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***** (out of 5)
ICE FROM THE SUN, directed by Eric Stanze, is easily the most visually
stimulating movie I have seen in some time. It's just amazing to look
at. Stanze paints images that are some of the most fulfilling I've seen.
What's unbelievable is that he accomplished this on such a micro-budget
level.
With this expressionistic tale, style and form play more important roles
than content and story. Stanze mixes formats, image textures, and sounds
to create some of the most effective horror film atmosphere since Sam
Raimi with the original EVIL DEAD.
There isn't so much a plot as there is a premise which allows events to
unfold. A figure known as The Presence, who was once a wizard's
apprentice, has become an entity so powerful and bloodthirsty that both
the angels in Heaven and demons in Hell fear him. He reigns in a
dimension found within magical ice scraped from the face of the sun.
A young woman, Alison, is resurrected (after taking her own life) in
order to assassinate The Presence. She is instructed that while she
journeys to confront The Presence, there will be six other mortals
brought to this realm. Their roles are to die and Alison is ordered to
not interfere. After all, everyone has a reason for their existence.
The stories of The Six make up the bulk of the film. Each character is
dealt scenarios that mirror their personalities. A vain woman who uses
looks and sex is literally turned into a dog and put out of her misery.
Fortunately, Stanze sees to it that the rest of the movie isn't so
O'Henry-esque and that the scenes are more of a chance to explore human
nature.
I do want to pass along a note of warning. This film is graphic. Either
extreme gore or abundant nudity appear in almost every scene, though
none of the images are designed to arouse.
The imagery of ICE FROM THE SUN leaves the viewer breathless, amazed,
and transfixed.
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