Cozy Up with Some Hot Cocoa and these Scary Snowy Flicks
It’s National Cocoa Day!
National Cocoa Day Quick Fun Facts:
Cocoa was one of the first crops cultivated in South America for the Mayans and the Aztecs.
The word “cocoa” comes from the South American “cacao” which is derived from the Nahuatl word “Cacahuatl.”
In Mayan culture, the cocoa/cacao tree was a sacred plant and cocoa fixture in both engagement and marriage ceremonies as well as a form of currency between communities.
In Latin, the word cocoa means “Food of the Gods.”
When the Spanish discovered cacao/cocoa and began to import the beans back home, they initially cornered the market. But as chocolate began to grow in popularity, this versatile treat made its way to France and other areas.
Did you know that today we consume upwards of three million tons of cocoa beans? Wild!
We thought we’d celebrate with a list of films that will chill you to the bone and thus inspire you to lean into something warm and comforting like a mug of hot chocolate. (And don’t worry we’ve got plenty of recipes to go with our list!)
Fix yourself some delicious hot cocoa from one of our suggested recipe picks:
And once that’s done, grab your blankets and get cozy because here are our picks for spooky snowy horror flicks!
We’re running the gamut from anthology films to gothic to horror-thriller hybrids to sci-fi.
Crimson Peak
Guillermo Del Toro shares his vision for a haunted gothic tale of romance and terror.
Misery
Fans of horror undoubtedly know this one as it’s a standout in the Stephen King Catalogue.
30 Days of Night
Adapted from a graphic novel of the same name, this is a very dark very gory vampire flick.
Deathcember
An anthology of Christmas horror tales interwoven with an advent calendar theme.
The Thing
This terrifying sci-fi horror flick takes us to a remote arctic base with a cold and calculating creature.
Let the Right One In
This is a bittersweet horror-thriller with coming-of-age themes and a little romance.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter
A slow-burn atmospheric horror starring Kiernan Shipka of Sabrina fame.
The Lodge
A deeply disturbing, dark and harrowing tale of depression, isolation, loneliness and belief.
(WARNING: This one comes with a hefty trigger warning for onscreen suicide, self harm, gun violence, child abuse, death of a dog, religious abuse, bigotry, adultery, and then some! And when we say hefty we mean utterly bleak and starkly disturbing. This is not for sensitive viewers. It is a very dismal, upsetting film.)
Snowpiercer
Adapted from a graphic novel series of the same name, this dystopian sci-fi thriller stars everyone’s favourite Captain America!
Catch this one with the @RainbowReelClub later this month!
The Colony
Another cold, dreary, and mysterious sci-fi horror which also serves as a warning for climate change.
Dreamcatcher
This is an atmospheric sci-fi horror deep in the snowy woods adapted from another Stephen King novel.
By Ellen Avigliano
Twitter: @imaginariumcs
Website: www.imaginariumarts.com