MovieChat Forums > The Ice Harvest (2005) Discussion > Anyone Actually like this?

Anyone Actually like this?

posted 19 years ago by davcorp
76 replies | jump to latest

I saw this movie the other day during a Matinee with a friend and couldn't quit laughing about 20mins into it. This is probably the worst movie I've ever seen... I mean, I almost blushed with embarassment at how bad it was. I really racked my brain walking out of the theater trying to figure out how in the hell a film like this could be soooooo bad on sooooo many levels. Could it be the writting, directing, editing.. I don't know. Occasionally Hollywood puts out a movie like this and I alway wonder if the actual footage, acting, writing, script, etc. are for an entirely diferent movie that what I had just saw. Give me a couple of days to put it together in my mind and I'll clarify my position, but I am sincerely scratching my head wondering why this movie left me feeling completely empty and having wasted 2 hours of my life...

J.

[–] richardscd 19 years ago

I was pretty disapointed by this. It was too long( a sad statement at a paltry 88 min) and didn't have any real flow, drive, or energy to it. Having a dark, low energy comedy is one thing, having a depressing, rambling, misama is not my idea of an entertaining movie(which, according to Billy Bob, is all this is meant to be). First time a Cusack movie has let me down. If you want to see a good twisted comedy with him in it, see Grosse Pointe Blank. This is kinda lame.

~Chris R~
"I...I don't believe it!"
"That is why you fail."

[–] annoyingasusual 19 years ago

I didn't like this movie. I was not thrilled by it's so called "dark" comedy, I must have missed it entirely. I'm into dark comedy, I don't like slap stick or "sex driven" comedy. But, this movie, didn't have it for me.

It was boring, and as some said, I could see the ending a mile away... not something that strikes me as "good" in a movie. The ending was kind of funny.

I must admit that there were great possibilities with the storyline, but they fudged it up.

And what about this "storm". A drivers ed student in Chicago could have left town, no problem.

And the language, too much. I'm not against language in films, but this was entirely taken too far. I loved Identity, which I suppose, had just as much swearing in it as this one, but it's not a plus in my book.

Like I said before, it has great potential, but what happened? I liked a lot of Harold Raimes' other movies, but this one stank in my opinion.

Sad thing, I was trying to rent it for like 4 weeks. They only got 4 copies total at our Blockbuster. Hmmm?

I too came into the movie expecting something from Thorton, Cusack, and Platt that just were not there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jenn-benn-boh-ben-banana-fanna-fo-fen-me-my-moh-men-JENN!!!

[–] Prazzie 19 years ago

Whenever I read the boards on a movie I enjoyed (or disliked) you always get these kinds of posts. "You morons actually liked this?" Like walking into an ice-cream store, scooping up a ball of ice-cream and asking the people in the store "You actually eat this junk?" But like I said, when I seriously disliked a movie, I also come to check on the types of people who actually liked it, haha, so I'll continue to come on and defend the movies I enjoy.

I loved this one. I've posted a couple of responses on other threads, and I am very impressed so far, the people who liked this film said everything I would have said, and more eloquently than I could have, so I won't go on about it.

I just want to add that, although I don't swear and I don't usually enjoy it in movies, I really liked the swearing in this one. Don't ask me why, but the way John Cusack swore made me smile each time. When he said how much money they had, it's a big pile of money, the swearing made me laugh out loud. It's a bit weird, I realise, but anyway. *shrug*

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] barryshaft 19 years ago

My favourite complaint about the movie seems to be that it wasn't funny... it wasn't a comedy. It wasn't even a dark comedy really. It was just a quiet, noir-ish drama that wore it's sarcastic out on it's sleeve. Much more of a thriller than a comedy. I personally dug it, now having seen it again on dvd and while it didn't hold up as much, it certainly was one of the more original (if not incredibly cynical, which isn't bad) films of the year. A good performance from Cusack, who hasn't had much to work with in a few years, a great performance by Connie Nielson (it's not necessarily a huge twist that she's playing them...it's fairly obvious from her dialogue... the twist is just that Charlie figures it out really) and Platt is quite funny (though, I could have used a little less)

Now, I'd definately consider myself a fan of this movie, but I'm not someone who's going to come on going "you just didn't get it" cause clearly, it's not really a movie you're supposed to "get", a lot of people seem angry because they didn't get what they'd been sold in the trailers which is a zany Cusack movie...I understand the disappointment one feels when something isn't presented as sold...

[–] chouse1020 18 years ago

wow... you must be a major fan of "reality TV" if you didn't see the brilliance of this film.

It may have been "slow going", but only because it was intended to.

This is the story of the everyman - who takes a gamble and has to deal with the consequences.

Classic flick based on a really good book.

[–] Laughing_bun 18 years ago

i really liked this movie, its definatly like something the Coen brothers would make.

[–] craigbenting 18 years ago

Wow, you're a P.O.S. critic in training, right? Did I get it right or what???

Either you're 10 (or you have the mentality of a 10 year-old), or you really believe what you're saying. In which case you can only be a critic in training or a critic wannabe.

Thanks for your opinion, though. Makes me realize who the *beep* movies are made for. (AKA, the other movies at the opposite end of the spectrum from this movie)

[–] JaneSchmo 18 years ago

I loved it.Some elements were awkward and some parts did fit together oddly but what worked really worked. I can't wait to see it again.

[–] stlouisgirl777 18 years ago

I'll tell you what worked about this film was Oliver Platt. Can that guy get more under-rated as an actor. How many bad movies has he saved on his own and never been shown an ounce of recognition. I love him and he made this movie for me.

[–] JaneSchmo 18 years ago

Ditto on that.

[–] DarthVSith 18 years ago

wow. i really liked this movie. i liked it alot!!

[–] erikdawson15 18 years ago

I really liked the film. It was bitter and ironic, and twistedly hilarious. It also reminded me of "Fargo", another great, dark comedy.

[–] orangestar 18 years ago

It reminded me of Fargo too...but they can't even be compared. I watched The Ice Harvest with the only person I know who knows more about movies than me, and neither of us understood the movie. We hated it.

I've been very lonely in my isolated tower of indecipherable speech.

[–] Breed667 18 years ago

Thus far the people that have condemed this movie are the type of guys that beat off to commando.

Too Weird to live Too rare to die.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] iamaredcrayon 18 years ago

I liked the movie, but it isn't one for everyone.

[–] rjdewar-1 18 years ago

I have read through the comments and am quite surprised that this piece of dreck rates anything above a 1 out of 5. The script is banal for starters. The scene where Cusack takes Platt back home for dinner is excruciating. It's one of those "take you out of the movie" moments where you wonder how a pro filmmaker in good conscience, could leave that scene untouched. I guess Ramis is trying to do a "film noir" ala "Out OF The Past" His cinematographer did a very good job in creating that kind of atmosphere..its really too bad the actress in this takes her cues from Jessica of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" rather than Jane Greer. She descends into parody early and it just gets worse the more screen time she has.

Cusack is a fine actor and does OK with what he has to work with. Platt overacts but I think he has to given the relative weakness of this so called script. And no folks..one liners do not make a good script. REwatch Casablanca sometime and hear how a beautifully rendered script frames the memorable one liners. Billy Bob seems to be floundering to make his lines work and I appreciated his efforts to do so. Alas! All in vain.

I don't want to waste time on this film..I thought it was embarassing. But that happens in the world of cinema. Its very poorly paced, the story is uninvolving and frankly beyond comprehension (WHAT kind of ice storm was it that kept them in town? After one Cusack pratfall..he drives around with impunity! Major plot hole in a story filled with them)

IF you like this film...c'est la vie. I didnt find it entertaining even in a campy way...like say... Mommy Dearest. That was really its only hope and it cannot even manage that..