Jordon Saffron Taste This!
Encyclopedia
Jordon Saffron: Taste This! is a 2009
American
mockumentary
directed by Sergio Myers, creator of MTV
's Sorority Life
. Rather than being a scripted film, all the scenes were improvised
using a story concept created by Myers. The film stars Steve Schirripa
, Rachel Hunter
, and Sergio Myers in a story about an egotistical chef (loosely based on Gordon Ramsay
) who had made it big in Hollywood, only to lose his restaurant, his restaurant partner, his girlfriend, and his ability to taste.
), his famous restaurant, and his business partner Louie (Steve Schirripa
). Topping his woes is that he also loses his ability to taste food. Defeated in life, he returns to his home town of Chicago and reconnects with Audry, the true love he left behind. He takes a job at his father's pizzaria, and in his quest to recapture his former renown, and learn how his life went so wrong, he visits a flamboyant psychic, an acupuncturist, and a psychiatrist... events which result in him engaged in a cook-off with the Spam King of Chicago... his old rival, Kimmel (Jock L. Schloss).
made note that while director Sergio Myers understands reality TV, and opted for improved action rather than scripted dialog, they judged the film to be a "limp satire of egomaniacal celebrity chefs", that was "raucously funny during Saffron’s professional and personal meltdowns," but they found major flaws in the repetition of the film's jokes, the strange accents used by its characters, and the overuse of reality TV style, which "bring down the whole affair."
Blogcritics
offered that many actors are uncomfortable with improved scenes, and that as Saffron’s sous chef, Jean Claude, Dimitry Mignon handled the task particularly well. Thy also noted that as Louie, Saffron’s business partner, Steve Schirripa
stole the show in that Schirripa in "his displays of anger and frustration, is the most sympathetic—and convincingly real—of the characters." They found much of the acting to be believable, but offered that the film overall as a mockumentary was "a little uneven, missing some things one expects from that form, and including some that don’t work within it." The felt that director Meyers would have been better of "foregoing the mockumentary tag, and calling this an improvisational piece." They concluded "It’s a humorous film about a character who is not all that sympathetic. Disliking Jordan Saffron is part of the fun."
Are You Screening? found the film's premise to be promising but gone "horribly wrong" when the film displayed the "production abilities of really nice student film, and the comedic talents of a drunken night at a fraternity goofing on a Hell's Kitchen marathon." He noted that the film attempted a level of credibility by its inclusion of Steve Schirripa
and Rachel Hunter
in the cast, but that it failed in that it "ultimately comes down to a lot of ideas that are funny, but it doesn't deliver anything that lives up to the potential in those ideas."
Rotten Tomatoes
gave the film a score of 67%.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
asked for a copy of the film for historical purposes.
on DVD through Netflix and Blockbuster. Internationally it was released through Synergetic Distribution.
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
directed by Sergio Myers, creator of MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Sorority Life
Sorority Life
Sorority Life is a reality television show on MTV that aired from June 24, 2002 to 2004. The show consisted of girls pledging to become part of a sorority.-First season:The first season occurred at University of California, Davis...
. Rather than being a scripted film, all the scenes were improvised
Improvisation
Improvisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
using a story concept created by Myers. The film stars Steve Schirripa
Steve Schirripa
Steven R. "Steve" Schirripa is an American actor, voice artist, producer, and comedian, best known for playing Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos....
, Rachel Hunter
Rachel Hunter
Rachel Hunter is a New Zealand born American model, actress and reality TV show host who now resides in the U.S. She is best known for her appearance in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues and her longtime marriage to singer Rod Stewart, which ended in 2006...
, and Sergio Myers in a story about an egotistical chef (loosely based on Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
) who had made it big in Hollywood, only to lose his restaurant, his restaurant partner, his girlfriend, and his ability to taste.
Background
The film was shot over a period of seven days, and made using a concept director Myers refers to as "Free Flow Filmmaking", with which a filmmaker would "write with the camera", allowing them freedom in not being tied to a specific script or location and in being able to shoot economically. For actress Rachel Hunter, Myers gave story line, background, and motivation. Through improvisation, all of her scenes were done in one take. For Steve Schirippa, Myers used one cameraman, natural lighting, and shot all Shirrippa's scenes in a couple of hours, again, all scenes done in one take. Meyers chose Chicago as the film background as he felt it was "a great location that gives great production value without paying for it."Plot
Jordon Saffron (Sergio Myers), is an egotistical chef whose secret use of Safron as an orgasmic ingredient in his recipes, has gained him fame in Hollywood. After years of ego and partying and not enough actual cooking, Saffron loses everything... his TV show, his girlfriend Nikki (Rachel HunterRachel Hunter
Rachel Hunter is a New Zealand born American model, actress and reality TV show host who now resides in the U.S. She is best known for her appearance in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues and her longtime marriage to singer Rod Stewart, which ended in 2006...
), his famous restaurant, and his business partner Louie (Steve Schirripa
Steve Schirripa
Steven R. "Steve" Schirripa is an American actor, voice artist, producer, and comedian, best known for playing Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos....
). Topping his woes is that he also loses his ability to taste food. Defeated in life, he returns to his home town of Chicago and reconnects with Audry, the true love he left behind. He takes a job at his father's pizzaria, and in his quest to recapture his former renown, and learn how his life went so wrong, he visits a flamboyant psychic, an acupuncturist, and a psychiatrist... events which result in him engaged in a cook-off with the Spam King of Chicago... his old rival, Kimmel (Jock L. Schloss).
Partial cast
- Rachel HunterRachel HunterRachel Hunter is a New Zealand born American model, actress and reality TV show host who now resides in the U.S. She is best known for her appearance in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues and her longtime marriage to singer Rod Stewart, which ended in 2006...
as Nikki - Steve SchirripaSteve SchirripaSteven R. "Steve" Schirripa is an American actor, voice artist, producer, and comedian, best known for playing Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos....
as Louie - Sergio Myers as Jordon Saffron
- Kinga PhilippsKinga PhilippsKinga Philipps is a Polish-American actress and TV host. She has hosted for a variety of networks including: USA, AMC, Food Network, Current TV, Fox Sports and SyFy....
as Entertainment Reporter - Matthew CohenMatt Cohen (actor)Matthew Joseph "Matt" Cohen is an American film and television actor best known for playing Aiden Dennison on the teen drama South of Nowhere.-Life and career:...
as Friend of critic - Nicole DavisNicole DavisNicole Marie Davis is an American indoor volleyball player. She is 5'6" and plays at the libero position. She played for Fenerbahçe Women's Volleyball Team for the 2007 season and wore the number 1 jersey. She was the first foreign-born libero to play in the Turkish league and led her team to a...
as Dr. Drew - Steven FordSteven FordSteven Meigs Ford is an American actor and son of former United States President Gerald Ford and Former First Lady Betty Bloomer Ford.-Early life:...
as Sammy - Ekaterina KlimovaEkaterina KlimovaEkaterina Aleksandrovna Klimova is a Russian film, theater and TV actress, who started her career in 1999. In 2002, she received Viktor Rozov Award for the Best Actress Under Age 30....
as Cookoff announcer - Brandee Baker as Sasha
- Melvin Doerr Jr. as Psychic
- Anna Hagopian as Audrey
- Sotelo Leoncio as Leo
- Dimitry Mignon as Jean Claude
- Jock L. Schloss as Kimmel
Critical response
LA WeeklyLA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
made note that while director Sergio Myers understands reality TV, and opted for improved action rather than scripted dialog, they judged the film to be a "limp satire of egomaniacal celebrity chefs", that was "raucously funny during Saffron’s professional and personal meltdowns," but they found major flaws in the repetition of the film's jokes, the strange accents used by its characters, and the overuse of reality TV style, which "bring down the whole affair."
Blogcritics
Blogcritics
Blogcritics is a blog network and online magazine of news and opinion. The site—a self-proclaimed "sinister cabal of superior writers"—was founded in 2002 by Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn...
offered that many actors are uncomfortable with improved scenes, and that as Saffron’s sous chef, Jean Claude, Dimitry Mignon handled the task particularly well. Thy also noted that as Louie, Saffron’s business partner, Steve Schirripa
Steve Schirripa
Steven R. "Steve" Schirripa is an American actor, voice artist, producer, and comedian, best known for playing Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos....
stole the show in that Schirripa in "his displays of anger and frustration, is the most sympathetic—and convincingly real—of the characters." They found much of the acting to be believable, but offered that the film overall as a mockumentary was "a little uneven, missing some things one expects from that form, and including some that don’t work within it." The felt that director Meyers would have been better of "foregoing the mockumentary tag, and calling this an improvisational piece." They concluded "It’s a humorous film about a character who is not all that sympathetic. Disliking Jordan Saffron is part of the fun."
Are You Screening? found the film's premise to be promising but gone "horribly wrong" when the film displayed the "production abilities of really nice student film, and the comedic talents of a drunken night at a fraternity goofing on a Hell's Kitchen marathon." He noted that the film attempted a level of credibility by its inclusion of Steve Schirripa
Steve Schirripa
Steven R. "Steve" Schirripa is an American actor, voice artist, producer, and comedian, best known for playing Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos....
and Rachel Hunter
Rachel Hunter
Rachel Hunter is a New Zealand born American model, actress and reality TV show host who now resides in the U.S. She is best known for her appearance in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues and her longtime marriage to singer Rod Stewart, which ended in 2006...
in the cast, but that it failed in that it "ultimately comes down to a lot of ideas that are funny, but it doesn't deliver anything that lives up to the potential in those ideas."
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gave the film a score of 67%.
Awards and nominations
- 2009, Won Leading Actor Award of Merit for Sergio Myers at Accolade Awards
- 2009, Won Feature Film Award of Merit at Accolade Awards
- 2009, Won Award of Distinction at Communicator Awards
- 2010, nomination for BIFFY Award for Best Feature Film at Beloit International Film FestivalBeloit International Film FestivalThe Beloit International Film Festival is an annual film festival in Beloit, Wisconsin, usually held in mid February. The first edition of the festival took place in 2006...
- 2010, Won Telly Award for Entertainment
- 2010, Won Telly Award for Use of Humor
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
asked for a copy of the film for historical purposes.
Release
Jordon Saffron: Taste This! was released in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on DVD through Netflix and Blockbuster. Internationally it was released through Synergetic Distribution.
External links
- Jordon Saffron: Taste This! at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...