The Frozen Inferno

i was pleasantly surprised by this entertaining no budget post-apocalyptic action flick. after the nuclear holocaust, a team of renegades battle deranged mutants in the frozen wastelands of Alaska. lots of funny stuff in this one, like the guy who keeps getting shoved into a trashcan, and german soldiers with mohawks who dies three seperate times. also, the use of antonio margheriti explosions as stock footage was very clever. imagine what these guys could do with a budget of over $12.50!

A fully-fledged post-apocalypse epic from the Alaskan-based Scythe Productions, THE FROZEN INFERNO is a riot for fans of cheesy exploitation and action cinema. That's because director Mike Martinez fills his movies with references to Italian cinema of the late '70s/early '80s, here by using stock footage of miniatures and explosions from Antonio Margheriti productions such as THE LAST HUNTER and music "borrowed" from the De Angelis brothers. However, THE FROZEN INFERNO is by no means a rip-off, as it contains enough originality to be fresh and exciting. What the film lacks in running time (it ends with a "To be continued" at twenty-four minutes in, much to my chagrin) it makes up for in excellent direction, tight editing, and excellent choreography in the action sequences. Martinez is adept with his camera, staging a shoot-out in the woods with a few buddies and turning it into a massive battle sequence!

The film opens on a very impressive note, with stock footage of nuclear explosions all edited together very nicely, so much so that you barely realise you're watching an ultra-low budget movie. The film begins in typical post-apocalypse mode with a group of gun-toting survivors being attacked by some gory mutant with glowing red eyes (love those cheesy effects). The major difference here is that instead of an arid desert setting, it's a wintery, snow-bound Alaska, but to no less effect. The various fights, shoot-outs, and battles (which even incorporate a tank, impressively enough) within the next twenty minutes are delightful to watch and pretty exciting. Also good are the scene-setting shots of deserted buildings and eerie streets which are edited in nicely with the music and storyline, making for a good atmosphere, something often missing even in the films this emulates.

The acting is probably the film's weakest element, but even then it's above average for (for want of a better word) an "amateur" production. Some performances are tongue-in-cheek and others over the top, but nobody would watch this expecting Oscar-level standards. Far from it. THE FROZEN INFERNO is a pacy, exciting thrill-ride of a short that finishes just as it gets going, much to the viewer's disappointment, and it's a film which leaves you wanting more of the same. Commendations all round for the effort and skill put into making this.

With little budget, Mike A. Martinez has done it again! Pulling off an amazing picture with up and coming stars! Brilliant directing and cinematography. Truly a breakthrough in independent film making. Remember this name: Mike A. Martinez; there is no doubt that he will become a force to be recken with in the future of motion pictures.

Greetings. I linked to this via looking for JACK FROST. In the Movie Connections sections it says that apparently, one of the clips in FROZEN INFERNO is from that film. It is called Jack Frost aka. MOROZKO(1964). It is a 1960s Russian film. INFERNO sounds really cool. Apparently it is a student film? Where did those of you who have commented seen this short film? If anyone knows where I can get a copy. Please let me know. I hope this is enough lines. I need 10 to comment. Ha Ha. I like to see as many short films as I can. If you've never seen JACK FROST- the Russian version- take a look. aka. FATHER FROST (dvd) Thanx, Mark.

Decent no-budget effort from MAM with a freezing apocalyptic twist. Martinez plunders the Italian vaults and took some editing lessons, creating a much more coherent film than his previous Space Worms. While the acting is leagues above that film, it is still poor here and is the biggest distraction (well, that and no ending). The writing is no great shakes either, but this project comes together quite well in all the technical departments. Great stunts like the car hit and free fall were brilliant, as were the war scenes, Russian Mohawks and all. The comedic touches (like the patient constantly getting stepped on) were actually funny and not just stupid like past Martinez humor. Someone give this guy a budget and some actors.