Advertisement
Santa Claus is and will always be the face of Yuletide. He’s an old, polite, white-bearded man who gives everyone gifts; what’s not to love there? So, it is safe to say no one can replace the good old Santa Claus. However, there are some Christmas figures that do not nearly get as much love from the world as Santa, despite being as interesting, if not more, than Father Christmas. One such character is Jack Frost.
While technically not a ‘Christmas figure,’ Jack Frost has always been associated with the festival. He’s essentially the face of winter, the personification of cold, and the guy who gives everyone the frosty fingers and snowed-in days. The first recorded mention of Jack Frost in literature was in 1734 in a book called “Round About Our Coal Fire, or Christmas Entertainments.”
Advertisement
Jack Frost also left traces in the film and comic industry. While his presence wasn’t as popular as other lesser-known Christmas figures like the Grinch or the Krampus, he started gaining more traction in pop culture after becoming the main character in the DreamWorks movie “Rise of the Guardians.”
Advertisement
“Rise of the Guardians” is a fantasy-action animated movie from DreamWorks, released in 2012. It was directed by Peter Ramsey and had a very decorated cast of Chris Pine, Hugh Jackman, Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, and Isla Fisher.
The film follows the ‘Guardians,’ consisting of the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman, Santa Claus, and the newly added (and heavily disliked) member Jack Frost, as they try to stop the Boogeyman from ruining Christmas.
Advertisement
You can watch “Rise of the Guardians” on Paramount Plus.
While the 2012 version of Jack Frost is the most recognized and loved, it’s certainly not the first one. In 1934, a short animated film, “Jack Frost,” was produced by Ub Iwerks that featured this sprite-like character.
The cartoon followed the Jack Frost lore closely. It depicted him bringing winter to a forest, catching all of its creatures off guard and unprepared.
An NBC TV Special featuring Jack Frost was released on December 13, 1979. It featured Robert Morse, Buddy Hackett, Debra Clinger, and Paul Frees as voice actors.
This TV Special was a retelling of Jack Frost’s legend. It followed him as he tried to turn into a human for the sake of his human love interest, Elise.
No list is complete without a horror factor. For this list, it’s the 1997 black comedy horror film “Jack Frost,” directed by Michael Cooney and starring Scott MacDonald, Christopher Allport, and Shannon Elizabeth.
It follows the story of a serial killer called Jack Frost, who gets turned into a mutant snowman creature and goes on a murderous rampage, but with a wintry twist to it.
A sequel, titled “Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman,” was released in 2000.
“Jack Frost” is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
The 1998 film “Jack Frost” is a fantasy comedy starring Micheal Keaton and Kelly Kelly Preston and was directed by Troy Miller.
The story revolves around Jack Frost, the lead singer of a rock band who tragically dies in a car accident, leaving his family devastated. However, Frost unexpectedly returns, but in the form of a snowman, to tie loose ends with his son.
The 1998 “Jack Frost” is also available on Prime Video.
There are plenty of other movies, books, and TV shows that feature Jack Frost, but we will be skipping over them for now since he’s not their main character. Regardless, these films, from the lovable Chris Pine‘s Jack Frost to the eerie snowman murderer, have paid tribute to a character that is often overlooked in the film industry.
Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube | Google News
Advertisement
