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.

Many years ago, the children of a small town accidentally killed the local ice cream man (a clown named Buster). Now all grown up, the same "kids" are being killed off and it seems that the ghost of Buster is to blame.

Many good things can be said about this film, and the nicest thing I can say is that William Forsythe (Buster the Clown) is a great actor who is not well-known. But he should be, especially with performances like this. The best parts of this episode were the children's interactions with the clown.

The visuals were also nice, with the death scenes being some of the messier ones you'll find. (Not necessarily "gory" but definitely messy.) It was like the scene in "Robocop" after the guy gets the toxic waste all over himself... yeah, you know the scene.

The biggest problem with the film, and it is all over this one, is what seems to be a lack of new ideas. Now, director "Tom Holland" has done some great films. But he's made some stinkers ("Langoliers"). So, I'll blame him even though he's working with someone else's short story. But we have the concept of a childhood accident coming back to haunt/kill the kids as adults. Not new. Some people have said it's like "Nightmare on Elm Street" because the man they killed is now talking to their kids. I can see that. I think the more obvious connection is "It" -- a clown who returns after about 20 years (although I think it was 30 in "It"). Either way, nothing really new. I did like the idea of "voodoo ice cream"... that ranks at least as cool as "The Stuff".

Clowns, ice cream, voodoo. The reason for the return is left unexplained, which makes me a bit disappointed. (Sure, I can say "The spirit wanted revenge" but that's a cop-out explanation). I've enjoyed other films less than this, but at the same time this wouldn't make my "Top 100 Horror Films", so unless you have a lot of desire to see it, just keep walking.

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.

Securing director Tom Holland for the second season of "Masters of Horror" seemed like a horror fan's dream-come-true. This underrated director brought us such horror favorites as "Fright Night" and "child's Play" and yet I feel he's never been given due credit. The premise here is interesting and clowns are always creepy but "We All Scream For Ice Cream" falls flat.

The mood is properly set. Dim, atmospheric lighting and William Forsythe looking insanely creepy as a murderous clown. But the story is garbage, the flick is badly acted with a very boring central character and it's virtually suspenseless. The back story looks like a bad rehash of "It" and those kids are really bad actors as well.

A total disappointment, it even lacks solid gore apart from one scene with a guy in a bathtub. When a ferociously bad looking naked guy in a bathtub provides the only good scene you know you're in trouble.

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.