) poll of the greatest films of all time, with Torrance thought of as one of Cinema’s greatest ever villains. Furthermore, it was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry in 2018. It even had a belated sequel called Doctor Sleep (2019, based on the sequel book), and though its not a usual watch for this time of year, its scenery will certainly give you that winter feeling. It’s available now on both DVD & e-stream, and you can watch the trailer by clicking the link below:
Our second entry is the slightly more light-hearted but still as bloody Fargo (1996). Written, produced & directed by The Coen Brothers (The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men), it is an American-British co production, loosely based on a real-life event. The black comedy features the likes of Frances McDormand (Raising Arizona, Nomadland), William H. Macy (Jurassic Park III, Wild Hogs), Steve Buscemi (Con Air, The Death of Stalin) and Peter Stormare (Armageddon, Bad Boys II). Set in 1987, it follows heavily pregnant Minnesota police chief Marge Gunderson (McDormand) as she tries to solve a triple homicide.
Jerry Lundegaard (Macy), is the executive sales manager of a car dealership in Minneapolis (owned by his father-in-law Wade), yet finds himself in desperate need for money. So desperate in fact, that he plots to have his wife, Jean, kidnapped, intending for her father to pay the ransom so he can pocket the money for himself. After a friend organises a meeting for him with criminals Carl Showalter (Buscemi) & Gaear Grimsrud (Stormare) in Fargo, they agree to do the job, providing that Jerry gives them half a ransom and an Oldsmobile Ciera car to use. Later, Jerry pitches Wade on a potentially lucrative real estate deal and believing Wade has agreed to lend him $750,000 to get it done, hastily decides to call off the kidnapping. Much to his dismay, Wade sneakily decides to make the deal himself and pay Jerry only a meagre finder’s fee instead.
Concurrently, Carl & Gaear go ahead with the kidnapping and drive Jean to a cabin, however on the way they are stopped by a state trooper for failing to display temporary registration tags while in the state. When the trooper hears Jean in the back seat, Gaear haphazardly shoots him and two witnesses passing by, resulting in local Police Chief Gunderson investigating the case and the kidnapping. Through struggling with ‘baby brain’ Marge endeavours to use her keen detective skills to find the culprits, while Carl, Gaear & Jerry start to become nervous over the rapidly escalation of events.
A critical and commercial success, Fargo received no less than 7 Oscar nominations including: Best Picture & Best Director, winning two for Best Actress (McDormand) & Best Original Screenplay, among many other nominations and wins in other awards. Like it’s predecessor in this blog, it was also added to US National Film Registry in 2006. Some critics called it the best film of 199; with Arnold Wayne Jones (Dallas Observer) exclaiming it an, “illuminating amalgam of emotion and thought,” and Lisa Schwarzbaum labelling it, “dizzly rich, witty and satisfying.” Its legacy is strong and lives on in a TV series of the same name created by The Coen Brothers which began in 2014. An alternative viewing once again this Christmastime, and while a little gory, it’s certainly funny and full of snow. View the comedy-filled trailer by clicking the link below:
From one hilarious murder investigation to another, our next entry is Wes Anderson’s (The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox) The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). In line with previous Anderson films, it features a large ensemble cast compiled of regular Anderson collaborators and new faces, including: Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter, Skyfall), Tony Revolori (Spider-man: Homecoming), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird, Brooklyn), Adrien Brody (The Pianist, King Kong 2006). Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man, John Wick), Tilda Swinton (The Chronicles of Narnia, Doctor Strange), Ed Norton (The Illusionist, Kingdom of Heaven), Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Independence Day) and Tom Wilkinson (Rush Hour, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel), among many others. The premise takes place across multiple different eras, being mainly set in the year 1932, narrated by a mysterious author (Wilkinson) in 1985, with the odd scene taking place in 1968.
In 1985, in a cemetery in the former nation of Zubrowka, a woman visits the shrine of a renowned writer known only as ‘Author’ while reading his most-cherished book: The Grand Budapest Hotel, which recounts his stay there while on vacation in 1968. While there he meets the owner, Zero Moustafa, who tells him the story of how he came to own the amazing hotel. That tale finds a young Zero (Revolori) in 1932, an illegal refugee escaping a war waged by a fascist regime, which killed his entire family. He is hired as a lobby boy working under the supervision of renowned concierge Monsieur Gustave H. (Fiennes). Gustave likes to strike up affairs with older, wealthy clients such as a dowager Countess known as Madame D (Swinton), the secret owner of the hotel (unbeknownst to anyone), who dies mysteriously one month later.
Gustave & Zero join her relatives in convening at her estate for the reading of her last will and testament. Her attorney Vilmos Kovacs (Goldblum) surprisingly reveals that she had bequeathed a famous Renaissance era painting to Gustave, however her son Dimitri (Brody) refuses to let him have it. Nevertheless, Gustave & Zero abscond with the painting, hiding it inside the hotel. After some faulty testimony from Madame D’s butler, Gustave is arrested for her murder by lead investigator Inspector Henckels (Norton) and sent straight to prison. Certain of his friend and mentor’s innocence, Zero and his close friend Agatha (Ronan) set out to help him prove it, though they face danger from determined hitman Jopling (Dafoe).
The response to this one was highly positive, with praise for the acting, yet there was some slight criticism of the storytelling. It was nominated for numerous accolades (163 in total, with 67 wins!) including 9 Oscars, winning four. Many a critic have called it one of the best films of the 2010s & 21st Century as a whole so far. It’s fun, quirky and a little emotional, with an amazingly eclectic cast; it’s certainly one of Wes Anderson’s best films to date. It’s available now on both DVD & e-stream and you can have a preview of its comedy by clicking the link below to watch the hilarious will reading scene:
Missing the Christmas movies yet? Well fortunately for you, we are finishing with a classic one, The Santa Clause (1994). Directed by John Pasquin (Jungle 2 Jungle, Miss Congeniality) in his feature film debut, it features Tim Allen (Toy Story, Galaxy Quest) as the eponymous character. Allen is joined by the likes of Eric Lloyd (Batman & Robin, The Santa Claus 2), Wendy Crewson (Air Force One, The 6th Day), Judge Reinhold (Beverly Hills Cop, Gremlins) and David Krumholtz (Superbad, Oppenheimer) in this wonderful family film about rediscovering the magic of Christmas inside yourself.
Allen appears as Scott Calvin, a marketing director for a toy company based in Lakeside, Illinois (U.S.). He is divorced and has a son, Charlie (Lloyd), who he is about spend Christmas Eve with. Despite no longer believing himself, Scott wants Charlie to continue to believe in Santa. However, Charlie’s mum Laura (Crewson) and her new husband psychiatrist Dr. Neil Miller (Reinhold) think it is time he stopped believing (despite him being only 8 years old!) as they did at a young age. Following a nice evening meal at Denny’s (a U.S. Diner restaurant chain), after Scott burns the original dinner, the two-return home. That night, they are both awakened by a strange sound on the roof, and in the midst of investigating, Scott accidently startles The Santa Claus slips and falls of the roof to his untimely death. Mysteriously, by the time Scott climbs down from the ladder he is on, Santa’s body has vanished and only his suit remains. Inside the suit is a card, that features an inscription telling the person reading it that if anything were to happen to Santa, to put on the suit and the reindeer would know what to do.
They spot the reindeer & sleigh on the roof, and at the behest of Charlie, Scott puts on the suit and the duo finish delivering the gifts in the sleigh before the night is over. Afterwards the reindeer take them to the North Pole. There they are introduced to Santa’s workshop and meet head elf Bernard (Krumholtz), who gleefully explains that by putting on the suit, Scott is subject to a legal technicality known as “The Santa Clause”; thereby accepting all of his duties & responsibilities, becoming the new Santa! Scott is given eleven months to get his affairs in order and return to the North Pole permanently to begin his role. The next morning however, Scott awakens in his own bed to believe it was all just a dream. Charlie remembers it vividly though, and as he starts telling everyone that will listen about his dad’s new job and Scott begins his transformation into Santa, things get dicey as Laura begins to worry about the two’s state of mind.
A funny and heart-warming, festive family film The Santa Clause poses the poignant questions of when should one stop believing? And is it a bad thing to still believe in Santa at an older age? Tim Allen is perfectly cast as Santa and his beautiful relationship with Charlie is at the heart of this film. The North Pole is designed immaculately for its time and is honestly one of the best live-action North Poles I have ever seen on screen. Critic and audience reception were initially mixed but Sandi Davis (The Oklahoman) placed it on her Top 10 list of the best films of 1994. The film flew a little under the radar but has an everlasting legacy with 2 sequels released in 2002 & 2006 respectively, and a Disney+ series now in its second season. It’s certainly near the top of my Christmas watchlist every year. You can watch it any time, anywhere only with e-stream and why not experience the magical moment Scott & Charlie arrive at the North Pole for the first time by clicking the link below:
Winter can be a season of discontent, but it also has some of the best movies going. Most of the entries for this month may be alternative watches to usual, but they’re worth a watch nonetheless. In fact, this month’s blog might even be more perfect for those that don’t celebrate Christmas but love everything else that comes with this season. Winter is not for everyone but it has its perks, the best being Snow.
That’s all for 2023 folks, wishing you the happiest holidays (where you’ll hopefully watch some of these films) and fantastic new year!!
Not sure how to access e-stream? Then simply click on the link below…
Bradford College Planet Estream.
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