Movie Review: Ice Cream Man (1995)
In a very strange way, this really is the best possible role for Clint Howard. He’s always played good weirdos, and here he’s the perfect mix of creepy and funny. You look at him and you want to automatically laugh. He’s hard to take seriously, of course, but this movie definitely isn’t taking itself seriously.
He’s actually surrounded by a pretty good supporting cast, too. David Naughton, David Warner, Jan-Michael Vincent, and Olivia Hussey are in it, too. Even if Olivia Hussey is pretty much wasted. Even in her mid-forties, she was absolutely gorgeous, so I don’t know why they cover her in weird old age makeup just to have her without it for a few brief flashbacks.
The premise is actually pretty good, and I think could have made for a solid straight horror film, but that’s not what this is, and that’s okay. The filmmakers and actors had their tongues in their cheeks here, and I’m not sure if that makes it more enjoyable, but it still works.
The makeup effects are surprisingly good. For a low budget movie, it’s fairly effective. The really only thing I don’t like is the score. Everything else is pretty damn fun.
Rating: 6/10
