Ice Cream Man 1995: When a Serial Killer Ended Up Selling Ice Cream

Amid the flood of modern horror films that rely on visual effects and serious narratives, a 1995 release titled Ice Cream Man offers a different viewing experience: so bad it becomes entertaining. The film was directed by Paul Norman, previously known as a maker of adult films, and stands as a classic example of an era when horror was not yet fully regarded as a prestige genre.

The resurfacing of Ice Cream Man is tied to Eli Roth's new release of the same title this summer. Roth, who previously made Cabin Fever and Thanksgiving, is considered a disappointment because his film is seen as packed with awkward dialogue and distracting AI elements. Instead of elevating a big name, Roth's film has made audiences look back at the original version, which is far wilder and more unpredictable.

The 1995 version stars Clint Howard, brother of director Ron Howard, as Gregory Tudor. The character witnesses the murder of an ice cream man as a child, then is treated at a mental institution with methods that tend to be harsh. As an adult, he buys his own ice cream truck and starts killing people. Rather than a mere psychological thriller, the film serves up bizarre scenes, including mixing insects and human remains into the ice cream sold to children.

What makes this film interesting is not only its absurd plot but also the story behind the scenes. Norman, who used the pseudonym Norman Apstein, initially wanted to make a child-friendly horror film. He hired screenwriters, including David Dobkin, who later directed Wedding Crashers, to draft an early version leaning more toward horror parody. Norman also recruited actors such as Howard and Jan-Michael Vincent to lend a sense of legitimacy, though the limited budget still made it feel strongly like a B-movie.

Some scenes were even shot in Norman's own home, and he involved his wife and child in small roles. To keep the ice cream from melting between takes, the production team used mashed potatoes with food coloring. There was also a child actor who wore a pillow under his shirt because the script described his character as fat, while Norman instead chose a skinny kid. According to the DVD/Blu-ray commentary, Vincent is also said to have been drunk for much of the shoot.

"That ice cream man is like a pied piper, only evil," reads one of the film's taglines.

Though not commercially successful and without even a Rotten Tomatoes score, Ice Cream Man has slowly become a cult item. Physical media and horror fan communities keep it alive. In 2014, Clint Howard backed a Kickstarter campaign for a sequel, but it raised only US$4,000 of its US$300,000 target. In 2025, Howard announced that work on a sequel has begun, with him playing a new ice cream man, and promised explanations for some of the bizarre plot elements in the first film.

For Indonesian audiences, the Ice Cream Man phenomenon can be a mirror of how a low-budget B-movie with unconventional storytelling can still find a place in fans' hearts. Amid the dominance of mainstream horror, works like this offer an alternative that is both challenging and entertaining. The question is, will the promised sequel be able to repeat the chaotic charm that has kept this film alive for three decades?