Horror Movie Review: Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo (1996)

Every bit as Troma release as a fan could hope for, Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo is a nutty, silly, gory and cheap looking horror comedy.

Clearly inspired by The Evil Dead (we even see posters of it on the walls of the cabin), Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo is a perfect party platter. Written and directed by Tom Chaney, it was originally filmed in 1988 but not released until 1996 when Troma got hold of it. That makes sense when you watch it too as it’s super low budget and lacking the infamous 90’s shine.

The story surrounds a group of friends and strangers alike forced to defend themselves from a monster known as the Wendigo in a remote mountain cabin. It all begins when a pair of rednecks accidentally kill the Guardian. A man wearing a horrible old man mask who has been tasked with keeping the Wendigo at bay. With him dead, the pair then set it loose by breaking a mysterious circle of skulls.

This monster has the ability to shape-shift into many different forms resulting in much ‘hilarity’ and lots of gory violence. Survival seems impossible until a young woman (Lori Baker) arrives claiming to be ‘the chosen one’ with the power to destroy the Wendigo.

If you’re looking for blood and guts, silly characters with bad dialogue and plenty of nudity then Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo is for you. This is not a film to take seriously in the slightest. Who cares if it takes massive liberties with the Native American Wendigo myth? Who cares if it rips off The Evil Dead? The movie doesn’t and while it is flawed as hell, it is entertaining.

The acting is unsurprisingly very sub-par but most of the characters take a back-seat to the monsters and the effects. Effects that are very ropey but at least went with the practical side of things over even worse looking CGI. Heck, we even get some stop-motion animation!

The movie is probably most famous for starring Ron Asheton, the late guitarist for The Stooges who plays a major role in the film. He, like everyone else plays this with cheesy gusto and makes for an endearing watch. Throw in a fun soundtrack and a bat-shit crazy ending and you can see why Frostbiter: Wrath of the Wendigo might be worth a watch!