Too Cold to Play Outside? Stoke up the Heatilator for Movie Night by the Fire!

It’s January – one of the coldest and darkest months of the year. But being indoors can have its advantages, especially if you have a Heatilator, a TV and access to fun movies!

It’s as simple as popping some popcorn, pouring your favorite beverage, grabbing the remotes and settling in for a night of movies fireside – and with awards season right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to dig into some of the best flicks from recent years in preparation for the 2015 awards. Here are a few to get you started:

2014 Best Pictures

You can hardly go wrong choosing the top ranked movies of 2014...they are:

• Oscar for best picture – 12 Years a Slave: Directed by Steve McQueen, this historical drama stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Michael Fassbender.
• Screen Actors Guild Award for best picture – American Hustle: Also a nominee for Oscar best picture, this crime adventure is directed by David O. Russell, and stars Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, and Christian Bale.

2014 Oscar Nominees

• American Hustle: Also winner of Screen Actors Guild best picture, this film stars Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, and Christian Bale, and it’s directed by David O. Russell. Rated R
• Captain Phillips: Directed by Paul Greengrass, this thriller stars Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, and Barkhad Abdirahman. Rated PG13
• Dallas Buyers Club: This drama stars Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, and Jared Leto and is directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. Rated R
• Gravity: Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, this thriller stars Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, and Ed Harris. Rated PG13
• Her: This romance drama stars Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson, and is directed by Spike Jonze. Rated R
• Nebraska: Alexander Payne directs this comedy drama starring Bruce Dern, Will Forte, and June Squibb. Rated R
• Philomena: Directed by Stephen Frears, this drama stars Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, and Sophie Kennedy Clark. Rated PG13
• The Wolf of Wall Street: Martin Scorsese directs this crime feature starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Margot Robbie. Rated R

2014 Screen Actors Guild Award Nominees

• 12 Years a Slave: Also won the Oscar for Best Picture. Directed by Steve McQueen, and stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, and Michael Fassbender. Rated R
• Dallas Buyers Club: Also an Oscar nominee. Stars Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, and Jared Leto and is directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. Rated R
• The Butler: Directed by Lee Daniels, this drama stars Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, and John Cusack. Rated PG13

2014 Animated feature/Family Friendly Oscar Nominees

• Frozen: The winner in this category, Frozen is directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee and stars Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, and Jonathan Groff. Rated PG (If you somehow haven’t seen this film yet, we applaud you – but it’s really a new classic, and definitely fun.)
• The Croods: Directed by Kirk De Micco and Chris Sanders, the stars of this movie include Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, and Emma Stone. Rated PG
• Despicable Me 2: Starring Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, and Benjamin Bratt, it is directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud. Rated PG
• Ernest & Celestine: Directed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, and Benjamin Renner. Stars Forest Whitaker, Lambert Wilson, and Pauline Brunner. Rated PG
• The Wind Rises: Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the stars of this movie are Hideaki Anno, Hidetoshi Nishijima, and Miori Takimoto. Rated PG13

It’s true that January can be long and cold, but it’s a great month to take in lots of movies. And, this month is when your Heatilator shines the brightest and warms the most. Enjoy the fire!