Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla Blu-ray Movie Review

 Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla is a dark-comedy with elements of horror. Executive produced by Daniel Scharf (Cold Water, Stripped to the Max), Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla is a under-the-radar gem of a film with a knack for mixing horror with the mundane. Produced by Stuart Simpson and Glenn Maynard, Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla features an excellent performance by Glenn Maynard in the leading role of the film. Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla co-stars Kyrié Nunan-Jackson, Aston Elliot, Louise Bremner, Benjamin Grant Mitchell, Kristen Condon, Richard Sutherland, and Lucinda Cowden.

Warren Thompson (Glenn Maynard) may seem like a sad and lonely sad-sack loser – arguably because that’s what he is. The sad- sack loser runs an ice cream truck and attempts to make his day better with marathons of soap operas and an obsession with his favorite actress. He usually just asks those who order ice cream from him to choose between chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla. (Apparently these particular flavors are what customers order the most). Meanwhile, Warren deals with a villainous assortment of bullies who drive him to the brink – could Warren suffer a psychotic breakdown as a result?

Glenn Maynard delivers an excellent performance in the film. Maynard is surprisingly nuanced in his role and gives the role his all. The performance showcases a light side to the character and one that viewers can see becoming broken over the course of the film. As the performance peels back like layers of an onion, darkness unfolds and the character begins to suffer a mental breakdown. The performance showcases a good range for actor Maynard as he explores the ups and downs of his character. A impressive performance that is reason enough to see Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla.

The film has a somewhat sparse production design and aesthetic but the effort is well-appreciated. The ice cream truck plays a significant role in the setting of the film and the outdoor locales of the nearby area makes the film have a quasi-documentary style at times. This aesthetic is well reflected by the believable production elements.

The score composed by Heath Brown (The Comet Kids, ABC’s of Death 2.5) is far better than one might expect to find for a little-known dark-comedy but the score provides some strong undercurrents for Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla. The music plays well in to the storyline and the mental state of the protagonist. The score is a nice highlight of the film.

Written by Addison Heath (Under a Kaleidoscope, My Cherry Pie), Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla has a great script. The screenplay does a great job enhancing the entire film and making it all the more memorable. Screenwriter Heath is the most- valuable-player (MVP) of the film. The script has an interesting concept and the dialogue is well-written. Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla is a fun film, benefitting a great deal from the storyline.

Directed by Stuart Simpson (Dragon Force X, Sleeping Beauties), Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla is well- worth seeing. The filmmaking is fun and the dark-comedy aspects build up to a conclusion that has surprising darkness and gritty horror. Simpson also handles the cinematography and the editing for the production. Simpson made the unlikely concept into something memorable and fascinating, blending together fantasy with quasi-documentary style filmmaking to make something unique. Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla is certainly an unusual film and one that has some peculiarities that make it interesting. Fans of quirky horror films with some comedy-drama in the equation should find Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla an interesting endeavor.

The horror of the film comes from the grand finale. As Warren Thompson descends into total madness, the film sneaks up on audiences and pushes the dark-comedy aspects into new territory. As the last moments of the film unfold, Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla becomes a madcap experience. The raw energy of the film is amped up considerably and the experience is all the more intense as a result.

Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Terror Vision, Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The film was previously released on Blu-ray yet the release touts a "brand new" high- definition master. The presentation on the release is impressive and there is plenty to appreciate about the high-definition master.

The picture-quality is sharp and pleasing with good detail. The encode quality is excellent and preserves fine detail in the presentation. The cinematography is well-reproduced. Without the original release to compare to directly, I cannot comment on specific differences between these editions, but this is an impressive transfer of the film. The transfer also benefits from the superior encoding of the Blu-ray format, surpassing options provided by streaming platforms (which have less consistent encoding).

Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English uncompressed PCM 2.0 (24 bit high-resolution). The lossless, high-resolution audio on the release sounds crisp and clear and there are a lot of strengths to the audio presentation. Dialogue is exceptionally clear and the audio track sounds great overall. There are wonderful elements to the presentation. The soundtrack is well preserved and is engaging. The presentation has plenty of bite – especially during the final scenes of the film. Though this is a film with a somewhat reserved soundstage at times (especially during the dramatic scenes), the stereo audio does what it needs to do – reproducing the soundstage in a clear and accurate way.

Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with a beautiful o-card slipcover for the first-press edition of the feature-film. Terror Vision makes incredible slipcovers and the artwork on the release is exceptional. The art-work for the release shines underneath the slipcover as well – showcasing more unique artwork. The inside art illustration (featured inside of the case) is also fantastic. The release comes in a clear case (which looks fantastic and makes the inner-sleeve artwork easier to see and appreciate).

Audio Commentary

Behind the Scenes Footage (HD, 27:54) showcasing some behind-the-scenes material.

Making-Of Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla (HD, 26:35) exploring the production of Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla.

Baby Did A Bat Bat Thing (HD, 3:57) is an enormously entertaining short-film and one that fans of the main feature should consider checking out. The short film is a nice mini-movie of sorts with a strong horror style.

Dragon Force X Season 1:

Play All Option (HD, 1:00:55)

Episode 1 (HD, 5:21)

Episode 2 (HD, 6:00)

Episode 3 (HD, 5:54)

Episode 4 (HD, 7:55)

Episode 5 (HD, 6:28)

Episode 6 (HD, 8:05)

Episode 7 (HD, 6:52)

Episode 8 (HD, 6:48)

Episode 9 (HD, 7:28)

Dragon Force X Gallery (HD, 00:09)

Trailers (HD, 2:57)

Round the Block Episode (HD, 13:34) provides a nice tie-in with the main-feature.

Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Chocolate Strawberry Vanilla is an impressive dark-comedy with some nail-biting horror in the film's final moments. The film explores the world of an ice cream man who descends into madness upon meeting his idol. Glenn Maynard delivers an impressive lead performance. The performance has impressive vitality and range. The Blu-ray release provides an excellent new high-definition master alongside a generous supply of supplemental features. The release even includes the entire Dragon Force X: Season 1 episodes (from the same filmmaker) alongside a short film: Baby Did A Bat Bat Thing. The Terror Vision Blu-ray release also provides a gorgeously designed o-card slipcover on the first press edition. The slipcover features incredible artwork and the release stands out as a wonderful collector's edition. Highly recommended.