Deathrow Gameshow

This movie is one of those rare offerings of pure, harmless, campy entertainment! Despite its failure to win a mainstream audience, it does have its own cult following, and it is too bad that the character of Gloria Sternvirgin (aka gloriabitch) was never given a sequel to expand her role. Some of the dialogue and actions of this film hit the bullseye, and the only other films where this combination (and type) of humor and plot structure could be found where in those directed by Paul Bartel (Deathrace 2000, Eating Rauol, Class Struggle in Beverly Hills).

It's just a feeling! - see this movie, you will like it.

Mark Pirro's "Deathrow Gameshow" of 1987 is a black comedy that is extremely cheesy in many parts, but occasionally very funny nevertheless. This movie could certainly have been a lot better, the acting is terrible, and some extremely cheesy scenes make it hard to watch at times, but the concept is funny, and it has some hilarious moments.

In the near future (the year 1991), game shows have changed. Chuck Todean (John Mc Cafferty) hosts a game show called "Live Or Die", in which convicted death row inmates have the chance to play for their lives, and for money. Candidates who fail, get executed on the air using many different methods, such as guillotines, electric chairs, and other, more bizarre devices of execution, followed by applause from the cheering studio audience. The show is, of course, more than controversial, and Chuck has made lots of enemies...

"Deathrow Gameshow" is incredibly cheesy and crappy in many aspects, and the acting is terrible, but it is without doubt fun in many parts, especially if you're a fan of dark humor. You haven't missed anything if you haven't seen it, but it is definitely funny and a good time waster. 4/10

Unable to resist a seductress taunting him with the dance of the seven "boners", another unlucky contestant succumbs by electrocution in the outrageous "Deathrow Gameshow." The movie is sort of an odd mixture of a Paul Bartel "black comedy", crossed with "Amazon Women on the Moon". Like those films the plot is merely something threaded together between tasteless commercials and some truly hilarious moments. While the acting is decidedly inferior, it only adds to the charm, because of the obvious enthusiasm involved. Definitely not bloody, definitely moments of hilarity, definite nudity that doesn't come across as merely gratuitous, "Deathrow Gameshow" is definitely worth seeing, especially for fans of "dark comedy." - MERK

Deathrow Gameshow takes a potentially hilarious premise and wastes it. It has a few humorous scenes interspersed with a lot of crud. A bit of satire, in this case, does not go a long way.

The film's low budget does it in. With a title like Deathrow Gameshow, you would expect a lot of funny death sequences. However, few of the deaths are actually shown on screen, probably due to the lack of a special effects budget. Instead, the film relies on scenes of a fat man chewing spaghetti with his mouth open for laughs.

Also, the acting plain reeks. The lead is boring, as is the supporting cast. The line delivery is amateurish and stilted. Only a few of the jokes, such as a reference to a character as a "human rectum," manage to survive.

My review was written in December 1987 after a screening at Cine 42 on Manhattan's 42nd Street.

The generic concept behind "The Running Man" is recyclec to ill effect in "Deathrow Gameshow", an exercise in vulgar humor reminiscent but inferior to 1970s drive-in comedies.

John McCafferty is well cast (he supervised casting) as Chuck Toedan, toothy, ever-smiling host of the tv game show "Live or Die", in which, a la "Running Man", condemned convicts are given a chance to get a reprieve or gifts for their families. Executions are conducted on the taped show if they lose.

Filmmaker Mark Pirro knows talk is cheap, so there's plenty of it and not enough game show segments to keep the film lively. Mostly it's Toedan's private life, dealing with unruly fans or people who hate him and the show, particularly feminist Gloria Sternvirgin (Robin Blythe) and Mafia hit man Luig Pappalardo (the height in hissable vulgarity as played by Beano). Attempts at black humor are mainly silly, the film's only successful running gag being Debra Lamb's non-stop posing as the sexy prize presenter on the show.

Production values are on the level of a home movie and the cast is instructed to overact throughout. The one-joke premise is padded endlessly with a pointless dream sequence and very slowly rolling end credits.