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6 Degrees Entertainment

Deadly Games (Special Edition) [Blu-ray]
(Sam Groom, June Lockhart, Colleen Camp, Steve Railsback, Jo Ann Harris, et al / Blu-ray / R / (1982) 2022 / Arrow Films - MVD Visual)

Overview: Steve Railsback (famed for his unhinged performance as Charles Manson in 1976’s TV mini-series Helter Skelter) is at his sinister best as a troubled Vietnam Vet in 1982’s Deadly Games - a tale of madness, murder and adultery from writer/director Scott Mansfied.

A masked maniac with a penchant for a horror-themed board game is playing his own twisted game with the women of a small American town. Each time the dice is rolled, another victim meets a grisly end.

Returning home to mourn the death of her murdered sister, Keegan (Jo Ann Harris) befriends local cop Roger and oddball cinema projectionist Billy (Railsback) - but soon finds herself in the killer’s sights.

Originally entitled Who Fell Asleep, Deadly Games is an intriguing early ’80s slasher oddity which benefits from focusing as much on the development of its female-led cast as it does on its scenes of stalking and slashing.

Available for the first time ever on disc, Arrow Video is proud to present this long-overlooked creepy gem in a brand new restoration from the recently-unearthed camera negative!

Blu-ray Verdict: Having never seen this movie from back in the day, and yet being a lover of all things ’80s slasher/horror films, I went into this new Blu-ray release from Arrow Films/MVD Visual with an open mind (and a few beers to hand along with some popcorn, of course!)

After the death of a young lady in a quiet town, Keegan the sister of the victim shows up and gets tangled in the daily life of the town inhabitants. Soon there’s another victim, and Keegan takes upon herself to figure out who the killer is while wooing with the cop who’s on the case!

OK, sure, there’s a LOT wrong with how these kids act, where they go, who they trust, what they do when confronted with a hole to Hell (for example) or an open door to safety, but come on, it’s the ’80s ya’ll!

In truth, this is actually more like another case where the video artwork does a great job selling what is a generically spineless and tedious slasher fare of the ’80s!

Obviously a mystery (still) kept close to his heart, director Scott Mansfield looks like he was influenced by the slasher craze (with certain set pieces) that formulated in this period to deliver an indistinguishable feature of too many spontaneous changes in its patchwork direction. Sadly, and I am sorry to say, but this would go on to devoid the structure of tension.

What starts off amusingly decent (some lady stripping and fondling her breasts in the front doorway of her house, anyone?), transcends into a sluggish (if not slanted, perhaps peculiar) melodrama of redundant sequences involving endless interactions (like a playing a board game, while sharing the good times with a trite-sounding song accompanying) and vacant characters; only to be broken up by some tame and non-suspenseful killings.

Now remember, I love all these ’80s slashers and as much as I might be sounding a wee bit too harsh, here, I am just telling it like it is, as I myself still enjoyed this 80 minute cinematic experience!

Overall though, the premise is cluttered with predictable and perplexing details, and with the mystery (or the slasher side of the story) coming across half-thought out (perhaps rushed at the time of construction) when it comes to the final reveal, the visuals are lowly lit, dusky for the most part, and whether that was intentional or not, they most definitely add some creepiness to the viewing.

In closing, the performances are rather nicely acceptable with leading actress Jo Ann Harris (as Clarissa Jane Louise Keegan Lawrence) making head way with her quick-witted attitude and sincere appeal, even with that somewhat squeaky voice!

Oh, and the always loveable and reliable Colleen Camp (as Randy) is great, but Sam Groom (as Roger Lane) is laughably unconvincing in his role and a disinterested Steven Railsback (as Billy Owens) is pretty much wasted. This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:

Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative
Original uncompressed mono audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues
Sooty’s a Sh*t - a brand new interview with actor Jere Rae-Mansfield
Practical Magic - a brand new interview with special effects and stunt co-ordinator John Eggett
Extensive image gallery featuring never-before-seen production photos and promotional material
Original Trailer
Original screenplay under the title Who Fell Asleep [BD-ROM content]
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Ralf Krause

www.MVDvisual.com





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