Customer Reviews

Frost: Portrait of a Vampire

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

There are a lot of bad vampire movies out there. This is the WORST!
The story had some potential I suppose, but the actors destroyed any hope that this movie may have had. "Horrible" doesn't begin to describe how poor the actors were. Maybe it's fitting. It is a vampire movie after all. It was lifeless, and you better believe it [was bad]!!! Buy "Near Dark" or "The Lost Boys" or "Interview.." or "Queen of the Damned" Heck, get a season or two of Buffy, but please don't waste your money on this atrocity!

I couldn't wait to see this movie. I went to BlockBuster to rent it and they told me it had been stolen off the shelf. I'm thinking "wow, must be a really good movie" so then I pay $14.99 to buy it. After watching the fabulously bad acting, listening to the seriously horrible sound (the actors appear to have dubbed their lines in after the film was shot) and the preposterously poor special affects I had to shut it off. I could barely watch 1/2 hour of it. It is THAT BAD. What the heck was Gary Busey thinking for God's sake?? I got suckered bad on this one, my only hope is that I can foist it off on someone else on E-bay. DO NOT BUY OR RENT THIS PILE OF CRAP!!

You know, I tend to actually *enjoy* bad movies. There's nothing like getting together with friends and poking fun at a goofy movie.

Unless it is REALLY bad--so painfully bad you can't stand to watch it.

"Frost" is of the latter variety... bad acting, boring dialog, lame plot, paltry and fake-looking CGI effects, and one halfway decent actor (Gary Busey). If you really *LOVE* vampire movies, do NOT rent this film. The basic vampire storyline is so tried and true that its hard to ruin, but Frost succeeds in ruining it royally.

If you want a shlocky vampire film that's fun to watch, try "Vampires" with James Woods.

This movie is just terrible, first the main character Frost, looks like Kevin Smith the director and we are suppose to take him serious as some bad ass special oops solider give me a break. The story has holes in it and the CGI effects makes it look cheap. For flicks like this it should be latex and nothing else. The reason I gave it a 1 is because its a good story and if handled right could have put a new spin on vamp movies. The first vampire is from the middle east so that would have been something new but they just screwed it up tooo much. if you do see this rent it don't buy.

And I don't mean literally. There is a good deal of blood spilled, but the problem with FROST PORTRAIT OF A VAMPIRE starts with the title. Wouldn't it indicate that Frost was the vampire? Not! Next: the movie hops around so much you don't really have any true concept of where we are in the script. There was an attempt in originality to make the vampire an Afghanistanian (or is it Afghan?), because that means he can walk around in the daylight. (Although later on, a big faux pas: Nat, the vampire, tells Frost the vampire hunter that guns can't kill him. BUT Nat himself shot the first vampire right in the head.) Also another convenience: you don't become a vampire until you die (that could be years later). Problem: We never really know when Nat died. ACTING: Well, Charles Lister as Nat tries hard, but other than the schlocky red eyes and the blood syrup, he isn't given much to work with. Why does he like being a vampire? He was a good Catholic boy at the start of the movie; he even chomps on a priest in the confessional later. No explanation is given for that one, either. Gary Busey (once nominated for an Oscar for "Buddy Holly Story" if you can believe that one) turns in another incredibly bad performance as the blind museum curator who spins the story for us. But, lordy lordy, where did Jeff Manzanares come from? The end credits said he was the stunt coordinator for the film, too. But why was he given the lead role? Now, let's focus on the word LEAD. With a long e, it's "lead", with a short e, It's "lead," like in the mineral. And that's what this beefy jerk gives in the role of Jack Frost (really, we've had killer snowmen and Michael Keaton already take this name, why bother with it again). The climax in the graveyard is downright silly, and the ending is so predictable, one can only sigh and say I told you so.
So why 2 stars instead of one? I don't know, guess I'm just in an unusually forgiving mood. But, what could have been an interesting vampire variation, merely becomes another one of those movies you can find in the 5.50 bin at Walmart. Wait until they drop it down to 2.50.

Synopsis: A group of mercenaries on mission in Afghanistan encounter a vampire. One man is bitten and eventually becomes a vampire himself. Years later, retired mercenary captain Jack Frost finds himself in the unpleasant position of having to extinguish his one-time best friend.

I didn't expect to be disappointed in this movie because I wasn't expecting much to begin with. This is a "B-Rate flick," so tired story lines and sapping acting are par for the course. Never the less, I did find something in which to be disappointed after all.

My mistake was finding hope for the script in a few of the opening lines of dialogue. There was a reference made regarding pop culture (with which many people would surely be familiar), and that led me to believe the writer might actually have some imagination.

I was further spurred on in my optimism by the fact that the actors were more than competent. Even the supporting cast was skilled enough to create believable characters. I was truly taken with Charles R. Lister, our humble villain. Our hero, Manzanres, was typical of B-Rate heroes, but carried his burden well throughout the movie.

It was the plot that really brought this movie down and led to my eventual and surprising disappointment. That, and the rapid disintegration of the dialogue. The hoped for imaginativeness never materialized, except in a few witty one-liners and one or two brief exchanges between characters.

I would recommend this movie only to see these unknown and semi-unknown actors doing a valiant job battling their way through a plot more deadly (to an audience) than any vampire.

Note: C.R. Lister is one actor to look for in the future. If he could pull this off, I only wonder what he could do with a good script!

There is very little vampirism in this film - mainly because the chief character is not the vampire, but the vampire hunter. The 'hero' looks like another Don 'the Dragon' Wilson clone.

There's not much to say about this lamely plotted film. It has a few computer graphics that are interesting - like a Russian helicopter flying around but other than that, this is a major yawn

Frost portrait of a Vampire is a strange movie. And with coverart like the one it's got most people will avoid it. However there is some story to it so might as well explain.

Frost starts off with a blind Gary Busey examining a crime scene. Apparently he has heightened senses and can give a more accurate examiniation as to the cause of death. From there he spins the tale of an old Friend named Frost who almost lost his sight in the Gulf War. While there his best friend gets attacked by a vampire. After the war they all go there seperate ways. During that time period the friend gets killed and comes back as a Vampire. From there he slowly trying to understand what he has become.

The problem with this movie is that it feels to much like a made for TV movie and or like a book. Each segment is seperated into chapters literally and the story is very confusing. Unless one really pays attention to what is going on during the story they will get lost (I almost did and I was paying attention). It's a decent movie but it's a little out there, a little artsy fartsy, and just overall bizzare. If you don't pay attention you will get lost.

Frost is a cool hybrid of action flicks and horror. It's supposed to be based on a comic book called Jack Frost and I'd like to check that out. It has that kind of feel.

At first, I didn't get the Director's take on vampires, but it's kind of a cool twist. (mini-spoiler) You don't become a vampire when you're bitten, just when you die. Even if that's years later.

Great FX. There's a little featurette on them and I have to say that I didn't realize that some of the stuff was CG.

The vampire's really good, with a lot of good lines. There's a creepy scene in a confessional that really gets under your skin.

The commentary's actually informative and funny. You learn what kind of film the guys used and when they had burritos on the set!

Overall, I really liked it.

I don't know why, in an age where storyless films with lots of eye candy go to theatres, that a gem like this went straight to DVD. Frost has story, character development AND eye candy, all in one package. Even the director's commentary is interesting and I usually think that stuff stinks.