Iced (1988)

A group of people are on a skiing trip and one of them named Jeff (Dan Smith) has a crush on one of his friends named Trina (Debra Deliso) but Trina doesn't see him that way as just a friend since she is dating someone else named Cory (Doug Stevenson) who often teased him now and then.
Out of anger Jeff goes skiing but people warn him that there's a big snowstorm but he doesn't pay any attention to them. He falls off a cliff and dies on a bunch of sharp rocks.

Four years later, the group of friends are mysteriously invited back to their ski resort but however a killer in a broken ski mask and the same ski suit that Jeff wore is killing off the residents one by one as Trina gets a prank call saying that Jeff was here.
Could Jeff still be alive and wrecking revenge on these people and is slowly trying to get to Trina?
One of the residents there named Alex Bourne (Joseph Alan Johnson) sent out the invitations in which everyone tries to go to the aid to in order to find out if Jeff is still alive but he seems to have some knowledge about his death that no one else know about.

A nice cheesy beginning to this film showing the skiier Jeff on a top slope with his arms in the air ready to ski down and the picture pauses showing the opening credits in which you can tell by all this that this was a direct-to-video product but at the same time looked fun to see this.
Also many takes on Jeff and Cory skiing to see who's more macho to impress the beautiful woman Trina which was also well put in since it looks like young adults being dumb about all of this. However Jeff was supposed to be someone apparently autistic but yet when we spot his actions it looked a little too phony with what we see here. There's a long lusting scene between Cory and Trina in their room while we spot Jeff skiing out late at night while warned that a snowstomr is occurring which is dangerous. Ahh yes the typical one liner in which the victim to start off a mysterious slasher film making a stupid choice by sacrificing his life. Hey it worked well even if it looked a bit low grade and cheesy while spotting all of this. What's even cheesier is after he lands his death fall you're not sure whether he's dead or just plain injured while we suspensefully watch that last details here. There's also perfect scenery in the mountain of Utah and people skiing as well as partying out which looks like a party flick itself.
It's impressive when we spot the same people driving back to the resort four years later being invited as well as spotting a mysterious figure staring through with a broken ski mask which carries on the slasher tradition with a killer watching it's next prey on who they will plan to kill next.
In the story we spot one of the dorky friends Carl cutting up cocaine while being nude in a bathroom and he cuts himself which we expect that something like this may happen. What's a horror film without a partying one doing drugs after all and knowing that he may become an easy prey for the killer? But yet we have someone waking him up the next day catching him in the act with a newspaper clipping that was discovered on the tragedy that happened and seeing his insane attitude makes you wonder if he's behind the murders making this moment seem pretty cool for a suspect in the film but yet knowing that this would be a little too obvious. Another great mysterious slasher tradition.
Of course a nice still and silent moment with one of the key characters Alex sitting in his bathtub fantasing the woman of his dreams which is Jeanette joining him offering more skin in this movie since most slasher flicks have alot of this making up for the non scary moments.
Then there's a moment with one of the friends named Diane answering a phone call and freaking out when she finds out who might be calling in which she claims that it was Jeff in which the writing looked slightly cheesy as well as the intensity with what is going on while this situation is brought up trying to make this seem spooky but it slightly fails.
A clever moment used in this film is when the killer places a bear trap and buries it in the snow which works in well. Another fine moment is when Diane tries to get away from the killer and we spot a moment with this maniac snapping off an icicle off the house for a murderous weapon as this looked cool to watch since this was done ina Jason Voorhees orderly fashion.
There's of course a moment with Alex and Jeanette having a romantic discussion towards one another as this seems fairly impressive in which we need to throw this in too while the slashing moments take place elsewhere.
More skin in which we spot Jeanette skinny dipping in a jacuzzi which looked still and peaceful but then the killer puts in an electrical heater into the water as the results looked pretty impressive here while he does so which is another perfect trap for a killer to do their nasty deeds.
The moments look terrific when Trina runs through the snowy forest or finding some way to protect herself from the killer as this was real suspnseful and exciting to watch all of this. Plus nice suspnseful shots on her hiding under a bed from the killer as well as hands smashing through a door too along with Trina trying to remove the broken ski mask to spot who the mysterious killer is which all of this pays a tribute to all the cult classic slasher flicks that we adored too.
Bottom line is that this was a typical Z-grade made for video film but believe it or not, I really liked this flick. It was almost like a Friday the 13th ripoff but this time during the winter up on the mountains.
It was well done for a cheap flick like this I thought although many of you will disagree with me. There's lots of fun touches throughout this film and it remains a mystery if this supposed dead person is really back to seek revenge on killing his old friends.
All of it was entertaining so it doesn't matter if it was made on a video budget as long as the story keeps flowing as that's just what it did. Sure it was corny in many spots along with showing plenty of skin but then again most slasher films are that were made on a minor budget like this one. Plus there were two cast members from the 1982 trashy cult slasher flick titled The Slumber Party Massacre.
I loved the ending of this film which was my favourite scene.

The acting is quite descent for a film like this. I liked Debra Deliso (Trina) in her performance the best and deserves good credit for her work in it. She shows a niceness to her role and really brought good chemistry to the set while she was being filmed bringing a great character to her role in the film. She could've made it as a scream queen in other cult low budget horror films in my opinion.
Doug Stevenson (Cory) brought on his charm quite well too as the protective husband really bringing a nice charming personality. He had the right looks too for a slasher film like this one. He shows good struggling energy into his part whenever he needed to behave this way.
Ron Kologie (Carl) brings alot of goofiness to his part as the perverted type and having a nice leannes which you'd picture in someone who doesn't have it all together. He does well acting hyper and bubbly and at the same time knew on how to act troubled and intense too.
Plus the cast also features former Addams Family child star Lisa Loring (Jeanette) who still does fine as an actress and showed a nice smooth talking type of personality as well as getting snappy during certain moments in the story which looked very natural.
Elizabeth Gorcey (Diane) was high on energy and really knew on how to act full of life and being ready for anything too. She reminds you of one of those easy going types out of the crowd. She also does well acting aggressive too during certain moments. Plus had a very energetic scream after spotting a dead corpse.
John C. Cooke (John) brought a perfect seriousness to his part by acting blunt and sometimes stern and unpredictable in which he seems very real at doing. He knew how to bring this part he played to real life as one of those cocky types. Plus he had a kind of dorky look to his presence in which seems to fit in a bit well with who he was onto the screen.
I also enjoyed Joseph Alan Johnson (Alex Bourne) performance as a deceiving resident at the mountain skiing resort showing a nice guy attitude but having a secret of his own as he was the perfect drawing card to the story and he made it clear that he can pull it all off. He's got the well groomed guy next door looks to him bringing on a perfect charm onto the camera too.

Debra Deliso's character is full nude fornicating with her boyfriend during the first half of the film.
Also a brief nude scene by Ron Kologie who is doing cocaine in a bathroom.
Joseph Alan Johnson is having a fantasy of making out with Lisa Loring's character in a bath tub with her breasts exposed and his butt revealed
Lisa also goes skinny dipping in her hot tub exposing almost everything.

A characters throat is stabbed by a ski pole
A women's eye is stabbed by an ice pick
Someone killed by a bear trap and his corpse is shown but none of these scenes look too gruesome as the film's budget was tight.

The directing by Jeff Kwitny is in average shape as the actors did a better job since the scene's he did were way too acted out. For example there's a nice shot on Doug Stevenson taking off Debra Deliso's ski's for her and then supporting actor Dan Smith steps in and demands him to stay away from her. It just didn't look too convincing.
There are however good takes on both Stevenson and Smith skiing down a hill with shots shooting downhill too and the tree's looked good showing the camera dodging etc.
There's a good shot on Smith standing on top of a cliff wearing his ski mask and breathing heavily along with takes on Deliso and Stevenson in their cabin lustfully making out which looked pretty good. Then there's a great camera shot looking up on Smith ready to ski down and acting menacing while doing so which was another good pointer on the direction along with a nice camera shot zooming in on some rocks from a cliff. However, there's a moment with Smith landing on them and then turning over before he dies which looked quite lacking.
Then we have a scene taking place 4 years later in which we spot great camera shots on the snowy tree's and then many good close up shots on Stevenson, Deliso in the front seat along with Lisa Loring in the passenger seat having a discussion. Plus there's a letter Deliso reads out about the invitation like mentioned before didn't look at all natural and too acted out.
There's a good dialogue between Deliso and Loring in the cabin with Loring cutting some vegetables and talking about her problems with her ex-boyfriend which looked not too bad.
There's a good shot looking down on Ron Kologie naked in a bathroom while cutting up some cocaine along with a good close up shot on him accidentally cutting his finger with a razor which looked quite painful on how it was shot and his reaction too.
There's a nice tense dialogue between him and John C. Cooke with a good shot on them talking with Cooke getting stern towards him and Kologie really acting intense towards him.
There's a good shot on Joseph Alan Johnson in a spa and nice sexual hallucinations with a camera shot looking up and down on him and Loring.
There's a nice camera shot with Johnson and Loring having a romantic discussion near a fireplace which looked soothing even if that looked a bit too acted out along with most of the scene's in this film.
There's a great tense dialogue going on after receiving a prank call with close up shots on Deliso as well as Johnson discussing about his knowledge on what happened which was quite impressive.
There's a good blocking moment with Kologie getting forceful with Loring by kissing her.
There's a good moment with Elizabeth Gorcey screaming in terror after spotting her dead boyfriend and trying to run to the cabin but yet the direction lacks when she pounds and screams at the door. There's a good shot on the supporting actor as the killer grabbing an icicle from the cabin roof and raising it above his head and plunging it down.
There's a good shot on Loring in a hot tub and then a shot on a heater being thrown in with perfect reactions on her wide eyed expressions while being electrocuted.
There's a good shot on Kologie being caught on bear traps with nice painful reactions as well as a shot on him pointing a gun up in the air and shooting.
There's a nice camera shot panning from Deliso towards a corspe in a hot tub with a great camera shot closing in on Deliso cover her mouth in shock and fright.
There's a nice moment with Deliso talking to Stevenson while he's lying down after being stabbed and weakly talking to her.
There's lots of good shots on Deliso running around in the snow trying to find some way on getting help as well as her struggle against the killer while running back in and up the stairs.
There's also a good camera shot on her near a door and the killer smashing the door in a Friday the 13th or Halloween type fashion.
Jeff Kwitny shows many great shots of the mountains and the mysterious killers broken mask too as well as the masked killers face before getting ready to kill his next victim throughout the story.
His ending scene is the best but I won't say what it is as that would be a spoiler but it involves Deliso.

The music for this film was done by Dan Milner who composed the same music for the action made TV series American Gladiators.
Some of it was performed on keyboards in a cheesy Z-grade style but some of it sounds similar to a Friday the 13th sequel which sounded great when there was the moment with the lead character trying to escape from the killings that she spotted. There's the odd rusty screeching sounds with the synthesizer which sounded pretty neat for a Z-grader film like this. There's many low and high pitched classical sounding synthesizer music played at the same time during the suspenseful tales told which seems to blend in not too badly.