Jack Frost (1997)
The Frosty We All Deserve...
The Cold Open
December is in full swing! Alabama is sorta-kinda getting cold… some days. When this post goes up, Christmas will only be 15 days away. Winter is almost here (Dec. 21st is the official first day of Winter). It’s my second favorite time of the year. My favorite time of the year is Fall and specifically, Halloween.
Winter is a very close second because I love the cold and the snow. Growing up in Alabama, I learned quickly that I would rarely get to see either of those things that I love so dearly, so I treasure them when they show up.
I took a few trips up North when I was a teenager and got to experience snow in full force. My favorite trip was to New Hampshire. The snow was deep and fluffy. Our cottage was cozy and warm, complete with a fireplace. And the lodge we were staying at had an indoor heated pool and an outdoor hot tub. One of my favorite experiences was just hanging out in a hot tub, surrounded by snow; nothing but the sound of the water and the stillness of the air.
That’s truly what I love about the cold and the snow. The stillness of everything. Walking around in a snow-covered forest with just the crunch of snow under your foot as the background noise… Nothing better. It evokes a true feeling of isolation. It is 100% my happy place.
The Movie
I’m going to give you the summary straight from the IMDB page for Jack Frost because they do a pretty good job on this one:
“After an accident that left murderer Jack Frost dead in genetic material the vengeful killer returns as a murderous snowman to exact his revenge on the man who sent him to be executed.”
I don’t know how you get anymore straightforward than that, haha.
Jack Frost definitely falls smack dab in the middle of the horror-comedy camp of things and I’d dare say it’s further on the comedy side than the horror side. If you enjoy campy flicks with some creative death gags and a humorous monster, this movie is 100% for you.
I enjoy horror-comedies of all kinds and I definitely appreciate camp, so overall I had a good time with this movie. I hesitate to call it GOOD in the traditional sense, but I will say it was entertaining enough and a good “one of those.” If you have a slow afternoon and wanna turn your brain off while something plays, give it a whirl.
Movies like this are a bit harder to talk about in terms of plot just because they are typically very shallow. The description above is exactly what is going on, there isn’t anything deeper happening. You’re tuning in to watch the absurdity of a killer snowman and how the townspeople deal with it.
The Scary Stuff
Uhhhhhh…. Probably the scariest part to me was a sex gag that I don’t think really landed involving a woman in the shower and the snowman. It felt like a product of its time, but I wonder if it even landed back in 1997.
But seriously, this movie is not scary. Unless bad visual FX scare you, in which case yes it is terrifying.
My Thoughts and Feelings
I enjoy campy movies. Even more so now than when I was a kid, and that is saying a lot because I loved them as a kid/teenager. This movie kinda brought me back to those days a bit. I could picture myself in Block-Buster or Movie Gallery staring at the VHS cover of this movie (yes I am that old), wanting to watch it but knowing my parents would never let me rent it. Now I finally know. I dunno that it was worth the wait, but it was fun enough that I’ve looked for the sequel. But maybe I’m just a masochist…
Elevator Pitch
A serial killer gets a second chance at life as a snowman and continues to kill because is serial killer.
End Credits
That’s the post. Shorter this week, I know. You’re probably grateful! As always, I hope you have a great week and that you join me again for next week’s post. I already know what I’m picking and I’m excited to watch it (never seen it) and then tell you all about it!
Stinger
What’s a bad horror movie that you love? I’ll even extend it to just any bad movie.