Masters of Horror – "We All Scream For Ice Cream"

(2007)*1/2

Twenty-some years ago, mentally challenged Buster the ice cream clown was killed in an accident involving children pulling a "prank" (i.e., releasing the handbrake in Buster's ice cream truck and watching it roll over him). Now Buster is back from the dead, full of rage and getting his revenge on the now adult perpetrators. In what has to be the lamest way to kill someone, Buster gives free ice cream to the children of his pranksters and when they take a bite of the ice cream their fathers melt into a pool of ice cream goo.


Directed by the director of Child's Play and Fright Night, Tom Holland, this is one stupid story. It's formulaic and derivative of every vengeful ghost story of the past decade with nary a spec of imagination. Also, and let's really be honest here, this is just a lame way to get your revenge on someone, even for a ghost (I suppose you could argue that this is how a retarded ghost would get his revenge).

The larger crime is that it's not even remotely scary. Even with such weak material a better director would've been able to use creepy angles and lighting to create a semblance of horror. Instead Holland opts for straight on, brightly lit shots that do nothing to ratchet up the creep factor. Tales From the Dark Side did it better 20 years ago. This is the worst of the Master of Horror episodes I've seen.