Winter Break (2003) User Reviews

Not so bad...

[INeedANewNickname · 6/10 · 6 November 2003]

But it could be a lot better. We could get a fun raunchy comedy in the vain of Animal House, American Pie and Ski School. But instead we got a very nice and sweet romantic drama, about growing up. This is hardly an R. I can't remember hear any profanity the would give it an R, and all the sex was all suggested. Nothing seen. Just a naked back. Some nudity wouldn't hurt. Some more sex and nudity and some raunchy comedy will make this an instant classic, and it would beat out Out Could, and be a classic like Ski School. And this is the better picture.

All in all this movie is sweet and it has a lot of fun moments with out being to coy. Milo Ventimiglia is good as the normal guy, and Maggie Lawson is sweet as Michelle. But it is Eddie Kay Thomas that still the show as the guy that never get laid. Justin Urich and Eddie Miles also good. Anna Faris gives a camo in the beginning, but I can't remember have seen Steve Guttenberg. Maybe he was the man in the opening sequence, which was a pretty funny scene.

All in all, if you don't have any big expectation, and don't to mind see a predictable and sweet comedy, you will not be disappointed. But if you expected to be fun in the vain of Road Trip and American Pie you will be disappointed. Maybe not worth the rental price, but if you see it on cable, give it a shot.

6/10

If you like romcoms and nice scenery, this film will do for you

[inkblot11 · 6/10 · 13 October 2006]

Matt has a Wall Street job waiting for him. This is a good thing because he has a quarter of a million dollars of school debt to begin paying off. Unfortunately, the company merges with another one and, before he even gets to start, Matt is let loose. His college roommates are going to go to Aspen for a year of skiing, low paying jobs, goofing off, and scouting women. Matt, in his despair, decides to join them. It is there that he meets the beautiful Michelle, a young ski instructor. But, horrors! She has a bonafide Wall Street boyfriend and only wants to be pals with Matt. Will Matt be able to find a new path, in life and in love? This is not a bad movie. The principal actors are not picture postcard pretty and that makes them more interesting. The script is typical male humor, mostly, but has some intelligent moments. The Aspen setting is, naturally, quite lovely, a true bonus for all viewers. If you like a storyline of romance and finding oneself among newly graduated college students, you will like this movie. It has a boys will be boys undertow, but hits all the right marks when push comes to shove.

TALK LESS. LISTEN MORE

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 17 July 2018]

Matt (Milo Ventimiglia) has a $179,000 in student loans @ 7.92% and has limited opportunities on Wall Street due to the current layoff. He decides to spend some time in Aspen, Colorado because he doesn't have any money. He gets a job as a kid's ski instructor and meets Michelle (Maggie Lawson) the girl of his dreams and one with a boyfriend in New York, Anne Faris in a minor role.

The film is a comedy romance and was light on both. It s not a teen sex romp either in spite of the girl in the red hot bra on the DVD cover, that is not in the film. There is no real sex or nudity. It is just implied. 2 F-bombs, but there is some PG-13 style sex talk. A very watered down film no matter what you seek...unless it is a watered down romance....you know the one where the guy at the end returns to the girl to confess his undying love. Please, take your own life if you thought that was a plot spoiler.

Available on a DVD 12 pack "Top of the Class."

Don't hold your breath

[sdrake1 · 1/10 · 3 February 2004]

This movie is one of the most awful I've ever seen. Not only is the dialogue awful, it never ends. You'll think it's ending, but it's not. How long is it, 140, 160 minutes? I don't even know. I do know that I'll never watch it again. It's like someone took a romantic comedy, took out the comedy, then decided to downplay the romance, leaving us with the pile of crap that managed to make its way to the screen. But don't take my word for it, find out for yourself how terrible this film is.

Not bad, but not good either!

[jellyneckr · 13 June 2004]

The box for SHEER BLISS (also known as SNOW JOB and WINTER BREAK) reads, "Better than warm apple pie". This is no doubt an attempt to fool the consumer that SHEER BLISS is an AMERICAN PIE-style comedy when in reality, it is anything but. In fact, the only thing this movie has in common with AMERICAN PIE is cast member Eddie Kaye Thomas.

SHEER BLISS is the hardest kind of movie to comment on. It's a movie that isn't bad, but not really good either. The movie doesn't seem complete. It appears to be like a very rough cut of what could possibly be a great movie. Nothing really clicks. Everything seems flat and emotionless. The humor forced. The characters one dimensional. In the end, the viewer is left unsure how to feel about the movie since it seems incomplete. *1/2

An awful, awful film

[infinity-15 · 1/10 · 24 December 2004]

After watching about half of this I was ready to give up and turn it off, but I endured to the end. This is a movie that tries to be a romantic comedy and fails. The acting is poor---much worse than the acting in 80s T&A movies.

There are several attempts at humour that fail miserably and the movie is 100% predictable. Perhaps if you are a teenager this movie will hold some appeal, but for those that have seen many movies, you will know how the film turns out after the first 10 minutes. The rest of your time will be spent in agony waiting for the ending credits to roll.

Don't waste your time watching this.

Highly entertaining

[iwatcheverything · 7/10 · 10 December 2003]

For a movie that I thought would be just a little boring film this ended up being a highly entertaining film. It made me laugh and was so good my wife caught the end and had to watch the whole thing from the begining. The acting was okay but was not horrible. It was better than a B movie would be. This could have possible done well with a wide release with a very little more work. As a video release this movie was great. I am trying to find a copy to buy now. Go see this movie when you get a chance. It is well worth it.

Ski movie comedy romance, they do what you wish you could!

[justindanger · 8/10 · 26 April 2003]

This is one of those cheesy but good movies, for people who are young or feel young! If you like the Pie Movies, then this might be for you, it is just a slightly more grown up film (less fart jokes) and it has chick-appeal, with the not too over the top amount of romance. These 4 guys leave university and move to a ski hill, now you can live vicariously through the lens. A some what predictable plot, but you were not expecting a great drama, or in depth look into the psychy were you? You have to see the great character played by Eddie Kaye Thomas because i am sure everyone knows a guy just like 'Rico'. If you want the usual laughs and comedy style 'life changing movie' then give it a watch, in fact just watch it anyway... you'll probably like it.

Cool Movie

[mr_pivac1985 · 3 January 2004]

This was a nice peace of work, i enjoyed this movie, it was well casted, I Noticed that 1 time james bond star George Lazenby made an apperance, its good to see him still making movies. I strongly recommend this film.

8 out of 10.

Much more than your average "teen" movie

[jriz29 · 8/10 · 18 February 2002]

Sheer Bliss is a movie that rises above the general stupidity that is so typical of today's "teen movies" and has a surprising amount of substance. Perhaps this is because it takes place after college, but the characters are not as juvenile and the movie isn't about grossing the audience out. Naturally, with the presence of American Pie's Eddie Kaye Thomas and newcomer Justin Urich, the film definitely has its characters of comic relief. Primarily a love story about a guy chasing after a girl (who has a boyfriend), it doesn't drag on like so many other such films(Loser for instance). Having seen both the original version of the film in its rough form and the final version, the director did a fine job of cutting excess baggage and allowing the film to move along. The skiing in the film is well done with cinematography to match. Supporting characters to newcomer Milo Ventimiglia (who is likeable without being sappy and pathetic) are well done and come off as people you would like to know. Maggie Lawson as Michelle is a great character simply because she is smart, funny and sexy. A rare trio for female characters in "teen" movies. The movie is a great mixture of comedy, drama and romance, and definitely a good date movie. It's worth seeing, because despite how it may be advertised, it is a departure from the traditional teen flick.

Also, for you James Bond fans out there, one-time James Bond George Lazenby makes an appearance as Campbell. It's nice to see him after 32 years.

Fun Movie, Awesome Soundtrack

[capnbama · 21 November 2004]

I really liked this movie. Its fun and the characters are likable. the plot is your typical "I graduated, now what" theme, but its still well worth watching. I truly enjoyed the movie, but the best part was the soundtrack. The songs are all by relative unknowns who actually write their own stuff. Check out freshtracksmusic.com for the soundtrack and more music along the same lines. There are a few familiar faces in the movie, but the for the most part the cast is young actors who you might recognize if you watch a lot of films. I found it when I got on a kick of watching lower budget, straight to video films. I found a few good ones and lots of average ones. I put this one in the good category. If you like skiing and are a sucker for a cute romantic comedy, then this film is for you.

Quite typical teen movie

[nature_girlie · 10/10 · 24 August 2003]

movie, with all the rules of basic teen movie. Still I was surprised by the well done filming. All the snow parts etc. Actors made good job, and it's always good to see new actors/actress', than those old boring ones :)

If you like teen movies, you may like this!

A Winter Break for OO7

[alqueda_11_11 · 10/10 · 6 March 2004]

OO7 George Lazenby goes on a winter holiday. This is a surprisingly good film, and Lazenby (who acts very well in this film) adds a movie star presence that the film would have otherwise lacked. Not a bad entry for a straight to video B-movie. The film centers around a bunch of students on winter break.

On a side note, I read a production note about this film that stated that Lazenby had the highest salary of any actor in the film, despite only having a small role. Anyway, this one is worth a look if you see it listed on cable and have nothing else to do to pass the time or if you are trying to rent a new release and can't find anything decent at all.

Affable romantic comedy outing

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 26 December 2013]

Matt Raymand (a solid and likable performance by Milo Ventimiglia) has trouble finding a good job after graduating from college. Matt decides to spend the winter in Aspen, Colorado with his college buddies. While in Aspen Matt meets and falls in love with the sweet Michelle Casper (an appealing portrayal by Maggie Lawson). This in turn forces Matt to choose between money and a career or following what his heart tells him to do. Writer/director Marvi Banack relates the enjoyably breezy story at a swift pace and maintains an amiable easygoing tone throughout. The engaging main characters display a winningly loose and natural chemistry. The central romance is handled in a smart and straightforward manner without ever degenerating into sappy mush. Moreover, there's a real good-natured sensibility at work in this picture which gives it a substantial dose of sunny charm. It's also acted with considerable zest by a personable cast: Eddie Kaye Thomas as hapless doofus Peter Rothner, Eddie Mills as smooth ladies man Carter Boyd, Justin Ulrich as rowdy party animal Tyler Woods, Rachel Wilson as the brash Kirsten Benston, George Lazenby as friendly old-timer Campbell Grady, and Victor Alfieri as arrogant jerk Vito Ubrissio. The bouncy soundtrack and cool rocking score by Michael Stearns and Christopher Hoag keep things bubbling along. George Mooradian's slick cinematography provides an attractive sparkling look. A pleasant romp.

You Like Colorado? You'll like this movie.

[olewinston · 10/10 · 2 December 2005]

Surprisingly entertaining movie set in one of the greatest places in America, Aspen, Colorado. Many college kids and post-grads will be able to identify with the characters reluctance to enter the 'real' world. Instead living out many of our fantasies as ski bums and ski instructors surrounded by hot women and good booze.

Nice casting overall. Rarely do you have a 'smart' hot lead like "Michelle" who (unlike many actresses in Hollywood films) seems quite real.

This is a good date movie. It won't appeal to people expecting a bunch of overt T&A, though it is highly suggestive. It also won't appeal much to people who hate college kids, Colorado mountain yuppies, young professionals and fraternity/sorority types (conversely, it will appeal to those I just mentioned).

In short, a good movie worth watching. It's fresh, with interesting new faces, yet still reminiscent of some good 80's romantic comedies.

Nice movie. Will see again. Makes me wish I was in Colorado right now...

great movie...

[msdsolo · 10/10 · 27 March 2004]

amazing picture, amazing acting, amazing filmography. i'm surprised nobody has heard of it. love it. peace. sorry, but the rules say i need 10 lines to submit this, so i'm gonna ramble. i saw this movie on one of the cinemax channels, but it was titled Winter Break, and i was like "lets watch this," and i did. i fell in love with it, and i searched for it on IMDb, but it didn't show up. finally, i read the descriptions of the results, and i saw Sheer Bliss. I thought to myself, "that sure sounds familiar." sure enough, WInter Break and Sheer BLiss are one in the same. Isn't that a doozey! Jeez, is this ten lines yet? let me see... yep, its enough. peace, for real this time.

brilliant movie,what other teen comedy's wan't to be

[daworldismine · 9/10 · 25 October 2005]

snow job is what it was called when i saw it looks like another gross out/sex comedy but is actually a much superior comedy with a great story,great acting and likable characters in a way id like a sequel and in a way i don't because this movie is great in that it tells and ends the story sure id love to see the characters back but it would have to be a great story they can't use a wedding{you know why} but as the movie stands it's funny without being offensive it's a sweet movie and the women are treated with respect and the romance and chemistry between the leads is amazing. if ever a film should of went to cinema this is it.