MST3K: Episode 813 - Jack Frost

I'm watching all of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes in order. More about that here and here.

Episode 813: Jack Frost

First aired: Sci-Fi Channel on 12 July 1997
Availability: iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Amazon DVD (Volume 18), Shout Factory (Volume 18), Best Brains (Volume 18)

Not the Michael Keaton film.

Морозко.

Or, if you prefer, Morozko.

Or, Father Frost.

Or, Jack Frost.

Sort of depends on who your audience is.

Nastenka is awfully young.

Морозко (Morozko) is essentially the character we think of as Jack Frost. Of course, Jack Frost is from the Norse/Viking character Jokul Frosti. The character in the movie Father Frost / Morozko is more of the Old Man Winter aspect, and not so much the mischievous character sometimes depicted.

Jack Frost, though, can also be considered Old Man Winter, so it works for this film.

As much as anything works for this film.

Ivan likes little girls, it seems.

I suppose that, in its culture, this is a reasonable telling of the tale. I'm still going to point and laugh, though. As do Mike & the Bots.

Nastenka is a Cinderella-type character, put upon by her step-mother and step-sister, who are trying to get the ugly step-sister married off, but Nastenka is able to meet all the tasks put to her, going so far as to cause the sun to refuse to rise until she finishes her nightly chores, which frustrates Step-Mom's attempts to crush Nastenka's spirit, so anyway, Nastenka is in the woods one day when goof-ball Ivan wanders along and tries to kill a bear, but Nastenka will have none of it and Ivan is turned into a bear by some Mushroom Dude, but Ivan thinks Nastenka did it, and she cries and he runs off, trying to find some good deed to do so he gets turned back into a goof, so then he stumbles across a blind woman who he helps so the Mushroom Dude turns him back, so then Ivan runs into Witchiepoo and battles her and her trees and her pig and wins and is directed to Nastenka, but she's already run into Father Frost who helps her but then bungles it and freezes her forever, but Ivan kisses her and forever turns out to be not all that long because she thaws and plans to marries Ivan, so the step-sister looking for Father Frost but ends up getting into a fight with him, so he sends her back with pigs and Nastenka and Ivan get married. The end.

Step-Mom tries to marry off Ugly Step-Sister.

Nastenka and Ivan get married and live happily ever after.

Lots of elements in the Russian fairy tale are also found in Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel & Gretel, and others. Not that familiarity with some of the themes helps. It doesn't.

Still, not the worst movie to get the MST3K treatment, but I don't know that I could sit through the actual theatrical release. Riffing is definitely needed. And M&tB supply that.

The Host Segments are a little goofy, but good goofy. Bobo and Observer are fighting over who's in charge until Pearl gets back from dropping the Space Children off and Crow turns himself into a bear. Typical.

A fun, funny episode.

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