The 360 Guide to a Creative Snow Day

Winter Storm Juno is expected to dump a ton of snow on the Northeast. That means two magic words: snow day!If you find yourself at home,here are five ways to consume culturefrom the comfort of your couch:

1. Watch these movies before Netflix takes them away

Movies on Netflix streaming come and go —a bunch willexpire February 1. Here are our picks for what to stream before theydisappear:

Batman & Robin:Joel Schumacher’s two-hour long confession that he’s never picked-up a comic book. In contrast to the Christopher Nolan-directed Dark Knighttrilogy, it’s the campiest comic book adaptation you’ll ever see. And there’s nothing better than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pun-pounding Mr. Freeze to remind you of the frigid snowscape you’re avoiding indoors.

Zodiac: David Fincher’sserial-killer thriller undermines the conventions of the genre while still managing to get your pulse racing. Jake Gyllenhaal playsan idealistic reporter trying to solve a string of murders (based on the real-life Zodiac killings in the 1970s). But the movie digresses from the standard detective story to become something more like a meditation on obsession and its price.

M*A*S*H:Robert Altman’s anti-war farce is set during the Korean War and came out during the Vietnam War, but its send-up of war movies and jingoism roasts pretty much all armed conflicts. Come for the absurdist banter between Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould, stay for a surprisingly rousing football parody. Warning: there’s definitely some pretty misogynistic humor in there.

2. Binge watch TV

The binge watching options are vast these days,but we recommend thesetwo very different and yet very British options available on Netflix:

Black Mirror
Thissci-fi miniseries explores our technological anxieties in seven stand-alone episodes that are at once disturbing, mesmerizing, and flat out amazing. Think of it as The Twilight Zone for a new generation. Take this snow day to get weird. (Then listen to KurtAndersen’s interview with creator Charlie Brooker on next week’s show.)

Fawlty Towers
Maybe the snow is making youdaydream of taking a tropical vacation, but we’d rather be a guest at here. John Cleese plays Basil Fawlty, the rudest, but most hilarious hotel owner you’ve ever encountered. You’ll want to stay indoors, drink tea, and watch all twelve episodes before the snow melts. And you’ll have plenty to talk about with your co-workers when you get back to work — just don’t mention the war.(Tip:it also expires February 1.)

3. Get crafty

(Julia Lowrie Henderson)

Have some thread, a needle, and 14-count Aida cloth lying around? Do like Assistant Producer Julia Lowrie Henderson and get cross-stitching! Download this super simple pattern of our logofor free:

Cross-stitch not your speed? Associate Producer Matt Frassicahas been dabbling in watercolors lately. All you need is a kids’ standard watercolor set, a brush, a cup of water, and some paper. “It’s surprisingly fun to manipulate color in such a physical way,” he says.

(Matt Frassica)

4. Listen to the longest mixtape ever

Acouple of weeks ago, the Canadian composer, musician, and recording artist Dan Snaith (better known as Caribou) gifted us with “The Longest Mixtape” —1,000 jams that have inspired him over the years: from Kanye to Nina Simone to The Zombies. He recommends listening on shuffle. We recommend you makeit the soundtrack to your snow day.

5. Get a jumpon yourOscar pool

L to R: The Grand Budapest Hotel, Boyhood, and Gone Girl

(Photos courtesy of Fox Searchlight and IFC)

Many of this year’s Oscar-nominated films are available to stream:

Boyhood:Amazon Instant
Best Picture

The Grand Budapest Hotel:Amazon Instant,HBO GO
Best Picture

Gone Girl:Amazon Instant
Best Actress

The Judge:Amazon Instant
Best Actor

The Boxtrolls:Amazon Instant
Best Animated Feature

How to Train Your Dragon 2:Amazon Instant
Best Animated Feature

Ida:Netflix Instant,Amazon Instant
Best Cinematography, Foreign Film

Last Days in Vietnam:Amazon Instant
Best Documentary

Virunga:Netflix Instant
Best Documentary

Maleficent:Amazon Instant
Best Costume Design

The Lego Movie:Amazon Instant
Best Song

Begin Again:Amazon Instant
Best Song

Captain America: The Winter Soldier:Amazon Instant
Best Visual Effects

Dawnof the Planet of the Apes:Amazon Instant
Best Visual Effects

X-Men: Days of Future Past:Amazon Instant
Best Visual Effects

BONUS:

If you want to honor Winter Storm Juno, Juno is availableon Amazon Instant.