Plot: What’s it about?
After an extensive amount of work by a special task force, Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski was arrested in 1986. But even though his career was ended at that time, he left behind a blood soaked trail of shattered lives, broken homes, and ruined dreams. As a professional killer for the infamous Gambino crime empire, Kuklinski would take any assignment put before him, no matter who the target was. Kuklinski used guns, knives, poison, and all kinds of other methods, sometimes he would even test them out by killing innocent people, though he never felt any remorse for his crimes, even in those cases. But even as he carried out these numerous hits, he managed to keep his family, friends, and neighbors in the dark about it, so imagine the shock when he was arrested, then convicted as an assassin for hire. But how did Kuklinski wind up in such a dangerous, illegal profession, one that calls for certain traits that normal people don’t possess? In these interviews, Kuklinski talks about his violent youth, his rise to power within the organization, and in the end, the betrayal that put him behind bars forever.
If you’ve ever wanted to go inside the mind of a cold blooded killer, then The Iceman should more than satisfy that curiosity. Richard Kuklinski was responsible for numerous hits for the notorious Gambino crime family, using all kinds of methods and sometimes even killing innocent folks, just to test out new techniques. So of course, it is worth a look to find out how he became so cold, how he got involved in the business, and if nothing else, how he was able to remain a free man for so long, while leaving a trail of corpses behind him. This release is actually two interviews with Kuklinski, both conducted by HBO’s America Undercover, which produces some terrific and often controversial projects. Of course, a conversation with a professional murderer won’t jive with everyone, but for those interested in mafia related material, I think the interviews should be more than worthwhile. Kuklinski isn’t charismatic, nor does he handle himself too well, but his stories do chill to the bone, knowing he killed so many people. I recommend this disc to fans of mafia releases, but in all other cases, a rental should suffice.
Video: How does it look?
The Iceman: Confessions of a Mafia Hitman is presented in a full frame transfer, as intended. I found this to be a solid looking visual effort, just as sharp and clean as the shows looked on television, which is about all we can ask here. The interview footage is the best looking material, as some home video clips look rather beaten up, though still watchable. The colors remain natural in the interview segments, while contrast is smooth and well balanced. I don’t think anyone will be dazzled, but given the material, I doubt anyone will be let down either.
Audio: How does it sound?
As both programs are simple interviews, the audio remains low key and this case, that’s just how it should be. The dialogue is the sole element and as such, it was vital to have clean, crisp vocals at all times. As it turns out, the dialogue sounds excellent here and never wavers, so all the comments come through in impressive fashion. Not much else to discuss here, since this material is all dialogue in terms of content.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains no bonus materials.
