Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of El Cepo - The Icebox Murders; before launching into my critique, here's a breakdown of my ratings:
Story - 1.00
Direction - 0.50
Pace - 0.25
Acting - 0.75
Enjoyment - 0.50
TOTAL - 3.00 out of 10
The only thing The Icebox Murders has going for it is the story's synopsis. It's a shame the writers didn't have the skill to grow an intriguing idea into an engaging story. Even though other concepts come from the expanding story, these too are forgotten or misused - Like Sylvie's nightmare sequence. Had this been pursued, then the story would have been infinitely less boring. But, the writers ignored the opportunity, and the boredom began to develop.
But the worst contributor to the tediousness is the director. Not only are there overly long scenes of nothing important, but everything is shot in an under-par way and at a drowsy pace. Halfway through the movie, one eye had left the screen and was browsing the net. By three-quarters through, both eyes had drifted over to the smaller screen, and I was listening with half an ear. Yet, I knew I missed very little, for when I forced my attention back to The Icebox Murders, nothing much had changed. If not for the tinterweb I'd have been snoring.
The performances from the cast are as somnolent as the direction. My God, was everybody working in or on this film on tranquilisers? The only spark of life comes from The Servent and the actor who played him. Sadly, his exaggerated acting only adds to the inferior feel of the film.
Please feel free to visit my Killer Thriller Chillers list to see where I ranked El Cepo.
Take Care & Stay Well.
