Wednesday, March 7, 2018

The Ice Cream Truck (2017)

Ice cream truck drivers have always seemed like an advantageous basis for a horror film and, though it's been done with the '90s Clint Howard vehicle, "The Ice Cream" man, as well as the Masters of Horror episode, "We All Scream for Ice Cream" - I still feel like the full potential of this concept has yet to be appropriately harnessed. So, while "The Ice Cream Truck" does some things well, it ultimately come across as unfocused and a somewhat pretentious.

A woman moves into a new house in a quiet suburban neighborhood ahead of her husband and kids who aren't due to arrive for several days. In the meantime, she begins hobnobbing with the stereotypically snooty 'soccer moms'. She also comes into contact with a creepy deliveryman, as well as a mid-century ice cream truck crawling around town. Upon meeting a pot-obsessed 18-year old neighbor kid, she begins toking up and contemplating taking some youthful dick as a way of recapturing her prenuptial, devil-may-care younger years. All the while, the ice cream man is making his rounds; peddling his wares on the local teens before murdering them.

Aside from a few moderately bloody killings, the movie is primarily centered around the horny housewife and her inner-conflict as to whether or not to jump the bones of a younger man while her family is away. Eventually, her path crosses with that of the psychotic vendor and, following quite an underwhelming 'showdown', the movie ends on an eye-rollingly dubious note. That said, the film is well acted and the retro ice cream truck is cool. Had it involved a little more emphasis on the truck and its driver, as well as even a little back story or motive (he hates promiscuity?...) and punched up the 'climax' a bit I feel this flick would've worked better. As is, it's a little too "Desperate Housewives" for my liking.

Can be purchased here at http://www.uncorkedentertainment.com/

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