Jack Frost (1997 film)


Jack Frost is a 1997 American direct-to-video horror comedy film written and directed by Michael Cooney. The movie takes place in the fictional town of Snowmonton, where a truck carrying serial killer Jack Frost to his execution crashes into a genetics truck. The genetic material causes Jack's body to mutate and fuse together with the snow on the ground. Jack is presumed dead and his body melts away. However, he comes back as a killer snowman and takes revenge on the man who finally caught him, Sheriff Sam Tiler.
Despite being critically panned, the film has developed a cult following for its comical death scenes and cheesy special effects, and was followed by a sequel in 2000, . Jack Frost is notable for being the film debut of Shannon Elizabeth.

Plot

On a snowy December night, a state execution transfer vehicle crosses into the quiet backwater town of Snowmonton. Inside is serial killer Jack Frost, who eluded police for years and left a trail of thirty-eight bodies across eleven states before finally being arrested by Sam Tiler, the sheriff of Snowmonton. Jack is scheduled to be executed at midnight, but Jack kills the guard and the vehicle crashes into a genetic research truck. Jack is exposed to chemicals from inside the truck, causing him to dissolve and fuse with the snow.
Despite news reports of Jack's demise, Sam cannot forget Jack's threats of vengeance. Old Man Harper is found murdered, and soon afterwards a local bully named Billy is killed when he is pushed into the way of an oncoming sled, getting decapitated. According to Tiler’s son, Ryan a snowman caused Billy's death. Billy's parents Jake and Sally are then later murdered by the same snowman.
FBI Agents Manners and Stone arrive in Snowmonton and convince the Sheriff to put the town on 24-hour curfew, sending his officers out to gather all the townspeople. Deputy Chris Pullman is killed when the snowman runs the officer over with a police cruiser. Billy's older sister Jill and her boyfriend sneak into the sheriff's home to steal his wine and have sex, as revenge for her family’s death. The snowman kills Jill's boyfriend and pretends to be bath water to lure in Jill, solidifying around her and proceeding to rape and physically assault her, resulting in her death.
The snowman returns with the police cruiser to the station, finally confronting Sam. Agent Stone reveals himself to be a representative of the genetic research company that created the chemicals and reveals that the snowman is a mutated Jack Frost. He also reveals that the human soul exists as a chemical and that the acid was going to be used to contain DNA in case of a nuclear holocaust. They attempt to destroy Jack by blowing him up by releasing aerosol cans in the police station and firing a bullet at him, but to no avail. They then use blowdryers to drive Jack into a furnace, which evaporates the snowman. Jack condenses, killing Stone and wounding Manners. Jack traps Tiler and Ryan within his car, but Tiler escapes by inadvertently throwing the oatmeal Ryan made him at Jack, burning the snowman's head. Ryan put antifreeze in the oatmeal, believing it could help keep his father from getting cold.
Sheriff Tiler tells his friend, Paul Davrow to fill the bed of his truck with antifreeze. Jack chases Sam through the halls of a church and finally catches him, driving an icicle into his chest and almost killing him. The truck full of antifreeze arrives just in time, however, and Jack and Sam crash through a window and into the truck's bed. Jack Frost melts in the antifreeze, and the antifreeze is poured back into the containers, and buried deep under the ground of Snowmonton. Tiler's wife Anne, realizes that the state police are on their way. When Paul asks Tiler what they are going to tell them, Tiler says, "we'll tell them that it's too late". However, one of the containers is shown to be bubbling, revealing Jack is still alive.

Cast

In an interview with Fangoria, writer Michael Cooney revealed that he also served as director for the film because " couldn't afford a director". Further addressing the low budget of the film, Cooney references Campbell Soup's "Let it Snow" advertisement and notes that that commercial had a budget "three times" that of the film. Furthermore, he stated that Identity, another film he wrote, had a budget of $30 million, while Jack Frost was made for "the cost of its catering budget".
Portions of the film were filmed at the Fawn Lodge in Fawnskin, California, on the north west shore of Big Bear Lake.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 7% based on, with a weighted average rating of 3/10.
Grave Reviews gave the film 2.5 Graves.

Sequel

A sequel, , was released in 2000. A third installment was planned with the tentative title of "", but hopes of the sequel being made are unlikely because of the death of Christopher Allport in 2008.

Home media

It was released on VHS by A-Pix Entertainment and DVD by Simitar Entertainment in 1997. Both releases have been long out of print.
On December 13, 2016, Vinegar Syndrome released the film for the first time on Blu-ray. It includes the film digitally remastered in a 2K presentation. Special features included an audio commentary, a video introduction by director Michael Cooney, and a video interview with actor Scott MacDonald and director of photography Dean Lent.