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Eli Roth's Unrated “Ice Cream Man” Opens, Scores 29% Rotten Tomatoes

8/4/2026

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Summary

Eli Roth Unrated

Director Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man opens in U.S. theaters on August 7, 2026.
Roth released it unrated through The Horror Section to avoid editing gore for an R rating.
Rotten Tomatoes shows a 29% critics score from 17 reviews, praising splatter but criticizing plot and villain.
Roth filmed the feature in 19 days, shooting the school-yard massacre in one take with hundreds of child actors.

Summary

Eli Roth on Kids

Director Eli Roth confirmed child actors and their parents are horror fans who have seen Thanksgiving and Hostel.
Roth said the kids watch The Walking Dead, recognize Art the Clown, and father fears an idea could “infect” a child.
He frames Ice Cream Man as part of a mainstream horror resurgence that demands fresh material.
Roth credits The Horror Section, launched after Terrifier 3, for showing unrated horror can succeed in wide release.

History

Historical Context

In October 1974 Tobe Hooper released the unrated *Texas Chain Saw Massacre* on a sub-$140,000 budget, grossing over $30 million and prompting distributors to confront MPAA censorship. Its profit showed cheap, graphic horror could dominate box offices and launch the slasher boom. Eli Roth’s 2026 *Ice Cream Man*, issued by The Horror Section after *Terrifier 3*, mirrors that model by bypassing R-rating cuts.

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Eli Roth Unrated

Director Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man opens in U.S. theaters on August 7, 2026.
Roth released it unrated through The Horror Section to avoid editing gore for an R rating.
Rotten Tomatoes shows a 29% critics score from 17 reviews, praising splatter but criticizing plot and villain.
Roth filmed the feature in 19 days, shooting the school-yard massacre in one take with hundreds of child actors.

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