Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

Jack Frost Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 1, 2022

Note: It looks like Vinegar Syndrome brought Jack Frost out on Blu-ray several years ago in a variety of editions. Jack Frost is labeled in our database as a HorrorPack Exclusive, while Jack Frost is listed as a Vinegar Syndrome Exclusive with a lenticular cover. The third release by Vinegar Syndrome received a Blu-ray review by my colleague Brian Orndorf. As is my frequent mantra in situations like this, "different reviewers means different opinions", and so you'll see some variances in how we reacted both to the film and its technical presentation, but in any case, Brian's review is an excellent resource for another plot recap, general reaction, and provider of screenshots. This release looks like it ports over all of the supplements of the Vinegar Syndrome release, while also adding three other on disc extras (including a new commentary and a trailer, which looks like Vinegar Syndrome's release(s) didn't offer), and one piece of non disc swag (see below for full details).

Let's face it, the holidays can be a stressful time, and as such is it really any wonder that murder may come to mind on occasion? Of course, that's typically threats between family members, not from a mutant snowman "containing" the soul (and maybe DNA) of a serial killer. (Hopefully the fact that my tongue is in my cheek and not stuck to a flagpole will be obvious.) Jack Frost is an unabashedly silly enterprise, and one that writer and director Michael Cooney managed to make for an apparently absurdly low amount of money, but as Cooney himself states in a brief introduction to the film included on this disc as a bonus item, there's a lot of heart in the film, perhaps surprisingly so. A commentary with Cooney also included on this release as a supplemental feature gets into the genesis of the film, which came from Cooney watching some kind of odd antecedents, including The Abyss and Shocker. Cooney's original formulation was about a serial killer who could manifest into any number of "elemental" forms (Cooney mentions he had early ideas about "killer steam" burning victims alive), and from the sound of things, was not going to feature any of the cheeky comedy that informs Jack Frost. Cooney isn't shy about detailing how Renny Harlin, whom Cooney avers was the hottest director in Los Angeles at the time, wanted to make that film into a 30 million dollar epic, but (again per Cooney) his "girlfriend" (actually wife at that time) Geena Davis wanted to make a pirate movie instead. Therefore, the world got Cutthroat Island and Cooney was left to fashion a phoenix snowman out of the ashes of a potentially huge deal gone south.

Jack Frost (Scott MacDonald) is the unlikely name of a (human) serial killer who is being transported, presumably for execution, on a snowy night through a town with a somewhat comical name itself, Snowmonton. Jack has already taken out the guard in the back of the truck with him (how exactly isn't overly documented) when the van carrying him has the misfortune to collide with a truck carrying some kind of high tech chemical from a genetic research center. A conflagration ensues, spraying Jack with the liquid, which quickly dissolves him into (animated) cells, which then presumably "bond" with the snow, making what remains of Jack part of the scenery, so to speak. Meanwhile, local Snowmonton sheriff Sam Tiler (Christopher Allport) is trying to shake some persistent post traumatic stress disorder from having brought Frost to justice, which flashbacks document led to Frost guaranteeing revenge on Tiler for Frost's arrest and death sentence.

Now with a setup that involves a vengeance bent madman who has been doused with acidic genetic research liquid which makes him one with the snow he dissolves into, you obviously can't expect the film to take itself seriously, and the good news is both the writing and especially the performances support its absolutely goofy, gonzo and perhaps slightly provocative ambience. If there's one bit of illogic (if a film with this premise can even be thought of as having logic), it's that Jack the Snowman's victims are initially kind of snotty folks who deserve to be killed, which may tend to slightly misdirect from what I guess is supposed to be focal mayhem, when Jack ends up taking on Tiler.

As Cooney gets into in his affable commentary, ultra low budget necessity was the mother of invention with regard both to the completely ludicrous snowman, but also some of the supposed "effects" shots. Considering what assets they had at their disposal, things are surprisingly spry looking, and the film's underlying comedic tone certainly makes the silliness of some of the sequences go down more easily. As both Cooney and cinematographer Dean Lent get into in some of the supplements on the disc, kind of hilariously the film was shot during an unseasonably warm winter, and there was very little to no real snow, which then dictated that Lent had to frame things very carefully to avoid disclosing that fact, given the conceit of a mutant snowman at the center of the film.

Jack Frost Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Jack Frost is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of MVD Rewind Collection, an imprint of MVD Visual, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. That aspect ratio is just the first of at least a few changes this presentation makes when compared to the Vinegar Syndrome release (which was in 1.85:1). Based solely on screenshot comparisons (I don't have the Vinegar Syndrome release in my collection), it looks like the MVD release is substantially darker than the Vinegar Syndrome release, and also a good deal warmer in terms of overall palette. Some of the flesh tones in Brian's screenshots can look yellowish when compared to more ruddy red offerings on display in this release, but which "look" is preferred is probably going to a matter of personal taste. There are some curious fluctuations in brightness and clarity that occur somewhat late in the film, where certain moments just suddenly look slightly bright and hazy when compared to the bulk of the presentation. There are also some noticeably rough look moments in the darkest scenes (see screenshot 19). Detail levels are generally quite good throughout this presentation, and there's no real age related wear and tear to report, nor any obvious aggressive digital tweaking of the image.

Jack Frost Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Jack Frost features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0. Brian gave top marks to the Vinegar Syndrome's 5.1 presentation (that disc's 2.0 track was lossy Dolby Digital), but I'm probably more of a curmudgeon, though part of the reason for my score is my agreement with Brian that the surround channels aren't used consistently, though, again in agreement with Brian, the fact that there's even the intermittent immersion there is is a testament to some creative sound design under low budget limitations. The best moments are effects sequences, as in the violent spray of the genetic liquid early on, as well as some of the spry underscore. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Jack Frost Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction by Michael Cooney (SD; 00:37) is a brief but sweet piece with the writer and director. This can be accessed either under the Play Menu (where it is authored to move directly on to the main feature afterward), or under the Extras Menu, where it is a standalone offering and doesn't lead to the film.


• Full Empire Promotions' Dominic Mancini Interview with Scott MacDonald: Part 1 (HD; 42:09) is the main new supplement mentioned above, and is a Zoom like interchange which is fun and casual, but which offers a good overview of MacDonald's rather notable career. This was evidently sourced off of a live feed, and so there's a crawl with some quasi-advertising. Part 2 of this interview is included as a supplement on MVD's simultaneous release of Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman.


• Interview with Scott MacDonald (SD; 16:01) is an archival piece and presumably the same one Brian mentions in his review of the Vinegar Syndrome release.


• Interview with Director of Photography Dean Lent (SD; 6:10) is also presumably the same supplement Brian mentions in his review of the Vinegar Syndrome release. I found Lent's "confession" that he doesn't know about or care about things like film stocks to be rather interesting, considering his profession.


• Audio Commentary with Michael Cooney is hosted by Vinegar Syndrome's Elijah Drenner and is presumably the same commentary listed by Brian in his review of the Vinegar Syndrome release.


• Hack the Movies Commentary is a pretty raucous affair new to this release.


• Trailers includes Jack Frost (SD; 1:31) and Jack Frost 2 (SD; 1:47), along with trailers for other releases from MVD.

Additionally a fold out mini poster is housed in the keepcase, and packaging features a slipcover and reversible art for the keepcase insert.

Jack Frost Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Jack Frost is a good deal more fun than you might expect it to be, and it benefits from some generally winking performances and some absolutely daffy lo-fi "effects". MVD's release looks rather different from the Vinegar Syndrome release, so those interested may want to parse screenshots included with both this and Brian's review. That said, in my estimation even with those differences in mind, this disc boasts generally solid technical merits, with some fun supplements. Recommended.