Insipid. Look it up in your Webster's International and you should find this definition: 1) lacking taste or savor, 2) lacking in qualities that interest; dull and 3) the movie called DEATH GAME. Yes Monster maniacs, we have us here a real dog of a film that deserves to be taken out behind the woodshed. Read on, if you dare...

Now the movie starts out innocently enough; George Manning is a businessman in San Francisco celebrating his 40th birthday by losing at croquet to his wife Karen. Later, when George is about to get some, Karen's mother calls. Seems one of George and Karen's kids, staying with Grandmom, has appendicitis. So Karen goes off to be with her brood, while George remains behind - he has a big meeting or something the next day. The rest of his birthday is spent alone listening to records and drinking cheap booze...until the doorbell rings. It's two young girls, lost and caught in the raging downpour outside. They ask for help, and kind-hearted George agrees. Big mistake, dude. After a 'phone call', the girls - Jackson and Donna - ask George if they can wait at his place for 'a friend to pick them up.' Our boy agrees, sealing his fate. The duo entices George into a rather rambunctious 3-way orgy in the hot tub - their way of saying thanks.

The next morning, George awakes to the sounds of Jackson and Donna preparing him breakfast - the 'friend' never showed. George is further upset by the savage manners the girls display at the table; eating their food like little piggies. Their infantile behavior and consistent chatter drive George to the brink, and he threatens to call the police if they don't leave straightaway. Then Jackson gets mean, and tells George she and Donna are underage; he's guilty of statutory rape. They'll destroy his reputation if he calls the cops. But George realizes the two are out of control, and starts to dial. Jackson admits defeat, but demands a ride to the bus station. George takes Jackson and Donna into the city and dumps them off at the station, driven to the breaking point by their incessant antics. He calls Karen on his way home, telling her how much he loves her. His nightmare is over...OR IS IT???

Y'know; based on that description, DEATH GAME could have been a nifty little claustrophobic thriller. However, this film fails in almost every category of filmmaking. The story has plot holes you can drive a truck through; there is no attempt at characterization and things 'just happen.' The acting is lousy - and there are only three principals. George is bland and the girls are annoying. I suppose it's ironic watching Sondra Locke act like a nutcase, based on the claims she made about Clint Eastwood after their relationship ended. She may really be crazy. In most films there is an expectation to 'suspend disbelief', but DEATH GAME goes so far beyond any reason, it's even surpassing the 'camp' factor which just might have saved it. The direction is uninspired, adding to the misery. The director repeats the same 'music montage' theme at least four times - can you say 'padding'? Worse then all this is the simple fact that the print transferred to this DVD is almost unwatchable. The image is dark and muddy - sometimes you can't tell what's happening on the screen. The picture is full of dropouts, the colors are blurry, and the film is very grainy. To top it off, every time you reach a chapter break, the picture pauses, even if you've chosen "play movie" mode. This bodes well for the producers' integrity; obviously the need for a quick buck is more important than a quality DVD. Sound is scratchy, due to the print quality, and the same two songs are used over and over again until one becomes quite sick of them. The only time DEATH GAME made me perk up and take notice was the very last shot - but to sit through 87 minutes for that was not worth it.

Oh yeah, to really sell the DVD of DEATH GAME, Cinema Pops has released it with a plethora of extras...not! Chapter search (see above for what's wrong with that) and a preview montage. That's all, folks.

As another George (Washington) once said, "I can not tell a lie; DEATH GAME is an insipid film." Bad acting, weak direction and a beastly print all sabotage an otherwise interesting premises (based on a true story, like everything else these days, don't you know.) I think I may have even fallen asleep during the 'gripping and tense' climax of this awful, and eminently forgettable film. DEATH GAME is a sucker's bet; you'll have better luck in Vegas with your dollar.