The past few films I've reviewed haven't had nearly enough gratuitous sex and violence, but this all changes with perhaps one of the most ridiculous movies I've ever seen, JACK FROST. Of course there is a family comedy starring Michael Keaton with the same title and essentially the same premise, but I thought I might enjoy the horror version a bit more (although, some might call this a comedy).

JACK FROST, I must first say, has one of the greatest covers I've seen on a video, and if you see this film, you'll know what I mean. The cover features an innocuous-looking snowman, but if you move to the side it becomes an angry snowman with spiked teeth. The tag-line of the title also changes from "He's Chillin'..." to "And Killin'..." The production company is to be applauded for such an innovative cover.

Now to the plot, if you haven't been able to figure it out already: The film opens with the camera moving slowly over a Christmans tree and the voice-over of a man telling a little girl a Christmas story. Only this story is about Jack Frost, the homicidal maniac who sliced, diced, and pureed his way through the countryside. It just so happened, the man told the girl, that Jack Frost was being transported to the prison where he was to be executed that very night...

Well, guess what? He doesn't quite make it there. Instead, the bus transporting him has an accident and collides with a truck-load of genetic material. Jack gets sprayed with this material and melts into the snow. If you can't figure out what happens next, it's either because you're stupid or because you can't believe it could be the plot of an actual film. More likely the latter. Yes my friends, Jack mutates into the form of a killer snowman. Man, I missed movies like these watching all that intellectual ghost-story stuff.

The rest of the plot follows along cliched lines, and I wouldn't want it any other way: the sherriff who captured Jack now finds his town victims to mysterious killings. He, of course, has a wife and son whom he must protect. Invariably an FBI agent shows up with a genetic scientist who reveals the truth about the material which changed Jack from a man to...um...giant snowball? Who knows, it doesn't matter. I think you know by now this movie isn't exactly knocking CITIZEN KANE off the top of the list of all-time movies.

But man, is this movie funny! Jack has predictably cheesy lines as he kills people, all of them puns using the words, "snow," "cool," or "cold." The killings are pretty inventive as well, ranging from decapitation by sled to being wrapped to death by Christmas lights. This film also features perhaps the first person to be killed by an axe and not killed by the axe's blade! When the good guys started fighting Jack with hair-dryers, I knew I had a winner.