We All Scream for Ice Cream

An anemic “Masters of Horror” episode directed by an uninspired Tom Holland, who adapts a John Farris short story rich with Stephen King-like elements (a protagonist who returns to his hometown decades later, the ubiquitous bullies, the past returning in a grotesque guise…).

The result is lukewarm at best: the story of a resentful zombie ice-cream man dressed as a clown is unintentionally silly on the face of it, and it unfolds with a chronic lack of suspense and is further dragged down by decidedly bland performances. Overall, the makeup and practical special effects are acceptable, unlike the dreadful computer graphics employed in the hasty crucial scene.

The episode’s title evokes the popular song from the 1920s.