Sitting here in my room, sipping coffee, wearing two layers and a blanket – it’s cold, it’s winter time and I love it! I’m a huge fan of the colder weather, so this week’s theme is perfect for me! I tried to think of movies that were more family friendly and funny. Winter is such a dark time anyway, with the sun rising and setting during work hours, so some lightness is necessary.
1. COOL RUNNINGS (1994)
Recently at the gym I saw a bobsled competition and then came home with this weird need to watch Cool Runnings again. It’s not that this movie is the best out there, it’s just simply a memorable sports flick. It tells a story of three sprinters, who loose their chance at the Olympics. Then one of them gets a crazy idea to put together the first Jamaican bobsled team for the Winter Olympics. The funniest scene is when they all arrive in Canada, and it’s freezing – poor guys have no idea what winter is really about at that point. The editing is nostalgic, I mean, it is a movie from the 90’s and it has a very memorable ending. It’s also quite funny, not attention seeking funny but just easy laughs, and it’s truly a feel good film.
2. SNOW DOGS (2002)
This one is probably the weakest of the bunch, but it also has the most jokes. Not that all the jokes are good but the movie is literally carried by jokes. It’s clear that they wanted to bring out as many laughs from you as possible because the script itself was average. And I’m not mad about it. Sometimes we need to watch easy funny movies to pass the time. Snow Dogs happens to have dogs in it, who don’t get harmed!, and it just adds to the cuteness element. Yes, it’s ridiculous and yes, you can’t really tell if Cuba Gooding Jr. is an Oscar winner – but it’s still fun. There’s a backstory to the film that stands out, there are some emotional moments as well and I guess, since I’m recommending it, it’s memorable too.
3. EIGHT BELOW (2006)
Strongest of the three is Eight Below. Inspired by true events, this film tells a story about eight dogs surviving the harsh weather conditions. After an accident the people have to leave the dogs behind, and since the weather gets super bad, they can’t get back to them. This movie sort of has two stories, one which is told obviously from the perspective of people, the other from the dogs’ perspective. The latter is of course mostly fiction I assume because even as a true story, I hardly think it’s possible to know what the dogs were doing. Still, it’s a good film. It is also a bitter sweet film because Paul Walker plays the lead here. True heroes of the film though, dogs, really cute and awesome dogs.
THIS SERIES IS CREATED BY WANDERING THROUGH THE SHELVES
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My husband has been trying to get me to watch Cool Runnings for years now. Even he’ll say it’s not the greatest movie out there, but he’s watched it so many times over the years with his family that it’s kind of become part of his childhood 🙂
I would recommend it, it’s a nice movie. Perfect for a night in with the husband, I think! 😉
I like your theme within a theme. I’ve only seen Cool Runnings, which I liked enough as a kid. The other two I never bothered with but I’m aware of them.
Thank you! I try to do a few every now and then but it’s harder than it looks! 😀
The only one of these I’ve seen is the first which was a pleasant little number though its been so long ago my memories of it are vague. I’ve toyed with watching the other two but have never quite gotten there, one that I have seen that deals with snow dogs is the Disney film “Iron Will” which I love.
Unlike you I hate the cold but it didn’t keep me from liking these films.
The Call of the Wild (1935)-Using the Jack London story of a man, his dog and a lot of snow as its loose template this is a rather revised version of Jack Thornton (Clark Gable) his part wolf sled dog Buck, and his partner Shorty Hoolihan (Jack Oakie) as they brave the elements in their quest for fortune, adventure and at least for Thornton romance along the way in the guise of Claire (Loretta Young). Gable and Young had an affair during the making of the film which resulted in a daughter who Young (after vanishing to Europe for a year) passed off as her “adopted” child for the rest of her life.
Mrs. Mike (1949)-Young Boston born Kathy O’Fallon (Evelyn Keyes) meets Canadian Mountie Mike Flannigan (Dick Powell) while visiting her uncle in Alberta, Canada. Falling for him and marrying quickly they head to his new posting in the Yukon where they face many hardships along with the biting cold as Kathy struggles to adjust. Based on Kathy’s memoirs of life in the Great White North.
The Thing from Another World (1951)-Scientists at an Arctic research station discover a spacecraft buried in the ice. Upon closer examination, they discover the frozen pilot. All hell breaks loose when they take him back to their station and he is accidentally thawed out!
The last one from your picks sounds super interesting! And a bit scary, yes?
I have only seen a couple of snippets from Cool Runnings but it looks entertaining. I haven’t seen the other 2 but the 3rd sounds good but I have to know the dogs survived
The dogs survived, as far as I remember! Everyone in Cool Runnings also survives! 😀
Love the theme within a theme! Sadly, I’ve only seen Cool Runnings. A fun film, that one.
Thank you! I’m so glad Cool Runnings is so loved this week. Yay!