Schlock and horror are no strangers to one another. The horror genre has been built on schlock and scares from the earliest days of filmmaking until today. Combined it has given us some of the most entertaining and embarrassing cult classics from the likes of ED WOOD to PETER JACKSON. The campiness of the horror genre has always been fertile ground for parody and satire whether that is the intention or not, and in many cases, filmmakers will purposely attempt to make their films schlocky. Horror legends like ROGER CORMAN built empires around movies that walk the line between violence and silliness which inspired others like CHARLES BAND to start EMPIRE and FULL MOON. The interplay between absurdity and audacity is no better observed then watching some of the schlock that the horror genre puts out. One such film is 1997’s JACK FROST. A campy, violent, and profanely silly story about a serial killer who becomes a snowman and stalks the folks in a small suburban town. If you read that last sentence and thought there’s no way that premise would stretch beyond on film I’m proud to say you’re wrong. Thanks to the fine folks at MVD REWIND, we now have JACK FROST 2: REVENGE OF THE MUTANT KILLER SNOWMAN presented with the elusive R-Rated cut on blu ray. Does this schlocky sequel stand a snowball's chance in hell of carrying on the charm of the first one, or is not cool enough to add to your collection?

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

Jack Frost, the chiller killer is back and he's mad as hell. An accidental lab experiment resurrected the evil snowman, but this time, the crystal killer can't be stopped by fire, bullets, or even his worst enemy, chemical anti-freeze. With revenge on his mind, Jack sets out to finish off his nemesis, Sheriff Sam, who is vacationing on a Caribbean island. Sam's balmy paradise turns into a Winter Terrorland when Jack freezes the island and quickly ices everyone around him. No one can stop the chilling killing spree when Jack can travel as a lethal liquid or fatal, frosty flakes. Just when you thawed it was safe to go back in the fridge!

HOW IS IT?

I love a “so bad it’s good” movie as much as the next person, but that doesn’t mean that they are always worthwhile. Such could be said about JACK FROST 2: REVENGE OF THE MUTANT KILLER SNOWMAN (which will be simply referred to as JACK FROST 2 for brevity). It’s a sequel to a movie that shouldn’t have a sequel, and it takes an already absurd premise and throws even more nonsense at it. In parts, this works, but on the whole, it mostly is just too silly for its own good.

The story this time around is that Jack has been brought back and now is even more unstoppable since he is bound by no laws of weather, logic, or physics. At one point early on, Jack is ocean water and he seeks out a shipwrecked duo of dudes who are fighting over their last piece of food, a raw carrot. Jack of course takes these meatbags out all for the sole purpose of getting a nose. A nose which he probably could have procured more easily anywhere else except the raft of two shipwrecked guys in the middle of an ocean. If what you just read made you laugh then you might get a lot more out of JACK FROST 2 than most. This kind of goofy laziness is groan-inducing and at the same time hilariously bad, and that’s kind of what the whole movie is like. In a way, it’s admirable and also asinine, and that’s what makes this such a confusing film to be critical of. It’s as if it is so intentional in not wanting to be taken seriously that it almost doesn’t deserve to be critiqued. Although it must be said that Jack’s extremely rapey vibes are once again back on full display here, and that will always continue to age poorly.

If I may be so bold as to try and speak to some of the film's finer qualities, if that is even the correct term, once you get past the absurd rules for Jack this time around (there are none) it can be giggle-worthy on occasion. There is a particular snowball fight that starts off so abruptly and absurdly that I couldn’t help but guffaw. The film's childlike sense of humor charms, nay tricks, you into thinking that you’re enjoying yourself for a few minutes at a time with the occasional outrageous piece of dialogue or outlandish situation. And in true sequel fashion, it certainly doubles down on a lot of ideas, including a Gremlins-Esque mutant snowball thread that exposes Jack’s weakness. A weakness that is on par with the Achilles heel for the trolls in TROLL 2. Ultimately, if you’re buying this you likely already know what you’re getting into and in that way, the likelihood of disappointment will be low. If you loved the first one you’ll like this one, and if you didn’t love the first one you will love/hate this and maybe yourself just a little.

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

JACK FROST 2 was previously only available on VHS and DVD, so it is a welcome addition to the high-def era of physical media. MVD REWIND presents the film in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio and the transfer overall is smooth. The lighting of the film is very soft and saturated so there is a fuzziness to the picture that I attribute mostly to the original film elements. Screenshots from the release are used throughout the review and below:

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

Nothing too special in the audio department with this release as we are given an LPCM 2.0 Stereo track. One notably missing element however is subtitling. I really wish this was included on all releases at the very least in English, but I digress.

ANYTHING SPECIAL?

MVD REWIND is a label that is consistently delivering the goods for movies that were video store staples. While they aren’t all horror related, they are usually adjacently related. For JACK FROST 2 MVD delivers quite a few goods on the disc beyond the film itself. It must be mentioned that there are two versions of the film on the disc, and I’m not sure what the difference is since the only identifier is “Treated Film Look” and “Untreated”. This version of the film also notoriously restores the gore and nudity that was removed from the original VHS release and found only on the DVD release. The first special feature I watched was an old interview with director Michael Cooney. This 4:58 interview seems to be from the initial release of the first film and his half scripted jokes and the other half promotional interview material. It’s less than enlightening, but I guess it's kind of fun to see how into it the director gets.

The longest supplemental feature is a 30-minute zoom interview with JACK FROST voice actor Scott MacDonald. The first few minutes of the interview are in relation to JACK FROST and its sequel while the rest covers MacDonald’s long career in the industry. Scott seemed to be surprised, like I’m sure so many others were, that JACK FROST was popular enough to warrant a sequel. It’s nice to hear about his work in films like JARHEAD and overall get some insider takes from a veteran character actor. The last feature I watched was the 12-minute Behind the Scenes Featurette. Loosely edited and candid videos from production as well as a handful of bloopers and goofs for those who like that kinda thing.

A full list of the special features included in this release is listed below:

BONUS MATERIALS

High Definition (1080p) presentation of the R-Rated version of the main feature in 1.78:1 aspect ratio.
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 (30:56, HD)
Interview with Director Michael Cooney (4:58, SD)
Behind the Scenes Featurettes (9:19, SD)
Music Video Spoof
Original Theatrical Trailer
Reversible Cover Art Featuring Original and Newly Commissioned artwork by Brutal Child
Collectible Mini-Poster

LAST RITES

JACK FROST 2 is the kind of movie you will either hate or love to hate. Either way, if you dig the childish humor and absurdity of a snowman that can’t melt then there is some fun to be had here. A worthy addition purely to invite some friends over for some laughs and probably some adult beverages.

THE GORY DETAILS

Thank you to the fine folks at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy to the crypt. JACK FROST 2: REVENGE OF THE MUTANT KILLER SNOWMAN is out NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!

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Nov 4, 2020

Matthew Orozco