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Ice Harvest (The)
R2 - United Kingdom - Fabulous Films Review written by and copyright: Samuel Scott (7th July 2015). |
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The Film
 ***This is an A/V and Extras review only. For reviews on the movie from various critics, we recommend visiting HERE.*** John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton lead an all-star cast in this hilarious and unpredictable thriller. When lawyer Charlie (Cusack) and his partner Vic (Thornton) steal from a mob boss, they think they've pulled off the perfect crime. But when they race through a night filled with mayhem, lust and lethal surprises, they realise that the biggest risk they'll take will be trusting each other. From the director of Analyze This and Groundhog Day, The Ice Harvest cracks with outrageous laughs and slippery twists that will keep you guessing until the very end! Thick thieves. Thin ice.
Video
In what seems to be quite a reasonably sized deal, Fabulous Films have ported yet another Universal Pictures disc to release under their own small independent label. "The Ice Harvest" is presented in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, and the transfer is anamorphic. It's a strong showing. "The Ice Harvest" is a very dark film, with the vast majority either taking place at night time, or in seedy locations. With this, comes a palette which relies heavily on various blacks and a heavy blue filter with only the bright neon signs of the strip club to add a bit of occasional vivid colour. Overall, the transfer handles the blacks pretty well with minimal crush. They are deep and inky, and although shadow details do struggle to get through at times, there is enough clarity that it doesn't cause any major issues. Shot on film, there is a fine natural layer of grain throughout, which is a little more prominent against the blue hues than in other scenes. Details are at the higher end of the spectrum for the DVD format, with some surprisingly good details in mid-range items, and some distinct facial particulars very clear. There's no blockiness or major problems with aliasing or edge enhancement, and the print is very clean with no scratches or overly obvious dirt. The transfer exceeds what you would expect from a film with so many dark locations and scenes. The feature is uncut and runs 84:37.
Audio
There are two audio tracks included on this release: - English Dolby Digital 5.1 - Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 For my viewing, I made the obvious choice of selecting the original language English Dolby Digital 5.1 track. Unfortunately, the surrounds are rather quiet, as is the LFE. Dialogue is clear and concise at all times, and volume levels are consistent, but effects coming coming from the back of the sound stage feel very limited, with just some light swirling wind and the score for company. A shame, as more could have been done with general bar noise, or in the scene at the partly-frozen lake with the water splashing about. There aren't any issues with the track such as drop outs, poor syncing, pops, or scratches, and I noticed no background hiss. It's technically fine, just not very involving. Optional subtitles are included in both English and Spanish.
Extras
We start off the decent extras package with a solo audio commentary from director Harold Ramis. Ramis delivers an above average track for a solo effort, with little dead space and a very good mix of technical and story aspects, as well as anecdotes from the set, making it an approachable track for everyone. He has some interesting tidbits about some of the locations, and I like how Ramis is straight to the point about how different cast members approached things, especially Billy Bob Thornton who didn't read the script apart from his initial read through, as his character is self centred and cares only about himself. Worth a listen. There are two alternate endings with the first running 4:47 and the second running 5:43. They really could have been edited down considerably, as they both have a very long identical lead-up like that in the main feature. I think the right choice in ending was ultimately made, but the alternates are both good, especially the additional dialogue between John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton by way of a flashback in the second one. Next up we have an outtake with Billy Bob Thornton (1:32). This is sheer brilliance, and an absolute must for fans of Sling Blade, as Billy Bob Thornton goes into his old character with ease and with great hilarity. The "Cracking the Story" featurette clocks in at 17:04. It has the two screenwriters Robert Benton and Richard Russo talking with the author of the original story Scott Phillips. They discuss various elements of the story and how some of the more difficult aspects of the story were moved to the screenplay. Phillips seems very happy with the film, and all three participants are easy to listen to and have enough to say without going into so much depth it becomes of interest to few. The "Beneath the Harvest" featurette, running 13:06, is more of a promotional type featurette. It is made up of film clips interspersed with some quick talking head sound bites from various members of the cast and crew that glosses over the details, keeping things basic. This is typical EPK stuff that is worth a single viewing only for those who don't mind plenty of back-slapping and congratulatory remarks. The "Ice Cracking: Analysis of a Scene" featurette (6:18) is a more in-depth look at one of the major scenes in the film. This is probably the most interesting of the featurettes, as we get to see how production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein put the set together, and we see all the work that goes into making a scene from start to finish. There are also some interesting sound bites against the raw footage, mainly from director Harold Ramis. You would never have guessed this was not a real lake when you watch the final scene. We finish the extras with some start-up trailers for "Jarhead" (2:27) and "King Kong" (2:51).
Overall
"The Ice Harvest" is a funny dark comedy with an intriguing story and great cast. The technical presentation is good and the selection of extras add a lot of value to this release.
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