User Reviews

An effective star trio remains the principal attraction for the duration of this likable if unspectacular black comedy. John Lithgow stars as a wimpy butcher who discovers his business partner (Bruce McGill) has frozen to death inside their walk in freezer. See, the partner's frustrated wife (Teri Garr) had grown tired of the guy (he treats her like garbage, including cheating on her) and when she found him in there, seized her opportunity to get rid of him, and locked him in there. Now the guilt plagued Lithgow reluctantly helps her in her series of cover-ups as the private detective (Randy Quaid) whom she originally hired to dig up dirt on the husband is getting too close to finding out what's going on. It's a shame with such a good cast that there aren't more comedy fireworks here. There are certainly funny moments but none that stick out or are particularly memorable. It *is* funny seeing an ice cream bar stuck to the frozen McGill's head, in any event. Lithgow is terrific as always, and Garr is a delight as the inexperienced schemer. Quaid is a hoot in one of his more straight laced performances, and the supporting cast features a number of familiar actors such as Lisa Blount, Alan Blumenfeld, Frederick Coffin, Marvin J. McIntyre, Larry Miller, Morgan Paull, and Barbara Rhoades. The farcical sequences with the dead body are a highlight (especially when it's propped up in the wilderness to make the death look like an accident). Granted, "Out Cold" doesn't reach the lunatic heights of the same year's "Weekend at Bernie's", but it still works pretty well in this regard. And when Lithgow and Garr are trying to dispose of a car and its radio comes on, blaring some obnoxious rock song, it's a scene both funny and tense, because one figures somebody *had* to have heard the music. Overall, "Out Cold" is a decent little comedy, and could stand to be better known. Six out of 10.

*********Minor spoiler contained below*********

This is easily one of my favorite ten movies.

The deadpan performances witty and quips between characters (the scene where Lester Atlas visits Dave at the butcher shop while he's trying to `dispose' of a corpse is absolutely hilarious!) are what make this movie shine. However, this kind of morbid humor is not for everyone, but to those of us who enjoy this brand of sick humor, enjoy!

"Out Cold" definitely deserves more credit than it's been given, and if you give it a chance, it won't disappoint you.

My Rating: Ten stars out of ten.



P.S. If you enjoyed Randy Quaid in "Out Cold", you might enjoy him in the even lesser-known film entitled "Parents". You are warned, though. `Parents' isn't a comedy; it's a very disturbing satirical look at American consumerism in the 1950's. However, it is ones of the few chances where you get a chance to see how good of an actor Randy Quaid actually is.

Delightful comedy with a fine edge for character study and subtle plays in narration, "Out Cold" looks like Edward Hopper paintings transposed into a playful movie. The Hopper like iconography blends with skillful comic acting, tight scripting, and thoughtful editing to create an utterly delightful film.

Director Malcolm Mowbray deftly handles George Marko and Leonard Glasser's droll writing. Teri Garr, Randy Quaid, and John Lithgow play off each other with precision and charm.

Some of the music sounds a bit too cute, but most of the soundtrack enhances the mood and narrative.

I wonder how I missed it at first release. I missed a treasure. There is not a false step here.

My review was written in February 1989 after watching the film at a Times Square screening room.

Talented performers are trapped in a pointless, unfunny attempt at black comedy in "Out Cold", a shelved Hemdale pic originally titled more appropriately "Stiffs" and finally unfrozen for public consumption.

George Malko and Leonard Glasser's leaden script contrives an intrigue among brothers: Bruce McGill is the hissable creep who's cheating on wife Teri Garr, while partner at his butcher shop John Lithgow is a lonely nerd. After McGill beats her up, Garr goes to klutzy private eye Randy Quaid to get the goods on her hubby. Quaid is so incompetent that he photographs the other woman -Garr in a black wig -and doesn't even recognize her. Why Garr dresses up in unbecoming wigs is the first of many indigestible plot pegs.

Contrived plot heats up in the butcher shop freezer with its conveniently faulty lock. After an argument, Lithgow nearly locks McGill in there by accident and then Garr visits to lock him in on purpose. With McGill dead, Garr and Lithgow team up romantically, leading to several double crosses and an ironic payoff. The black humor is supposed to derive from the duo's difficulties in disposing of McGill's body, handled in tired fashion.

Without a single witty line to utter, the leads are left stumbling around in stillborn situation comedy, not helped by Malcolm Mowbray's flat direction. A scene at a topless bar in hunting country is meant to condescendingly satirize Middle American folkways, but looks like random footage spliced in from a '70s exploitation film.

For Quaid, this marks with "Parents" two (dissimilar) "red meat" films in a row, in which closeups of ambiguous cold cuts are the most lasting image. Quaid, Garr and Lithgow give it a college try but are a bit embarrassing in failed slapstick. Tech credits are perfunctory.