5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
He's got ice in his veins and he's giving cold-blooded a whole new meaning...his name is Jack Frost. After five years of terror and 38 bodies in five states, serial killer Jack is on his way to execution. But a freak accident with a truckload of genetic material in the middle of a snowstorm mutates Jack into a killer snowman. Now only an army can stop the slayride of terror from this frosty monster with icicle fangs. Hell has just frozen over...he's the abominable Jack Frost.
Starring: Scott MacDonald, Stephen Mendel, Eileen Seeley, Rob LaBelle, Jack LindineHorror | 100% |
Supernatural | 11% |
Dark humor | 5% |
Holiday | 2% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: LPCM 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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 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 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 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.
with Lenticular Cover / Limited to 3,000 units
1997
1997
#30 / HorrorPack Exclusive
1997
R-Rated Version / MVD Rewind Collection
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