JACK FROST (1996)
Label: MVD Rewind Collection
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 89 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Michael Cooney
Cast: Christopher Allport, Scott MacDonald, Shannon Elizabeth, Stephen Mendel, Eileen Seeley
When the prolific cold-blooded, serial-killer Jack Frost (Scott MacDonald, Jarhead) is apprehended by a small-town cop (Christopher Allport, To Live and Die in L.A.) he is sentenced to die for his crimes, but while being transported to the electric chair during a blizzard the bus transporting him is involved in an accident with a chemical tanker that douses the killer in a geyser of experimental, genetic-altering chemical that seems to dissolve him on the spot. While it is reported that he has died all is not what it seems, Jack's dissolved DNA has fused with the snow molecules forming a sentient killer snowman, naturally.
Frost's first order of business is to make good on his promise to have his revenge on the Sheriff who apprehended him and the whole town of Snowmanton where he was was busted. The first two die are an old man who is found frozen to death and a teen bully who is pushed in front of a sled and decapitated after harassing the sheriff's son Ryan (Zack Eginton).
Despite the news reports that Frost is dead the Sherriff feels otherwise, and his fears are conformed when FBI agents Manners (Stephen Mendel, TV's Nigh Heat) and Stone (Rob LaBelle, Watchmen) show up in town looking to tie up loose ends. Frost's new abilities include melting from snow and ice into puddles of water and then reforming into a solid at will, which makes it hard to evade the chilly-killer, and he can hurl deadly icicles projectiles. .
Super silly and executed with its tongue firmly planted within it's cheek this late-90s slasher delivers low-budget over-the-top slasher set pieces with the exact right amount of camp infused humor, along the lines of something like Dr. Giggles, but on a much lower budget, but with the same sort of groan-inducing one-liners that are fun. It feels like everyone involved knew the sort of film they were making it and delivered the appropriate amount of weirdness it needed to make it work.
Kills include some Christmas themed chestnuts like being dispatched with Christmas tree ornaments, strangled with a string of Christmas lights, an axe handle shoved down a guys throat, and perhaps the film's memorable scene, that of Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie) getting raped to death in the shower by the killer snowman with his carrot-nose, thankfully not graphicly, but definitely ridiculously. The final showdown involves the Sheriff, FBI agents and the village mayor and priest facing off against the fierce frosty with, what else - hair dryers and anti-freeze. It's a film best not to taken seriously and enjoyed with a couple of beers - this is a yuletide staple in my household, and it goes down well paired with something equally silly like Santa's Slay. Low-budget and silly though it may be it has a blend of humor and goofy slasher tropes, wintery atmosphere and enough yuletide yuks-yuks to keep me coming back year after year.
Audio/Video: Jack Frost arrives on region-free Blu-ray from the MVD Rewind Collection in 1080p HD framed in 1.78:1 widescreen. I own the Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray and can say that the image is framed differently (MVD's 1.78:1 vs VS's 1.85:1). As this is not advertised as a new scan it could well be the same as HD master as the VS release, but there are several differences aside from the framing that set it apart. Color-grading and temperature runs warmer, its a bit darker (which I liked), and clarity and depth fluctuate a bit throughout, but overall a very pleasing 1080p presentation with good color and strong blacks, I prefer the warmer MVD temperature over the cooler VS presentation. Audio comes by way of English LPCM 2.0 stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround with optional English subtitles. Dialogue is clean and free of hiss and distortion, and the score and effects sound good.
Audio/Video: Jack Frost arrives on region-free Blu-ray from the MVD Rewind Collection in 1080p HD framed in 1.78:1 widescreen. I own the Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray and can say that the image is framed differently (MVD's 1.78:1 vs VS's 1.85:1). As this is not advertised as a new scan it could well be the same as HD master as the VS release, but there are several differences aside from the framing that set it apart. Color-grading and temperature runs warmer, its a bit darker (which I liked), and clarity and depth fluctuate a bit throughout, but overall a very pleasing 1080p presentation with good color and strong blacks, I prefer the warmer MVD temperature over the cooler VS presentation. Audio comes by way of English LPCM 2.0 stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround with optional English subtitles. Dialogue is clean and free of hiss and distortion, and the score and effects sound good.
Disc extras mirror the VS release from with two new value-added special features, we get a new Audio Commentary with Tony Piluso, Newt Wallen and Crystal Quin of ‘Hack the Movies’, which is a fun and lively listen, not super informative, but more jokey. Another newbie is the new-to-disc Full Empire Promotions’ Dominic Mancini Interview with Scott MacDonald: Part 1, which runs 42-minutes, so it's no small potatoes bonus, some good stuff.
The single-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with a reversible sleeve of artwork featuring the original and new artwork by Alí Hdz/Brutal Child which looks pretty cool. I like it quite a bit more than the VS artwork, actually. It's branded with the MVD Rewind Collection and the spine is numbered. The new artwork is also featured on the limited edition slipcover, as well as on the also limited edition mini fold-out poster inside.
Special Features:
- High Definition (1080p) presentation of the main feature in 1.85:1 aspect ratio, scanned and restored in 2K in 2016 from 35mm vault elements
- Introduction with Director Michael Cooney (0:37 sec)
- Audio Commentary with Director Michael Cooney
- NEW! Audio Commentary with Tony Piluso, Newt Wallen and Crystal Quin of ‘Hack the Movies’
- NEW! Full Empire Promotions’ Dominic Mancini Interview with Scott MacDonald: Part 1 (42 min)
- Interview with Actor Scott MacDonald (16 mi)
- Interview with Director of Photography Dean Lent (6 min)
MVD Trailer: Jack Frost (2 min), Jack Frost 2 Trailer (2 min), The House on Sorority Row (3 min), The Dark (3 min), Thankskilling 3 (3 min), Thankskilling (2 min),
- High Definition (1080p) presentation of the main feature in 1.85:1 aspect ratio, scanned and restored in 2K in 2016 from 35mm vault elements
- Introduction with Director Michael Cooney (0:37 sec)
- Audio Commentary with Director Michael Cooney
- NEW! Audio Commentary with Tony Piluso, Newt Wallen and Crystal Quin of ‘Hack the Movies’
- NEW! Full Empire Promotions’ Dominic Mancini Interview with Scott MacDonald: Part 1 (42 min)
- Interview with Actor Scott MacDonald (16 mi)
- Interview with Director of Photography Dean Lent (6 min)
MVD Trailer: Jack Frost (2 min), Jack Frost 2 Trailer (2 min), The House on Sorority Row (3 min), The Dark (3 min), Thankskilling 3 (3 min), Thankskilling (2 min),
- Reversible Cover Art Featuring Original and Newly Commissioned artwork by Alí Hdz / Brutal Child
- Collectible Mini Fold-Out Poster
- Collectible Mini Fold-Out Poster
JACK FROST 2:
REVENGE OF THE MUTANT KILLER SNOWMAN (2000)
Label: MVD Rewind Collection
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 93 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 10801 HD Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Michael Cooney
Cast: Christopher Allport, Eileen Seeley, Chip Heller
In Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Killer Mutant Snowman (2000) director Michael Cooney returned for this cornball/snowball sequel that also sees the return of Scott MacDonald as the voice the frosty killer snowman, as well as Christopher Allport as the Sherriff and several other of the original cast members. The opening sets-up the ridiculous resurrection of Jack Frost in an FBI lab and his equally stupid escape. Somehow he ends up on the same balmy Caribbean island where Sherriff Sam and his wife are attending the wedding of his deputy Joe Foster (Chip Heller, Munchies) and his secretary Marla (Marsha Clark). The couples are also joined by Sam's therapist (Ian Abercrombie, Army of Darkness), whom he has been seeing for PTSD ever since the events of the first film.
In his watery form Jack washes up on the shore of the island and immediately sets about killing swaths of guest at the resort, all the while the hotel manager Colonel Hickering (Ray Cooney, the director's father, who is a lot of fun) tries to cover up the murders as accidents so as not to alarm the guests. Sherriff Sam suspects something is up when people start disappearing, though everyone tries to dissuade him of his fears, but things quickly frost-up when he encounters former FBI agent Manners from the first film as the resort's security officer and Jack Frost makes his appearance proper and snows in the whole island before launching into a full-on frosty kill-spree things get corn REAL fast.
As where the first film had a nice balance of slasher tropes and campy hijinks this one is flat out stupid-silly in a lame sort of way. On top of that the kills are toned down, especially in the censored cut on this Blu-ray that neuters what little nudity and/or gore it might have otherwise offered. This time around Jack Frost spawns baby snowmen via snowballs he spits up, very Gremlins like, and we even gets a nod to the Gremlins blender scene. It appears that Jack's time at the lab has made him invulnerable to anti-freeze, but because he has absorbed some of the Sherriff's DNA, don't ask, he has a certain good allergy, resulting in the tourists and resort staff fighting for their lives using smoothies as weapons.
Audio/Video: Jack Frost 2 arrives on region-free Blu-ray from the MVD Rewind Collection in 1080i HD framed in 1.78:1 widescreen. The image is problematic in that it is not full 1080p HD and appears to be interlaced and showcasing some irregular looking digital anomalies, and has an letterboxed opening credits sequence before opening up to 1.78:1. While colors generally look solid another issue is that this is the edited for content version of the film, it's not the rated R cut as advertised. MVD have given some verbage about this and a potential disc replacement program on their FB page as follows:
"I have just confirmed our licensor has located the HD 16x9, 1.78 master of the UNEDITED version of "Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman" with the 2.0 Stereo "Full Mix" audio.
I DO NOT HAVE A TIMELINE YET, but the plan is to re-release this corrected, unedited version on disc and set up a replacement program for customers with proof of purchase (please hold on to your receipts or packing slips) through our customer service department. No need to contact customer service yet as it will take some time to receive the new master an author new discs with the correct, unedited version of the film.
Once we have inventory, we will officially announce instructions regarding how you will receive your corrected disc. So for now, please just stand by."
Audio comes by way of English LPCM 2.0 stereo with optional English subtitles. Dialogue is clean and free of hiss and distortion, and the score and effects are well-balanced and sound fine, it's not remarkable by any mean but it does the job.
Like the first film the single-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with a reversible sleeve of artwork featuring the original and newly commissioned artwork by Alí Hdz/Brutal Child, featuring a fun illustration of the killer snowman surfing in a tropical setting. It's branded with the MVD Rewind Collection and the spine is numbered. The new artwork is also featured on the limited edition slipcover., as well as on the also limited edition mini fold-out poster inside. These slipcase editions from MVD look great on the shelf with spines that have some nice shelf appeal.
The sequel also gets a mix of archival and new value-added special features. New stuff begins with an Audio Commentary with Tony Piluso, Newt Wallen and Crystal Quin of ‘Hack the Movies’, which is a fun and lively listen, not super informative, but more jokey. Another newbie is the new-to-disc Full Empire Promotions’ Dominic Mancini Interview with Scott MacDonald: Part 2, which runs 31-minutes. I never owned this one on disc previously so even the archival stuff was new to me. Vintage variety extras include another solid Audio Commentary with Director Michael Cooney, a 5-min Interview with Director Michael Cooney, a 9-min Behind the Scenes Featurette, the 2-min Music Video Spoof, and 2-min Trailers for Jack Frost and this sequel, in addition to MVD trailers.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Director Michael Cooney
- NEW! Audio Commentary with Tony Piluso, Newt Wallen and Crystal Quin of ‘Hack the Movies’
- NEW! Full Empire Promotions’ Dominic Mancini Interview with Scott MacDonald: Part 2 (31 min)
- Interview with Director Michael Cooney (5 min)
- Behind the Scenes Featurettes (9 min)
- Music Video Spoof (2 min)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (2 min)
- Jack Frost Trailer (2 min)
- Reversible Cover Art Featuring Original and Newly Commissioned artwork by Alí Hdz/Brutal Child
- Collectible Mini Fold-Out Poster
Screenshots from the MVD Blu-rays:
Jack Frost (1996)
Jack Frost 2
