"Frozen in Fear" is recommended for Eric Roberts or Rod Steiger completests only. Neither actor is particularly spectacular, although they try their best with a script that is a severe handicap. The ending is especially contrived, with the usual sequel possibility left uncomfortably dangling. Leading up to this anticlimactic climax, redundant flashbacks vaguely reveal why Eric Roberts character is so screwed up (as if we didn't know). What you get for most of the film is a mute Eric Roberts constantly groping Catherine Oxenberg, lots of machine made fog appearing out of nowhere, and a story so underdeveloped that it screams for an immediate re-write. - MERK
11 Reviews
Watchable but poorly done.
Lunaroseice3 October 2016
I watched it all the way through, so I gave it an extra star (half star for sites that use 5 stars). Eric Roberts offered a great performance since he spent nearly the entire movie not talking at all. He did a good job with facial expression and body language. The only really good performance in the entire film.
Otherwise, you know it is going to be a bad movie when the supporting actress gives a better performance than the lead actress. The concept was typical. Nothing to write home about. The attempts to mislead the viewers into thinking the law enforcement was the murderer were heavy handed and clumsy.
Not a good film but I could at least watch it to the end. If planning an evening of bad horror movies, it works.
Otherwise, you know it is going to be a bad movie when the supporting actress gives a better performance than the lead actress. The concept was typical. Nothing to write home about. The attempts to mislead the viewers into thinking the law enforcement was the murderer were heavy handed and clumsy.
Not a good film but I could at least watch it to the end. If planning an evening of bad horror movies, it works.
Rated "B" for boring
catfish-er22 December 2012
Wow, where to begin... this movie is extraordinarily boring.
The plot is uninspired, nonsensical and never resolves itself in any plausible manner. Add to that a small, inter-related (or perhaps incestuous) cast of characters, a sound mix that underplays dialog; yet overplays the numerous "jump scares;" and, simplistic, cliché settings; and you get FROZEN IN FEAR or THE FLYING DUTCHMAN.
I bought this DVD at Wal*mart as part of a 6-movie pack, for $5.00. If this movie is any indication, I way over-paid.
I wish I could say more; but, I don't want to run the risk of spoiling this movie for you.
The plot is uninspired, nonsensical and never resolves itself in any plausible manner. Add to that a small, inter-related (or perhaps incestuous) cast of characters, a sound mix that underplays dialog; yet overplays the numerous "jump scares;" and, simplistic, cliché settings; and you get FROZEN IN FEAR or THE FLYING DUTCHMAN.
I bought this DVD at Wal*mart as part of a 6-movie pack, for $5.00. If this movie is any indication, I way over-paid.
I wish I could say more; but, I don't want to run the risk of spoiling this movie for you.
The Flying Dutchman: What did I just watch?
Platypuschow30 June 2018
The Flying Dutchman otherwise known as Frozen in fear is a not so thrilling thriller starring Eric Roberts and Rod Steiger.
It tells the story of a mysterious mute painter and his tragic past. Well, I say that but the story is so muddled I'm not sure if it can really be considered as such.
It takes a really special breed of film to a get a 1/10 from me. Such a rating suggests that a film has literally not one single redeeming feature and with this movie that's very accurate.
Dull, outstandingly boring and with a plot that is so cliched and so messy when the credits rolled I reached for the aspirin.
Not "Thrilling" enough to be a thriller, not dramatic enough to be a drama and where the hell they got horror from I cannot figure.
Avoid like watching it will give you herpes.
The Good:
Nothing
The Bad:
Everything
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
All bottles of Absinthe should have a skull on them!
It tells the story of a mysterious mute painter and his tragic past. Well, I say that but the story is so muddled I'm not sure if it can really be considered as such.
It takes a really special breed of film to a get a 1/10 from me. Such a rating suggests that a film has literally not one single redeeming feature and with this movie that's very accurate.
Dull, outstandingly boring and with a plot that is so cliched and so messy when the credits rolled I reached for the aspirin.
Not "Thrilling" enough to be a thriller, not dramatic enough to be a drama and where the hell they got horror from I cannot figure.
Avoid like watching it will give you herpes.
The Good:
Nothing
The Bad:
Everything
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
All bottles of Absinthe should have a skull on them!
MOMMY WAS BAD
nogodnomasters1 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The movie opens in Montana in 1975. A young boy, Shawn, a son of an artist, discovers his mom is fooling around on dad, and so does dad. Then suddenly we go from a daylight picture postcard to a nighttime storm on a boat as Shawn watches daddy kill mommy and then die. He is raised by a neighbor in a town filled with mist, missing teen girls, a bunch of guys with anger management issues, and a woman who lives in fear of everything. Lacey (Oxenberg) runs an art studio in NY and has obtained a painting by Shawn. She wants more of them, so she travels out to Montana to meet the artist. She discovers Shawn is a mute (who owns a phone) and like most studio owners she makes love to the artist. There are several love making scenes between the two, one of which could be described as "brief nudity" (about 3 frames of a possible body double). Joan Benedict plays Rod Steiger's wife.
The town's name is Dark Hollow and it has a secret. Warning: Contains full frontal nudity (Ellina McCormick) and an ending that made no sense. Also released under the title "The Flying Dutchman" which also doesn't make much sense.
The town's name is Dark Hollow and it has a secret. Warning: Contains full frontal nudity (Ellina McCormick) and an ending that made no sense. Also released under the title "The Flying Dutchman" which also doesn't make much sense.
Bad acting, bad screenplay, bad directing, bad...
canadian_psycho_869 November 2001
This has got to be one of the worst movies that I've seen. The acting is horrible (I guess acting doesn't run in your family Julia). The directing is even worse. And the screen play is just so freakin' bad it'll make you want to throw up! Please, do not watch this movie under any circumstances! It is a total piece of crap!
Frozen in weirdness?
WhiteTigerPat30 July 2001
This movie at best is ok. This is a different role for my favorite actor Eric Roberts(Sean). It takes place in a little town in Montana. It's a screenplay gone bad. I love some of the stuff that is in the movie but this movie is boring. I love Eric in it but it's not a real good movie. It's about a painter that has a dark past. It has a great cast but not a good plot! Just rent some other Eric Robert movie. It's kind of a thriller with a twisted plot. Just rent it! It also stars Catherine Oxenberg and Rod Steiger. Out of 4 stars I give it 1 1/2 stars. I love ya Eric but PLEASE try again. I do like him in every movie part he has been in. He is a strong presents on screen! Also by the way the real title of this movie is "Frozen in Fear" It's on DVD on VHS Sep. 11 2001. So if you are a Eric Roberts fan it's a must buy for me at least. I have all his films on DVD. He is really that good!
Bodies, their owners, their limits before you do a nose job, think about it twice!
manuel-pestalozzi31 October 2007
DVDs can be purchased for stupid reasons. Here's one: I saw a documentary about famous producer Robert Evans. In the internet I read that the man was married for eleven days to a woman called Katherine Oxenberg an intriguing name for people who live in the German speaking world, makes me think instantly of a delicious soup. I did not know the woman (honestly) and thought: hm, let's have a look at her. So, again through the internet, I ordered the none too expensive disc. And now I know her, sort of.
I did not have the patience to watch this movie through to the end, the uninspired, predictable script and the none too good direction are to blame. The locations in Montana are dramatically beautiful, the actors do an OK job and the art on display an important point in the plot is kinda interesting. The basic idea for the story combined with the isolated location actually had some potential. It was used badly.
But the most irritating thing about The Flying Dutchman was Mrs. Oxenberg's nose. It just never seemed to settle comfortably in her face and I quickly developed an unhealthy fixation on that apparently man made body part, ever wondering what it would do next. Oh, what a tragedy! It probably looks great on fotos for glamour magazines, but as soon as the carrier is seen moving, it develops a strange, inexplicable and not entirely welcome presence. How bizarre. How sad.
I did not have the patience to watch this movie through to the end, the uninspired, predictable script and the none too good direction are to blame. The locations in Montana are dramatically beautiful, the actors do an OK job and the art on display an important point in the plot is kinda interesting. The basic idea for the story combined with the isolated location actually had some potential. It was used badly.
But the most irritating thing about The Flying Dutchman was Mrs. Oxenberg's nose. It just never seemed to settle comfortably in her face and I quickly developed an unhealthy fixation on that apparently man made body part, ever wondering what it would do next. Oh, what a tragedy! It probably looks great on fotos for glamour magazines, but as soon as the carrier is seen moving, it develops a strange, inexplicable and not entirely welcome presence. How bizarre. How sad.
Spooky, strange and fantastic
warrior-2123 September 2001
This movie isn't your typical thriller, it is better. Their are plot twists and moments of terror. A real non-stop spooker. A definite adults only movie with traces of Hitchcock and Bradbury. I give this movie two thumbs up. The actors can really act you believe their stories. This is a don't miss.
Absorbing thriller
Woodyanders31 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Willful art gallery dealer Lacy (a sound performance by the lovely Catherine Oxenberg) goes to a dreary remote hamlet in Montana to seek out the work of obscure mute reclusive painter Sean (well played by Eric Roberts, who manages to project tremendous charm and warmth despite the fact he hardly speaks for most of the movie). Meanwhile, a vicious killer bumps off various women in the immediate area. Director Robin P. Murray, working from an involving script by Mick Davis, relates the compelling story at a steady pace, makes fine use of the bleak, wintry, fog-shrouded Montana landscape, creates and sustains a genuinely spooky mysterious atmosphere, and astutely nails the grim vibe of the dead-end sleepy small town setting. This film is given an extra lift by the solid acting from a capable cast, with especially praiseworthy work by Rod Steiger as the brutish and fearsome Ben, Scott Plank as the resentful Ethan, Joan Benedict as flaky, but friendly shopkeeper Moira, and Ellina McCormick as Lacy's sarcastic gal pal Polly. Moreover, there's an interesting and provocative theme about how long-suppressed tragic events from the past have a significant devastating impact on the present. Irv Goodnoff's handsome cinematography gives the picture an impressive polished look. The spare moody score by Mister Potts further enhances the eerie tone. Worth a watch.
Deserves a second look...
rodericrobinson12 December 2008
A few years after release but.
The vision behind this was maybe a bit before it's time.
It's always strange when old themes become current.
While predictable, there is a vision and complexity that can be compared to wine.
The Montana scenery and organic local talent - such as Renata Godfrey's performance - make this a film that should have legs with several audiences.
Worse films have become cult favorites based on lesser impressions.
Try to imagine what Rod Steiger and Cat Oxenburg saw in the script. Sure things could have been done different, but sit down and imagine.
Then remember it's just entertainment.
The vision behind this was maybe a bit before it's time.
It's always strange when old themes become current.
While predictable, there is a vision and complexity that can be compared to wine.
The Montana scenery and organic local talent - such as Renata Godfrey's performance - make this a film that should have legs with several audiences.
Worse films have become cult favorites based on lesser impressions.
Try to imagine what Rod Steiger and Cat Oxenburg saw in the script. Sure things could have been done different, but sit down and imagine.
Then remember it's just entertainment.
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