(2012-05-01 13:35:11)

Sound foundation, but "jumps the shark"

This review is from: Frozen (DVD) First, great foundation for a story. Chairlift strands three friends 60 feet above the ground at night on a ski lift. Everyone's gone home and no one knows they're up there. Fantastic! I love these "what do you do in this situation" types of stories. This premise is unsettling enough. The writers should not have added the wolves into the story. Should. Not. Have. Done. That. In this day and age of sophisticated audiences, there is not one human being on the Earth who still acribes to the "big bad wolf" mentality. There is enough scientific data to disprove wolves attacking people in the wilderness. The story completely jumped the shark at that point and left me very disappointed. The writers needed to have more faith in their initial story because they really didn't need another "villian" to spice things up. If they HAD to add an villian, a bear is a much more plausible choice because bears WILL attack and kill people.Anyway, good story - could have been so much better minus the "wolves as baddies" ploy. I know too much about wolves in real life. I didn't buy it for a second and it detracted from the film.

(2012-04-30 15:50:50)

3.5 Stars - Great premise, well-done B-movie ... but also a few problems

First, for an independent movie, I was very impressed with the quality. Scenery was great, the shots were great, the directing was great.This is a survival movie, about 3 young people stuck on a ski lift. It was suspenseful, somewhat plausible, and I hope to see more of this director & cast.There were some problems. First, the emotional scenes (the "confessions", the romance back-story, etc) were not good. The acting wasn't up to par. I was bored during those moments, & never cared about the development of the characters as much as the development of the plot.And, there was SO MUCH they could have done with the plot, and they dropped the ball a little here. ---SOME MINOR SPOILERS BELOW--There are many survival aspects that were ignored here (not knowing exactly where this happened). First, the extreme cold, which came into play ... but during the day, they were exposed to enough sun at high altitudes to get a major dose of radiation poisoning & dehydration.Also, the snow seemed really groomed & packed, which didn't seem plausible at all, especially under a remote chair lift in a remote area of the park. I was expecting to see 6-8 feet of powder, and it should have been difficult to stand up in it (especially if they had thrown off their skis & snowboard).And, as some reviewers have mentioned, the use of ravenous wolves was kindof a cop-out and stood out as the most unrealistic part of the plot. It became very reminiscent of Open Water from a few years ago - which was a decent movie. But both movies devolved into a "man vs. animal" instead of a broader, more interesting premise of "man (or woman) vs. nature".Overall, though, I give it a 3.5 stars and would recommend it to someone who likes survival, suspense, or independent movies, especially if you are a skier or snowboarder.

Saad Khan

(2012-04-28 05:33:22)

Smart Scripting and Attention Grabbing Scrreen play makes it really entertaining

FROZEN – CATCH IT ( B+ ) Frozen is an unusual, decent, AttentionGrabbing independent movie about the A Girl (Emma Bell) and Two Boys(Kevin Zegers & Shawn Ashmore) stranded on a chair lift over the top ofthe mountains in the freezing snowing weather. The concept is reallyunique and just watching three people surviving the Natural Evil (cold)is quite intriguing. Director used really smart scripting to keep thewhole movie interesting. The tension between Emma Bell & Shawn Ashmoreas they dislike each other makes it attention grabbing. I loveindependent movies as in small budget they bring some really coolconcepts on the screen. Emma Bell is a new face and she did pretty goodjob. I never expected to see Gorgeous Boy Kevin Zegers end up like thatin the movie but anyway it made the movie interesting. Shawn Ashmoredid a good job as a jealous friend of Kevin Zegers. Overall a goodmovie which really excites you the whole time and you want to know whatwill happen Next. Must watch it!

(2012-04-27 09:24:20)

Intense For a B Movie

I rented this movie from Redbox. The movie is very slow at the beginning. You have to have patience sitting around the beginning. It's hard relating to college kids talking about redundant things over and over in this movie. But, right in the middle of this movie it's starts to get intense. I will not explain every detail of this movie. But, the reason why it is so intense. Is because, it seemed so real. The way the guy broke his legs and got eaten alive by wolves. While his girlfriend was their hearing every cry from her boyfriends mouth. That is what made this movie intense; along with how the actors interacted with one another when surving is reality. And they no longer were carefree college students anymore.

Siamois

(2012-04-24 03:33:55)

Frost, height and wolves: choose your poison

Dan, his girlfriend Parker and his best friend Joe are out skiing whenthe unthinkable happens: they end up stuck on a chairlift, high abovethe ground. It's freezing and it's Sunday. Nobody might find thembefore next Friday. Cult horror director Adam Green uses this simple premise and manages,with only three characters and a static location to build tension andcaptivate the audience. Green has come a long way since his more ironicindie attempts such as Hatchet. In Frozen, he paces the film extremelywell and plays with his characters' psychology, constantly jugglingwith three different threats.On one hand, the longer our characters wait, the more they suffer fromcold as well as starvation. This particularly menace is well depictedby Green, who puts his characters through hell in that respect. Viewerswill cringe seeing some of the effects of frost. On the technical side,however, the characterization and plot seems a little off. Parker, Danand Joe seem a little too reckless with regards to cold. You would alsoexpect air condensation from people breathing and talking in a sub-zeroenvironment. The second threat is simply that of height. If our characters do notwant to die in the chairlift, they must get to the ground. But how? Thefilm is superb in playing the fear of height at times. There is reallya feeling of hopelessness and panic, especially at first. Ourcharacters are terribly isolated and the mood heavy. Again, on thewriting and technical side there are weaknesses and solution ourcharacters ignore, which may frustrate certain viewers. There werecourse of actions taken I felt were stupid but nobody will deny thatGreen can showcase the gruesome consequences in all their glory.The third threat of the movie, and the one many have talked about are apack of wolves underneath, roaming and waiting for our charactersshould they safely reach the ground. The animals used in the film areimpressive, the scenes are ripe with tension and atmosphere.Unfortunately, people more familiar with the woods, nature and thesepredators will have a hard time buying the ferocity and decisiveness ofthese wolves. There are virtually no wolf attack on humans, unless youcorner them and they would result in death only if you were a youngchild or infant. Despite the plot holes and flaws in each of the three "threat angles" Ihave to commend the filmmaker for making a fine horror movie that runslike an effective thriller most of the time, creating and releasingtension at the right times. The three actors portraying theprotagonists, Kevin Zegers, Emma Bell and Shawn Ashmore all givebelievable and sometimes visceral performances. Ashmore stood out forme. Bell was also good. This isn't the finest written or directed film of the year. There willbe no Oscars for the actors either. But as far as an indie movie, thisis a great ride that will make you sometimes cringe, sometimes feelsorry for the characters. Although the start makes you think you'rewatching yet another teenage vanilla horror flick, things quickly takea very dark turn and there is enough character building for you to careabout these folks. The cinematography is also very nice and there iseffective, if sparse, use of music. The film has been compared to a "Ski resort jaws" but the effects ofthe frost sometimes make it play almost like a "Cabin Fever", wherepeople are slowly eaten away. What makes the film enjoyable is thateach solution might bring a new problem, without the need toartificially build unbelievable plot twists. The reason I give it such a high rating is that, for a film thatdoesn't rely on cheap stunts, it is particularly horrific at times andstomach-churning. I truly would never want to be in the predicamentthese three are facing...

DonFishies

(2012-04-23 14:09:52)

Inconsistencies and boredom ruin a fairly unique idea

Having seen Hatchet just recently, I had no idea what to expect withFrozen. The former had a good idea at its core and made for a greattrailer, but ended up being a mere exercise in brutal, schlocky genreparody. And one that was never sure of what its proper tone should be.For its problems, it still was an interesting effort, and displayedsome form of an attempt at voracious originality (while paying homageto the greats). But was Frozen going to suffer the same fate, or hadwriter/director Adam Green learned from his past mistakes? Dan (Kevin Zegers) and Joe (Shawn Ashmore) are best friends a ritualskiing/snowboarding trip. Much to Joe's disappointment, Dan broughtalong his girlfriend Parker (Emma Bell), who is not all that great onthe hills. Wanting to have one last run down the slopes, the three pileonto the chair lift and head up the mountain. When they stop rathersuddenly, they do not think much of it. But as all the lights getturned out and everything starts to get a little colder, the groupquickly realizes they have been forgotten and need to figure out howthey will survive.Immediately after the chair lift stops, you can tell Frozen will be asignificantly more mature film than Hatchet. There are a few momentswhere you will laugh, but this is a film rooted in making the audiencevery scared and very uncomfortable with the perilous situation ourthree characters are in. Tight close-ups, subtle shots of frostbittenbody decay, and raw emotion all make Frozen a decidedly darker and moregrown up film. This is a terrifying concept, and I was surprised at howserious and intense it frequently came off as being. I wanted to find aplace to laugh, but could just not bear myself to even consider theidea.What I also really liked was how effective some of the more harrowingand violent scenes were. One particular scene is comprised merely ofreaction shots to sounds we can only hear in the background. But theidea of what is happening, the idea of what we are not seeing butmerely hearing, is more petrifying than the majority of anything shownin modern horror films (An Inconvenient Truth notwithstanding). Thisspecific scene is likely where the audiences in Sundance were faintingand leaving the screening. Had this specific shot actually been shownin the film, it would not nearly have the same effect on the audience,and would have made for a significantly less audacious film. Althoughthere is quite a bit shown in other scenes, Green deserves credit forknowing what should not be shown and what should merely be hinted at.Again, it showcases his maturity as a filmmaker, and shows what atalent he may quickly become should he follow Hatchet II up withsomething nearly as daring.But despite this praise, I have very little other positive feelingsabout Frozen. The unique idea was what set it apart from other horrorfilms, but the execution is only half there. The chair lift stopsaround the twenty minute mark in the film, and the entirety of theremaining minutes are spent in and around that one area. Watching ourthree characters' struggle for survival is interesting at first, but itquickly descends into boredom and mediocrity. These characters arerealistic and their motivations are as well, but watching them talk,cry and quickly turn on each other just makes for a dull experience. Ifound myself hoping the film would end quicker and quicker, and justbecame very uninterested in what was going on way too fast. Themomentum in the film is very stunted for this reason, and it neverreally seems to maintain any sense of urgency it may have had at anygiven point.I think what hurts the film the most is its running time. It is not avery lengthy affair, but because we are stuck watching these charactersstuck on a chair lift, it frequently feels like it is dragging itselfout – as if it knows where it wants to go, but not how to get therefast enough. This is the type of material that could have worked in amuch leaner and meaner film, or a thirty minute short film. I keepharping on how awesome an idea it is, but it just feels much toostretched out by the time the film ends. When you can leave a film orstop paying attention entirely for a few minutes at a time, and notfeel like you missed much, that should be an immediate suggestion thatsomething is very wrong with the pacing and structure of the film.Acting wise, the film is a bit of a mixed bag. The group plays off eachother well, but their chemistry does not seem all there. The morepersonal, more isolated moments for each character act as a much bettershowcase for each of these actors' talents, and are rather obviously,some of the best scenes in the film. But some of the more emotionalscenes, specifically involving Ashmore or relative newcomer Bell, arejust downright devastating, and deserve to be seen and shown in asignificantly stronger film. The spectrum is endless, and much like thefilm, is never as consistent enough as it should be in any instance.In the end, Frozen is a mature attempt at an original idea, but onethat comes with a lot of inconsistencies. Green has a long way to go asa filmmaker, but his knack and talent for terror and horror isunmistakable. The idea of the film and a good handful of scenes arejust excellent, and some of the best horror work of the year. But as acohesive project, the film is only just watchable.6/10.(Portions of this review originally appeared onhttp://www.dvdfanatic.com).

Shaun Munro

(2012-04-16 10:13:54)

Adam Green's fun 2006 horror film Hatchet revelled in the art of self-aware pastiche, but it is in his second major work that he has found a legitimately great concept out of which to wring more nuanced thrills.

Eugene Ivanov

(2012-04-15 20:59:47)

Plain stupid

Movies of this type are all about wit and choices. This is what makes a good thriller. Characters in the movie make one stupid choice after another. It's so freaking unbelievable. I wouldn't want to be in one boat with these 3 idiots. Summary: Potentially good idea ruined by the stupidity of the script.

(2012-04-13 08:10:39)

Do something useful instead! Like watching paint dry for example...

So I have added Adam Green to my blacklist of directors to never watchagain. This was the rock bottom of stupid movies I have ever seen, andI include my home made video when I accidentally forgot the 'record'button on whilst the camera was packed in the luggage amongst my dirtylaundry on a return flight from vacation. Actually, that was a greatshow in comparison!SPOILER BELOW: So, getting stuck in a lift for 1.5 hrs on a movie, canthat be a great idea? Actually, I think it can, but Adam Green failsmiserably. The actual prequel is poorly narrated and once stuck in thelift, our protagonists show an utter lack of intelligence repeatedly.Taking far too long to consider their predicament, once they know theyare stuck, the blizzard suddenly arrives. You would think a humanreaction would be to zip your coats, alas that is not to happen (forthe entire duration of the movie actually). At a chance to signal forhelp, the initiative to drop e.g. skis is taken far too late, and thefirst thing thrown is... the GOGGLES!? Anyone who has dangled theirskis/snowboards in a lift know how comfortable that is for the 10minutes ride (if in the alps maybe...) and surely you would keep themfor HOURS!? And so on and so forth with utter unrealistic reactionsfrom the protagonists. Please, please, don't waste your precious timeon this crap like I did; I feel soiled and tainted now.If a definition of F A I L ever was lacking, thanks to Adam Green, wenow have it!

AHigglytownHero

(2012-04-12 22:33:34)

My favorite oh no we are trapped on a ski lift film

Pretty decent film nice pacing, i was worried that it would be drawnout and boring due to the fact its mainly just three people siting inon a ski lift but it moves nicely considering whats going on. prettygood gore particularly the broken leg scene. If you like seeing peopletrying to survive the elements give this one a look. Questions when the guy (dan i think?) jumped off the ski lift he tookhis snowboard off and threw it wouldn't it have been better to jumpwith it? If its so cold why not zip up your jacket and keep you handsin your pockets (especaily since your missing a glove) was the questionmy mom who joined in half way through kept askingmy favorite quotes "I have to pi$$ so bad i can taste it" is thisreally a saying and ew.. "Snowboards are Emo" ??what? LoL

(2012-04-07 05:46:42)

Really awful

This review is from: Frozen (DVD) Not very likable characters from the start. One set of dumb decisions and impossible scenarios after another. I have no idea why this movie costs more than most to rent. It's not worth it.

(2012-04-06 17:23:33)

Even You Will Be Knocked Off Your Feet!

This little gem escaped me I suppose. I'd heard some people tell me about it and decided to check it out when it came on television. I really, really enjoyed it and that's something to say because I am very picky when it comes to films and I am a very tough critic.At first glance this movie looks like it's gonna be another one of those 20 something flicks with no real point. But it quickly proves me wrong. There is only about fifteen minutes of intro then this movie thrusts into the action and it's nonstop. Once Parker, Dan and Lynch get trapped on the sky lift you're in for an amazing ride.I won't go into any spoilers because the film's twists is what makes it so good. It's a little gory in some spots and I found myself turning my head constantly whenever someone was in jeopardy because it seemed so real.The acting is very good and I was impressed by Emma Bell with this being her first film. I think she has the makings of an A-list actress. What I really enjoyed was how the film kept raising the stakes. Every time you thought there would be a boring part coming up (because it usually happens between action) there was something else that happened! Either the trio was fighting amongst each other or their lives were threatened. One way or another these characters force you to put yourself in their shoes. You actually feel your heart pounding with theirs. You feel the fear they have and you feel the terror as if you are right there with them. This movie was amazing and even I am shocked I enjoyed it so much.This movie will knock your socks off and you will be biting your fingernails at what happens next. Even the calm moments will send tingles up your spine. If you enjoyed films like Twister, Cliffhanger and Alive then you will definitely love this movie.I recommend this movie to anyone who loves, constant action, compelling acting, tension, terror and excitement. It might seem like I am pouring it on thick but believe me, give it a chance. You will not be disappointed one bit.

matt_kindem

(2012-03-30 19:20:57)

bad

(sigh),Ok where to start first off they wouldn't survive a night on achairlift 30 feet in the air on a mountain completely exposed tofreezing winds and apparently(storm conditions)as said by the ski liftguy.Secondly wolves don't just attack people and SWEET Jesus IT'S A SKIAREA I THINK PEOPLE WOULD HAVE NOTICED IF THERE WERE WOLF PACK'SROAMING THE MOUNTAIN WAITING FOR AN UNFORTUNATE 8 YEAR OLD TO SLIP ONSOME ICE ONLY TO BE EATEN BY WOLF'S? Thirdly the last scene where thatone chick(she does not deserve a name for her insolence). A chair liftdoes not fall off if one bolt becomes unscrewed there are multiplesafety devices. and i'm too sick of typing to write a fourth reason andangry.

jlwolfso

(2012-03-30 09:57:32)

Excellent... Effective, Realistic, and Terrifying,...(Detailed Synopsis /Review)

This movie was terrific. The story is about three young people who endup in a terrifying life/death situation. On a Sunday afternoon, Parker,bribes the ski lift operator with 100 bucks so that her boyfriend Danand his best friend Joe can ride the lifts without paying for the fullprice of three lift tickets. After a few hours of skiing, the trio tryto get one last run in. The operator warns them that bad weather iscoming in, and that letting them go for one more run would be toodangerous. Parker puts on a sad face and reminds him of the bribe, andhe eventually gives in. For some reason, the operator lets a co workertake over the job, and explains that when three more skiers come down,he can shut off the lift. Three skiers come down, but it is not Dan,Parker, and Joe. On the way to the top of the mountain, the lift stops.For a few minutes, the trio becomes annoyed, but once the lights turnoff they realize they were left behind. It being a Sunday night, theyrealize the ski resort does not open for a week. Stranded about 50 feetabove ground, they begin to panic. The situation their in really beginsto settle in, and they soon come face to face with some seriousdecisions to make. THOUGHTS:The movie was downright gripping. Theacting was outstanding. Due to the low budget of the film, many peoplewill most likely not see the movie. After I saw the trailer, whichspoiled too much of the movie by the way, I knew I had to see thismovie. I could tell right off the bat that it had good quality to it.You really felt the horror the actors were feeling when they werepanicking. This movie was never boring. The suspense and thrill keepsyou on the edge of your seat. The dialogue between the actors isexcellent. Some of the scenes where the actors were crying were hard towatch. SPOILER SECTION:(rest of plot synopsis) After a few hours in thefreezing cold, Dan decides that jumping is the best idea. He jumps,from 50 feet, onto the snow. From some reason he decided to land in astanding up position. His legs take the impact, both being brokenimmediately. Maybe if he would have rolled he could have absorbed somemore of the impact to more of his body, making the damage to his legsless. Being in a state of panic, I could see how he was not thinking ofthat. That scene was the scariest one in the movie in my opinion. Thenthe Wolves come. I personally do not see how the employees of theresort could not be aware of dangerous wolves inhabiting the mountain.As the movie goes on, Dan unfortunately dies after being attacked bywolves. Joe decides to climb the cable until he gets back twochairlifts, so he can climb down a ladder on one of the main poles. Hemakes it to the ground, but is ultimately devoured by wolves. Afterexperiencing frostbite and emotional distress, Parker figures Joedidn't make it. The ski lift somehow breaks and dangles closer to theground. Fortunately for Parker, she is now close enough that the impactwill not cause a fatal injury. She lands and is uninjured, but then thelift falls to the ground, landing on her ankle and breaking it. Sheslides the mountain down until she passes the wolves devouring Joe'sRemains, and eventually makes it to the road. When she makes it to theroad, she is picked up by someone and is rushed to the hospital.MORETHOUGHTS: So many things make this movie great. The acting, pacing,suspense, dialogue, epic action moments, and the disturbing sense thattingles through your body. The scariest thing for me was watching Dansit on the ground with two broken legs, helpless. I imagined being himand it was a horrible feeling. The scenes with Joe and Parkerconversing on the lift were great. Parker explains how she isdevastated because she thinks she can never feed her dog again. At onepoint they even argue about who is to blame for letting Dan jump. Soonafter, they comfort each other, needing company to get through such atraumatic experience. Some people may ask why didn't they use theircell phones. It seems clear that getting a connection that high isdifficult. Others say that they should have used their clothes as arope to get down without such a big jump. First off, they would befreezing. Second, that thought probably never crossed their minds. Theonly thing about this movie that was taken a little too far was thewolves. I simply do not see how man eating wolves could inhabit amountain like that without their being multiple encounters with people.I could see that they are more likely to come out at night but I mean,really? Do the employees even think about that problem? After watchingthis movie I was truly terrified. I couldn't recommend this movie more.Be warned that this is an intense, horror-thriller that will blow youaway.

Cary Darling

(2012-03-22 04:04:29)

The threesome's constant conversation amid the building unease helps establish them as characters with which the audience can identify.

dswinkels

(2012-03-21 08:35:55)

So bad and unreal!!!

Why don't they close there jackets, isn't it cold up there.... And puton your hood of the jacket.. very strange! Also it never thunder storms during snow storms.. And before you jump, first try to come as low as possible, very stupid!They deserve to die. especially the dump girl with loosing her glove..And just leave it out her jacket on the safety bar. It was a very funny movie, so therefore I give it a 2.I registered especially to write this review, so I can warn you thatyou won't watch it expecting to see a good movie. Every boarder orskier can see its done by amateurs.

Stephen Cole

(2012-03-18 18:51:26)

Another date movie-horror flick designed to scare tentative couples into each other's arms.

(2012-03-18 05:43:15)

Clever

Frozen is more a psychological study than a horror film, though the scenario is undeniably horrific, as is the eventual outcome. Effective character development connects us with the protagonists as we follow them through events leading up to their isolation, dangling some 30 or 40 feet in the air on a rickety ski lift.Early on I found myself cleverly thinking I knew how the film would play out, but I was wrong. The story is so well presented that I didn't even wonder how my girlfriend and I managed to sit for an hour and a half watching it unfold.Trapped on a ski lift with no way down, and no one around, the characters are thrust into the unthinkable, and we see them working through the varied emotions that one might imagine to feel in such a situation.Through it all I kept trying to think of what I would do to get myself out of it, but the answers just aren't that simple. The characters have very little to work with, and as their emotions twist their perceptions of the surroundings, and each other, we see just how very difficult it would be to think rationally for a solution to the problem.There really is no easy solution, under the circumstances, and the circumstances come in a variety of forms. First, complete isolation, they are forgotten. Second, panic, anger and fear are compounded by subtle regression to more instinctive responses to the situation. Third, nature's cold shoulder.Clever use of visuals and sound. Excellent cinematography, makeup and effects.I'd watch it again.

(2012-03-13 11:11:16)

Well done

To the people who pan this film: Are you normally this creatively barren or do you just not get the concept of suspension of disbelief? The reason you watch a film is for entertainment value. If you're going to sit there and pick apart every aspect of it because it's not what YOU would expect people to be like, or the actors react in a way in which YOU would not react, then maybe you don't get that it's not always about YOU. Maybe there's just not enough action or gore in this film to stimulate your minds. This is definitely a film that makes you ask the question, "what would I do" or "how would I feel" in a given situation. But even if the characters choose a different path than you would, why would you give the film a negative review? It's a matter of choice, is it not? You seriously need to expand your minds just a little.

Billijean

(2012-03-12 23:40:13)

Loved IT!!

Just watched the movie after never hearing about it til now and i loved it!! Nice looking actors, great plot, and interesting events!!!