Deathrow Gameshow

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.

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.

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 is a bad movie that has a funny concept. Unfortunately, the film-makers decided on using a lame script, bad actors and a cheap budget when they made this flick. Well, it was kinda funny is a trashy sort of way. I enjoyed it when I was 13 years old. Oh well, maybe somebody will pick up the concept and maybe they could do a better job. One could hope.

Recommended for it's dark humor.

B

Deathrow Gameshow will never win any awards, it will never reach a mainstream audience, and probably in the great scheme of things, it will be forgotten.

But in a way, it doesn't deserve its fate. Deathrow Gameshow is a funny movie. Granted, it isn't constantly hilarious, and it is downright stupid, but if you want to watch a movie just to have a good time, this is the movie for you. This film was made way before its time, with its style of humor more adjacent to There's Something About Mary or Kingpin then anything out of the 80's nice-nice comedies. Deathrow Gameshow for this reason will always be a classic. There is no other movie that I have ever seen that you can have more fun watching in a group setting.

The Plot deals with Chuck Toedan, the host of Live or Die, a show where death-row inmates are allowed to compete for their lives ***And some fabulous prizes!!!*** It seems that Chuck has finally had enough of hosting the show and dealing with death threats(he once killed a mob boss in a "very disrespectful manner.") The story is filled with hilarious dialogue both intentional and unintentional, and some inspired acting. Watch it if only for the dream sequence, which is one of the most hilarious and memorable scenes that I have ever seen. It gets 1/10 stars for intelligence, but 10/10 for humor, which is all that really matters. Enjoy, I always do.