Video Rewind: Let it Snow!

I know I won't be popular after this installment, but I love the snow and with the crazy weather we've had in recent years, I'm hoping for a repeat of last year's weather.

Snow can be appreciated in The Associate starring Whoppi Goldberg. She shares "snow scenes" with Dianne Weist and through the magic of film those scenes always stand out in my mind when I think of this movie.

A few flakes fall when the two meet in a park and then again when they leave a diner. The latter stands out much more since the road is slushy and there's a hint in the air more of the white stuff is about to fall. everything is kind of quiet and pretty at the same time.

Upon arriving in Buffalo in Best Friends Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn are greeted with a nice squall. Their arrival at the train station makes you crave snow even more as Jessica Tandy and Barnard Hughes (as Hawn's parents) meet the newlyweds.

Everything is iced over and their walk through the station makes it seem like a mid January day. You can almost feel the cold air as they walk to their car which is snow covered. There's nothing like a slippery road to really get the blood flowing.

And in those days when it snowed it stayed around until the spring thaw. As Hawn walks up to the house the snow piled up on the sides of the sidewalk is nearly knee deep. Those were definitely the days!

One of my favorite scenes kind of brings back a nostalgic memory when Hawn and Tandy are walking and the snow's coming down at a good rate. The two seem to be enjoying themselves as the wind whips around them. (There was a time before Christmas when I was younger and the weather was horrible. It's probably the first snowstorm I can remember and we had gone shopping. I remember the car sliding, the snow coming down at maybe an inch an hour and everyone was in a Christmas mood).

In the movie Teachers starring Nick Nolte and JoBeth Williams, Williams has a great snow scene during the opening credits. Watch closely as it snows, stops and starts again. With the snow scene it brings back memories of cold snowy mornings at school.

But if you're looking for a campy snowstorm, check out the Rock Hudson-Mia Farrow disaster Avalanche. Since it's a disaster movie (and predictable) the phony snowstorm playing outside Robert Forester's window is to be seen. Obviously the special effects guys were short a helping hand since the flakes are sporadic and the off screen fans must have been kind of small.

An annoying part of the film (and a little with Best Friends) is the sound of the roaring wind. Every time they cut to an outdoor scene in Avalanche there's this annoying fake wind blowing. If you've ever experienced a real snowstorm you know the wind doesn't howl like it does in this movie.

Also the special effects are probably the best part of this film since it's so fake! True in 1978 special effects were still in their infancy but when the snow slides down the mountain watch the extras faces as "they peer in horror" at the oncoming disaster.

And you can't forget the Styrofoam falling on the extras. It's painful to watch but should have you howling like the wind.