Often considered one of the greatest movies of all time, Casablanca was a highly decorated Best Picture winner that has been referenced countless times over the years. But did you know that it also went on to be the basis for a snowboard movie that was absolutely eviscerated by critics upon release? Well, that totally happened when Out Cold, a rude, crude, and outrageous low-brow comedy, hit the big screen back in 2001.
The movie features the likes of Zach Galifianakis and Dazed and Confused star Jason London as snowboarders trying to save their ski resort from a ruthless business tycoon played by Lee Majors, isn’t the best movie ever made, but it’s nowhere as bad as 8% rating on Rotten Tomatoes leads you to believe.
Out Cold Is Pretty Much Casablanca, But With Booze, Babes, And Snowboards
Though there are no nazis, no daring escapes out of Morocco, and Rick Rambis (Jason London) thinks back on losing a lover following a trip to Mexico instead of time in Paris, Out Cold is essentially a Sobe-fueled, pop-punk, and turn-of-the-21st-century version of Casablanca. Oh, and despite not taking place in a gin joint, this 2001 comedy has so much more booze, babes, depravity, and snowboards.
Countless movies reference Casablanca, but Out Cold pulls multiple lines, scenes, and character motivations from the classic Humphrey Bogart picture. Hell, the movie parodies the “As Time Goes By” scene, but instead of Sam playing it on piano, it’s Zach Galifianakis’ Luke playing Weezer’s “Island in the Sun” on a juke box. Similarly, the movie even ends with Rick’s love interest flying away from the ski resort… to “Island in the Sun.”
It’s Not The Best Movie, But Nowhere As Bad As Its Rotten Tomatoes Score Implies
Is Out Cold a great movie that should get a special release from the Criterion Collection? No, but it wouldn’t be the worst (or most random) movie in there. Despite the Rotten Tomatoes score in the single digits, the Audience Score is a ridiculously high 84 percent with more than 25,000 ratings. Ratings are subjective and all, but this is a fun, stupid, immature, and breezy comedy that doesn’t expect much from the audience (unless they’re looking for Casablanca references).
It’s similar to a lot of those turn-of-the-21st-century comedies riding the wave of success from over-the-top sex comedies like American Pie in the previous decade. It’s nowhere as sexually explicit as the 1999 comedy that changed the way we saw apple pie, but it does have its wild moments (like a certain scene involving Zach Galifianakis and a hot tub) along the way.
Again, this is very much a rude and crude adaptation of the timeless film, but I have to admit it’s cool that there’s a chance some random teenager in the early 2000s was introduced to Casablanca after watching this at a sleepover. And while it’s not streaming at the moment, you can find Out Cold to rent or buy digitally.
Rent/Buy Out Cold on Amazon.