''The Ice House'' (also known as ''Love in Cold Blood'' and ''The Passion Pit'') is a 1969

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

horror- thriller

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

directed by Stuart E. McGowan. The feature starred the twin brothers David and Robert Story, with Jim Davis,

Scott Brady Scott Brady (born Gerard Kenneth Tierney; September 13, 1924 – April 16, 1985) was an American film and television actor best known for his roles in Western films and as a ubiquitous television presence. He played the title role in the televi ...

Nancy Dow Nancy Maryanne Dow (July 22, 1936 – May 25, 2016) was an American actress who appeared in a small number of films and television shows. She was married to actor John Aniston with whom she had a daughter, Jennifer Aniston. Early life Dow was ...

, Karen Lee, and model/actress

Sabrina Sabrina may refer to: * Sabrina (given name), a feminine given name, including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name People * Sabrina (actress), stage name of Norma Ann Sykes (1936–2016), a British glamour model and actres ...

in one of her last film roles. After actress

Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...

rose to fame, the film gained notoriety because her mother, former actress

, had a role in it.

Plot

Ric Martin (Robert Story), a disgraced cop, long since fired from police work, makes a sexual approach to Ice House dancer Venus De Marco (

) and is struck with a beer bottle for his efforts. Angered, he stalks the dancer, and when she again raises a bottle in a defensive manner, he strangles her. He is thwarted in his efforts to hide the body at a local

lovers' lane A lovers' lane is a secluded area where people kiss, make out, or engage in sexual activity. These areas range from parking lots in secluded rural areas to places with extraordinary views of a cityscape or other features. "Lovers' lanes" are typ ...

, and ends up hiding it at The Ice House, where he works in the menial position of attendant. Other women become his victims and their bodies are stored there as well. His identical twin brother Fred Martin (David Story), himself a cop and investigating the disappearances, cannot understand why his brother is acting oddly. In an effort to slow down the hunt for the serial killer, Ric kills Fred and takes his place investigating the case.

Cast

* David Story as Fred Martin * Robert Story as Ric Martin * Jim Davis as Jake *

as Lt. Scott *

as Jan Wilson *

as Venus De Marco * John Holmes as Dancer * Karen Lee as Unknown * Ken Osborn as Killer * Kelly Ross as Kandy Kane

Production

The film's production began in early 1967, with director Stuart E. McGowan wanting blonde bombshell

Jayne Mansfield Jayne Mansfield (born Vera Jayne Palmer; April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967) was an American actress, singer, nightclub entertainer, and ''Playboy'' Playmate. A sex symbol of the 1950s and early 1960s while under contract at 20th Century Fox, Man ...

to play Venus De Marco. However, after Mansfield's death in an automobile accident in June 1967, filming was postponed. Over the next year McGowan offered the role to

Mamie Van Doren Mamie Van Doren (born Joan Lucille Olander; February 6, 1931) is an American actress, singer, and sex symbol. She is perhaps best known for the rock 'n' roll, juvenile delinquency exploitation film ''Untamed Youth'' (1957). Early life Van Do ...

Diana Dors Diana Dors (born Diana Mary Fluck; 23 October 19314 May 1984) was an English actress and singer. Dors came to public notice as a blonde bombshell, much in the style of Americans Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Mamie Van Doren. Dors was pr ...

and

Joi Lansing Joi Lansing (born Joy Rae Brown, April 6, 1929 – August 7, 1972) was an American model, film and television actress, and nightclub singer. She was noted for her pin-up photos and roles in B-movies, as well as a prominent role in the famous o ...

, all of whom turned down the offer. Eventually the role was filled by model-turned-actress Sabrina.

Release

The film had its original United States release in the United States on July 9, 1969 by Orbit Media Group. Marden Films gave the film a theatrical release in Canada in 1972. The film was released on VHS in the USA by

Something Weird Video Something Weird Video is an American film distributor company based in Seattle, Washington. They specialize in exploitation B to Z films, particularly the works of Harry Novak, Doris Wishman, David F. Friedman and Herschell Gordon Lewis. Ins ...

in 1996 as part of ''Frank Henenlotter's Sexy Shockers from the Vaults'' (Vol. 60), and a fully restored director's cut was given a worldwide release in 2008 by

Grindhouse Releasing Grindhouse Releasing is a Hollywood-based independent cult film distribution company led by film editor Bob Murawski and co-founded by Sage Stallone. Grindhouse digitally remasters, restores, and produces bonus materials and video documentaries f ...

. The film is also known as ''Cold Blood'', ''Crimen on the Rocks'' (Spain), ''Love in Cold Blood'' and ''The Passion Pit''.

Critical response

John Charles, editor of ''

Video Watchdog ''Video Watchdog'' was a bimonthly, digest size film magazine published from 1990 to 2017 by publisher/editor Tim Lucas and his wife, art director and co-publisher Donna Lucas. Although devoted chiefly to the horror, science fiction, and fantasy ...

'' magazine, wrote: "Character actors Scott Brady, Jim Davis and Tris Coffin, and a pair of musclebound, thespically challenged leading men are the main points of interest in this thriller/softcore hybrid, which delivers little more than copious nudity." He panned the film for the poor direction of Stuart E. McGowan, and notes that while the film set up the viewer for mystery and horror, it failed to deliver and meandered to a predictable twist ending. He also panned the performances of real-life twins David and Robert Story as "incredibly stiff", and made note that "some amusingly unhip slang" and an undramatic "ridiculous" and "undercranked" motorcycle chase provided only "intermittent entertainment". While noting Grindhouse Releasing's intent to remarket the film, they spoke toward Something Weird Video's 1996 video release, and noted that although SWV's 35mm source material was "damaged in every way imaginable", its color and resolution were still decent.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ice House, The 1969 films 1960s horror thriller films 1960s English-language films American horror thriller films 1960s American films