First Snow: the movie

The roadside soothsayer’s prediction of the future

admin — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

How would you react if told, however vaguely, that you only had a short time to live? First Snow, a 2006 film directed by Mark Fergus and starring Guy Pearce, deals with the effects of knowledge of the future and how this affects a person.

Jimmy Starks (Pearce) finds himself before Vacaro (J.K. Simmons) and told that while he is headed toward much positvity, there is no future to foretell after the first snow. As the first prediction proves true–a new business venture of Stark’s receives financial backing–he begins to consider the second, more dire prognostication which seems to be Stark’s death.

The prediction, as with most foretelling, is somewhat vague and open to interpretation. This allows Starks to fill in the details on his own, matching what could be coincidence with providence regardless of actual connection. As the weather turns cold and the impending first snow approaches, Starks begins to question the ability to change his fate. However, Vacaro persuades him to accept this future.

The film shares a tale which all people can appreciate: While some things are inevitable, we may still have the power to change our lot in life if we put forth the effort.

Do soothsayer’s still exist? Did they ever?

admin — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

First things first. What is a soothsayer? The word means to say the truth. A soothsayer is a person that says the truth of a situation, or to see what will happen in the future. They have been called by many names. Prophets, oracles, fortune tellers, psychics, seers and visionaries are just a few titles. Those who can see, have been mentioned through out all of history. Soothsayers have been sought out by people to get the answer they feel they so desperately need. Some think these people who can see visions have a great responsibility to others to spread the truth far and wide. Others feel it is a burden and should be kept quiet.

In today’s society fortune tellers, psychics and others are advertised everywhere you look. Are they real? Are they legit? It is hard to say. There are people who have the gift of sight but now you have to actually search for one who is not out for a quick buck or scam. When you find a true soothsayer in current times you next need to find out if they have correct interpretations of their visions. Soothsayers do exist, you have to decide their legitimacy.

The over all feel of First Snow

admin — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Are you a thriller movie fanatic? Do you love finding great movies that can cause you to feel exhilaration, fear, and even terror? Are you always searching for that next new movie induced adrenaline rush? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the movie First Snow is for you!

First Snow is in the most basic sense a mystery film with a mix of suspenseful and metaphysical elements. It stars Guy Pearce, who plays a salesman who, due to a twist of fate - and engine trouble on the road – meets a psychic who gives him too much information. Because the psychic gives the salesman a taste of what his future holds for him, he becomes enchanted with the idea of getting more and more information from him.

Although the idea of becoming obsessed with the future is not an original one in the musical world, Fresh Snow still manages to create its own unique twist. The movie itself could be described almost as bleak or depressing, because it deals with the painful topic of fate as though it were inevitable and inescapable. Fresh Snow is no happy-go-lucky action thriller, but rather a thoughtful look at what it truly means to know what lies ahead.

Jimmy Starks, Good or Bad Character?

www.firstsnowthemovie.com — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Some say Jimmy Starks is good, some say he’s bad, but what is he really? It’s not his fault that the fortune teller predicted he would die before the first snow of winter. As his anxieties grow, he wonders if he can somehow escape his fate. He goes through so many near death experiences that it really makes you worry whether he’s gonna make it to the end of the movie or not. Was he a bad character, and that’s why the psychic told him he is going to be fine until the first snow? Or was he an innocent man, and that just happened to be the psychic’s prediction? Well this is all under debate for you guys! Was Jimmy Starks a good or bad character? He can be seen as both. The whole story can be found at

http://blazingportals.wordpress.com/2011/07/17/are-psychics-real/

It’s possible that he could have done bad things in the past, which is why he had a fortune that told him he was going to die. Or it could have just came to him randomly. He very well could have been a man who did good deeds, and came along this psychic and got that fortune. Now it’s for you to decide- Jimmy Starks: Good or Bad Character?

A soothsayer in a new movie

www.firstsnowthemovie.com — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Shakespeaere used many soothsayers in his plays. The soohsayers furthered the plot or brought dire warnings. If soothsayers were not available, the weird sisters who haunt Macbeth or a ghost will do. Modern film makers do not use this technique often. Directos and producers tend to shy away from this technique today, although this is not always the case. One of the most prominent examples of a soothsayers in movies is the movie First Snow.

Mark Fergus’s movie opens with advice given by a psychic to a stranded traveller in a snow storm a prediction. Get more information here. The psychic tells him that he will soon experience a windfall. The psychic makes two predictions, in fact, that after the first snow there will be no tomorrow.

Although the windfall soon occurs, his conscience soon catches up to him over an older matter. He worries if his former friend Vince will come back to haunt him. His girlfriend and his business partner watch him descend into madness.

Using psychics or soothsayers in amovie often seems like a cheesy gimmick, but it works well for certain kinds of stories. In First Snow, it does not even matter if the predictions turn out to be true. What matters more is the psychological reacion of the charaters to the predictions.

The Career of Mark Fergus

www.firstsnowthemovie.com — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

So you happened to catch First Snow on one of your DirectStarTV packages and now you’re more than interested in the cast and crew. Director Mark Fergus has a long career in the film industry and if you’d like to check out more of his stuff use our list as a starting point:
Iron Man: Mark worked as a writer on this summer blockbuster…who knew he had such a propensity for big budget shoot ‘em up films?
Cowboys and Aliens: This film has yet to be released but it’s also got to credit Mark Fergus for writing. It stars Daniel Craig and Minka Kelly and you can catch previews now.
Children of Men: Mark wrote on this apocalypse thriller back in the early 2000s which undoubtedly set the stage for the dark drama of First Snow.
Tales From the Script: A documentary starring Fergus was one of his earliest stabs at writing and directing. It’s a great inside look at what it takes to get a film made and you’ll find out a bit more about his personality, too.

First Snow, A Movie Review Post

admin — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The film First Snow is a thrilling drama about what happens when a man believes an ominous psychic reading that he receives. It was written and directed by Mark Fergus. It was a big stepping stone in the writing career of Fergus, but to date it remains the only film that he has directed. Guy Pearce puts on a convincing performance as the protagonist Jimmy Starks, who falls into a state of complete paranoia after believing a soothsayer’s disturbing premonition. William Fichtner and Piper Perabo also have key roles as the best friend and girlfriend of Jimmy, respectively. The title of the movie comes from the prediction that the world will end and there will be no tomorrow after the first snow of the year, which puts even more fear into the mind of Jimmy Walker, even beyond his personal fears about the soothsayers premonition and his past coming back to haunt him. The suspense of the movie builds up perfectly throughout, and the characters are realistically portrayed and remain true to themselves. It’s a unique story line, and speaks to the psychological vulnerability that people have in today’s society, and their willingness to believe things, no matter how far fetched they may seem.

A Movie Review of First Snow

admin — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

First Snow is a pretty darn good thriller about a man with a tainted past. He goes back to that past to try to change his future. The movie stars Guy Pearce, who is perfect for the role and does a great acting job. Pearce, as he often does, plays a character that we are not particularly fond of, but the character is very interesting and the plot revolves around the events of his life.

The movie begins with Jimmy Stark, Pearce’s character, stranded outside of the town as he waits for his vehicle to be fixed. He gets his fortune told by Vacaro as he waits. This sets up the whole move, as most of the news is good, except the foreboding warning that everything is going to be fine until the first snow.

The movie unfolds from here, as Stark begins to have doubts about his life and future. He begins to see signs of doom in everything, and soon becomes obsessed with Vacaro’s word of fortune or misfortune.

Everyone does a really good job in this movie, and the pacing is excellent. If you enjoy thrillers and film noir, the First Snow might just be for you.

The Official Review of First Snow

admin — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

First Snow is a movie directed by Mark Fergus, and was released in April of 2007. Guy Pearce stars as the confident main character, Jimmy, whose life turns around after coming across a fortune-teller in an RV in the middle of the desert. The fortune-teller, J.K Simmons, gets a very bad vibe while holding Jimmy’s hand, and tells him that it mostly likely means death. Although he won’t die before the first snow fall. The audience watches Jimmy from becoming this confident bar-owner to an emotional and paranoid man.

There are a lot of plots very similar to this story, such as the short story The Last Leaf of a woman who is predicted to die when the last leaf falls off of a tree. And also the movie Premonition, which opened in this same month as First Snow, but all of audience members and critics agree that this is an original twist to the story and Guy Pearce gives such a great performance, that you are emotionally glued to his character through out the entire film.

This movie also stars Piper Perabo as Jimmy’s girlfriend and the great character-actor J.K Simmons as the fortune teller who gives Guy his unwanted fate.

Pearce Tallies Another Strong Showing

www.firstsnowthemovie.com — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

First Snow fans are undoubtedly excited to see lead man Guy Pearce return to critical acclaim in his supporting role as King Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David) in the Tom Hooper film The King’s Speech. Starring Colin Frith as King George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George) and Geoffrey Rush as speech therapist Lionel Logue, the timepiece drama centers around the young, aspiring king’s speech impediment and the pressing matter of personal growth and national pride at stake.Pearce’s character, King Edward VIII, is George VI’s predecessor to the throne and big brother, with whom he’s had a mixed history. Mocking the younger George’s stutter throughout their young, taunting and teasing as children do. Edward assumes the throne with the passing of their father, George V. Soon after, however, Edward’s feelings for American divorcee Wallis Simpson conflict with his kingly image, as George reminds him he cannot retain the throne upon marrying Simpson, as no king was allowed to take a divorced wife. This quickly becomes a point of contention between the brothers, Edward presuming George is making an attempt to usurp his power and make a run at the throne himself, rationalizing George’s speech therapy as a means of preparation for his leadership of Great Britain. With the advent of radio technology, the position of King is equally an orator, leader and figurehead for the monarchy, a task tough undertaken for an individual embattled with public speaking issues. Edward then recants a childhood taught, rattling George’s core with past ghosts returning to haunt his improvement and inciting discord between George and Logue.Ultimately, cooler heads prevail as Edward abdicates his throne, the shortest reign in the history of the British Empire, paving the way for George to take the crown, and film’s compelling culmination. Released December 10^th in the United States and January 7^th in the United Kingdom, The King’s Speech and Pearce’s performance have been met with critical acclaim, including a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Pearce from the British Independent Film Awards and a Best Motion Picture Drama and Best Screenplay nominations for the film from the Golden Globe Awards.