Actors: Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, James Franco
Directors: Ariel Vromen
Rated: R (Restricted)
Studio: Millennium
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Run Time: 105 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 2.5 out of 5 stars
I have been a fan of Michael Shannon since his role in “Groundhog Day”. Well, maybe that is not 100% true but since his turn in the film “Revolutionary Road”, he has really blown up. I mean the guy played General Zod in “Man of Steel”. He is such a deep actor and really gives him to each of his roles. He was the draw for me to “The Iceman” and he delivers yet again. The film also packs an impressive supporting cast including Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, Chris Evans, James Franco. Great ensemble cast. Fans of mobster movies, should definitely check this out if not just for Shannon’s stone-cold performance.
Official Premise: Inspired by actual events, The Iceman follows notorious contract killer Richard Kuklinski (Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon) from his early days in the mob until his arrest for the murder of more than 100 men. Appearing to be living the American dream as a devoted husband and father; in reality Kuklinski was a ruthless killer-for-hire. When finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife nor daughters had any clue about his real profession.
Millennium is releasing this film on Blu-ray, after a very limited theatrical release. I could have seen this been huge in theaters, especially with this great cast. The 1080p transfer is good and gives a clear presentation but doesn’t blown me away. There are two audio tracks included. The first is obviously the best and only choice with its Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. There is also a Dolby Digital 2.0 included but it is quite pointless. In terms of special features, there are two decent featurettes included. The first is “The Making of The Iceman”, delivers a look into the production with cast/crew. “The Iceman: Behind the Scenes” pretty much does the same thing but focuses more on the film itself but worth checking out.