Iced – Degausser Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1988
Director: Jeff Kwitny
Writer: Joseph Alan Johnson
Cast: Debra De Liso, Doug Stevenson, Ron Kologie, Elizabeth Gorcey, John C. Cooke, Joseph Alan Johnson, Dan Smith, Michael Picardi, Lisa Loring, Sharon Bingham, Mark Turner, Rodney Montague

Release Date: January 21st, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 94 Minutes 3 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $44.98

"A group of friends head off for a fun-filled getaway in the snowy mountains, where they’ve unexpectedly been offered a free stay at a luxury ski resort. Once they arrive at their cabin, however, the high spirits are soon dampened when they discover a newspaper clipping concerning the tragic death of their friend Jeff during a ski trip four years earlier - it’s clear that someone holds the group responsible for the accident. Sure enough, as the friends settle in for a cozy winter vacation full of skiing, sexual intrigue, and naked cocaine binges, a mysterious figure in ski gear and cracked goggles stalks the surroundings, intent on picking them off one by one in a variety of gruesome ways." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly transferred and restored from the best surviving tape master."

Iced comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.3 GB

Feature: 24 GB

Things looked as good as you would expect from a video-sourced transfer. Though the screenshots provided give you an idea of what to expect, in motion things look better than individual frames.

Audio: 3/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English with removable English SDH subtitles. The audio has its own set of limitations; it sounds boxy, and there is mild background hiss. That said, dialogue comes through clear enough to follow.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery with music from the film playing in the background, an interview with second assistant director Rodney Montague titled On Camera Film School (13 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Ron Kologie titled The Best Part of It (19 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director Jeff Kwitny titled Jeff Was Here (22 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction to the film by Jeff Kwitny (26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Jeff Kwitny and special features producer Ewan Cant, an audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues! and author/film historian Amanda Reyes, and a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 4,000 units).

Summary:

A group of friends who have not seen each other in years get together for a weekend getaway at a new ski resort. What should have been a fun weekend of skiing and debauchery turns deadly when something they did in their past comes back to haunt them.

Unavailable since the days of VHS, Iced gained a reputation as one of the last major slasher films to make its way to Blu-ray. After years of waiting for Iced to make its debut on Blu-ray, the day is finally here. Does Iced live up to its reputation, or is it yet another film that was overhyped?

Slasher films are all about three things: gory kills, an isolated location, and nudity. When it comes to these three things, Iced checks all of the boxes, and in the case of the latter, throws in some male nudity. The gory kills are enhanced by special effects that exceed expectations. Some of the memorable kills include a ski pole through the back of the neck, an icicle through an eye, and hot tub electrocution.

Though the acting is at best serviceable, Iced is not a film that relies on its performances. That said, most of the cast had limited acting experience before working on Iced. Notable cast members are Debra De Liso (The Slumber Party Massacre), whose character fulfills ‘the final girl’ trope, and Lisa Loring, who is most known for portraying Wednesday Addams on The Addams Family TV series. In the case of the latter, her character's moment of nudity will be a highlight.

Having only directed a short film before Iced, Jeff Kwitny does a phenomenal job for a first-time feature film director considering the limitations put on him. The screenplay, which was written by Joseph Alan Johnson (he also appears in the film), is a by-the-numbers affair that brings nothing new to the table. Another strike against the screenplay is that all of the killings happen in the last 30 minutes. When it comes to concealing the killer's identity, Iced delivers in this area. Ultimately, if you go into Iced with tempered exceptions, you are bound to enjoy the mayhem that unfolds.

Degausser Video gives Iced a fully loaded release, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer