The Name of the Game Is Kill!

Another sadly forgotten late 60's shocker, "The Name of the Game is Kill" features pretty much all the ingredients cult-cinema collectors could be looking for. The title alone will make certain people (= me) froth at the mouth, apparently the original spool went missing for several years (or so I read) and – last but not least – it has one of those typically engaging & challenging 60's promotional taglines! The VHS copy I held in my dirty little hand shout out: "You can't buy a ticket for this movie unless you sign a pledge not to reveal the surprise shock ending to anyone!" Call me easily enticed, but that's what I call salesmanship. The plot is wondrously weird and full of unpredictable twists – albeit cheesy and absurd twists – and demented character. The handsome Hungarian stranger Sim passes through a remote little US town and gets invited to the home of the uncanny Terry family. Mother Terry lives with her three daughters and a bizarre collection of poisonous snakes and tarantulas. The second oldest daughter Mickey is adorable, but the other women in the house behave somewhat odd and hostile. Sim nearly dies the next morning and ends up in the hospital were a dodgy Sheriff advises him not to go back there. Naturally he doesn't listen and returns to the house, only to encounter some of the freakiest family rituals and traditions imaginable. The movie is mysteriously compelling, original, well-directed and … swinging! The soundtrack is quite awesome and it definitely helps you, along with the masterful photography, to get through the overly talkative and slightly tedious moments. And I'm pleased to say the VHS cover didn't lie! Although the ending certainly won't sweep you off your feet, the last 20-25 minutes are offbeat, creepy, convoluted and even somewhat disturbing. But most of all, the climax is deliciously insane! Sure the idea will have crossed your mind at the beginning of the film, but when the big twist eventually becomes revealed, you still don't expect it. Just the way we love it. Recommended, if you can find a copy.

Jack Lord provides a commendable performance here as a Hungarian drifter roaming the desolate American southwest. Offered lodging by three odd sisters and their equally odd mother(who are operating a last-chance gas station in a nearly abandoned town), all initially seems well enough...but little by little, bizarre secrets are revealed, and a mystery unfolds which puts our hero in mortal danger. Deceit and seduction play him like a fiddle from hell, and all parties are suspect.

Effectively eerie in a strange, evanescent way, THE NAME OF THE GAME IS KILL draws great benefit from a creditable music score and some surprisingly creative location filming by pre-famed Vilmos Zsigmond.

A pretty elusive second-string flick which has all but disappeared since its initial theatrical run, circulating grey-market copies tend to be terribly washed-out. Sadly, that will just have to suffice ad interim until a much-anticipated legit release is brought forward. Give it a whirl if you enjoy delirious 60s post-noir thrillers.

6.5/10.

I recently watched The Name of the Game is Kill (1969) on the Full Moon app via Prime. The storyline follows a Hungarian refugee hitchhiking across Arizona who believes he's hit the jackpot when a beautiful woman picks him up, takes him home, and offers him food, clothing, a shower, and a bed to sleep in. However, the next day, he discovers the hidden motives of the girl and her sisters and realizes he may have gotten himself into more trouble than he bargained for.

Directed by Gunnar Hellström (Zorn), the film stars Jack Lord (Dr. No), Susan Strasberg (Scream of Fear), Collin Wilcox (To Kill a Mockingbird*), Tisha Sterling (Village of the Giants), and Mort Mills (Psycho).

This movie has a lot of elements I enjoyed. It's shot in that grainy grindhouse style that was in full swing during the late 60s, adding to its gritty atmosphere. The setup of the characters and circumstances is well-executed, and you genuinely want to know what will happen next. The acting is solid, with dialogue and interactions that feel realistic and authentic. While the kills are average and I wished for more gore, there's a bridge scene that genuinely shocked me and added a lot of fun to the film. The conclusion is a bit cliché, but it's still entertaining.

In conclusion, The Name of the Game is Kill is an entertaining thriller with solid characters and unique circumstances. I'd score it a 6.5/10 and recommend it primarily to die-hard grindhouse fans who enjoy movies like Spider Baby or FG lFaster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!

Yeah I guessed the ending right from the start. It was so obviious. I guess it was a huge shocker back then but not so much now. Jack Lord with the Hungarian accent was pretty cool. He was a great actor. Susan Strasberg was so incredibly beautiful in this and such a powerful actress. I can't understand why her career was relegated to guest spots on various TV shows. She should have been an A lister in the movies. The actresses who played her sisters were gorgeous too. All in all, this film was low budget and ultimately weak.

This movie was interesting at best for this time era. It was a true thriller and most appealing to audiences around the world. I especially liked the differences between the three sisters, in which they all had various personalities and desires for this Hungarian drifter that happened to stop at the gas station in need of help. Jack Lord played a most interesting role as did the other members of the cast and I had found the sisters to be very desirable to Jack Lord and he did not see what was ahead of him before they tried to kill him by running him over the bridge. Each sister played a very different role in what they had in store for this Hungarian man and in the end it was a cliff hanger. Very much enjoyed for a film produced in the late 60's. A remake of this film would be very enlightening. Jeanelle Todd