Jeux de Sang

I read the book "Blood Games" long before I saw this made for TV movie and was interested in how the writers would handle the facts. Would they stick to the facts or would they "Hollywoodize" it? I was surprised that they were pretty right-on as to the Dungeon & Dragons aspect, the drugs and the actions of these college idiots who conspired to murder the parents of one of them. Anyone who minimizes the effect that Dungeons & Dragons had in this tragic event should read "Blood Games". Unfortunately, the movie was not that well-acted and the dialog left something to be desired but, overall, not bad.

Normally, I wouldn't even stoop to viewing trash like this, but since role-playing is a dear hobby to me, and such was the subject of the film, I did. It was garbage in so many ways that I do not know where to begin. I would rather sit through the "Plan 9 from Outer Space" marathon than watch another minute of this vomit. At least Plan 9 didn't have an agenda. How the media could capitulate and irresponsibly represent extremist agenda as fact is beyond me. It is a scary time when a whole group of people can be unceremoniously trounced with no defense and no real facts presented. I know this commentary went more social, but it couldn't be helped, as this movie begged it. Imagine a pro-nazi film being reviewed strictly on film merit. Won't happen. As it sits, the people who made this film are facists themselves, and should perhaps move into a communist enclave where propagandizing is accepted.

With all respect to Dungeons and Dragons player, this movie was not really about the effects of the game. Instead, this finely acted drama dealt much more with a mother's love for the son who attempted her murder. Of the 2 "made for TV" movies produced on this true story at the same time (the other was "Cruel Doubt"), I liked this one the best. Sharon Gless, was excellent as the mother who slowly comes to the realization that the attack on herself and her husband, which left him dead, was planned by her son, a student who had been living at college. As the evidence against him becomes stronger, the boy falls apart. But rather than disowning him, Bonnie Van Stein apprehends her own fault in allowing his stepfather to prematurely push Chris into manhood. In spite of the opinions of all around her, she sticks to her support of her son, assuring him of her forgiveness and encouraging him to forgive himself. One judges a production by how it lingers with you afterwards. It has been over 10 years since I first saw this movie, and I still cannot forget it.

Despite "B list" actors, the movie was entertaining, and kept me interested. Certain parts of the story were not quite believable, something that certainly detracted from the movie to an extent. Nonetheless, while not the greatest flick I've ever seen, it's worth 2 hours of your time.

This film is not about D & D at all. The other comments focused on D&D because they are devoted players of the silly game. These boys who committed the murder lived 12 miles from me, and they were not motivated by the game, but were motivated by greed. This telling of the story based on Jerry Bledsoe's book is very accurate, and a decent movie. The other version, based on Joe McGuiness' book, is very different. That book was commissioned by Bonnie Von Stien to help show that her son was just a regular kid. McGuiness has proved to be untrustworthy when it comes to the facts, and he can be bought to write whatever you want!