Jack Frost

[hurkylll@aol.com]

Some movies in the American repetoire of cinema can truly be considered "classics"... movies that set the standards for excellance with their daring and disturbing portrayel of life, of the human psyche. Two movies come to mind that are NOT American classics: Akira Kurasawa's The Seven Samurai and Jack Frost.
Well, we can eliminate Kurasawa's entry not because it is not a "classic" movie per se (because in many ways it is considered the epitome of the epic struggle depicted in film, the very *essence* of war and considered by most Japanese, the experts, as the pinnacle sumarai movie ever made) but because it is not American.
Jack Frost however, meets the OTHER criterion. It is American - but not a classic. Why isn't Jack Frost an American classic? Let's analyze it for a moment.
Does Jack Frost portray small town life, urban life, mid-size-oil-town-in-Texas life in any new and thrilling way? no. Does it reveal anything frightening inside of us like Hitchcock's Psycho does? no. Does it show how a serial killer plus snow and genetic acid makes (surprise of surprises!) a serial-killer-snowman? Yes. But a serial killing snowman does not a classic make.
Perhaps if this movie had Marlon Brando reprising his Godfather role.. or if it had Dustin Hoffman as Willie Loman, struggling against old age, his own incompetance and a serial killing snowman, or if it had Toshiro Mifune as a joking warrior (no wait, that was Seven Samurai... sorry)...
this movie could have been much much better. What prevented it?
Bad casting. An abysmal script. Shoddy directing. No budget. No creativity. No talent. Too much time round the water cooler if you ask me.
"Hey, Troy, how bout we make a movie about a killer snowman?"
"Yes, Richard, and we can have him rape a woman to death with his carrot nose!"
"Just brilliant, Troy, just brilliant. This is truly a movie that *needs* to be made. This will rival Citizen Kane and Schindler's List."
"Don't forget Braveheart, Richard!"
"Oh yes... and Braveheart...???"
A likely scennario. There isn't much wonder as to why the Academy looked this one over. This is not competing on any level with anything made by Kubrick or Scorses...
and yet we watch it.
or do we? ;)
signing off, Will Hackner, NYU Film student supreme. Mail me, folks! I love hearing from all my fans.

[David Emery]

A killer snowman...hehehe!

[Greg B]

This movie totally demolishes the "feel-good" Jack Frost movie that just came out with Michael Keaton. I love the sassy cop, who has the best lines in the movie. Jack Frost, of course, has some gems of his own, like "I'm one p**sed off snow cone." To anyone who doesn't like this movie, I have three words: What......the.......f***!

[Warren H.]

That snowman in this movie is one hell of a lot less scary than the one in the Michael Keaton Jack Frost.  Now that is a movie monster if I ever saw one.  And one other thing:  why wasn't the cop concerned that his son was trying to poison him with antifreeze?  I mean, it didn't disturb him one bit.

[Keith]

I watched this a while back because of the catch phrase thing :"He chills, he kills" and the hologram thing on the cover.  I laughed my ass off.  My fave part was when the teenage boy is looking around for what made that weird noise and jack's white oven mitt/hand punches him.  The teenager goes "who the hell are you" or something to that effect, and jack goes "wel it aint f-ing frosty"  he doesn't actually say "f-ing", but im not gonna do that to the little ones out there.

[Mike Morrissey (dkscrambler@yahoo.com)]

Possibly the greatest film ever created. I seriously doubt that the intention was to create a classic, nor should I waste my time with analyzing how it could have been better. I think the entire intention was to create a movie that would make the audience laugh. That's why I think analyzing how Marlon Brando and Dustin Hoffman could have made the movie better is a waste of time and effort. You can't beat the intense high quality animation of the acid reacting with him to create the monster that is Jack Frost. And what about when he's in the back of the truck, he couldn't possibly know the truck will crash and allow for his escape, yet he looks directly at the camera and exclaims "Oh ya!". Seriously, I don't think you can look at this movie any other way than by viewing it as a good source of laughter. -Mike, a non-film study major at CU

[NetFrog Alpha]

Ahh, APIX Films strikes again. Still, this was funny enough to enjoy. The scene in the bathtub with the carrot will probably go down in history, but not a whole lot else from this movie makes it stand out. Watch it because you know it's stupid.

[jjhnson@hcis.net]

Dude, you OBVIOUSLY did not give this movie the attention it deserves.  There is SO much more to be learned from this film then what you put down.  

For starters, backwoods teen couples REGULARLY choose to make out in their locals sheriff's house, even thought they're not related to him or anything.

Big sisters rarely feel any grief when their younger brother is brutally killed, In fact, they'll usually go out on a date and happily make out with their boyfriend the very same night.

You also forgot how easily it is to make several huge snowmen even though there's very little snow on the ground (not to mention how easy it is for roads to be blocked off cause of snow...)

Heck not to mention that anytime you tell an avergae hillbilly to "fill up the back of their truck with anti-freeze" they'll actually think you mean to POUR it into the back, rather than just stock up on a bunch of bottles.

You also should have learned that flying icicles can easily pierce right THROUGH someone's skull, (not to mention a house wall.)

Oh, and, all girls from redneck areas like to take baths in stranger's houses before they screw their boyfriends, you should have learned that as well.

In short, I'd advise you to pay more attention to the films you review, otherwise you'll miss even MORE valuable lessons...

:)

CultofTS

[Buh]

To make viewing more pleasurable, try taking a shot for every snowman you see in the film :)

[theobtuse_christ@hotmail.com]

The most improbable decapitation with a sled,an oven mitt pushing a doll's face into a box of ornaments,why little kids are as dumb as their pets to drink antifreeze,and a girl getting sexually assaulted by a carrot. This is why America leads both the film and nondescript genetic-altering goo industries of today and tomorrow. Hurrah!

[HatedThisMovie]

This is the biggest pile of sh*t I have ever witnessed with NO redeeming values, not even nudity!  Ahh, too bad, did I spoil your fun?  I suggest that if you like this movie, you should douse yourself with genetic acid.  Can you say, "CRAP"?

[kayzr18@hotmail.com]

     What was this movie about?  A killer snowman??  *Yawns*  I must've fallen asleep.....  The only word that I can find to aptly describe this movie is RANCID.  Never in my life have I squirmed and shuddered in such agony as I did when I saw Jack Frost.  The puns, the bad acting, the bad special effects.....  This one should be flushed down the nearest toliet and never be allowed to see the light of day again.

[paul westbrook]

If Silent Night Deadly Night offended the general public, then this movie definately will have that same effect. Of course I love this movie. If there was an academy award for best new original idea for a horror film, then this one would take the honours hands down. I laughed, I cried, I melted.

[Marshall]

This has got to be the best movie ever made. (I wrote this drunk....my opinion might change in the morning)

[Paul H.]

So many different opinions about this movie.

I liked it for many of its subtle qualities.

Not all good bad movies need something going on.

I like the main characters and those just standing around.