Fred Schepisi's little-seen, long-forgotten 1984 adventure-drama
Iceman has always been a nice little reminder of growing up in the '80s.
I was just 13 when I saw it at a local six-plex as a Saturday matinee and the prospect of discovering and then reviving a 40,000-year-old man from an ice cube the size of a Buick seemed pretty cool (no pun intended) back in the day. Still does, come to think of it.
Iceman unfolds at an Artic research base where young anthropologist Stanley Shephard (Timothy Hutton) has been summoned to provide some type of cultural background on whatever lies suspended in a huge icy block recently excavated from the nearby frozen depths.
Shephard and a team of scientists quickly discern they've discovered a prehistoric man, a Neanderthal, perfectly preserved. And if that weren't incredible enough, they re-establish a heartbeat and actually resuscitate the groggy caveman.
Seems our newly thawed friend has something in his blood that can preserve life and that makes him very valuable to the company footing the bill for the research center. But of course Shephard only sees the cultural benefits, the opportunity to learn from our past and convinces the head suit to give him two weeks with the man now called "Charlie."
Soon the two are interacting in a huge indoor vivarium-like habitat, getting to know one another's customs and becoming friends. But it becomes clear "Charlie" is a hunter, a wild soul at heart and not meant to be caged.
Iceman was a vehicle for 23-year-old star Hutton, a hot property at the time after an Oscar win for 1980's
Ordinary People. The supporting cast includes Lindsay Crouse, David Strathairn, Danny Glover and John Lone as "Charlie."
While the premise and cast provide all the makings for a worthwhile tale, the film ultimately suffers from lack of character development and a compelling narrative to drive the story. It's always felt like a good portion ended up on the cutting room floor to achieve its svelte 100-minute running time.
Newly released on Blu-ray by specialty label Kino Lorber,
Iceman is finally presented in its native 2.35:1 aspect ratio. No new 2 or 4k scan here, but the image is crisp and decidedly more cinematic than the old pan-and-scan DVD from 2004.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track sounds great and both dialog and Bruce Smeaton's memorable score are clear at minimum levels.
Overall a nice presentation for a film that's worth a look if your a student of anthropology, a fan of Timothy Hutton or, like me, just feel like a trip back to 1984 every once in a while.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
