Mind Games

Good evening, everyone! I'm Mr. C Reviewer, and tonight we'll be diving into the film Mind Games. I had the opportunity to watch the movie on Fawesome. This movie originally premiered on March 3, 1989, and has a runtime of 1 hour and 33 minutes. It is rated for viewers aged 18 and older. Notably, parts of the film were filmed in California, USA. The projected revenue was approximately $85,085. As someone on the autism spectrum, I found subtitles to be incredibly helpful, greatly enhancing my ability to follow the dialogue throughout the film. The film was directed by Bob Yari and written by Kenneth Dorward.

Summary: On a heartfelt quest to mend their faltering marriage, Dana and Rita Lund embark on a road trip through the breathtaking landscapes of California's wilderness with their young son, Kevin. As they seek to reignite the spark in their relationship, their journey takes an unsettling turn when they cross paths with Eric Garrison-a charismatic yet menacing hitchhiker harboring ulterior motives.

Review: -I appreciated how the film opens by introducing us to the Lund family and showcasing their interactions prior to the RV trip. Personally, I would have preferred if the movie had commenced a week before their journey rather than on the day itself, as this would have allowed for a deeper understanding of their family dynamics before embarking on their adventure. I appreciated how the film delivers a richly layered examination of complex family dynamics, trust, psychological manipulation, gender roles, and parenting responsibilities. The film's relaxed tone leads to an absence of tension and conflict, which are critical elements in a psychological thriller. It begins with a gradual build-up; however, once the hitchhiker Eric enters their lives, the pacing becomes erratic. While some scenes are marked by melodrama and exaggerated exchanges, others drag on without providing meaningful development or suspense. I appreciated the casting choices for the film; although there were instances of commendable acting, several performances occasionally felt stiff or overly dramatic. Notably, Matt delivered a nuanced performance that distinguished him among the adult actors. The music occasionally seemed misaligned with the scenes, particularly those designed to evoke tension and suspense. While the audio mix was satisfactory, it did not reach a level of excellence. There were moments when ambient sounds and effects fell short of fully enriching the atmosphere.

-I appreciated that when characters read notes during scenes, it was not their own voices that conveyed the text, but rather the voice of the individual who authored the message. I admired the cinematography, which employed a rich variety of shot types to significantly enhance the narrative. The gentle lighting established a nuanced atmosphere that I found appealing; however, while all the essential elements in each frame were distinctly visible, some parts could have benefited from additional brightness. Personally, I often adjust my screen's brightness for a better viewing experience, which proved particularly helpful during this film. I believe I would have appreciated the film more if some scenes had been slightly shorter. I liked that the film implied animal deaths without showing the act or its aftermath; however, I still found it to be a challenging watch.

-While I appreciated certain aspects of the ending, I found it to be somewhat underwhelming. The revelation of Eric's motivations felt delayed and somewhat awkwardly executed. I anticipated the conclusion, which seemed unrealistic and did not adequately explore the deeper issues present in Dana and Rita's relationship.

I rate each film I watch out of 10 and for this one, I give it a 5.5 Remember this was what I thought about the movie personally and I suggest that you give it a go for yourself.

Pretty good film for your typical family in trouble suspense / thriller. Family goes to the country to bond, meets a traveling guy ( Caulfield ) with lots of advice, befriend him and take him into confidence. Caulfield decides to use the family as his own personal psych experiment and dad ( Albert ) has to try and save his family from a lunatic. Worth a rental.

The plot to this film is the generic "family in peril" type of movie that was all the rage back in the day. An unhappily married couple and their 10 year old son go on vacation in their camper. The boy wanders off one day and comes across a shirtless man in the woods playing a flute. Well...he does what any boy in this situation would do. He befriends the guy and brings him back to the camper to join his family for dinner.

So does this stranger turn out to be a psycho? You betcha! That doesn't seem to bother the boy's parents and soon the stranger is invited to tag along on their family vacation. You already know what's going to happen because it's the same as what ALWAYS happens in this type of film. The stranger sleeps with the unhappy wife. Then he decides that the father needs to depart from the land of the living.

There is no nudity, very little violence and a whole bucketful of predictable boredom. I'd recommend watching "Cape Fear" again if you want to see a much better film of this type. 2/10

This little movie is touted as a thriller of sorts. Sadly, there are very few thrills to be had here. The script is really clunky and the dialogue is excruciating. There are only four actors in the whole movie and, other than the boy, they are not unknown actors. None are big stars, but they are not unknowns. Based on their performances here, they deserve to be. The young boy is the best of the bunch, and he is no great shakes. Maxwell Caulfield deserves a special mention. He has to be one of the most irritating, unappealing actors I have ever come across. I'm not going to say give this movie a miss, but don't get your expectations too high.

My review was written in August 1989 after watching the movie on CBS/Fox video cassette.

Though briefly receiving film fest exposure and wet coast bookings in March, MGM/UA's "Mind Games" is a small-scale psychological thriller that will play better on tv.

A piece for four actors (there is no supporting cast), Bob Yari's pic follows the traditional format of an appealing but dangerous stranger disrupting a family. Maxwell Caulfield, (previously effective a a heavy in "The Boys Next Door"), is Eric, a psych student who attaches himself to Edward Albert and Shawn Weatherly, who are traveling in the Southwest i theri rec vehicle with 10-year-old Matt Norero.

Caulfield, as part of a self-assigned psych project, manipulates the threesome, working on the son first (with discreet overtones of homosexuality), then the adults. Tension among the characters is dissipated when the film turns to unconvincing melodrama.

Caulfield is a commanding presence here, even when the script has him reveal too much of his ulterior motives. Weatherly is dramatic and provides needed sex appeal, while Albert is saddled with an underwritten part as the weak husband. Newcomer Norero gives a subtle reading of the kid's part.

With good technical contributions, Yari keeps the pot boiling up to a point. Ambitious finale tries for an open-ended effect, but lacks credibility.