Release CalendarDVD & Blu-ray ReleasesTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsIn TheatersComing SoonMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysLGBTQ+ Pride MonthSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Dead of Winter

  • 19871987
  • RR
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
4.2K
YOUR RATING
Dead of Winter (1987)
Trailer 1
Play trailer2:06
1 Video
34 Photos
  • Drama
  • Horror
  • Thriller
A fledgling actress is lured to a remote mansion for a screen-test, soon discovering she is actually a prisoner in the middle of a blackmail plot.A fledgling actress is lured to a remote mansion for a screen-test, soon discovering she is actually a prisoner in the middle of a blackmail plot.A fledgling actress is lured to a remote mansion for a screen-test, soon discovering she is actually a prisoner in the middle of a blackmail plot.
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
4.2K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Arthur Penn
  • Writers
    • Marc Shmuger
    • Mark Malone
    • Anthony Gilbert(novel "The Woman in Red")
  • Stars
    • Mary Steenburgen
    • Roddy McDowall
    • Jan Rubes
Top credits
  • Director
    • Arthur Penn
  • Writers
    • Marc Shmuger
    • Mark Malone
    • Anthony Gilbert(novel "The Woman in Red")
  • Stars
    • Mary Steenburgen
    • Roddy McDowall
    • Jan Rubes
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 43User reviews
    • 28Critic reviews
    • 55Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos1

    Dead of Winter
    Trailer 2:06
    Dead of Winter

    Photos34

    Roddy McDowall, Mary Steenburgen, and Jan Rubes in Dead of Winter (1987)
    Roddy McDowall in Dead of Winter (1987)
    Mary Steenburgen in Dead of Winter (1987)
    Roddy McDowall, Mary Steenburgen, and Jan Rubes in Dead of Winter (1987)
    Mary Steenburgen in Dead of Winter (1987)
    Jan Rubes in Dead of Winter (1987)
    Mary Steenburgen and William Russ in Dead of Winter (1987)
    Jan Rubes in Dead of Winter (1987)
    Mary Steenburgen in Dead of Winter (1987)
    Roddy McDowall and Jan Rubes in Dead of Winter (1987)
    Roddy McDowall, Mary Steenburgen, and Jan Rubes in Dead of Winter (1987)
    Mary Steenburgen in Dead of Winter (1987)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mary Steenburgen
    Mary Steenburgen
    • Julie Rose…
    Roddy McDowall
    Roddy McDowall
    • Mr. Murray
    Jan Rubes
    Jan Rubes
    • Dr. Joseph Lewis
    William Russ
    William Russ
    • Rob Sweeney
    Ken Pogue
    Ken Pogue
    • Officer Mullavy
    Wayne Robson
    Wayne Robson
    • Officer Huntley
    Mark Malone
    • Roland McGovern
    Michael Copeman
    Michael Copeman
    • Highway Patrolman
    Sam Malkin
    • Gas Jock
    Pamela Moller
    • Woman at Audition
    Dwayne McLean
    • Killer
    Paul Welsh
    • New Year's Eve Reveler
    • Director
      • Arthur Penn
    • Writers
      • Marc Shmuger
      • Mark Malone
      • Anthony Gilbert(novel "The Woman in Red") (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Believers
    6.0
    The Believers
    Target
    5.9
    Target
    Listening
    5.6
    Listening
    When a Stranger Calls
    6.4
    When a Stranger Calls
    Eyes of Laura Mars
    6.1
    Eyes of Laura Mars
    6.9
    Flesh and Blood
    Inside
    6.3
    Inside
    Four Friends
    7.0
    Four Friends
    Dead of Winter
    4.9
    Dead of Winter
    Drifter
    4.2
    Drifter
    The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
    7.0
    The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane
    The Stone Boy
    6.5
    The Stone Boy

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Malcolm McDowell: The celebrity whose photograph Dr. Lewis is "autographing" to add to his display. At the time of filming, McDowell was married to star Mary Steenburgen.
    • Goofs
      All entries contain spoilers
    • Quotes

      Telephone Operator: There is no 311 area code.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Black Widow/From the Hip/Light of Day/Dead of Winter (1987)

    User reviews43

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    A wintry tale that is guaranteed to give you the shivers...
    Once upon a time (1945 to be exact) there was a B-film from Columbia called MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS starring Nina Foch, Dame May Witty and George Macready. It caused quite a stir even though it played the lower half of double bills and lasted a mere 65 minutes.

    DEAD OF WINTER is rather transparent in borrowing from MY NAME IS JULIA ROSS (the heroine's name is Julie Rose, for example), and it has taken the original material, expanded it with some clever additional plot lines, taken the Cornwall atmosphere and transported it to wintry New England for a weather-beaten effect, and turned out a smart little thriller that will give you plenty of winter chills no matter what the temperature is outside.

    It's another one of those tales where nothing is what it seems. A pretty young actress (MARY STEENBURGEN) is a down on her luck gal who accepts the offer of a film test from a producer (RODDY McDOWALL) who invites her to his secluded mansion where the test will take place. Sure, it's an unbelievable plot contrivance, but that's part of the fun. Nothing is to be taken too seriously from this point on.

    When a series of rather unpleasant incidents take place, the woman realizes she is in a trap, but neither she nor the audience understands why she is there and what the purpose is of keeping her prisoner.

    STEENBURGEN is excellent as the frightened woman (who should have had more common sense than accepting such an offer), and McDOWALL's polite cat-and-mouse game with her is fascinating as it unfolds. It's a creepy film, filled with authentically wintry atmosphere and it builds toward a surprising and violent climax.

    Under Arthur Penn's direction, this expanded version of the B-film is every bit as cleverly plotted and written, no matter what some of the other commentators here have said. It's an atmospheric mystery that's guaranteed to give you some satisfying wintry chills--and then some.
    helpful•25
    7
    • Doylenf
    • Oct 10, 2006

    FAQ5

    • What is 'Dead of Winter' about?
    • Is "Dead of Winter" based on a book?
    • How does the movie end?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 6, 1987 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Usred zime
    • Filming locations
      • Ontario, Canada
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,413,427
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $951,548
      • Feb 8, 1987
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,413,427
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Dead of Winter (1987)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Dead of Winter (1987) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in July
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Hollywood Romances: Our Favorite Couples
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.