The Iceman

FORMAT: Blu-RayUPC: 6-87797-14016-6RELEASED: 2013-09-03TITLE: The Iceman (2012) • R • 1:45:27Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, James FrancoAriel Vromen (Director)"The Iceman" is a movie that I had heard very little about before Amazon put it on sale for one of its "Black Friday" events. Because of the LOW price, I took the plunge and bought it sight-unseen (which, for me, is HIGHLY unusual). I am VERY happy that I did, as this movie is an underrated gem; with a very interesting story and with very good to excellent performances by the cast. Highly recommended. See the other reviews for more detail and/or other opinions regarding the plot of the movie.VIDEO: 1.78:1 • Color • 1080p • MPEG-4 AVC (20.2 Mbps)While the images in this presentation of the "The Iceman" are mostly (but, not always) sharp, it has poor contrast (which, admittedly, may be a conscious decision by the director/cinematographer because of the dark gritty nature of the source material — which, by the way, is why I "generously" scored it a 3.6 for VIDEO quality; however, if the film's look was NOT intentional, then it deserves a 2.5 VIDEO quality score). However, because of this lack of contrast there are absolutely NO truly dark (i.e.—black) shadows anywhere in this picture (with the darkest of them looking like a not-very-dark hazy gray); and, since the vast majority of the movie takes place in dark indoor settings and at night, this makes for an image that, on the whole, appears to be washed-out and not very dimensional. Mercifully, there were no additional major picture anomalies (such as: specks, hair-lines, white dots, excessive banding, color fluctuations, etc.) to further mar this movie's image. Overall, I think that most of this movie's picture quality issues could be solved by placing it on a BD-50 disc (instead of its current DB-25 disc) and significantly increasing its bit-rate. In the end, because of all of its issues, I rate this movie's picture quality as barely adequate: meaning, that while it may satisfy the casual viewer (particularly on 40-inch or smaller TV's, with out-of-the-box picture settings), most serious viewers and videophiles will find it very, to severely, lacking.AUDIO: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48KHz, 24-bit)The audio quality exhibited by the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack on this disc is, particularly when contrasted (pun intended) with its visual presentation, a revelation! The surround channels were very active and very directional, dialog was cleanly recorded and is natural sounding and is well-placed, and ambient sounds (which were used to convey the location of the on-screen settings and actions) were very effectively integrated into the soundtrack. Plus, surprisingly, there are plenty of occasions where deep, energetic bass is evident; and, not just in the subwoofer channel, but in ALL of the other channels as well. This is a very fine example of cinematic sound design, that while it is NOT a Dolby Atmos / DTS:X / 7.1 presentation, is still an excellent 5.1 soundtrack, which should satisfy all but the very pickiest of listeners.EXTRAS: Two 'Making Of' type videosNone of the extras were reviewed.

I'm a Jersey Gal and really did not know much of the story behind this movie. It's got action, drama and holds your attention. Fabulous actors, especially. the lead actor Shannon. Of course Ray Liotta was great as well. I miss him. Ryder stinks as always the way she talks is ridiculous. But I highly recommend this movie as it's a fascinating story,

The movie was well created, substance and very life like events to the actual Iceman events of killing over one hundred people and to survive the multiple attempts on his own life. The only thing surprising was that he became a professional in the killing world, knew how to avoid the police, stings, entrapment etc...........HOWEVER, believing the word of his friend and NOT verifying this new person asking all the DEADLY questions about poisson and not checking some way like he was subjected to by killing an innocent man infront of other killers was SHOCKING he made such a BAD mistake!!!!!!!He had his value system out of wack...However, he raised a family the best he knew how to for a killer and a family man...................HE should have just moved away since he was already wealthy before it got him eventually killed. It was suspected he was killed at foul play while in prison.HE was broken as a kid and it stayed with him as an adult....................This was a true account and i can say he was lead by the Dark side!

Michael Shannon is simply terrific at playing the "creepy" guy...the one with perhaps a normal exterior, but whose inner life is deeply troubled. Usually, he delivers these shadings in the service of relatively nice guys (REVOLUTION ROAD, TAKING SHELTER [maybe his best role] and BUG, for example). These are all nice guys with issues. Shannon lets us see the surface and also the anguish just below. Whether it's a gaze that doesn't quite meet your eyes, or a furrowed brow or just a turn of phrase...he's never less than riveting and just a little scary.In THE ICEMAN, he has found the perfect character...one that no one but him could have played as well. While his lead role in the remarkable TAKING SHELTER is perhaps his most layered performance; his role in this true story is perhaps the most tailor-made for him. Which IS ironic, since it's a true story. Shannon plays a cold-blooded killer for the Jersey mob. Over the decades, it is estimated he killed over 100 people. In all manners of death and without remorse or pity. And without any seeming enjoyment. His face is a blank stare. When he is threatened with death, he has virtually no reaction beyond mild curiosity...and when he kills, there is even less going on. But when he is temporarily sidelined, he becomes like a caged animal, literally pacing and on edge and ready to explode. Killing clearly is his way of exorcising some kind of personal demon.At the same time, Shannon is married and has a lovely family he cherishes above all else. His feelings, though a bit tightly contained, seem genuine. He loves his wife (Wynona Ryder) and never strays from her. His daughters are the light of his life. He keeps them sheltered from what he really does, and provides for them well. He is a bit of an odd-bird, even to his wife...but certainly no one would suspect what he really does.This is a dark and low-budget film. There is little sunshine to be found, and given that much of it takes place in the '70s, it has an extra sheen of grime that comes with all the polyester. And the plot itself is pretty straightforward. We know (because the first scene shows us) that Shannon will be caught, but because he is surrounded by other low-life thugs who seem even more petty than him, we actually sort of root for the guy. The story is told through his eyes almost entirely, and we cannot help but side with him just a bit. There is, I reluctantly admit, something a bit gripping about seeing someone who is a master at what he does at work.Shannon is the main reason, by far, to see this film. He is mesmerizing throughout. Ray Liotta has a significant role as the mob boss...doing the exact same character he's been doing for about 20 years. Ryder is fine...the role is hardly one that would revive her career, but it's good to see her in something where she isn't making fun of herself too. Best of all is Chris Evans as another hit man, who embarks on a years long collaboration of sorts with Shannon. His personality is all flash and sparkle...and Evans, normally such a straight-laced good guy (CAPTAIN AMERICA, anyone?) looks great in the '70s garb and hair. He's busting out with energy, creating a stark contrast with Shannon's contained rage.We find out very little about this true to life character. We get a tiny glimpse at what may have broken in him, but no sense of what makes him so casual about killing. His love for his family seems genuine and shows real emotion. Yet he appears to be a sociopath of the first order. The two sides of him make for an uneasy reconciliation for the viewer, which I feel only adds to the power of the film.The climax of the film comes fast and surprising. And Shannon finally gets a chance to let loose...and it's a thing of power and rawness. And unlike with his silly character in MAN OF STEEL, when this guy sees his life instantly collapsing, his outcry of rage and horror is chilling.I highly recommend this film, although it does have a bleak outlook on life and humanity. I didn't feel depressed at its conclusion (not at all, it is so well done), but I wasn't exactly uplifted! [By the way, James Franco receives pretty high billing in the film and is on the cover of the disk. He is in exactly one brief scene. Just to warn ya.]

Factual information about a very disturbed individual

Excellent movie all the way through