Well the snow finally arrived but so far it hasn’t been around long enough to stick. What better time than now to watch a movie that has snow? Not only that, it centers around a snowman too! No not Frosty. This one is a killer snowman called JACK FROST. Don’t be mistaken this is not the Michael Keaton movie that touched the heart strings. This is the 1997 direct to video film that is being released as part of the MVD Rewind Collection.
The story begins on a stormy winter night with low visibility on the roads. Serial killer Jack Frost (Scott MacDonald) is being transported to his execution at the state prison. At the same time a truckload of acidic chemicals is heading in the opposite direction. Both vehicles see each other at the last minute and crash, opening the back door and allowing Jack freedom. When he confronts the guard who was driving, the flames from the wreck ignite a tank in the chemical truck and the acid shoots out on Jack who melts in the snow. But the chemical is something being tested, altering Jack’s DNA and making him not melt into the snow but becoming part of it.
In the nearby town of Snowmonton Sheriff Sam Tiler (Christopher Allport), the man who arrested Jack and sent him to jail, is still dealing with nightmares of Jack. As Jack was led out of court he swore he would get back at Sam and kill his family and destroy the town. In spite of reports that Jack is now dead he still feels a sense of unease.
Sam’s son Ryan (Zack Eginton) has found a snowman in their yard and is making a face for it. As he does so bully Billy comes up and pushes him off the can he was standing on telling him this is the path for the black ice sleds to ride through. When no one notices the snowman pushes Billy down and a sled hits his neck decapitating him. His father blames Ryan but Ryan insist it was the snowman that pushed him.
But Billy isn’t the only victim. Old man Harper was found with his neck broken backwards on his front porch too. As word leaks out two men suddenly appear in town, an FBI agent named Manners (Stephen Mendel) and Andy. They claim they’re there to help but it appears they know more than they are willing to share.
The body count begins to rise as more and more townspeople are killed. Some are fortunate enough to escape and report that there was a snowman responsible for the attacks on them. When the town becomes snowed in and the help expected from the government can’t make it, Manners and Andy reveal to Sam what happened with Jack Frost. Now they must team up to take down this killer snowman.
If the plot sound ridiculous it should. I made the mistake the first time I began watching this years ago of taking it for an honest to goodness horror film. I thought it was cheesy, the effects weren’t all that great and it was ridiculous. Now I finally realized that it was all meant as a joke, a parody of horror movies. This one may not have had a holiday in the title but it sure lampoons those types of films.
The acting here is actually pretty good, especially when you know what kind of movie you’re watching. The film may not have had much of a budget but the quality of the performances would never have you think that. Not only that, it actually looks pretty good both in the cinematography and the set designs. This may not be a highly polished major film but it looks better than most that ran on budgets like this.
The best part of the film is the
tongue in cheek dialogue between characters. I won’t reveal it here because it
should be heard to be enjoyed. Never serve up a punchline in a review. I was
surprised at how fun this movie was in spite of the content involved, a serial
killer in the form of a snowman. It did well enough to garner a sequel which
MVD Rewind Collection is also releasing. For some fun with a horror film not to
be taken too seriously you should give this one a try.
No comments:
Post a Comment