A remake of the 1980 horror film by Charlie Kaufman, the story centers on the sadistic members of a villainous family return to their childhood home to terrorize the new home owners and their guests. The film includes the talents of Rebecca De Mornay, Patrick Flueger, Deborah Ann Woll, Frank Gillo, Shawn Ashmore, Jaime King, Briana Evigan and Jaime King.:

The sadistic members of a villainous family return to their childhood home to terrorize the new home owners and their guests. Check out the new images from Mother’s Day below, thanks to Bousman putting them up on his blog (via Arrow in the Head).:

Three skiers are stranded on a chairlift and forced to make life-or-death choices that prove more perilous than staying put and freezing to death. The film stars Shawn Ashmore, Emma Bell and Kevin Zegers as the victims against the harsh elements. Frozen comes out in theaters under Anchor Bay Films this Friday, and if you still need a little more convincing on whether or not you should watch this, go and read Serena’s Frozen Review here on Killer Film.:

The film starts off with two best friends named Dan and Joe (played by Kevin Zegers and Shawn Ashmore, respectively) and Dan’s girlfriend (played by newcomer Emma Bell) trying to enjoy their day of escape at a local ski resort in New England.  Trying to get one last run in before an early closing of the resort, the three beg an employee to let them on the lift before the resort closes.  After an unfortunate mishap, the three are left stranded on a chair lift high off the mountain as they realize in horror that they have been forgotten about and will not be able to get back down until the resort opens up again in five days.  As they fight the freezing weather, hypothermia and horrible frostbite, they soon come to realize there are other unforeseen hurdles that Mother Nature has thrown at them.  Thrills, chills and unbelievable moments of terror ensue.

Watching Frozen is like being bound and gagged while also being dragged against your will to your doom.   Writer/director Adam Green relies heavily on the audience’s dire sense of helplessness as the movie unfolds into one of the most upsetting survival horror films viewers will ever be witness to.  Psychological elements of impending doom play heavily in Frozen as the constant interaction and lack of instincts for self-preservation amongst the characters make this tale of terror a far more realistic one. Unlike most horror films, the mistakes our three protagonists make along the way do not induce groans or screaming at the screen.  There are no moments when you feel hopeful for the three unfortunate souls. There are no scenes of drawn out and tense chase sequences accompanied by a jarring score. There is only dread, trepidation, and despair. Like Michael Haneke’s Funny Games, viewers are forced to feel like voyeurs watching a hopeless situation unravel into a fairly gruesome one. Its running time of ninety-four minutes will feel much longer as viewers will feel just as trapped and isolated as the characters onscreen.

What also makes the film even harder to watch is that Green makes the ballsy decision of shooting the film in a practical way. There are no green screens or CGI snow. The actors and crew are really fifty feet up in the air enduring the harsh weather and freezing temperatures. It was a clever and courageous move on Green’s part and all the actors’ give authentic and heart wrenching performances because of it.

To give away the obstacles the three stranded characters face will definitely do viewers a disservice as the scares might not have the hard hitting impact they would going in completely blind.

All I will say is that after watching a series of avoidable events unfold onscreen, this reviewer screamed, closed her eyes, yelled out obscenities, let out nervous laughter, gasped, squirmed in her seat and then bawled like a baby all in the exact order…and all in the span of ten minutes. Those reactions alone should prove how bleak and emotional this thriller truly is.

Now were there any negatives to be said about the film? Of course there were and after my first viewing of Frozen, I was prepared to give the film a lower rating for its sometimes obnoxious and far too personal dialogue that at times felt like only close friends of Green would find funny. (Shawn Ashmore’s character is named Joe Lynch for God’s sakes. ) I also felt a character deserved a far more memorable send off, but after watching Frozen a second time, I realized I had fallen in love with each character.  I found myself memorizing the number 830-7860 for Joe, laughing at Parker for saying she had to pee “wicked” bad, and admiring Dan’s loving affections for his girlfriend.  Multiple viewings made the flaws disappear, which is something I can’t say for most horror films.

Like Open Water and The Ruins, Frozen is a traumatic, unapologetic and relentless punch to the gut that only truly affects you after you have viewed the film. It provides a nauseating and unsettling sense of dread that will send more chills up your spine than the icy weather the characters in the film are subjected to.  If you’re lucky to catch this one in theatres, please do so ASAP and then promptly take a hot shower and call your loved ones to tell them you love them.  I know that’s what I did. 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Three skiers are stranded on a chairlift and forced to make life-or-death choices that prove more perilous than staying put and freezing to death. The feature stars Emma Bell, Kevin Zegers and Shawn Ashmore and is under Anchor Bay Films. Frozen comes out in theaters on February 5th. Check out the new clip below.:

Synopsis:  A typical day on the slopes turns into a chilling nightmare for three snowboarders when they get stranded on the chairlift before their last run. As the ski patrol switches off the night lights, they realize with growing panic that they’ve been left behind dangling high off the ground with no way down.

With the resort closed until the following weekend and frostbite and hypothermia already setting in, the trio is forced to take desperate measures to escape off the mountain before they freeze to death. Once they make their move, they discover with horror that they have much more to fear than just the frigid cold. As they combat unexpected obstacles, they start to question if their will to survive is strong enough to overcome the worst ways to die?

Synopsis: Dan, Joe and Parker are three college students on the last day of a skiing vacation in New England. But when they take the last lift up the mountain, and are accidentally stranded halfway up, they must fight for survival against primordial enemies: cold, wind, rain, snow, and altitude…

Source: Bloody Disgusting

Mother’s Day stars  Briana Evigan, Alexa Vega, Deborah Ann Woll, Shawn Ashmore, Jaime King, Lloyd Kaufman and Rebecca DeMornay with an expected release date of you guessed it Mother’s Day 2010.

Mother’s Day 1980 trailer

Source: IGN