Movie: “The Ice Harvest”

Director: Harold Ramis 2005
A nifty noir based on a terrific short novel by Scott Phillips. Richard Russo and Robert Benton wrote the screenplay, and there’s lots of black humor, twists and blood. Also a dash of the Coen brothers, but just a dash (a little of the Coen brothers goes a long way, except for the great “Big Lebowski” for which Jeff Bridges should have gotten an Oscar). Good cast: John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Platt and a very sexy Connie Nielsen. Not to be confused with “The Ice Storm,” Ang Lee’s dreary 1997 look at suburban spouse swapping in the seventies.