User Reviews

I watched this film at an obscenely late hour the other night, and it was like a breath of fresh-air. As soon as I saw Jason Priestly, I assumed it would be one of those terrible straight to TV movies that involved a cast of C-list celebrities wondering what on earth they were doing making such rubbish.

Not so. As the film progressed I realised, to my utter surprise, that I was actually really enjoying it. The dialogue was funny, the characters interesting and the ending inspired. Priestly was excellent, only ever achieveing such dizzy acting heights in another quirky classic, 'Love and Death on Long Island', and the supporting cast were genuinely talented.

It wasn't perfect; it could have been longer, but it definietly had all the assets of a cult movie.

Take one very introverted bookmaker and transform him into a highly successful hit-man. Now add an attractive yoga instructor to the mix and you have a talented killer in love. Though he clearly enjoys his work, he has no clue about relationships. This off-beat scenario easily drives "Cold Blooded" into black comedy territory. With sharp dialog, and fine acting from Jason Priestly, Kimberly Williams, Peter Riegert, and Robert Loggia, this is a must see for admirers of dark humor. The clever script is never boring, but is unpredictable and charming in a perverse sort of way. There is no DVD, but I highly recommend seeking out a VHS copy. - MERK

This is the film that goes all the way to prove that understatement is often more amusing than anything else. Lacking slapstick, funny "characters" and too predictable situations it wanders along its own path and lets us go along. If we want. If we don't, that's okay but we'll miss the fun. Jason Priestly portrays a slacker who finds a calling. He also discovers Yoga and the teacher of same. Peter Riegert gives the sliest performance as the "instructor" for Priestly who quickly discovers that sometimes instinct needs no teaching. There is a delusional casualness to the lives and actions of all involved but this underscores the simplistic plot that relies on character and performance rather than stultified situations. (Garofalo must be the most dis-interested prostitute on screen.) But it all works. One hopes this will over time get a DVD and more exposure. A cult favourite in the making.

There are fewer and fewer ‘labours of love' in the movies these days- you start with a clever guy and a clever idea (right there most projects grind to a halt) get together a few bucks and some close ‘famous' friends-far too big a stars for this little project…and go out for an obscenely FEW amount of days and locations, add a little spit and bailing wire, and somehow come away with a movie.

Two Girls and a Guy is a good example, Let it Ride another one, but for my money, COLDBLOODED is the best of them all.

It's just that good.

Wallace Wolodarsky (supervising producer of The Simpsons) wrote and directed this darker than dark, black, dark black comedy about a young hit man protegee and his kooky environs.

Jason Priestly (as Cosmo Reif) shows the acting form not of Bev Hills 90210, but a foreshadow of his later work in Love and Death on Long Island. Kimberly Williams is perfect as the ingenue girlfriend, and Peter Riegert is spectacular as Cosmo's mentor Steve.

Robert Loggia, Janeane Garofalo and even Michael J Fox show up in smaller roles.

Not available on laser, you'll have to dig this one up on video, or on some of the more obscure cable options-but well worth the effort.

This is one of those films that i catch by accident on TV while eating a dinner, and that immediately raise my eyebrows, set up a big question-mark above my head, make me forget about how good dinner i cooked, and instead make me immediately look up the title on IMDb while first set of commercials is on.

First i see a face from sugary Beverly Hills in a _very_ different role, and he seems to be a hit-man (i didn't see the beginning of the movie), but he goes to yoga classes, and he seems to be at once simple and honest (and a virgin), and a successful professional killer, and the movie seems to somehow balance the opposites quite skillfully. Really, i can still feel my eyebrows up there where they were for the most of the movie.

I laughed hard in few places, but like with best films, those funniest scenes had absolutely nothing obviously funny in them... it's the absurdness of the characters and their situations that makes those so funny.

Still, i didn't feel this to be a comedy at all, it's here that saw people call it a dark comedy.

Well, it's dark alright, and strangely uncomfortable, but i did laugh hard in some scenes so i guess it qualifies as comedy too.

Anyway, if you like quirky off-the-beaten-path films, this is one you won't regret seeing.

I saw this late at night on channel 4 and initially thought it wasn't much... but for some reason didn't end up turning the TV off and became hooked on it.

There's something delightfully perverse in the watching of the breakdown (or perhaps release) of his personality as he's left with no choice but to become colder and colder. The ending caught me by surprise but I suppose that's only because I was hoping for more - plus it ended before the story had any time to drag on and thus (and I'm guessing others) left me in the midst of the flow still, which was a good feeling.

I went to see this at the Seattle International Film Festival in 1995. I went because the synopsis sounded interesting. Plus the guy who had written and directed it was connected with the Simpsons, surely a major plus when it comes to comedy. The audience was filled with teenage girls, obviously drawn by the name of Jason Priestly on the marquee. It made the subsequent viewing of the film THAT much funnier (well, at least to me) to sit there and wonder what these girls were thinking as the film progressed and Priestly started killing folks with such wonderful deadpan indifference. This movie is incredibly funny. Peter Reigert is top-flight comedy gold in every scene he has as the burned-out veteran hit-man but the real revelation is how funny Jason Priestly can be when given a chance. His character here is almost like Peter Sellers from BEING THERE; he is so impassive and deadpan, yet the film revolves around his performance and it must be good for a film like this to work; well, Priestly delivers. His character is goofy and sweet and yet somehow chilling too in his casual attitude to murder. Why this film has languished in total obscurity is a mystery. When i saw the film, most of the audience didn't know what to think; the teenage girlies were rather shocked;they didn't find it amusing to see their 90210 heartthrob pistol-whipping people before icing them, but I did. When the film ended, the director, Wallace Wolodarsky, was just sitting there, alone.He had introduced the film briefly beforehand and said he'd be happy to field questions when it was over. I approached him (since no one else was going to) and I think I frightened him a bit with my exuberance; I had a shaved head at the time and i looked a bit weird and I said, too loudly, "That movie was brilliant! It was hilarious!" He said,"Thank you," and slowly backed away from me. I thought, "Well, you can't win them all." And I left him in the theater filled with people who didn't understand his movie.

There are many good things to say about this movie from the standpoint of of wanting to find clever ways of commenting on its premise and appreciating its professional cinematography. It is not a bad piece of work at all. So-called "black" humor has its place in modern cinema, as do ironic turns of plot that demonstrate the virtuosity of a film's creators.

That having been said, I found this effort a step or two short of reaching a successful or convincing end product. I have no quarrel with Jason Priestly as an actor; indeed, I think he has taken on some very challenging roles right up to the present day, and he can be very impressive as long as he plays them "straight." In this one, however, he is just a bit too tongue-in-cheek, too conscious perhaps of desiring to play with the audience. The role itself is also poorly written in that regard. There are unresolved ambiguities and even contradictions in the character of Cosmo, whether in terms of his basic intelligence or his innate morality. In order for this kind of thing to succeed, it has to be all of the same cloth, rather in the manner of the wildly fanciful Forrest Gump or some of Tarantino's odd characters. In Cosmo we are treated to an impression rather than a portrayal of the real thing.

In spite of all that, I recommend this for any adult viewer unencumbered by sentimental ideas of morality or not easily offended by graphic violence. Most of what happens is fairly predictable in any case, however, so it is easy to hit the mute button or go get a sandwich while the shooting is going on.

This little film is so tasty. I will bet you that you cannot think of a character in another movie that is similar to that of Cosmo. There is a hole in this man's soul where his moral compass should be, and we like it! I can see why Michael J. Fox liked this project. Its got the Teen Wolf kind of humor but its played completely straight. Not strictly a gangster movie. I hate gangster movies. This I loved.

Meet Cosmo (Jason Priestley), a nerdy young bookie content with his boring life crunching numbers for the mob and living in a stark basement apartment at a senior citizens center. His only recreation is watching TV and the occasional tryst with his quirky prostitute pal, Honey (Janeane Garofalo). But one day all this changes, when the mob boss is killed and the well-regarded Cosmo is selected by the smooth and persuasive new chief, Gordon (Robert Loggia), to become a full-fledged hit man. It's an offer the reluctant Cosmo cannot-repeat, cannot-refuse, and he quickly trades in his mundane, solitary existence for a crash course in revenge under the tutelage of veteran mobster Steve (Peter Riegert), a relaxed, suburban bon vivant who relishes the job's maximum pay and minimum hours. In no time, Cosmo surprises both himself and mentor Steve by displaying an absolutely uncanny aptitude for the work. Though he's never touched a gun before, Cosmo proves to be both a crack marksman and, after an initial wave of moral hesitancy, a cool, detached killer. Soon, Cosmo is dispatching deadbeat clients with speed and style and his natural flair with a gun quickly establishes him as an invaluable addition to Gordon's mob.

Reality gets in the way though, when one night, while being massaged by Honey, Cosmo admits feeling a bit uptight and she recommends he try yoga to relax. Cosmo takes her advice and joins a nearby yoga class taught by a beautiful young woman named Jasmine (Kimberly Williams). Cosmo is instantly taken with the kind and gentle Jasmine, who soon becomes drawn to Cosmo. Now if she can just get rid of her pesky, abusive boyfriend, Randy (Josh Charles), maybe she and Cosmo can actually start something. Cosmo, using some of the "skills" of his new trade, eventually persuades Randy to disappear and his relationship with Jasmine takes off.

Writer/director M. Wallace Wolodarksy, a two-time Emmy Award-winner for his work on "The Tracy Ullman Show" and "The Simpsons", has fashioned a script fusing his three genre loves: "I like comedies, gangster movies and romances," explained Wolodarsky, "so I essentially smashed together all three to create this film." But what he's come up with is a film so disjointed and improbable that it looks just like a very long sketch on Saturday Night Live. It's monotonous tone doesn't so much match it's droll sense of humor, as underline the fact that a lot of money was spent on a vehicle for Jason Priestly to blithely shatter his nice guy image, which doesn't even fully succeed because he plays his character not as a nerd, but as a laconic zombie. A nerd may be naive, but a nerd has passion. Passion for inwardly directed things. But Priestly plays his character as mentally deficient, almost the anti-Forrest Gump. Unfortunately, "Coldblooded" doesn't have the sense of scope to actually BE the anti-Forrest Gump.

Peter Riegert (Local Hero, Animal House) turns in a fine performance as usual, and Kimberly Williams does her best with what she has to work with, but Janeane Garofalo (HBO's Larry Sanders Show) is practically wasted in her role as Cosmo's friend. Probably not for long, though. Garofalo has all the enthusiasm and charm of an apple waiting to be picked and it's just a matter of time before she'll be given a meaty role, hopefully doing a tag team thing with Marisa Tomei.

I can't believe this movie doesn't have a higher rating (although 6.6 isn't that bad on IMDB). I'm not a Jason Priestley fant at all, but he is just fantastic in this movie. The story is totally strange, very low-budget it some ways, but it has some great acting by Priestley and Peter Riegert.

Although her part is small, Kimberly Williams is also impressive and the bit parts of Michael J. Fox, Talia Balsam (his movie wife, though very short lived, no pun intended), Janeane Garofalo, are also great.

Robert Loggia can't be a bad actor in anything, so we don't even have to bring him up.

This is my favorite "unknown" movie. It seems few people have seen it and I will buy it the second it comes out on DVD. I catch it on cable every chance I get. Yes, I did rate it a 10!

Wolodarsky hasn't a clue.

He obviously tries to make a point about the self righteous attitude people have towards others. It's a good point.

It was a point poorly made here.

A bookie is promoted to hit man. Okay, there's the first clue we have that Wolodarsky doesn't have a clue. He must never have been outside his drawing room. The idea is beyond ludicrous. A bookie is the last person you would want for a hit man. A bookie is working with numbers and times. The bookie is the community's retired man, whom the law knows about, whom the tea party ladies know about, who performs the local service. Often, the mob does drag him in for their own profits, too.

However, no one outside of the bubble boy community will believe a bookie would make a natural hit man by virtue of being a bookie.

So, the premise is that the "new hit man" is an "everyman", but here again it fails. This "everyman", we learn at the end, is a complete psychopath.

The movie spends over an hour on what Saturday Night Live could say in 30 seconds. The idea is that whenever someone is "whacked", the people who know have to "raionalize" it. They need to justify it.

Indeed, nearly ever murder, ever atrocity, every war crime, is "self justified" this way. The people who learn of it must think the victim deserves it.

It's not funny. It's not even dark humor. It fails miserably. It probably would have been a decent 2 minute sketch or short. But again, Wolodarsky just doesn't have a clue.

I rented this movie a few years ago on a friend's recommendation. I did not want to see it, strictly because of Jason Priestly. Boy was I wrong! This is one of those rare gems that you wish you could show to all your friends. This movie is what others like "The Big Hit" and such crime/comedy movies WISH they could be. It is smartly written, greatly acted (and subtly acted, no over-the-top histreonics as an attempt at humor) and excellently cast. Robert Logia is fantastic as the new Mob leader. Priestly is great as the title role. Please watch this movie with an open mind and be ready to be shocked, both at the black humor, and at the intelligence and care the story receives.

this movie is completely underestimated. Jason Priestley really shocked me that he was able to play such a good character after what i've seen from him in the past. i highly recommend this movie to anyone with an intelligent sense of humor. the only thing I'm not too happy about is that this movie has not been released as a DVD yet but hopefully that will change. it's a dark comedy for anyone that is into them. one of the best ones i've ever watched. i caught this movie late one night about 3:00 in the morning knowing i had to get up for school at 6:00 a.m. and lets just say i had a rough day at school the next day. i couldn't take my eyes off of it from the first second i saw it. it's rare that a movie can actually have that effect on me especially that late at night. once again if you ever have a chance to see this movie, take the opportunity, Preistley is magnificent. Catch it on VHS at the video store if you have a VCR still

With so many over-hyped major releases of recent years proving to be bitter disappointments, it's a real treat when I get to watch an older, lesser-known film with no expectations and am blown away by what I see. Director Wallace Wolodarsky's Coldblooded is such a film.

Jason Priestley (of Beverley Hills 90210 fame) plays Cosmo, a socially inept loner working as a bookie for an organised crime syndicate, who unwillingly becomes a hit-man when his gangster boss makes him an offer he can't refuse. After being sent to work alongside seasoned gunman Steve (Peter Riegert), in order to learn the ropes, Cosmo discovers that he is a natural when it comes to dishing out death.

Completely ruthless, quick thinking, and a great shot, he takes to the job like a duck to water, but also finds that wasting people for a living is rather stressful. In order to try and relax, he begins yoga, and soon falls for the pretty teacher who takes his class. But is it possible for him to continue in his line of work and be in love at the same time?

A quirky blend of dark humour and extreme violence, Coldblooded is a delight from start to finish. Priestly excels as Cosmo, a character that you cannot help but like, despite his monstrous ability to shoot complete strangers without skipping a heartbeat. The young killer's deadpan expression and bizarre mannerisms suggest that his mind functions in a manner different to most—his perception of right and wrong is certainly severely distorted—and whilst this doesn't excuse the fact that he is a brutal murderer, it makes his actions little easier to understand and, perhaps, even forgive.

The smart script, also by Wolodarsky, brims with offbeat moments, great incidental characters, and inky black comedy, and his talented cast (which includes great turns by Robert Loggia, as Cosmo's boss, and Kimberly Williams as his girlfriend, plus fine cameos from Janeane Garofolo and Michael J. Fox) don't put a foot wrong, delivering some truly excellent performances.

If you too are weary of overblown summer blockbusters that don't live up to the hype, track down this little gem of a movie to be reminded how good cinema can be when it's done right.

Independent cinema (as music) has always existed, before Tarantinos, DiCillos,Sollondzes and all that stuff. But there are a few things that I've always thought they left behind: humanity, sensitivity, empathy and, above all, effort. This movie is a forward advance of all those kind of movies that later became fashionable because they changed the independent film label to that kind of dry, cold films, of absurd dialogues, without feelings, and definitely for an all-fairness where the director confused freedom of creation with the law of least effort, no explanation, no thinking, NO SUCH COMEDY, only what his balls are telling him to do. Beautiful. At least it has made me do my first review.

I could probably answer my own question... some comedy is dark to the point that a lot of people just miss the point altogether. This is an absolutely hilarious movie. I saw it at a friend's house and loved it, then saw it on the previously viewed shelf at the video store for 5 bucks... what a bargain! A peculiar character, that Cosmo. And Michael J. Fox's cameo is right on the mark.

This is a movie I think you could say is in the same category as the classic Pulp Fiction. Where can you see a guy going around killing people in cold blood seemingly without any reason, if not in these two films. I really liked the way Jason Priestley plays his character, from a innocent, retarded kid to a cold-blooded assassin. I must say it seemed as a B-movie in the beginning, but as the movie went on, it only got better and better. Something else that was fun is Michael J. Fox's appearance in the movie. Great scene. A must see!

I saw a trailer for this movie on an old video, and it intrigued me. I

came to IMDB right away to see if it's good, and having the

approval I needed, I started my quest to find it. Luckily there's a

video store in my town that has a lot of the older movies and never

throws them out.

As for the movie, I thought it was great. Cosmo is so emotionless

that his hits are actually funny. And I loved the relationship

between him and the hooker in the retirement home. This is a

truely great movie, and it makes me kinda angry that hardly anyone

will see it.

If you get a chance, RENT THIS MOVIE 9/10

Like many of you here, when I saw that Jason Priestly was played the main character I had little hope of enjoying this film (even though I am a closet fan of the first season or two of 90210). I was more than pleasantly surprised when not only was the movie GREAT!!!, but Jason Priestly nailed his performance (and of course the rest of the supporting cast as well. I loved the subtle humor. I loved everything about this movie. This is not spoiler, so I am not going to elaborate. Do yourself a favor, if you can find this movie, rent it. If you like movies like Pulp fiction (as I do), you will love this movie. I just can't believe more people don't know about this movie. I stumbled into here because I found that I couldn't rent this from Netflix so I have decided to buy if from Amazon.com. My wife will soon be a fan of this movie too. It sucks I am going to have to dust off the VCR to watch it though.

I started watching this movie about 10 minutes into it, and I had to see it to the end. Lovely story, great acting, with some truly original scenes. Jason may seem a bit helpless, but that's just clever acting/directing.

I'm happy to see that I'm not alone in appreciating this movie. The only thing i can fault this movie for, is casting a teen idol in a grownup movie. But that doesn't diminish the movie in itself. (In that respect it's similar to "17 again", which I also enjoyed a lot.)

The fact that I saw it on TV just now (2010) goes to show that this movie has staying power. Brilliant stuff.

I feel I must step up & defend one of my favourite movies. Jason Priestley has never really even shown up on my radar, but to call him boring in this movie is to miss his intent altogether, I think. He wasn't boring, he was clueless to the existence of anything outside of his pathetic, but happy, little life. I'm laughing now at the thought of the childlike wonder and excitement when he finally discovers something he's good at! Peter Riegert was very funny as well. Janeane Garofalo was wasted; Michael J. Fox was a co-producer & apparently had a couple days to kill...All in all, though, this little film ranks alongside Grosse Pointe Blank and Oscar (okay, Johnny Dangerously, too!)on my list of good gangster comedies. Oh, yeah! The Whole Nine Yards had some REALLY funny moments! Just can't get enough of seeing Matthew Perry beat the bejezus outta himself! Haven't seen Ten Yards, though. I am afraid...!

I stumbled upon this during a free Showtime or HBO weekend.. I'm truly not sure which. First scene I saw had Janeane Garofalo, which will almost always drag me into a movie. Almost turned it off when I saw Jason Priestley on the screen, but he makes it work.

A dark tale about a bookie being "promoted" to hit man, only to find he has Rain-Man-like capabilities in this regard.

Quirky, dark, interesting, a bit sad at points... Jason Priestley is perfect as Cosmo, and I'm glad I now own the movie. Every time I show it to someone we enjoy ourselves, and it creates opportunity for discussion later.