Customer Reviews

Mr. Frost [VHS]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think my title says it all, but this is the scariest movie I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot. No other movie, not "Poltergeist," not "Amityville," not "Jason," not "Freddy," not "Damien," or even "The Exorcist" ever scared me like "Mr. Frost" did. This movie f***** me up for a good week and ruined my sleep like no other movie has ever been able to do. Now THAT'S a good horror flick!

I think the brilliance of this movie, and what many present-day directors forget, is that we can imagine things 1,000 times worse than they actually are. And in "Mr. Frost" the director doesn't show us the gore, death, and destruction caused by Mr. Frost. Instead the director alludes to the horrible, torturous deaths Mr. Frost has caused and lets us, the audience, fill in the gaps with our incredibly creative minds.

There is also the added bonus, as other reviewers have mentioned, of the wonderful dialog between Mr. Frost and his psychiatrist about the nature of the world. Is there true evil in the world, and is the true evil really manifested in Mr. Frost? And if there is true evil, how will the psychiatrist respond to it?

All in all, a great movie, especially for those of you who like to think about movies.

I have not seen this film since its release back in 1990. It blew me away back then. I have been waiting for its release on DVD.. Look forward to that day. It is my favorite Jeff Goldblum overall performance. .. and as the story unfolds it keeps you thinking .. an amazing .. creepy.. yet engaging film.

This is one of the more underrated "horror" movies ever, slipping out of the genre even into a more suspense/psychological thriller category. What keeps it pegged as a horror film is the fact that Goldblum plays Satan, but the whys of the movie are what makes it stand apart from the rest. He is not come to reap souls and claim the world in fire and rivers of blood, only to prove to the world one simple thing: true evil still exists. He does that rivetingly well. The original story and Goldblum's excellent sinister demeanor make the flick.

I first saw this film when it came out on video in 1991. I was working at a Blockbuster Video and this movie came in. Nobody had ever heard of it and it ended up in the section where we would put new releases that we only got 1 copy of (usually reserved for cheap, sex-laced mysteries starring Shannon Tweed or really bad horror flicks). I took it home and was absolutely astounded. I then proceeded to recommend it to everyone I knew, none of whom had ever heard of it before either, but who were equally impressed with the writing and acting of the film. This is definitely a thinking man's picture. The Jeff Goldblum "you talk too much" and the Dr. Reynhardt farewell scenes are especially classic. If you are like me and see movies because you want to see something that you've never seen before, then this is the stuff for you. (The only problem is that the film is almost completely unknown to most and will likely be hard to find at the local video store in 1999.)

Watching this back to back with HIDEAWAY is absolutely colossal.
MR FROST, or sometimes THE AMAZING MR FROST, is an icy slice of manifest evil. Probably done on a low budget, the excellence of this film lies in the acting, and superb direction. As has been noted by some commentators , Goldblum's ability to work effectively in any role, lies in his plain and straightforward approach. The horror of the film lies not in the smack in the face slash-gore approach, but in the subtle insinuation of a diabolic power and it's attack on science in this age of "reason". The point of Frost's encounter with a totally "reasonable" person of science, is that his actions speak more than the words of all the reason that science can make available. As the Psychiatrist says, "Shut up, just up... you are already dead", and Frost replies"... No... I am ... reborn". And the horror transforms.
I have not seen a book version of this film, but if there is, it would be, I assume, an awesome, insightful, and very penetrating , item.
The major impression that this film gives, is that with a great script, some good actors, a superb cinematographer, you can still do a good film; with all of the high budget flops now, it still comes down to... does the film entertain? As basic as it sounds, many forget this, and yet MR FROST, HIDEAWAY, et al., all seem to achieve a high quality with a fraction of the budget.

Imagine that: Jeff Goldblum plays the devil - lovely. "Words," he says - like Hamlet -, and then, "My best invention." The film begins with him (Jeff) answering the door as the homicide inspector rings. "I guess you'd like to see the bodies?" - "Well, yes..." "OK but I'm just finishing a cake..." Just what he does with the cake is enough to make the movie great. So. The devil is bored. Nobody believes in him anymore. So he will take on the new "god" [of the time, at that time] - psychiatry. He, a mass murderer who has willingly gone into custody but not spoken for two years, speaks to his doctor-ess [Kathy Baker], top shrink of the known universe. She gets the job of understanding/documenting him and Jeff's purpose is to get the new god (psych.) to "lose it" - i.e.., kill him. Maybe the plot, the movie, ain't so great for action lovers or what have you but the precept is wonderful (although perhaps I describe it badly) and the one-liners are immaculate. It's one of my favorite movies and I wish I could recommend it more strongly.

This is a GREAT, great film! I encourage everyone to see it. It catches you by surprise, since it is so subdued in the beginning but it takes on the big question, "What is evil?", in such an intelligent and interesting manner. This is by far Jeff Goldblum's best acting performance on film.

I watched the last part of this movie years ago on cable then never saw it again to watch the whole thing. I finally bought a copy and loved it! Jeff Goldblum & Kathy Baker spar as Satan and his doubtful doctor, who finally is convinced of who he is after a few dramatic events occur. Nothing gory or especially suspenseful happens; it's more a terror of the mind and not the heart, as Baker's character realizes the depths of Satan's power and what she must do for him. Very unusual movie which almost no one has seen, but for anyone interested in the battle between true good and pure evil, it's a not-to-be missed psycho-thriller.

Mr. Frost -
"You should fit in well here then. We have one patient who calls himself Lucifer and another calling himself Mephistopheles."
"There's one difference. They're obviously insane."
With this dialogue the tension begins to mount in Director Philippe Setton's thriller. Writers' Derry Hall and Brad Lynch have created a perfect showcase for the quirky acting talents of lead, Jeff Goldblum.
Goldblum's character is arrested at the beginning of the movie for the savage torture/murder of 24 people. We become aware of these murders as we see the investigators watching the tapes he made. Their reactions intensify the impact more than actually viewing it our self would have.
Frost is immediately incarcerated in a psychiatric institute where he begins to make the claim he is actually the Devil and his mission on earth is to cause people to regain their belief (faith if you will) in him. Strange things begin to happen shortly after his arrival, which cause Dr. Sarah Day, played by Kathy Baker, to consider his claim.
The movie leaves it to the viewer to decide if Frost is really causing things to happen using Demonic powers or just "brilliantly" insane and everyone, including the hospital staff, is falling prey to his psychosis. It is a well-directed and written story with a standout performance coming from Goldblum. He instills in his character a certain evil slyness, which will cause you to glance quickly behind you when Mr. Frost lays his eye on you.

This movie never made the mainstream. I had never heard of it. But I love Goldblum and Alan Bates si I gave it a shot. I can't tell you how utterly amazed I was. It was funny, gruesome, chilling, well directed and totally captivating. They really portrayed Kathy Baker's character as a logic only shrink very well. However with all of her knowledge and experience she couldn't resist what she was feeling. A must see. Definately!