Reviews
[REVIEW] Adam Green’s ‘Frozen’ (2010) Is A Howling Thrill Ride
Frozen follows Dan (Kevin Zegers), his girlfriend Parker (Emma Bell), and his best friend Joe [Lynch] (Shawn Ashmore), who spend the day skiing. The group decides to use a connection with one of the ski lift operators to avoid paying for a lift pass. Even though their friend isn’t there, they end up paying another operator and get to use the ski lift for a small fee. Later in the night, the three friends bully their way into one final trip. Karma bites them in the butt when a storm nears the resort, and they are left alone on the ski lift. Can these three survive on the ski lift until help comes in a few days? Or is being trapped on a ski lift the least of their troubles?
Around 2014 I found the podcast from filmmakers Joe Lynch and Adam Green called The Movie Crypt. Even though I was nearing the end of my college tenure, I was using this podcast as a supplementary film school of sorts. Hearing conversations from the indie-est of indie filmmakers to high-profile filmmakers was invaluable. As much as I love Green and Lynch, there was a piece of criticism Green received that stuck with me. I’m paraphrasing, but Green talked about how someone said his films and his excellent show, Holliston, are basically a parading of himself, his friends, and his then-wife, Rileah Vanderbilt. The quote was something like, “Your work is centered around: look how hot my wife is, look how great my life is.” When I rewatched Frozen for this review, I couldn’t get that (somewhat paraphrased) quote out of my head.
(Maybe I’m misremembering where that quote came from and it’s from Digging up the Marrow.)
What Is Frozen (2010) About?
Frozen follows Dan (Kevin Zegers), his girlfriend Parker (Emma Bell), and his best friend Joe [Lynch] (Shawn Ashmore), who spend the day skiing. The group decides to use a connection with one of the ski lift operators to avoid paying for a lift pass. Even though their friend isn’t there, they end up paying another operator and get to use the ski lift for a small fee. Later in the night, the three friends bully their way into one final trip. Karma bites them in the butt when a storm nears the resort, and they are left alone on the ski lift. Can these three survive on the ski lift until help comes in a few days? Or is being trapped on a ski lift the least of their troubles?
We’ll get back to what I spoke about in the opening in due time, but I do need to give this film the praise it deserves. Writer/director Adam Green crafted an incredibly tight film. Single-location films are hard to do, and it’s even harder when that one location is literally a single location. Green’s pacing feels intricately planned beat-for-beat. You can often feel when a writer has one really good idea for a story and then tries to buff out the script to make that one idea work. Frozen is technically a one-idea film. Three people are trapped on a ski lift. But Green’s script is that of a hungry filmmaker who is keen on carving their genre path to be greater than that of a horror comedy slasher franchise.
Likeable but Flawed Characters in Frozen
Character-wise, Green has likeably unlikeable characters. Dan and Joe are scheemers. They went into this whole trip with the plan of not paying for their ski lift. Even when they get their way, they bitch and moan at the end of the night until they get their way and get one more [fateful] trip. Even though Parker is essentially browbeaten into using her feminine wiles for Dan and Joe to get what they want, she’s likable. Parker just wants to have a good time and she’s thrust into an unfortunate scenario.
At no point does Frozen become visually boring. Over 50% of the film’s runtime does indeed take place on the ski lift andit never ceases to be engaging. This is entirely in part due to Green’s direction as well as his, at this time, third collaboration with cinematographer William Barratt. Barratt finds a happy medium between the static horror of the ski lift to the frantic ground footage when the wolves are introduced. It’s clear why Adam Green loves working with William Barratt, and it’s because that man knows how to work with a camera efficiently and effectively.
Practical Effects and Gore in Frozen
Practicals. Frozen is a buffet of practical horror goodness. From the frostbite special effects makeup to the hands frozen to poles and through the wolf attacks, Frozen has enough practical effects for the deepest practical purest. That’s not to say this film has Terrifier-like gore, but Green is brilliant with his use of respectful gore. And the wolves are just too cute. Even with gore and viscera hanging from their mouths, I want to cuddle them.
So, why did I start this review by bringing up that quote? Two reasons. Firstly, I get it. I get why Adam Green does what he does. Secondly, I get it. I get why that person criticized Green as he did. That’s not to say I agree with the criticism, but it’s hard to get out of my head. Look, I appreciate when filmmakers are referential and use the resources they have. There is no qualm there. When I first watched Frozen in 2011, I wasn’t as knowledgeable about the genre as I am today. Now that I am, I get why that person said what they said.
Self-Referential Elements and Adam Green’s Creative Indulgences
Let’s look at the constant references throughout the film. Kane Hodder has a cameo, which is fine. In the cameo, he’s wearing a Mount Holliston beanie. Worldbuilding, fine. And that’s when the fun aspect goes from quirky and referential, to flat-out annoying. Dan’s best friend being named Joe Lynch isn’t cute. It’s frustrating and too much of a fourth wall break. There’s a character named Rifkin, an homage to Green’s filmmaking friend Adam Rifkin (Chillerama). I, as well asmany people, find it beyond annoying when characters and locations are named after filmmakers. Romero University, Voorhees Hall, Krueger’s Kindergarten. It’s one of the most frustrating things about horror. Especially when it’s a straight horror story. Horror comedies get a slight pass (for me).
The really frustrating addition is the character of Shannon (Rileah Vanderbilt). Adam Green and Rileah were either dating or engaged at this point in filming. And there’s zero point to her character. All the inclusion of this character does is paint Joe as a “nice guy.” Oh, he helped her up when she fell? AND she’s here with her rude ex-boyfriend? Well, of course she’s going to give Joe her number. None of this is to say Vanderbilt is a bad actor, because she’s not! It just feels like useless flaunting of someone to force unnecessary “character development.” There’s little agency to her character other than acting as an emotional stinger to make you care more about Joe’s survival.
Unnecessary Character Motivation Hurts the Pacing
When Shannon gives Joe her number, he clings to remembering the number to help him get through his ordeal. And that’s just not necessary. He’s literally in a life-or-death situation by being trapped on a ski lift as one of the year’s worst storms hits their location. That’s all we need. The film is 93 minutes long. Green could easily have done without this three-minute interlude that breaks the pacing. Joe’s character motivation doesn’t need to be to remember a seven-digit number so he can get laid if he survives. His motivation just needs to be survival!
Does Frozen Still Hold Up?
Adam Green has been upfront with his struggles in the industry and an overall acceptance of the difficulty of “breaking into” it. He’s a perfect example of how to make your own way. He has made his own connections and used them the best way he sees fit, and even with all that said, I can’t help but applaud him for the work he’s done.
That’s enough of that. I don’t dislike Green or this film because of that quote, but I can easily see how people who are big horror fans AND don’t like Green could be frustrated. Frozen is an engaging and entertaining horror film that succeeds on its own merits and ideas, it doesn’t need these referential moments to wink at the audience. Adam Green is one of my favorite filmmakers and Frozen was the film that got me interested in his work. It still holds up all these years later. One thing has always stuck with me since my first viewing of Frozen: I’m never going on a ski lift again!
Most people find that stretching their dollar still barely gets them by in today’s economy. I am very particular about what I spend my spare money on regarding extracurriculars. And no one likes to feel like their money is wasted. Madame Morbid Trolley Tours wasn’t an experience I had been familiar with. Maybe that’s because I’m chronically offline for most of my life. So this leads to the perfect question: in today’s turbulent economy, is Madame Morbid Trolley Tours worth the price? The short answer is unquestionably, yes. But it’s more than just a simple yes.
My wife and I arrived at the designated meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. A handful of minutes later, a gorgeous, e-candle-lit trolley pulled up to the side of the road. We were greeted by impeccably on-brand Allison Chase, our tour guide, and trolley driver ‘Mad’ Matt Zaller. The wonderfully cheery duo invited us on the trolley, and the tour was set to begin.
400 Years of Death, Destruction, and Infrastructure
After a welcoming video intro from someone who knows a thing or two about busting ghosts, we set off on the inaugural Madame Morbid Trolley Tour in its ninth year of operation. From the Brooklyn Naval Yard all the way to Dumbo, and more, this tour magnificently chronicles 400 years of history, the good and the bad, expertly. No matter how much you think you may know about Brooklyn history, I can bet there will be something new learned within the first 15 minutes of the tour. From the first-ever plane crash to one of the worst theater fires in history, this tour covers tragedies that the greatest horror writers couldn’t conceive.
The Deadly [Charming] Docent
Allison Chase led the fascinating tour in character from the moment we stepped on the trolley until our departure. But Allison’s character was not forced or fake; you could feel Allison’s passion for not just morbid history, but the accuracy of it. Some of the stories we heard were steeped in historical context, and it was not boring for a single second. The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour is not your standard full-talking tour. It’s a mixed-media adventure of some of Brooklyn’s darkest moments.
During “downtime” (the times between locations), we were edutained by mini documentaries (that were quite funny). Some of the “downtime” was filled with traffic trivia (I won a needle pen!). And other times were show-and-tell-like, with objects passed around for us to examine. But there was never a moment of silence that wasn’t purposeful. All in all, Allison’s knowledge and passion shone like the luminosity of a full moon.
Is Madame Morbid Trolley Tours Worth It?
The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour was not just a fun night out for my wife and me, but it was a delightfully dark night of edutainment. It should also be noted that ‘Mad’ Matt’s driving skills were fantastic. There was a time when I had become enamored with how Matt handled the narrow streets of Brooklyn before realizing that I needed to refocus my attention on Allison. The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour is an exceptionally fun evening of horror and history that will make you think twice next time you walk down the streets of Brooklyn. It is worth the money, and then some. There’s no better activity for a cold, dark October night than the Madame Morbid Trolley Tour.
For more information on Madame Morbid Trolley Tours, and to get your tickets, click here!
I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should have watched the Stephen King adaptation Cujo a million years ago. First of all, I was a voracious King reader in middle school. The other thing I was obsessed with during those years was Friends. You know, the show that hinges a major episode’s subplot on Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) watching Cujo for the first time. Whatever the reason was, I never got around to it, but I’m rectifying that oversight now.
What is Cujo About?
Cujo tells a relatively simple story. Donna Trenton’s (Dee Wallace) a housewife who’s cheating on her husband Vic (Daniel Hugh-Kelly) with local handyman Steve (Christopher Stone). There’s no accounting for taste, because Vic is 10 times hotter and Steve doesn’t own a bed frame. Look, Donna. I know Vic has that awful David Hasselhoff hair, but I promise the 1980s will end sooner or later. It’ll be OK.
Donna’s attempted termination of this affair ultimately leads to its discovery. Amid this drama, her car breaks down at a mechanic’s isolated farmhouse, trapping her and her son, Tad (Danny Pintauro). You see, the mechanic’s dog, Cujo, freshly christened with rabies, is patrolling the area and attacking everything in sight.
Dee Wallace Is Cujo’s Not-So-Secret Weapon
It would be impossible to start a worthwhile review of Cujo without praising Dee Wallace. The woman is a genre icon, naturally. Think about this: She had only appeared in seven theatrical movies before starring in Cujo. Four of those movies are The Stepford Wives, The Hills Have Eyes, E.T., and The Howling. But this woman didn’t become an icon simply by accidentally stumbling into some iconic titles. She is simply terrific as Donna, using her darting eyes and taut expression to deliver oodles of subtext. You instantly get the sense of how trapped she feels by marriage and motherhood without her uttering a single word.
A good performance is vital, here. Because there’s a hell of a lot of drama to get through before she’s trapped in that damn car. But Wallace instantly shoves you into Donna’s perspective, whether you like it or not. This makes it all the more potent when she is menaced by Cujo. Her desperate attempts for survival, also impeccably performed, have true weight because she seems like a real person. She is also given an incredible scene partner in Danny Pintauro. The future Who’s the Boss? star, who was only six when shooting Cujo, has a perfect everychild quality. His innocence heightens the peril. But so does that fact that he is just as irritating as every six-year-old you’ve ever met.
This movie truly captures how annoying it must be to be stuck in a life-and-death situation with a child. This is a compliment, I swear! Donna is worn down by every aspect of the situation, including her own son’s inability to cope with it. And this ratchets up the tension even further, to an almost unbearable degree.
Cujo Is a Mixed Bag, But Worthwhile Overall
The movie doesn’t work if Cujo himself doesn’t work, and at first I was real worried that he wouldn’t. In the first half, the St. Bernards that play Cujo onscreen are often shown to be wagging their tails in delight. Which kind of undercuts the reality of the situation, I’d say. But the editing and the special effects step in to fix what animal training couldn’t. The attack scenes in the second half are constructed with quick cuts that never let you get too much purchase. It’s a good approach for keeping viewers off-kilter.
Also, Cujo becomes less and less recognizable as a cuddly canine the further the movie gets. It’s a simple trick, really. He ends up getting coated with more and more slime. Saliva, pus, blood, and what have you. This is good for making him feel like a true movie monster. Plus, it’s a good mirror for the sliminess inside the car as it gets covered in sweat, blood, and grime.
The second half of the movie ultimately works like gangbusters. It’s a shame that Cujo is too cowardly to get Donna and Tad in the car before the halfway point. This decision is somewhat faithful to the book’s structure as I remember it. However, it diminishes the weight of the long days that they spend in the car. We really need to feel that crushing stretch of time, and we don’t. When Tad is suffering from dehydration, it’s not a gut punch. Honestly, I just found myself asking, “Already?” It’s good that they gave the movie a happier ending, because the classic grimdark Stephen King finale wouldn’t have landed.
Is Cujo Worth Watching in 2026?
At the end of the day, Cujo is a solid movie and I’m glad I finally watched it. However, it’s not such a stone-cold classic that I’m not at least a little intrigued by that upcoming Netflix remake…
