Pirados por la nieve

OK, I'm a sucker for this type of film. I know it's something we have all seen a million times, but, darn it - we NEED this type of movie.

Yeah, yeah, yeah…the story line's predictable: idyllic local winter ski haven (Bull Mountain) is under threat by a big-business tycoon's (Lee Majors) plans for turning it into a high rollers' resort town. And, yeah, yeah, yeah…the subplot is equally original: boy loses girl, boy wants girl back, girl has fiancé, boy must go through trials and tribulations to win girl back, etcetera, etcetera, ad nauseum. Add a few crass scenarios, a big-breasted beauty (Victoria Silvstedt), beer and you've got yourself another boring teen-sex comedy. Right? Not so fast, partner.

Out Cold joins the ranks of other great teen comedies (Animal House, Better Off Dead, Caddyshack, and the hundreds of others) in its magical ability to stop time – if just for a moment. Like its predecessors, Out Cold captures that youthful time when friends surround us, we are having the time of our lives and the party never seems like it is going to end. Those are our `rites of passage' years - generally, between the ages of 16-25 - nine very short years.

Out Cold takes place in the fictional tiny-town of Bull Mountain, Colorado - elevation 10,000 feet – a winter wonderland of snow, skiing and snowboarding. A place where there's always fluffy powder to plow through and a hilarious friend is at every corner you turn. There's always the local pub to chill in after a hard day of playing – the characters in these movies all have jobs but no one seems to work. Loneliness is not an option. That's what makes this movie (these movies) great.

Out Cold isn't just about gross-out gags with guys running around trying to get laid, it's about the escapism that these films offer. Even if you've never experienced the perfect winter or summer vacation – even if you've never gone to that ivy-league school where no student has homework – even if you've only dreamt about spending time at exotic locales with fun in the sun/snow – this is the reason why we NEED this type of movie. If only for ninety minutes, these movies offer a fantasy or nice remembrances of times gone by (or, to come.)

For all of you naysayers out there who pooh-pooh this film on the account of its wonderfully juvenile content, I say, `Go see Harry Potter, you bombastic moralist and leave me alone!'

Out Cold is a little-known comedy gem from 2001 that has somehow managed to find its way on my list of movies that I watch on a semi-regular basis.

The film is set in the fictional ski town of Bull Mountain, Alaska, a place which manages to maintain its unpretentious, laid-back small town atmosphere despite being located in an area famous for its great skiing and snowboarding. The plot focuses on a group of young twenty-something local residents who enjoy snowboarding, getting drunk, getting high, and playing practical jokes on each other. Leading this group of likable misfits is a man named Rick Rambis (played by Jason London), who is unable to form a relationship with attractive snowboarding instructor Jenny (played by A.J. Cook) because he is still pining over a girl he met during a drunken binge in Cancun, Mexico.

When wealthy businessman John Majors (played by veteran actor Lee Majors) steps in with the intent of buying Bull Mountain and turning it into an Aspen-like "espresso and tofu" resort that caters to rich yuppies, the residents of Bull Mountain begin to fear that they will all be fired and forced to leave town. Adding to the turmoil is the arrival of Majors' two daughters: Inga, (played by former Playboy Playmate of the Year Victoria Silvstedt) a gorgeous blonde bombshell, and Anna (played by Caroline Dhavernas), Rick's old flame from his Cancun vacation.

What follows is a slobs versus snobs comedy in the tradition of "Caddyshack" and "Animal House" as the locals try to stop their town from being taken over by Majors and his cronies. The film also directly parodies Casablanca in several parts, with Rick finding himself in a situation similar to Humphrey Bogart's most famous character from his most famous film.

The acting or script will never win any awards, but the film does provide enough humor to make it worth a rental. It also features some truly impressive snowboarding footage performed by some of the top snowboarders in the world. I also feel the need to mention David Koechner, who provides a hilarious performance as Stumpy, a hard-drinking, tall-tale telling local who is probably insane.

One complaint I have about the movie is that it feels like several scenes were edited or removed entirely so that it would be given a PG-13 rating rather than an R rating. Hopefully someday an unrated DVD will be released.

I give this film a 7 out of 10. It's not a classic comedy, but it's entertaining enough to be worth a rental.

This movie is HORRIBLE and you should love it.

From a cursory glance, this movie looks like a retread of what larger names (Adam Sandler, Chris Farley) have done and failed at, but this movie is different. THIS MOVIE IS FUNNY. It is pure unclean fun and what it lacks in a "message" it more than makes up for with sharp humor.

While people may take issue with the subject matter (drugs, dick and fart jokes, boobies), the story and dialogue are exceptional. This isn't Les Miserables (or even South Park: Bigger Longer Uncut, taking jabs at society) but it is smart and witty and you'll find jokes on the third trip that you didn't see before. Give it a try--it's definitely worth your time.

8 out 10: Rated Excellent for Casablanca references, the scene on the mechanical bull, and just being absolutely fun.

When I first saw the trailers for this film I thought it looked like just another run-of- the-mill comedy, and I guess in a lot aspects it pretty much is, but still, I thought it was much funnier and much better than I originally anticipated.

Sure, the story is nothing profound, nor terribly original, but that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't good and fun to watch. The story is basically: guy finds girl, girl dumps guy, guy can't get over girl, guy and girl run into each other again, girl explains why it will never work, guy must decide what he should do... Like I said, nothing profound, or original, but there's still fun stuff to be seen.

The comedy in the film is what made the movie for me. Zack Galifianakis (Luke) is absolutely hilarious and plays a fantastic character. Jason London, David Denman and Derek Hamilton also have their share of comedic moments.

I also feel very much obligated to mention the women in this film. This is reason enough to watch this film. Victoria Silvstedt (Inga) looks nothing less than perfect throughout the film. AJ Cook (Jenny) is also quite the looker and not a bad actress. The last woman I have to mention is Caroline Dhavernas (Anna), very nice!

Normally I'm not one to pay too much attention to the music in a film (unless it's just atrocious), but anyhow, I thought the music choices are great in this film. The movie is packed full of great music (my favorites being Eve 6 - "Anytime" and Weezer - "Island In The Sun").

All in all, I would definitely recommend this film to anyone who likes snowboarding or just likes comedies. Just don't go in expecting the best movie you've ever seen, it's not the best, but it certainly was worth my money. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks for reading,

-Chris

My hopes were not high for 'Out Cold', they really weren't. I thought this would be just another stupid American comedy like 'Dorm Daze' which i also watched a few days ago and was far from impressed with. It wasn't so thank god for that!

For an American comedy the humour is at times sharp even though at times it is blunt but still works very well. Who the heck wouldn't laugh at the drug test scene!? The acting is also spot on. I think Jason London's character is a bit stupid though because that girl Jenny that likes him is much better looking than that french bird Anna he dated for three weeks. No Contest! I was like "Dude, stop being such a douche and go for sweet Jenny who likes ya instead of Anna who is a cheating ho!".

The locations in this film are beautiful and the snowboarding scenes are breathtaking at times. All in all a nice comedy which ultimately tells the story of corporate America f***ing things up. Well worth watching. 9/10