Mr Frost (1990) #454

After making an another huge impression as Seth Brundle in “The Fly”, Jeff Goldblum returns to the world of horror as the Devil himself in “Mister Frost”. Where “The Fly” was gruesome and packed with violence, “Mister Frost” is a slow, meditative exploration of true evil. Story and narrative are the primary focus with brief moments of mild violence sprinkled in for good measure. A difficult film to find due to never being transferred to DVD for wide release, “Mister Frost” does enjoy its status as a cult favorite. 

Jeff Goldblum really gets to shine as Mr. Frost. While his unique style speech is present, Frost does spend a good deal of the film silent, which allows Goldblum’s physical mannerisms a chance to take center stage. It’s fun seeing Goldblum chewing the scene without saying a single word, proving once again that he is a master thespian. The Frost character himself is a unique character and I’m so impressed that the film allows the time a space for him to fully explored. The movie begins with a police detective coming by to ask about a missing person. After a quirky visit to the kitchen, Frost happily and honestly tells the detective that the missing persons, and others, are buried in the back yard. Twenty-four bodies are found, all killed violently while some are horribly mutilated. From young to old, Frost had killed indiscriminately.

Kathy Baker plays Dr. Sarah Day, the only psychiatrist at the asylum that Frost will talk to. Her character is complex and complicated even before Frost enters her life. Dr. Reynhardt, the lead psychiatrist, talks down to her and tries to use her as a puppet as she works with Frost. When she tries to stand up for herself and her professional capabilities, the arrogant Reynhardt tells her that this case is to difficult and important for someone like her to take on. It's only after repeated attempts and repeated failures to get Frost to respond to him does Reynhardt acquiesce to Frost's original request to work with Dr. Day. Frost is always in control of the conversations, driving the topic at his whim. When he declares that he is the Devil, Dr. Day's life is turned upside down and will never be the same.

 

Alan Bates plays Felix Dertwiler, a former police detective who was the one responsible for discovering that Mr. Frost was a mass murderer. His obsession with Frost and his victims is his undoing, causing him to lose his job and more, and yet he continued to study and learn more about him, warning the staff at the new asylum that Frost has been transferred to.  Mr. Bates retains a grounded performance while being passionate about his nemesis. His scenes with Dr. Sarah Day feel a bit too muddled down and slow at parts. Their relationship, that becomes romantic in nature as the movie moves along, feels more natural than most films that tend to rush and force such relationships. 

 

"Mr. Frost" was directed by French director Philip Setbon. There is no hiding that this film feels very European; more style and substance than traditional horror. The melodrama feels like akin to the British ghost story movies of the past. Some may not consider "Mr. Frost" as a true horror movie but that doesn't change the fact the it scared and sent chills down my spine when I first saw it as a young teen.

The Devil's Advocate (1997)

Al Pacino as the Devil? Yes Please! In a role that allows him to be deadly serious and yet cheesy as Hell (pardon the pun) at parts, “The Devil’s Advocate” is the perfect film for him and the amazing cast that includes Charlize Theron, Craig T. Nelson, Jeffrey Jones, Delroy Lindo, and Keanu Reeves. I consider this film a guilty pleasure because it does have an uneven Keanu Reeves performance as the main character but I’m able to overlook this because Pacino and Theron are so freaking amazing. I really enjoy the story, the special effects, and the quick flow of the final act. And for once the results of the final confrontation with the Devil are not an all or nothing/the end of the world as we know it type of situation.

Kevin Lomax is a defense attorney in Gainesville, Florida who has never lost a case. At times his clients include people who have done some very bad, very despicable acts that he knows that they are guilty of, but his job is to prove that they are innocent and he refuses to lose. His stunning record attracts the attention of a New York City law firm who ultimately hires and relocates him and his wife Mary Ann. Kevin’s abilities are tested with various tasks including picking a jury and defending a voodoo priest before he is given a high profile case defending a billionaire who is accused of murdering his wife, one of his children, and a maid. As Kevin spends more time with the firm’s lead partner, John Milton, and working on the murder case, Mary Ann begins a horrifying descent into madness, seeing visions of demons and a baby holding her bloody uterus. Kevin only begins to realize that something strange is going on when the office manager, Eddie Barzoon, is murdered by two homeless men/demons while running through Central Park and the sudden death of a U.S Attorney asking about John Milton. When Kevin finds Mary Ann covered in deep cuts and naked in a church and then learns that Milton is responsible, Kevin confronts his boss and learns exactly what he has gotten himself and his loved ones involved with.

Favorite moment – “favorite” is not the correct word to use here, but the most intense scene in the movie is when Mary Ann kills herself in the mental ward, unable to deal or live with what has happened to her. 

Devil (2010)

“Devil” is a movie that could have been so much more than it turned out to be. I feel the largest distraction in the film is the character Ramirez, a security guard who opens the film with a voice over about how his mother would tell him stories about the Devil, and then he proceeds to tell anyone who listens that what’s happening in the plot is just like those stories. The next failing point about this movie is its lack of real scares; there are a few moments but the great concept isn’t used or explored to its full potential. And finally, the Devil that we see in this film lacks the presence or feeling of evil that we have come to expect from such a character. Overall, this movie is ok the first time through but is a burden to watch again.

Five strangers become trapped inside an elevator within an office building. When one of them is viciously murdered while the lights are out, a pair of police detectives jump into action, having already been at the building following up on a suicide the occurred earlier that morning. They realize that they only know who four out of the five people are (they signed a form before getting on the elevator), so this adds to the mystery of who’s who. People continue to die until there is just one victim and the Devil itself. The end.

The Prophecy (1995)

For me, “The Prophecy” is a film of highs and lows and the inability to find a consistent rhythm. I felt teased at how little screen time Eric Stoltz had and what he did during those few moments. His role started out strong but faltered. After he died and Christopher Walken became the focal point, the movie felt ok but had an annoying lack of definition; my main complaint is how did Simon (Eric Stoltz) know that Arnold Hawthorne was the soul that Gabriel (Christopher Walken) needed? But then all of a sudden Lucifer appears (Viggo Mortensen) and gives one of the best “I’m the Devil and this is what I want” speeches that I’ve ever seen. His slow, refined delivery and his complete presence were perfect for that character and moment. In the next scene we see Gaberiel with his new minion Rachel, a scene that seems more comical (although very dark) than trying to keep the suspenseful vibe that just took place. Overall, it’s a fun movie filled with big name stars (or people still coming up), half of which went “Pulp Fiction” to this film.

Ok, is it just me or did Elias Koteas come across as Bill Paxton’s doppelganger in this film? I swear you could have replaced one with the other and no one would have noticed.

“The Prophecy” is all about the angels in Heaven having a second war amongst each other over the idea that God loves humans more than angels because humans have souls. The war is not about over throwing God so I’m not sure what would happen if the angels who feel that they were second place would do if they won; I guess that is covered in one of the many sequels that followed. Anyway, Gaberil wants to find the darkest soul on Earth and recruit it to join his army of unloved angels. Simon, an angel who’s ok being second best, comes to earth and finds the soul and eats it. Simon goes to the town where the evil soul lived and hides it in a young girl. The girl’s teacher and a cop who almost became a priest are left trying to fend off Gabriel and his brought-back-from-the-dead minions.