Brrr! Even though nothing equals the big-screen experience of watching a movie in the comfort of a theater, surrounded by friends and strangers while munching popcorn, the multitude of viewing options available on home video beckons more invitingly when the temperature drops well below freezing.
And if you're going to watch movies at home, why not watch something that matches the weather conditions outside? That's reason enough to watch these winter-weather horror movies, all chilled to perfection.
Let Me In (2010)
Set in late winter in Los Alamos, New Mexico, the film follows what happens after two strangers move to town. As snow falls in this clip, young Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) shares his true feelings with Abby (Chloe Grace Moretz), not yet realizing her capacity for brutal violence, bad weather or not.
Dead Snow (2009)
This bloody horror-comedy entry -- as well as its sequel, Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead -- takes place in the frozen wilds of Norway, as a military unit of Nazi zombies comes back to life in the modern day and wrecks havoc and death on unsuspecting citizens. The movie takes full advantage of its snowy seasonal setting.
30 Days of Night (2007)
The small town of Barrow, Alaska, lies north of the polar circle, and so experiences 30 straight days without the sun every year. Unfortunately for the few hundred people who live there, the town is about to come under attack by a coven of very hungry vampires, a crisis that is exacerbated when all communications with the outside world are cut off.
Frostbite (2006)
A vampire horror movie from Sweden that should be better known, this thriller mixes comic elements in the dead of winters to take full advantage of its premise and its chilly settings.
Dreamcatcher (2003)
Directed by Lawrence Kasdan, this Stephen King adaptation is better than its reputation may suggest, and the deep-cold atmosphere certainly helps.
Misery (1990)
Recovering from a car accident in the middle of winter, writer James Caan is stranded in the home of Kathy Bates, who seems helpful enough until something makes her angry.
The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter's frosty remake keeps things icy, unleashing a terrifying alien being that changes its shape and appearance at will. Setting the action at a research station in Antartica just before the start of the winter season emphasizes the lonely isolation of the men as they fight against the creature and the elements. All that's at stake is their lives and the future of civilization as we know it.
The Shining (1980)
Stanley Kubrick's atmospheric horror movie largely plays out indoors, but as this clip shows, the weather has a huge impact on the characters and the story, contributing to the claustrophobia and desperation that becomes rampant in the lonely old hotel.
