The Ice House

I missed this back in the early 70s when it played my local drive-in under the reissue title LOVE IN COLD BLOOD. Now, through the magic of home video, I've finally seen it. In fact, I saw it about five years ago, hated it, and put it away. Recently, I dug it out again to see if it was indeed as bad as I remember it. YES is the answer. I'm kind of surprised that Stuart McGowan, a man with solid b-movie credits going back decades, could have been involved with a film that is so poorly made and so sleazy. This aspires to be some kind of mystery and also a Freudian psycho-killer film, but it fails miserably on both counts. Jim Davis and Scott Brady are highly billed, but have one-day cameos--and they lend the only professionalism the film contains. They were actually worked much better into their Al Adamson films than they are here. The Story brothers make Lou Ferrigno seem like Olivier--even though they are different people playing different characters, they are such bad actors that they SEEM like one person badly playing two roles in the same manner. They are completely uninteresting AND unsympathetic. Of course, the wonderful SABRINA is as charming and seductive as she was in the three films I've seen her in, but she is not in the film that much. More of her would have been welcome. Although I don't see his name on the IMDB credits, I was also sorry to see one-time western star Russell Hayden as an assistant director on this sleazy dog. Although it may have been interesting for drunken, hormone-filled teenage boys to see the crude Story brothers paw and rip the clothes off of women two or three times in the film in a 1970 drive-in, this film really has little to offer the drive-in film fan, the sleaze fan, or especially the mystery fan. Thankfully, this was not Stuart McGowan's final directorial effort-- he made two OK Tim Conway comedies in the late 70's, so he went out on a positive note. Once again, this is NOT bad enough to be a camp classic or sleazy enough to be interesting--it's just boring and stupid and not worth renting let alone buying!

Luckily the two main leads, the Story brothers never appeared in another flick. And by saying that the tone is said about this sleazefest. It's made by Frank Henenlotter and that says enough. Bad acting, and the acting here is one of the worst I have seen. Bad editing, there are a lot of jumps in the editing and even in the score. The reel used is as bad as it can get with a lot of scratches. And the colours are also really bad. But still this is a good example of a 42nd street grindhouse flick. It contains a lot of gratuitous nudity and face it, it was made in 1969! But for the freaks out there the mum of Jennifer Aniston acts in this flick, and again, Jennifer is for me as ugly as hell, I just can't understand what men sees in her, her hair is more important than her acting, but I'm getting of track. So for the freaks, you can see her mum perform in her underwear and bikini in this soft core sleaze flick. Full frontal nudity, a lot of juggs and a few killings on LSD music and vision. Men, this is pure grindhouse!

Interesting "Adults Only" . . . er . . .chiller (no pun intended this time). Rick (David Story) is a chick magnet who runs an icehouse. His life looks pretty good until a buxom blonde go-go dancer named Venus (Sabrina) conks him on the noggin with a beer bottle after he beats up her three (yes, THREE!) boyfriends. Suddenly Rick sees flashing lights and crazy sounds and goes into a blackout where he has an irresistible urge to strangle people!

Rick's twin brother Red (Robert Story) is a local cop who urges him to get help but when Rick's doctor suggests committing him to a hospital Rick balks, figuring he can keep his . . .um . . .little problem under control. Venus' initial contempt of Rick turns to passion after he breaks into her apartment and climbs into the shower with her (just keep saying "It's only a movie . . .only a movie . . .") but when she offers him a post coital drink he has one of those blackouts and before you know it Venus has bought the farm. He tries to dispose of her corpse but no matter where he drives there is always someone there first! But then he remembers . . .the Ice House! Problem is as he is quick freezing Venus body another of his customers, Mrs. Wilson shows up for a servicing (and I don't mean a block of ice) and; well this guys problems just keep increasing! Terrifically sleazy picture with highlights including a go-go club with totally nude dancers, a dance called "The Scrub" that totally failed to catch on and a twist ending which, even if you see it coming, will not disappoint you. B-movie stalwarts Scott Brady (whose career ranges from costarring with Joan Crawford in JOHNNY GUITAR to a giant gorilla in THE MIGHTY GORGA) and Jim Davis (who battled THE MONSTER FROM GREEN HELL before finally ending up as a regular on TV's "Dallas") pop up. Look quickly for porn legend John Holmes as a dancer in the nude club (we only see him from the back). The real attraction is Sabrina, a British singer/dancer who fills the screen all by herself. This was her last picture. You can also catch her in HOUSE OF THE BLACK DEATH where she plays a harem dancer conjured up by warlock Lon Chaney Jr. to do an erotic dance at his coven gathering. They don't make movies like this anymore. Some might consider that a relief but I am grateful for home video so I can get a glimpse of an era that I missed.

The Ice House (1969)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Ric (Robert Story) is the youngest of twins and works at an ice house where he has it made. He's a good looking guy who he gets a lot of women in bed but when one woman hits him in the head with a bottle it causes him to flip and before long he's murdering women and storing their bodies in the ice house.

THE ICE HOUSE is a rather interesting gem that manages to be quite entertaining throughout its running time. The movie was sold as an "Adults Only" picture and it's easy to see why since there are orgies, full nudity strip clubs, murders and a lot of other things that certainly push this pass your kiddie matinee. If you're a fan of the weird then this one here will be right up your alley!

I must say that I thought Robert Story was very good in the role of the serial killer. Sure, we're not talking Anthony Perkins type of perfection with the performance but I thought he was a lot of fun when he was the normal playboy as well as when he was playing the spaced out killer. His real life twin David Story plays his brother here and I thought the two were fun together. There are several naked ladies throughout the running time and while they can't act they can at least look pretty.

The film has some really campy dialogue that's trying so hard to be groovy and I'd argue that some of the situations are quite funny as well. This includes one woman who jumps in the car not knowing that Ric's "date" is actually dead. There's no gore or graphic violence but that's okay because we do get a really wacky police chase at the end. THE ICE HOUSE certainly deserves to be better known that it is.

movie is boring bad, and totally stupid. nancy dow, is worth seeing in a movie. only because she is jennifer aniston's mom. and curiousity caused me and i am sure many others to see this movie because of the relationship with jennifer aniston of friends. other than that not worth seeing, and worth forgetting altogether..