In 1997, Moonstone Entertainment released the horror film Jack Frost, straight to VHS. This horror comedy follows the story of an escaped serial killer who underwent a horrific mutation that turned him into a killer snowman. Michael Cooney directed the flick, the same Michael Cooney who would later write the screenplay for the mystery thriller Identity.
With a whopping 6% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, it’s safe to say that this film was not a critical darling. Despite this, twenty-five years later, I never forgot this film and its impact on my childhood.
How Jack Frost Traumatized My Childhood
Let’s rewind to the time when finding out what was on television came from looking inside the pages of the TV Guide or tuning in to the dreaded TV Guide channel where every title would slowly scroll by. God help anyone who briefly looked away for the moment the thing they were looking for appeared on the screen, or else they had to sit and rewatch the entire scroll again.
Back in those days especially, it was possible to tune into a channel without knowing what was already on it. It’s a thought that is obvious to everyone who lived through it and is wholly unthinkable to anyone who didn’t live in the times before streaming, digital cable, or even Google existed.
I’d be lying if I said I could remember exactly which of these circumstances was to blame for the story I’m about to tell, though I suppose those details don’t so much matter. The point is how easily something like this could occur then.
90s Gateway Horror: My Love-Hate Relationship with Gore
To properly put this story into context, it is essential to know a little about me. Horror has been in my heart for as long as I can remember, with gateway horror films such as Edward Scissorhands, Little Monsters, Beetlejuice, and Casper being childhood favorites I watched on repeat.
Moreover, it wasn’t uncommon to find me transfixed by a children’s horror book like Bruce Coville’s Book of Nightmares, Vivian Vande Velde’s Never Trust a Deadman, Alvin Schwartz’s In a Dark, Dark Room (which contains the infamous “Girl with the Green Ribbon”). Despite all of this, little Tiffany could not handle gore.
Oh my, how times have changed.
But back then, the slightest hint of blood left me terrified. To give one critical example, I distinctly remember the carnival ride scene from Child’s Play 3 that left 6-year-old me running and crying from the room.
Now that the stage is appropriately set, to the main act.
Jack Frost the Killer Snowman: A Shocking Mix-Up
The movie was well underway when I changed the television to the channel airing the horror-comedy Jack Frost. A boy was standing outside before a snowman; clearly, this must be the little boy standing with his father in the beloved family film. I wasn’t immediately put off by the different appearance of the snowman. I had seen the family film starring Michael Keaton only once or twice before, and sure he looked different, but I attributed that to not having an accurate mental depiction of the film.
Then murder happened, and I realized my mistake far too late.
If you aren’t familiar with the family film of the same name, then you aren’t familiar with the scene where the father, in his snowman form, helps his son fend off bullies who are chasing the father-son duo on sleds.
The Sled Scene That Scarred Me
As fate would have it, the day I tuned to the channel with the snowman Jack Frost emblazoned on the screen, a child was tending to a snowman, and a troop of bullies descended on the scene with sleds in hand. I anxiously awaited the cheer-inducing father-son moment that was undoubtedly imminent.
Picture my surprise when one of the bullies was immediately beheaded, via a sled, with his blood quickly soaking the snow beneath him.
In hindsight, the blood was minimal, especially compared to the vivid detail in all modern-day slashers. But to the girl who had to close her eyes at the end of Ferngully because the smoke monster Hexxus had black roots erupting from his oily skeletal form, it was more than enough to make a lasting impact.
A Lingering Fear of Snowmen
I never forgot the mistake I made. Every year that the Nestea snowman appeared in TV commercials, I was reminded of my accidental brush with horror since, in my mind, the two snowmen were interchangeable.
Even as I grew into the horror-loving, desensitized, “give me all the gore” gal that I am today, that silly childhood experience always held me back from revisiting the film in its entirety. As a teenager, when I browsed the aisles of Blockbuster for whichever film promised to scare me most (Vampire Clan, May, and Cabin Fever were my Blockbuster go-to’s of those days), I still went out of my way to avoid that sinister snowman.
Facing My Childhood Monster: Revisiting Jack Frost
It is only now, at the age of thirty, for this article (and to give you, dear horror fan, an honest conclusion to the 20+ year nightmare) that I have finally decided to face the monster that lurked in little me’s subconscious during every snowstorm throughout childhood.
Like many people who grow up to finally look their childhood fear in the face, I am happy to declare a giant “LOL” to Jack Frost.
The story is intriguing though it seems to exist as only a vehicle for holiday and other snow-related kill scenes. The kill scenes tend to imply much of the gore and depravity rather than show it. Additionally, silly one-liners from the killer snowman, or as he refers to himself: “The world’s most pissed off snow cone,” make up a large portion of the dialogue. The most unsettling part of the entire film comes from the introduction, as a sinister uncle tells the history of the killer, Jack Frost, to his niece, despite her pleas for him to stop. Something about those voices gives me the ick and shivers.
Childhood Monsters Lose Their Power
Aside from the intro, the moral of the story is that monsters are often less terrifying in the light. Though I can’t help but wonder if my same account will be experienced by the upcoming generation as they search for the Disney hit, they find themselves watching a clip from the horror film Frozen (2010) instead.
If ski slopes get canceled in the next thirty years, I think we know what is to blame.
Experience the snowman for yourself, and stream Jack Frost on Tubi today. Take care that you’ve selected the right one, or you may find yourself sitting through the family flick instead.