We All Scream for Ice Cream

Tom Holland's return to the Masters of Horror anthology brings a familiar revenge tale that struggles to live up to its promising premise and the director's established pedigree. While the concept of a vengeful ice cream clown targeting the children of former tormentors carries inherent creepiness, the execution lacks the atmospheric tension and visual innovation that made Holland's earlier works like Child's Play and Fright Night memorable classics.

The episode benefits from committed performances across the board, with William Forsythe delivering a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of Buster the clown that manages to evoke genuine pathos beneath the grotesque makeup. Lee Tergesen anchors the adult cast with a stone-faced intensity that serves the material adequately, though the script doesn't provide him with enough emotional range to truly shine. The child actors demonstrate an unsettling believability that recalls Holland's skill with young performers, creating moments of genuine unease when they interact with Forsythe's supernatural ice cream vendor.

Cinematographically, the episode disappoints by playing things frustratingly safe. Holland opts for conventional straight-on camera angles and standard lighting schemes that rob the supernatural elements of their potential menace. The phantom ice cream truck, which should serve as an iconic horror vehicle, appears pedestrian surrounded by basic dry-ice effects. The technical approach feels uninspired, particularly when compared to the inventive visual storytelling that characterized the director's theatrical successes.

David J. Schow's screenplay contains intriguing elements but suffers from significant structural problems that become increasingly apparent as the narrative progresses. Plot developments feel arbitrary rather than organic, and certain character details seem included without purpose or follow-through. The final act abandons the episode's stronger early moments in favor of genre cliches that feel beneath both the writer's capabilities and the anthology's ambitions.

Despite its shortcomings, the episode succeeds in creating moments of genuine creepiness, particularly in its exploration of childhood guilt and supernatural justice. The premise taps into universal fears about past mistakes returning to exact terrible prices, and Forsythe's performance adds unexpected emotional depth to what could have been a one-dimensional monster. However, these strengths cannot overcome the episode's fundamental lack of visual flair and narrative cohesion.

So far during its second season, "Masters of Horror" has strictly been a hit-and-miss affair. While the first season was full of groundbreaking and daring one hour films, the second season has been a mixed bag. For every truly great episode like John Landis' "Family" and Joe Dante's "The Screwfly Solution", there's been a batch of unwatchable episodes like Tobe Hooper's "The Damned Thing", Daria Argento's "Pelts", and John Carpenter's "Pro-Life." With the exception of Rob Schmidt's "Right to Die", one element all them have had in common is that they haven't been very original. Tom Holland's "We All Scream for Ice Cream", on the other hand, is one of the most original horror tales to come along in quite some time. While shades of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET can be found, "We All Scream for Ice Cream" is fresh and exciting, just like one would expect from the director of such classics as FRIGHT NIGHT and CHILD'S PLAY. This is Holland at his best, expertly directing an emotional and character-driven story with intensity, tight pacing, and style. Credit is also due to writer David J. Schow, who also wrote last season "Pick Me Up", which despite repeated viewing I still am not a fan of. Schow successfully adapted John Farris short story and even managed to improve it. Here's to hoping Holland and Schow team up again for Season Three. Final say: Best episode of Season Two. 10/10

Were season one delivered what horror buffs want season two is coming to an end and so far only a few were good but most of the entries missed out what it should be. But this episode luckily delivers what I expected from Masters Of Horrors. A good story with some creepy atmosphere's and here and there some nice effects done by Berger and Nicotero.

But this episode really stands on the performance of Buster the clown by William Forsythe. The story itself is as simple as it can get. Youngsters having a prank with an ice cream delivery man dressed as a clown. But the prank is disastrous by the fact that Buster is being killed. Now all adults and having kids they are remembered by the prank due an ice cream car coming back in their lives with a revengeful spirit.

From shot one I could tell that this was right. The ice cream van coming out of the mist in slow motion with a creepy add already set the tone for this episode. It takes a bit before it really starts because you have to go into the characters of the youngsters and we do need the flashback to see what went wrong but after that it's a pure delight.

It takes you back to flicks like Body Melt (1993) or The Stuff (1985). We do actually see body melt like ice cream all done in-camera and it looked very nice. One of the better episodes together with Pelts. Kids and clowns are working it out in an icy atmosphere.

Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 4/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

We All Scream for Ice Cream (2007)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Masters of Horror film about a group of kids who play a prank on an ice cream clown, which eventually kills the clown. As adults, members of the group start getting killed in mysterious ways so has the dead clown returned to seek revenge? This is a horror film so what do you think? Director Tom Holland has delivered some good films in the genre like Fright Night, Child's Play and Thinner but this film here doesn't quite work. The idea behind the story and the way the killings are done is very interesting but outside of that there's not much going on here. All of the performances are rather bland, which doesn't help matters. William Forsythe is the main saving grace as he does a very good job as the clown.

Going to be interesting to see the reaction to this one. It's about supernatural revenge involving an ice cream truck vendor aptly portrayed by William Forsythe, who is accidentally killed by a prank many years earlier. Now he has returned and with the aid of the children of the pranksters, revenge is the name of the game. I liked this episode, it's silly, but still, it held my interest completely and some of the effects, especially the melting of a man in a hot tub, is some more extremely good effects work by KNB. And an episode without nudity, that's something new. This is like a fairy tale kind of horror film, where the ice cream man will take care of your parents if they are mean to you. Very nice direction by Tom Holland.