Reviews (92)

JACK FROST a holiday classic!
Cheap, silly, goofy characters and an extremely low budget all but help to make JACK FROST the EVIL DEAD of the 90's. The director must of known that the premise of a killer snowman wouldn't be taken seriously by an audience no matter how good the script was, so instead he plays the movie for laughs with lots of camp and B-style effects. On top of that, JACK FROST actually introduces us to really memorable characters who we come to enjoy. And once Jack Frost himself appears he's like a cold chilly version of Freddy Kruger with good smart remarks and a nasty attitude. What makes JACK FROST even funnier is watching as the prodcution values and acting get worse and worse towards the end. It goes from a good B movie to a really bad B movie all in 90 minutes! Its awsome! As long as you keep an open mind and learn to enjoy cheap fun, JACK FROST is a holiday treat. I have yet to see Part 2, but I have recently ordered it from amazon and can't wait to see it!

if you want a good laugh.......
Its hard to say if this movie is good or bad. All I can say is that i deffinantly reccoment it. If you like hilarious horror movies than you will love Jack Frost. I saw this movie last summer with a friend. We were searching for a funny horror movie and when we saw the great cover of it at blockbuster we knew we had to watch it. The movie is basically about a mass murderer named Jack Frost who was just caught and about to sentenced to execution. However of course things dont quite work out as planned. Jack Frost gets into an accident and somehow transforms into a killer snowman. Jack in the form of a snowman continues to be a psycho killer. He goes after a family with an exremely annoying child who unfortunantly is not killed and the people in this town. What makes this movie so funny is the way the snowman kills people. At one point he kills a woman with christmas lights and as a snowman rapes a teenage girl in a bathtub. oh yeah where did the carrot go around this point? Also while he kills these people there is strange upbeat music in the background. The acting in this is also horribly funny. i reccomend this movie for anyone who gets a laugh out of cheesy horror movies because id have to say this is about the cheesiest i have ever seen.

He's chillin' and killin'!
Dang this movie is sure campy and extremley bad as a movie, yet it is very entertaining all the same. I first rented on VHS wjile spending a week at my grandparents house, after viewing it, I just had too have it on DVD. Too bad it got trashed by the critics!

The plot is: a serial killer named (oddly enough) Jack Frost gets doused with some genetic liquids during a lite blizzard and dissolves into the snowy ground (this is the only actual scary scene in the whole movie). Inside the snow is where a
strange mutation takes place: the spilled genetic fluids combined with Jack's personality turns Jack into a MUTANT KILLER SNOWMAN! After that, Jack sets out to kill the man who caught him in the first place: Sherrif Samuel Tyler!

The dry humor and death scenes is what ALMOST makes this B-grade flick a classic. There was this one scene where Jack thrusts an ax down some old guy's throat, and "walks" off saying, "Gosh, I only axed ya for smoke!" That was priceless! In another scene, Jack busts into the sherrif's house and calls himself things like "F*ckin' Frosty" and "The world's most pissed off snowcone!" I can't stop laughing at that scene!

I almost had to be sent to the hospital after watching JACK FROST, because it's so d@mn funny!

Great B-Movie With Style
I just finished watching this movie, and I have to say it was a great B film. The pure camp, humor, and fun of it all makes takes this right up there with Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and the slick direction, and clean, well shot feel of it all make it an easy watch.
The movie is obviously cheesy, and plays for laughs most of the time. But it still comes through in the gore department every once in a while. And while it isn't a total splatter fest, there are some nice death scenes, all with some good one liners from the title Killer Snowman.
It also helps that the director has real style, and uses the camera, and the cheap budget to his advantage. Even the fakest looking scene (like the van flipping in the begining) works, because the director uses his mole hill, and exploits it, creating one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Plus, even the Jack himself looks VERY fake, he still gets some nice shots in the movie.
Acting wise, well, it's all very B grade, with over acting, and under acting done perfectly for the parts at hand. No characters are all that deep, and most of the time you could care less weither they live or die. Although there is one somewhat likeable character who gets an extremely grissly end to their life. Still, decent acting. And Shannon Elizabeth even comes out seeming like a decent, if not stiff, actress.
For some great B movie fun, with some style, some gore, and a whole lot of humor, check out Jack Frost. Who knew a Killer Snowman could be so fun.

A Second Chance to be the Coolest Dad...Whoops, Wrong Film!
Although often touted as a horror comedy, the most amusing aspect of this 1997 direct-to-video clunker is the fact that it is often confused with its saccharine family-flick namesake, a commensurately clunky and similarly themed Michael Keaton vehicle released in theaters the following year. Interestingly, the titular character of each film is a snowman that has somehow come to life. However, those planning a nice evening with the youngsters will be in for quite a shock if they purchase or rent the wrong movie. The snowy dude in Keaton's film is a benevolent father figure who wants to help out his real-life family; the icy hombre in the 1997 horror flick is animated by the soul of an escaped convict with a penchant for rape and murder.

Outside of the amusing thought of 1997's JACK FROST getting an accidental showing at a kiddie party, this film has very little to offer. The special FX are amateurish, the script is so inane that it is nearly impossible to suspend one's disbelief for the duration, and much of the acting is horrid. While some films can be admired for their cheesiness--Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD (1981) comes immediately to mind--JACK FROST falls way beneath even THAT standard. Writer-director Michael Cooney seems unable to decide if he wants to spoof the horror genre--there are scenes that mimic horror clichés but few, if any, that parody or satirize them--or simply make, á la Wes Craven's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984), a scary film with humorous characters and an amusing premise. The film vacillates between both styles without gaining sufficient footing in either, and the result is a slushy thematic jumble that is neither scary nor entertaining.

JACK FROST is not without a few near-redeeming qualities, however. There are lots of amusing Python-esque puns and jokes sprinkled throughout the film, the kind of verbal gags that make you simultaneously chuckle and...well, GAG. And this film also marks the cinematic debut of gorgeous actress Shannon Elizabeth, who here has some, ah, revealing moments with the eponymous snowman. Unfortunately, these elements do not elevate the film enough to make it worth wasting an hour-and-a-half of one's life.

Don't be fooled by the artwork on the DVD's packaging--that cool skull made of snow does not appear in the film. In truth, 1997's JACK FROST is an ice-cold stinker that few discerning horror fans will want to add to their collections. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Another Fine Pacino Vehicle
This film was made and was in theaters after "HEAT", but before "Devil's Advocate" and I must say that I actually liked it more than "Donnie Brasco". Pacino's John Pappas, actually made me wish that there were such a politician in the big apple after the passionate and vigorous speech given at the funeral in Harlem. The fact that at the end we find out that he was not as "kosher" as we were led to believe in the beginning, along with Danny Aiello's corrupt Anselmo, makes a person lose their faith in the movie's public officials as we do in real life after we've put so much faith and trust in them and we have the good script to thank for that. As for the rest of the cast, John Cusack has never been better as Kevin, the rightous deputy mayor along with Aiello and Fonda (too bad only a hint of affection between her and Cusack). Overall, the underrated "City Hall" is entertaining and suspenseful and a great "Pacino movie". Favorite line: Kevin: "The only thing new in this world is the history that you don't know."

Good but I expected more
"City Hall" is one of those movies that I watched expecting the best. It had a great cast and crew of which I have seen excellent films from. But all I got in the end was a lukewarm film. The premise is great. Political corruption always makes for an interesting movie and it certainly is interesting. Sadly it suffers from its own plot. So much time is spent trying to uncover this scandal that occurs in this film that there is no time to get to know any of the characters. Al Pacino plays the mayor of New York and while he handles the role passionately the script does not allow his character anytime to develop as with Cusak, Fonda, Aiello. The cast is supurb. In fact I do not believe I have seen better from John Cusak who rarely gets a stab at complex films such as this and Bridget Fonda and Danny Aiello both give excellent supporting performances. The intereaction between Cusak and Fonda also seemed really fake as well not by the actors fault but the screenwriters. There is no chemestry where one would expect. It isn't all that bad of a film. Fans of the actors should definately rent it especially for a really good Pacino monologue (they had to throw that in somewhere). The film had the director and the cast but what it needed was a better script.

Al Pacino, John Cusack, and Danny Aiello are great!
This is one of the best crime-drama movies during the late 1990s. It was filled with a great cast, a huge storyline, and many of the players involved gave great performances. Pacino was great; he should have been nominated for something. John Cusack was good too, as long as the viewer doesn't mind his Louuu-siana accent. He may come off as annoying if you can't stand this dialect. The way that Pacino's character interacted with Cusack's character was believable, dramatic, and slightly comical at times. Danny Aiello was superb as always. David Paymer was great in a supporting role. Bridget Fonda was good but not memorable.
There were times when this picture mentioned so many characters, probably too many. It may take a second viewing to remember, "which Zapatti was which?" After so many cross-references, one has to stop and think just to recap.
The ending didn't have a lot of sting. It was built up for so long in a good way and then was a little bit of a letdown. This was one of the few letdowns in the film
I think that since the movie wasn't billed as a huge, blockbuster big screen hit, it made some forget that this movie even existed. Pacino was great but the film's lack of "splash" in the theaters may have accounted for no nominations. It was semi-successful in the home market, and viewers are still learing that this title is out there. Made in 1996, it still stands up seven years later and should still be popular for many years from now.

So, make yourself some lemon pudding (you'll see) and rent this movie! Overall, a great picture.
4 ½ out of 5!!!

A GOLDSMITH CLASSIC
Jerry Goldsmith's combines essences of George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein in this inspired soundtrack. The sites and sounds of New York seem to waft over the senses as the flowing strings and French horns play. Piano and percussion highlight gang conflict. Classic stuff!

Grab a bagel, sit back, relax and enjoy this one.

Practice Run
Composer Jerry Goldsmiith's score for the drama City Hall is a real letdown. It sounds a lot like the music he would use later for LA Confidential. Sure, there are a few subtle differences here and there, but for the most part, the scores are too similar for my tastes. I am not used to Goldsmith doing this all that much. Even the stuff of his that isn't quite as good, usaully has some originality to it. The music for City Hall must have been a warm up for the latter film I mentioned. Most of the City Hall soundtrack spends its limited running time just reworking the main title-this tactic is not uncommon in a majority of film music-to use a certain amount of repetition-it's just usually not done this much for a single film. Horns, piano, and the drum are pretty much it.

The CD has 12 tracks and a running time of 30:14. My recommendation would be be to skip this, and seek out the the 2 soundtrack albums for LA Confidential, instead. At least the score sounds a bit more developed and there's a bit more musical variety ... Read more

Reviews (92)

JACK FROST a holiday classic!
Cheap, silly, goofy characters and an extremely low budget all but help to make JACK FROST the EVIL DEAD of the 90's. The director must of known that the premise of a killer snowman wouldn't be taken seriously by an audience no matter how good the script was, so instead he plays the movie for laughs with lots of camp and B-style effects. On top of that, JACK FROST actually introduces us to really memorable characters who we come to enjoy. And once Jack Frost himself appears he's like a cold chilly version of Freddy Kruger with good smart remarks and a nasty attitude. What makes JACK FROST even funnier is watching as the prodcution values and acting get worse and worse towards the end. It goes from a good B movie to a really bad B movie all in 90 minutes! Its awsome! As long as you keep an open mind and learn to enjoy cheap fun, JACK FROST is a holiday treat. I have yet to see Part 2, but I have recently ordered it from amazon and can't wait to see it!

if you want a good laugh.......
Its hard to say if this movie is good or bad. All I can say is that i deffinantly reccoment it. If you like hilarious horror movies than you will love Jack Frost. I saw this movie last summer with a friend. We were searching for a funny horror movie and when we saw the great cover of it at blockbuster we knew we had to watch it. The movie is basically about a mass murderer named Jack Frost who was just caught and about to sentenced to execution. However of course things dont quite work out as planned. Jack Frost gets into an accident and somehow transforms into a killer snowman. Jack in the form of a snowman continues to be a psycho killer. He goes after a family with an exremely annoying child who unfortunantly is not killed and the people in this town. What makes this movie so funny is the way the snowman kills people. At one point he kills a woman with christmas lights and as a snowman rapes a teenage girl in a bathtub. oh yeah where did the carrot go around this point? Also while he kills these people there is strange upbeat music in the background. The acting in this is also horribly funny. i reccomend this movie for anyone who gets a laugh out of cheesy horror movies because id have to say this is about the cheesiest i have ever seen.

He's chillin' and killin'!
Dang this movie is sure campy and extremley bad as a movie, yet it is very entertaining all the same. I first rented on VHS wjile spending a week at my grandparents house, after viewing it, I just had too have it on DVD. Too bad it got trashed by the critics!

The plot is: a serial killer named (oddly enough) Jack Frost gets doused with some genetic liquids during a lite blizzard and dissolves into the snowy ground (this is the only actual scary scene in the whole movie). Inside the snow is where a
strange mutation takes place: the spilled genetic fluids combined with Jack's personality turns Jack into a MUTANT KILLER SNOWMAN! After that, Jack sets out to kill the man who caught him in the first place: Sherrif Samuel Tyler!

The dry humor and death scenes is what ALMOST makes this B-grade flick a classic. There was this one scene where Jack thrusts an ax down some old guy's throat, and "walks" off saying, "Gosh, I only axed ya for smoke!" That was priceless! In another scene, Jack busts into the sherrif's house and calls himself things like "F*ckin' Frosty" and "The world's most pissed off snowcone!" I can't stop laughing at that scene!

I almost had to be sent to the hospital after watching JACK FROST, because it's so d@mn funny!

Great B-Movie With Style
I just finished watching this movie, and I have to say it was a great B film. The pure camp, humor, and fun of it all makes takes this right up there with Killer Klowns from Outer Space, and the slick direction, and clean, well shot feel of it all make it an easy watch.
The movie is obviously cheesy, and plays for laughs most of the time. But it still comes through in the gore department every once in a while. And while it isn't a total splatter fest, there are some nice death scenes, all with some good one liners from the title Killer Snowman.
It also helps that the director has real style, and uses the camera, and the cheap budget to his advantage. Even the fakest looking scene (like the van flipping in the begining) works, because the director uses his mole hill, and exploits it, creating one of the funniest scenes in the movie. Plus, even the Jack himself looks VERY fake, he still gets some nice shots in the movie.
Acting wise, well, it's all very B grade, with over acting, and under acting done perfectly for the parts at hand. No characters are all that deep, and most of the time you could care less weither they live or die. Although there is one somewhat likeable character who gets an extremely grissly end to their life. Still, decent acting. And Shannon Elizabeth even comes out seeming like a decent, if not stiff, actress.
For some great B movie fun, with some style, some gore, and a whole lot of humor, check out Jack Frost. Who knew a Killer Snowman could be so fun.

A Second Chance to be the Coolest Dad...Whoops, Wrong Film!
Although often touted as a horror comedy, the most amusing aspect of this 1997 direct-to-video clunker is the fact that it is often confused with its saccharine family-flick namesake, a commensurately clunky and similarly themed Michael Keaton vehicle released in theaters the following year. Interestingly, the titular character of each film is a snowman that has somehow come to life. However, those planning a nice evening with the youngsters will be in for quite a shock if they purchase or rent the wrong movie. The snowy dude in Keaton's film is a benevolent father figure who wants to help out his real-life family; the icy hombre in the 1997 horror flick is animated by the soul of an escaped convict with a penchant for rape and murder.

Outside of the amusing thought of 1997's JACK FROST getting an accidental showing at a kiddie party, this film has very little to offer. The special FX are amateurish, the script is so inane that it is nearly impossible to suspend one's disbelief for the duration, and much of the acting is horrid. While some films can be admired for their cheesiness--Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD (1981) comes immediately to mind--JACK FROST falls way beneath even THAT standard. Writer-director Michael Cooney seems unable to decide if he wants to spoof the horror genre--there are scenes that mimic horror clichés but few, if any, that parody or satirize them--or simply make, á la Wes Craven's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984), a scary film with humorous characters and an amusing premise. The film vacillates between both styles without gaining sufficient footing in either, and the result is a slushy thematic jumble that is neither scary nor entertaining.

JACK FROST is not without a few near-redeeming qualities, however. There are lots of amusing Python-esque puns and jokes sprinkled throughout the film, the kind of verbal gags that make you simultaneously chuckle and...well, GAG. And this film also marks the cinematic debut of gorgeous actress Shannon Elizabeth, who here has some, ah, revealing moments with the eponymous snowman. Unfortunately, these elements do not elevate the film enough to make it worth wasting an hour-and-a-half of one's life.

Don't be fooled by the artwork on the DVD's packaging--that cool skull made of snow does not appear in the film. In truth, 1997's JACK FROST is an ice-cold stinker that few discerning horror fans will want to add to their collections. ... Read more