On DVD: We All Scream for Ice Cream

Directed By Tom Holland

Starring William Forsythe

So let me get this out quick and painless: if you aren't familiar with this series it was supposed to be an opportunity for the world's greatest horror film directors to get a million bucks to do a horror film with no restraint.  Later of course with cuts to Dario Argento's entry and Takeshi Miike's pulled from Showtime (the network airing each hour long film) altogether we know that the "no restraints" thing is bogus.  Still this series has merit because we still get to see some of the best in the genre at work.

The Movie

IN this entry William Forsythe plays a clown that sells ice cream.  One day a group of boys play a prank on the clown that accidentally leads to his death.  Years later when the boys have all grown up and now have families of their own the clown returns seeking revenge.  He doesn't kill those he feels are responsible for his death, he instead targets their children.  He gives the hypnotized, near catatonic kids free ice cream that when they eat it their fathers melt into piles of what looks like melted ice cream.  Of course one of the fathers sets out to stop the evil clown before he and all of his childhood friends are dead.

Now, this is a tricky kind of story to tell.  It can either come off cheesy or it can come off like It from Stephen King.  That's really what this film needed, Stephen King in his prime.  Instead the film was directed by the same man who brought us Child's Play.  Now I know Child's Play is a camp classic but it worked where this film mostly did not.

There are good things about this film, mostly they are John Forsythe and his fairly kick ass makeup.  Forsythe is appropriately creepy and his makeup helps him sell it.  The other effects on the other hand aren't very successful.  I don't think it's because the effects team is bad I just think they were locked into a failing story.  What can you do with a man that's supposed to melt into a pile of watery ice cream?  Also, while I said the director failed at telling the story he didn't fail at making this film look great on a low budget.  It features an effective color pallet and adequately creepy shots of the ice cream truck rolling out of the fog.

If this had a stronger sentimental style and even a fable-like presentation it might have worked similarly to the TV mini series of It that starred Mr. Three's Company John Ritter.  At the end of the hour this film isn't very good but it does feature a creepy William Forsythe so for that it's worth a look.

5/10

The Video

Like the other transfers in this series what we get here is a solid above average television series presentation.  The episode is presented in anamorphic widescreen and features solid color and good detail, especially in brighter scenes.  Black levels are a little grainy in darker scenes and detail also softens in darkness just a bit.  There are issues with the transfer but overall, for a television series transfer this one's above average.

8/10

The Audio

There's a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix as well as a 2.0 standard stereo mix.  If you have the equipment the 5.1 mix is the way to go.  There's not a lot in the way of bass use but there are some good immersive rear speaker usage.  Also, the dialogue, score, and sound effects are clean and well mixed.

7.5/10

Packaging and Bonus Features

Anchor Bay continues the standard single disc amaray case and cardboard slipcover presentation here.  The case and slipcover both feature the same artwork that does a good job of selling the movie for what it tries to be.

The big extra on this disc is a feature length commentary from the director and writer of the episode.  The track is quite surprising as the writer is obviously unhappy with the final product.  He mentions the many changes made to his original script.  Even the director seems nonplused about the proceedings other than some comments he makes about the look of the film.  I really like the honest in the commentary and it makes me wonder about what this episode could have been like with the writer's approach still intact.

Sweet Revenge is a brief making of featurette with the focus being on Forsythe who ahs some surprising revelations about his connection to the ice cream man! 

Meltdown: The Scoop on Visual Effects is just what it sounds like, a featurette about the special effects including a segment about the main set piece in the film.  It's way too brief but definitely worth a watch.

There's a really short bio of the director, a still gallery, and the script on PDF.  The biography is disappointing compared to the bios of the directors of season one but honestly Holland's pedigree doesn't match that of John Carpenter or Dario Argento.  The extras are good here but not great like those on the first season.

6.5/10

Overall (Not an Average) 6/10

The Movie 5/10

The Video 8/10

The Audio 7.5/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features 6.5/10

Overall (Not an Average) 6/10

-Stephen Lackey