Tödliche Spiele

A really twisted film where two psychotic young lesbians (Sondra Locke and Colleen Camp) turn a middle-aged man's life upside down when they invade his home and harass him while his wife and kids are out of town. This starts off very much like the ultimate male sexual fantasy at first, but ultimately turns into a demented nightmare.

Amidst all the ensuing mayhem and insanity, this could have used more sexual depravity and titillation to make it more effective. As it stands, these teenagers are more irritating than anything else. Yet this is still one bizarre experience and certainly a sight to see, at least once. I've never seen Sondra Locke show so much range, at least not in any of the movies I've seen her in up to this point. Colleen Camp has some good moments of lunacy.

I kind of liked that goofy theme song about "My Good Old Dad" which pops in and out during the course of the wackiness. And in my opinion, the ending is perfect.

It is 1975, and George Manning is a happily married man living in San Francisco. On his 40th birthday, a family emergency necessitates his wife Karen travelling to a different state, leaving George alone but for the wind and the rain. Or so he thinks, for fate brings him guests that night: two young ladies named Jackson and Donna, who say they're lost. After inviting them in to warm up and dry off, George and the ladies get to know each other better; and it becomes clear that they don't plan on leaving his home any time soon- whether he wants them there or not.

Directed by Peter S. Traynor from a screenplay by Anthony Overman and Michael Ronald Ross (as well as an uncredited Jo Heims) 'Death Game' is a camp comic-horror both entertaining and underwhelming. Exploitative and overblown, the film is a product of its time, reflecting the anxieties and fantasies of the post-Vietnam War period. Indeed, if one were to examine the film in the context of that conflict, one could say it shows how the illusion of security and order that many Americans had was shattered, how they became vulnerable and helpless in the face of an unpredictable, hostile enemy, and how they struggled to cope with the aftermath and consequences of a most violent encounter.

While this and other interesting ideas are raised- the warped reality of a male sexual fantasy, for one, or the indifference of fate and the effects of abuse on the psyche- the variety of themes in 'Death Game' are only ever really hinted at and never fully explored. The narrative doesn't break any new ground and features few surprises, unfolding in a linear and generic fashion, populated by scene after scene of mental and physical torture that leaves a grisly aftertaste. The abrupt ending of proceedings is also jarring, feeling rushed and completely out of left field in the face of the lengthy brutality that came before it.

Though tame when compared to modern films such as 'Hostel', which go all out on the gore and violence; 'Death Game' still disturbs and unnerves. The characters of Jackson and Donna are utterly unhinged, unpredictable creations, with no morals or empathy to speak of. Psychopathic and merciless, they are reflections of the fears the middle classes had of many in the hippie movement; of the Mansonesque types who stole into homes and left destruction in their wake. Though similar in ways to 'Straw Dogs' or 'The Last House on the Left' through its depiction of home invasion and violence; 'Death Game' differs with its tone and style, which are more humorous and exaggerated than realistically gritty.

David Worth's artsy cinematography creates an eerie, claustrophobic atmosphere, while he manifests dread and tension through his use of shadows, distorted angles and close-ups. Worth employs an array of creative techniques- such as double and triple exposures, slow motion and freeze frames- to enhance the macabre, nightmarish quality of the film, while his work as editor of the picture gives it a brisk pace and smooth flow. His work on 'Death Game' is one of its main strengths; elevating as it does the material from a simple exploitation flick to a stylish, visually striking psychological horror.

Jimmie Haskell's score also comes as a boon to proceedings in general, providing a fitting musical accompaniment to the film's mood and tone. Haskell composed two original tunes for 'Death Game': 'Good Old Dad', a cheerfully ironic song that plays during the opening credits, contrasting with the horror that follows; as well as 'We're Home', a haunting, melancholic song that plays during the closing credits, reflecting the aftermath of the ordeal. Memorable and stirring, Haskell's score adds to the film's atmosphere, enhancing its scenes of tension, violence and insanity.

Much like its narrative, the performances in 'Death Game' are a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand, Sondra Locke and Colleen Camp are delightfully over-the-top as Jackson and Donna, delivering convincing, captivating portrayals of people completely enslaved by madness. They share an electric chemistry and keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. On the other hand, Seymour Cassell plays George as an exceedingly apathetic fellow, who lacks charisma and charm, ending up as nothing more than a plot device for the two ladies to play with. Allegedly, Cassell hated working under Traynor and refused to loop George's dialogue once filming wrapped- explaining why, in the final cut, it is David Worth you hear whenever George speaks. At any rate, Locke and Camp's exuberant performances make the film worthwhile; with or without Cassell's voice.

At the end of the day, Peter S. Traynor's 'Death Game' is a rather underwhelming effort, though it does have elements deserving of praise. Stars Sondra Locke and Colleen Camp make for a terrifying twosome, delivering energetic, unhinged performances that are highlights in both their filmographies, while the atmospheric score and David Worth's artistic cinematography are striking and unforgettable. Although the narrative doesn't come to much, contains few surprises and unfolds in a linear way, there are some memorable moments in 'Death Game.' It just might not be something you'd play again in a hurry.

This film essentially begins with a man by the name of "George Manning" (Seymour Cassel) saying goodbye to his wife "Karen Manning" (Beth Brickell) as she goes to visit their son living in another state. That night two young women named "Agatha Jackson" (Sondra Locke) and "Donna" (Colleen Camp) appear on his doorstep totally drenched due to a thunderstorm and asking to use the telephone. Being a good person George allows them inside and even gives them some food and dry clothes while they wait for a friend to come and pick them up. What George doesn't know is that these two women aren't nearly as sweet and innocent as they pretend to be and soon he will regret ever meeting them. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this film started off rather well but then things took a turn for the worse with one extended scene continuing for what seemed like an eternity--and it became quite tedious from that point on. That being said, I have rated this movie accordingly.

...Imagine this. On one dark, rainy night, two sexy young blonde girls show up on your doorstep, soaked to the skin. They feed you some sob story about being lost and, being the trusting gentleman that you are, you invite them in. Once inside, the flirtatious girls waste no time striping seductively to their underwear. One thing leads to another and before you know it, the three of you are in your hot tub.... This might sound like every red-blooded man's fantasy but the next morning things turn nasty. Those sweet girls turn "psycho girl" on you. They tie you up, slap on some freakish make-up and proceed to inflict their sickening mind games on you. Will you live to regret your night of three-way nookie? That is basically what this film is about. It is no masterpiece of drive-in cinema but well worth seeing if you enjoy those kinds of low-budget movies. Fans of Nikos Nikoladis' 'Singapore Sling' might also want to give this a look. Both films have the same basic premise and some might come to realise that 'Sling' is not so original after all. Although do not go expecting the same amount of sleaze as 'Sling'. Also, look out for one of the best 'what-the-hell' endings you will ever see.

A middle-aged husband and father left alone on his 40th birthday decides to celebrate it with two 20-year-old hitch-hikers he lets in his house on a stormy night. After a steamy, delirious three-way sex scene in a bathtub, the two girls claim that they are both underage and reveal themselves to be obviously psychotic as they destroy his house and torment him with increasing violence. You have to hand it to the movies. In real life it is almost always the older men abusing young women, but in movies like this of course it's always the opposite. Someone once described this as "a middle-aged male sex fantasy gone wrong". That seems like a pretty accurate description.

On the plus side the story is never COMPLETELY unbelievable, although if it had been based on true story, you definitely would have heard the story. The acting is good. Seymour Cassell is always good even if he's rarely the lead. Colleen Camp brightened up both small roles in many big-budget movies and larger roles in many low-budget movies in the '70's. She's good here as always and has a few surprising nude scenes. Even Sondra Locke is pretty good (ironically, years later Locke would sue ex-husband Clint Eastwood for ruining her career--well, this is the kind of stuff she was doing before she met him).

On the negative side this story is still pretty unbelievable. The antics of the two girls are often more annoying (for both the protagonist and the viewer) than truly frightening. There's some gratuitous animal cruelty (and delivery boy cruelty). Worst of all, is the song "Good Old Dad", which as annoying as it is, is ironically appropriate to the movie at least, but the filmmakers insist on playing it at length again and again and again. It reminded me of the similar Umberto Lenzi-Carroll Baker film "Paranoia" where the villains try to drive the heroine insane by playing one annoying song repeatedly, except that it's not part of the plot here--the filmmakers are doing it to the viewers. I wonder if there is a soundtrack to this movie available. If so it probably a double LP of this one song playing over and over and over. The movie also features one of the most ridiculous deus ex machina endings since "The Bad Seed" (and it is also surprisingly similar to the ending of the English-language version of "Paranoia"). And look what's written on the side of the truck in the last scene. I guess they didn't didn't think too much of that thing with the cat.