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[tab title="Movie Review"]
“That’s what I call a brain freeze!”
Clint Howard: the man, the myth, the legend. Only he could bring the crazy character at the bottom of the Ice Cream Man to life and he does it with aplomb, clawing the change dumped by grubby hands into the bucket as he growls at them “ya want some ice cream, kids?” No one else can bring such rotten sweetness to this bizarre role. This is a part that was literally made for Clint, complete with puppet playing involving decapitated human heads.
And he nails it. He is fearless, insane, and ruthless as the titular character. Vinegar Syndrome, with their Black Friday release of this cult title, also nails it by giving fans of ice cream a fine 2k transfer of this newly scanned flick that is as hilarious as it is horrible.
Directed by Norman Apstein, this wonky horror flick – with exceptionally bad choreographed scenes as a wide-eyed Clint Howard watches his world of ice cream cones gets destroyed by city cops and pesky children – is also the only non-pornographic movie Apstein ever made. It looks it, too. Here, he throws everything he can at the screen to see what sticks and what slides down when it comes to desert choices. Thankfully, the offing and stuffing of kids into ice cream sandwiches remains pretty damn funny. Tasteless, true, but so satisfying.
Gregory’s story, about ice cream and everything else that drives him absolutely bat-shit cray cray, begins oh so incredibly tragic before spinning completely out of control into a situation of serial killing. In the pre-credits scene, he witnesses the untimely death of the neighborhood Ice Cream King Man due to a violent drive by shooting – set in period friendly black-and-white tones – and grows up with a chip on his shoulder about not having anymore ice cream.
And so, mixing ice cream with violence, he decides that the two must forever be combined. Who’s the Pied Piper now, Ice Cream Dick?
Howard’s take on the neighborhood Ice Cream Man, with all sorts of animals and creepy crawlies in his frozen goods, loves what he does. His Butter Brickle is the best and just wait until you see what’s in the Rocky Road he serves to the cops working the case of the first missing neighborhood kid. Is that a marshmallow or an eyeball? YUM!
Ice Cream Man, as a movie, is completely off its fucking rocker. Leave it to Vinegar Syndrome to see that this horror/comedy finds its way onto blu-ray with a rather stunning looking transfer. Featuring a kid (in one of the fakest fat suits around) who goes by the name of Tuna, a soundtrack by way of a Casio keyboard, and the gorgeous Olivia Hussey in a nurse’s uniform, this movie is cheap and easy, giving Horror Hands EXACTLY what they want with a goofiness that is definitely not phoned-in.
Co-starring David Naughton (An American Werewolf in London), Jan-Michael Vincent (Airwolf), Steve Garvey, and Doug Llewelyn (The People's Court), Ice Cream Man delivers both the chunks and the mouth-watering flavor of a B-movie gone of so incredibly right. It is unusual and wonderfully surreal; making the most of its low budget trappings by apologizing for nothing and embracing everything, even fake plastic trees (and flowers). That’s the 1990’s for you, Radiohead.
You see, Gregory’s fudge sickles and waffle cones are full of human parts. Dogs, too. He just wants to make all the kids happy, even if that means stuffing them with parts of Charlie. That’s what happens when he returns from the sheltered confines of the Wishing Well Sanatorium where every day is a good day…just don’t piss off the neighborhood ice cream man. Oh, yes, there will be … two scoops.
Full of imitation sunflowers and human heads stuck in the center of ice cream cones, Ice Cream Man is a pretty shitty flick that knows exactly what it is and how to get there. It is, obviously, not to be taken seriously and rather effectively sells its wares due to its unflinching attitude toward the ice cream dork and all the kids who come running to his truck to get their daily – sometimes twice a day – fix of vanilla goodness. It’s a kid’s film by way of horror and it works more often than it doesn’t.
With the release of the gooey nastiness of Ice Cream Man on blu-ray, I think it is safe to say that Jack Frost has finally met its match. Unplanned art just doesn’t get any better than this.
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[tab title="Details"]
MPAA Rating: R.
Runtime: 84 mins
Director: Norman Apstein
Writer: David Dobkin;Sven Davison
Cast: Clint Howard, David Naughton, Jan-Michael Vincent; Olivia Hussey
Genre: Horror
Tagline: I scream, you scream, we all scream for the...
Memorable Movie Quote: "You little turds are gonna learn you can't run from the ice cream man!"
Theatrical Distributor:
Official Site:
Release Date:
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: November 24, 2017
Synopsis: Gregory (Clint Howard), the local ice cream man, just wants people to be nice to him and to sell the neighborhood children his ice cream treats. Unfortunately, the adults disrespect him, and the kids fear him, so, as any recently released mental patient would do, Gregory begins brutally murdering anyone who prevents him from having a happy, happy, happy day ...
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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]
Blu-ray Details:
Limited to 2,500 Slipcover Edition / Blu-ray
Home Video Distributor: Vinegar Syndrome
Available on Blu-ray - November 24, 2017
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: None
Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio stereo
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; DVD copy
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
Vinegar Syndrome presents Ice Cream Man on 1080p with a seriously grand transfer. The film is presented with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and sports a DTS-HD soundtrack that is adequate for this release. Colors are solid and peppered with a good amount of detail. Whites are crisp and blood-soaked clothes are rippling. Shadows are defined and, as this print has been newly restored from its original 35mm camera negative, it looks as scrumptious as ever. Not a day has passed for this low budget flick. This release is its blu-ray debut.
Supplements:
Commentary:
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Fans get a commentary from the film’s director, Norman Apstein. It is detailed and full of information about this “serious” horror film.
Special Features:
This region free Blu-ray/DVD combo pack is a special Limited Edition Slipcover release and is limited to 2,500 units. It has been newly scanned and restored in 2k from the 35mm original negative. Outside of the Norman Apstein commentary track, fans also gets a MONSTERVISION version of the movie, with Joe Bob Briggs and Clint Howard, a NEW interview with Howard and Apstein and Godstein. There is also a still gallery and, of course, the awesome new slipcover designed by Speed Blur.
- Monstervision Summer School Edition with Joe Bob Briggs & Clint Howard
- Interview with Clint Howard
- Interview with Norman Apstein
- Interview with David Goldstein
- Still Gallery
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