Jack Frost (1996 film)
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| Jack Frost | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Michael Cooney |
| Produced by | Barry L. Collier, Barbara Javitz, Jeremy Paige, Vicki Slotnick |
| Written by | Michael Cooney, Jeremy Paige |
| Starring | Scott MacDonald, Christopher Allport, Stephen Mendel F. William Parker Rob LaBelle Eileen Seeley Zack Egington Jack Lindine Kelly Jean Peters Marsha Clark Chip Heller Brian Leckner Darren O. Campbell Shannon Elizabeth Todd Conner |
| Music by | Chris Anderson, Carl Schurtz |
| Distributed by | A-Pix Entertainment Inc. |
| Release date(s) | January 1, 1997 (USA) |
| Running time | 89 minutes |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Followed by | Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Jack Frost is an American horror/comedy film written and directed by Michael Cooney and released in 1996. The movie takes place in the fictional town of Snowmonton, where (on the week before Christmas) the truck carrying serial killer Jack Frost (Scott MacDonald) to his execution is involved in a freak accident with a truck carrying genetic material. Although Jack Frost escapes, the genetic material causes his body to fuse with the snow on the ground, mutating Jack into a killer snowman. With his body now as icy as his heart, Jack Frost seeks revenge on the citizens of Snowmonton and on the man who finally caught him, Sheriff Sam Tiler (Chris Allport).
The film gained fame as an Internet meme thanks to its low budget special effects, comical death sequences, poor (but unintentionally funny) acting performances, and the fact that it was released within two years of a completely unrelated family film of the same name also featuring the concept of a living snowman. Jack Frost has become known as a b-movie cult classic. In addition, the film is also known for being the first movie featuring actress Shannon Elizabeth (credited as Shannon Elizabeth Fadal), who plays a minor role in the movie. Four years later, the film would spawn a sequel, Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman.
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[edit] Plot summary
On a snowy December night, a state execution transfer vehicle crosses into the quiet backwater town of Snomonton (the "snowman capitol of the Midwest" and spoof of Edmonton, Alberta). Contained within the truck is serial killer Jack Frost, who eluded police for five years and left a trail of thirty-eight bodies across five states before finally being arrested, ironically enough by the sheriff of the same town the truck had just entered. Frost is set to be executed at midnight that night. However, due to the snowy weather, a tanker from the Gene Codes Corporation that is driving the other direction collides with the prison truck, freeing Jack. As he tries to make his escape, the ribonucleic acid contained within the tanker breaks free, horribly scarring Jack. He falls to the ground, and his body begins to fuse with snow.
Meanwhile in Snowmonton, Sheriff Sam Tiler continues to be haunted by the memory of Jack Frost. Despite news reports of Jack's demise, Sam cannot forget Jack's threats to get revenge on the sheriff, his family, and the whole town no matter what it takes. The sheriff's fears soon prove to be founded when Old Man Harper is found murdered, his head forced back as if by a giant mitten. Soon afterwards, a local boy is also killed, decapitated by a sled after he "fell" into its path. According to the sheriff's son, the snowman pushed the boy in the way. Another couple is murdered, the husband having an axe shoved down his throat and the wife being strung up like a Christmas tree.
Hearing of the murders, Agents Manners and Stone arrive in Snowmonton, claiming to be from the FBI. At the behest of the agents, Sheriff Tiler puts the town on 24-hour curfew and sends his officers out to gather all the townspeople. However, one of the officers is killed when Jack Frost melts down and refreezes within his police cruiser, running the officer over. Two teens are also killed when they sneak into the sheriff's house to be alone together. The male dies when Jack drives an icicle through his head. The female (played by Shannon Elizabeth) is killed when Jack reforms in the tub, trapping her in his body. Jack then proceeds to beat her head against the wall, while apparently raping her with his carrot nose, until she is dead.
Jack Frost returns with the police cruiser to the station, finally confronting Sheriff Sam Tiler. The agents reveal themselves to be representatives of the genetic research company that created the acid and reveal that the snowman is a mutated Jack Frost. Stone also explains that the acid bounds a Human Chromosome Helix, the snow stored Jack's DNA, and that his soul has now become a chemical. They attempt to destroy Jack 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. Unfortunately, Jack condenses, killing Agent Stone and wounding Agent Manners. Jack Frost traps Sheriff Tiler and his son within his car, but the sheriff escapes by inadvertently throwing the oatmeal his son made him at Jack, burning the snowman's head. His son, not wanting his father to be cold, put antifreeze in the oatmeal, believing it had Propylene glycol in it, when it actually had Methanol in it. This seems to harm Jack because Anti-freeze is a substance of low freezing point added to a liquid, like water, to prevent the freezing cold, and since snow/snowmen melts into water, the Anti-freeze is trying to keep the cold off of the snowman.
Sheriff Tiler tells his friend, Paul Davrow (F. William Parker) to fill the bed of his truck with antifreeze. In the movie's conclusion, Jack chases Sam through the halls of a church and finally catches him, driving an icicle into his chest and almost killing him. But the truck full of antifreeze arrives just in time, and Jack and Sam crash through a window and into the truck's bed. Jack Frost melts in the antifreeze, and the antifreeze is buried deep under the ground of Snowmonton. But in one of these containers shows it bubbling. It seems Jack's contained as a liquid, and is still alive.
[edit] Cast
- Scott MacDonald...Jack Frost
- Christopher Allport...Sam Tiler
- Stephen Mendel...Agent Manners
- F. William Parker...Paul Davrow
- Eileen Seeley...Anne Tiler
- Rob LaBelle...Agent Stone
- Zack Eginton...Ryan Tiler
- Jack Lindine...Jake Metzner
- Kelly Jean Peters...Sally Metzner
- Marsha Clark...Marla
- Chip Heller...Deputy Joe Foster
- Brian Leckner...Deputy Chris Pullman
- Darren O. Campbell...Tommy Davrow
- Shannon Elizabeth...Jill Metzner
- Paul Keith...Doc Peters
- Charles C. Stevenson Jr...Father Branagh
- Nathan Hague...Billy Metzner
- Todd Conner...Driver
- Richard Whiten...Second Driver
- Harley Zumbrum...Guard
- Kurt Bryant...Tanker Driver
- Brett A. Boydstun...Idiot
[edit] Deaths
- Guard - windpipe squashed by Jack's boot
- Old Man Harper - head snapped back
- Billy Metzner - head decapitated by a sled blade
- Jake Metzner - axe handle shoved in throat
- Sally Metzner - strung up like a Christmas tree
- Deputy Chris Pullman - run over by police car
- Tommy Davrow - icicle to the head
- Jill Metzner - repeatedly had her head slammed into the bathroom wall, apparently while being raped by Jack.
- Agent Stone - killed-off screen
- Jack Frost - Melted in Anti-freeze
[edit] Reception
- Jack Frost received 3.3/10 stars at rotten tomatoes, and received 8%, rotten.
