COOK OFF! REVIEWED
“Cook Off!” was set in 2004 and intended to be released in 2007. Then, the film was shelved for a decade. The movie is adapted from star/co-writer/co-director Cathryn Michon’s book “The Grrl Genius Guide to Life”. Given the amount of control she had over the film, you would figure that it would be pretty funny. Hell, Michon and Shalem do a great job aping the Christopher Guest style. So many mockumentaries attempt it and fail, but this worked! What happened?
Well, assembling a murderer’s row of character focused comedians doesn’t exactly scream star power. Well, things change in a decade. Melissa McCarthy had a much smaller role in the initial cut of the film, but the 2017 version now dedicates 10 solid minutes to her slob cook. When a film only runs 98 minutes and a ninth of the film has been dedicated to one person, you can imagine the remaining problems.
The film is pretty forgettable, so I’m not going to be surprised if a ton of readers don’t seek this one out. That being said, I recommend the film to comedy fans and editing nerds. Watching how a comedy can be gutted and rebuilt in the editing room is amazing. The later cuts are very noticeable and the tonal shifts are dramatic. Still, if you like the talent involved…you’re going to find something workable in Cook Off.
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Deleted Scenes
- Outtakes
- Featurette
A/V STATS
- 1.85:1 1080p transfer
- DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track
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