Ice from the Sun
Encyclopedia
Ice from the Sun is a 1999 independently-produced horror film
directed by Eric Stanze, and is St. Louis-based production company Wicked Pixel Cinema
's second feature film. The film had a theatrical release in 2001.
and Hell
. The Presence is a supernatural entity that rules a separate dimension surrounded by ice, where he brings imprisoned humans for eternal torture. The Presence had once been a human, but now commands omnipotent powers. A young woman who is in the midst of committing suicide is recruited by a coalition of angels and devils to infiltrate The Presence’s ice world as one of his prisoners for torture. Her goal is to get The Presence to recall his blocked memory of his human origins, which would allow his icy domain to melt and enable the angels and demons to destroy their common enemy.
metropolitan area with a cast of local actors. Stanze used 193 rolls of Super 8 film (a total of 9,650 feet) to shoot the film.
The film was released on DVD in 1999 by SRS Cinema, and it received strong reviews in the horror film media. Carl Lyon, writing for Monsters at Play, called the film “a deftly executed, relentless nightmare, unapologetic in its brutality or its experimental nature,” while Mac McIntire, writing for DVD Verdict, stated the film was “recommended for die hard horror fans looking for something way off the beaten path.” In 2000, Ice from the Sun won three awards at the B-Movie Film Festival
.
In 2001, the film received a theatrical release, where it was met with mixed reviews. Maitland McDonagh, writing for TV Guide
Online, praised the film for being “often imaginative and surprisingly accomplished within the limits of its ultra-low budget.” However, Stephen Holden of The New York Times
complained “it is the kind of film that only a certain breed of cinematic cultist could tolerate.” Michael Atkinson, writing in The Village Voice
, harshly stated the film was “a furiously pointless punk-gore loogie that resets the bar on how wretched an amateur indulgence can be and still garner public screen time merely on the impression of being ‘transgressive.’”
The film was re-released in 2005 by Image Entertainment
.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Eric Stanze, and is St. Louis-based production company Wicked Pixel Cinema
Wicked Pixel Cinema
Wicked Pixel Cinema is an independent film production company based in St. Louis, MO. It was founded by veteran filmmaker Eric Stanze in 1995. The company's first release was Savage Harvest. Its first production was Ice from the Sun, followed by Scrapbook.In 2000, Ice from the Sun won three...
's second feature film. The film had a theatrical release in 2001.
Plot
The concept of Ice from the Sun creates a third presence that disrupts the balance between HeavenHeaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
and Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
. The Presence is a supernatural entity that rules a separate dimension surrounded by ice, where he brings imprisoned humans for eternal torture. The Presence had once been a human, but now commands omnipotent powers. A young woman who is in the midst of committing suicide is recruited by a coalition of angels and devils to infiltrate The Presence’s ice world as one of his prisoners for torture. Her goal is to get The Presence to recall his blocked memory of his human origins, which would allow his icy domain to melt and enable the angels and demons to destroy their common enemy.
Production and reception
Ice from the Sun was produced in the St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
metropolitan area with a cast of local actors. Stanze used 193 rolls of Super 8 film (a total of 9,650 feet) to shoot the film.
The film was released on DVD in 1999 by SRS Cinema, and it received strong reviews in the horror film media. Carl Lyon, writing for Monsters at Play, called the film “a deftly executed, relentless nightmare, unapologetic in its brutality or its experimental nature,” while Mac McIntire, writing for DVD Verdict, stated the film was “recommended for die hard horror fans looking for something way off the beaten path.” In 2000, Ice from the Sun won three awards at the B-Movie Film Festival
B-Movie Film Festival
The B-Movie Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Syracuse, United States.The festival was founded in 1999 by local filmmaker Ron Bonk to promote the art of B-movie making. It was canceled in its third year due to the effects of September 11 attacks...
.
In 2001, the film received a theatrical release, where it was met with mixed reviews. Maitland McDonagh, writing for TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
Online, praised the film for being “often imaginative and surprisingly accomplished within the limits of its ultra-low budget.” However, Stephen Holden of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
complained “it is the kind of film that only a certain breed of cinematic cultist could tolerate.” Michael Atkinson, writing in The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
, harshly stated the film was “a furiously pointless punk-gore loogie that resets the bar on how wretched an amateur indulgence can be and still garner public screen time merely on the impression of being ‘transgressive.’”
The film was re-released in 2005 by Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment
Image Entertainment, Inc. is an independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming and film & television productions in North America, with approximately 3,000 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 250 exclusive CD titles in domestic release, and approximately 450...
.
External links
- Ice from the Sun at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
- Wicked Pixel Cinema's Official Website