Adam Green wants to be Steven Spielberg. Within the press notes that accompanied the preview screening of his latest feature, Frozen (2010), Green very overtly expresses his undying love for the legendary director. In addition, the film itself is peppered with references to Spielberg classics ET (1982) and Jaws (1975) and it is the horror and tension of that infamous shark flick which Green so desperately wants to emulate.
In Frozen, a trio of chums – Dan (Kevin Segers), Joe (Shawn Ashmore) and Parker (relative newcomer Emma Bell) – are forced to brave the elements, the wildlife and the dialogue during their chilling mountainside experience. Though I have no intention of spoiling the movie, rest assured that there are liberal lashings of frost bitten fingers and blood spattered snow.
It’s not a great film by any means. The camera work is fairly bland and, although the actors try hard with the scraps they have been fed, you are ultimately left with the inescapable feeling that if the protagonists had a combined IQ which ran into double figures they would have been at home toasting marshmallows over the fire in thirty minutes, rather than freezing their collective genitals off on the icy slopes.
Lee Cassanell