After her estranged sister is found murdered, journalist Keegan (Jo Ann Harris) returns to her hometown to find that a lot has changed, especially when it comes how some of its citizens interpret the word “monogamy”. All of her old pals -before they start getting offed by the sadistic killer- have more or less settled down and they all seem to be sharing their husbands or having affairs that everyone knows about. Keegan decides to go with the flow and starts having a romance with the local sheriff Roger Lane (Sam Groom) despite or maybe because he’s married to her high school rival. Roger pals around with Billy Owens (Steve Railsback), the local oddball who runs the movie theater but moonlights as the chief suspect in the murders!
One thing I’ve grown to appreciate over the years are films made during the heyday of the slasher boom that are more concerned with its characters than its kills, and Deadly Games (1982) embodies the living heck out of that description. Sure, this movie has a big climactic chase scene at the end, but what really matters here is the climactic date that Keegan and Roger go on. He makes sure that his old pal Billy joins them for the duration of their all-nighter. It’s completely bonkers and every bit as wonderful as it sounds.
Director Scott Mansfield and cinematographer R. Michael Stringer certainly know how to make the most of the film’s atmospheric locations. I love the northern California setting of Deadly Games, but I especially love how much of this takes place in a freakin’ gorgeous old movie palace. If you’re looking to do a moviethon filled with horrors that takes place at old theatres, be sure to include this one! And bonus if you’re a guy who happens to be me: there’s an excellent nighttime swimming pool scene as well. Any film gets points from me for including one of those.
The old adage: “they don’t make ‘em like this anymore” is certainly applicable here, but they totally should. Deadly Games is quirky as heck and a good time watch. Even the asshole characters are likeable and fleshed out. I dig the cast too. Where else are you going to find Colleen Camp of He Knows You’re Alone (1980), Steve frickin’ Railsback, football superstar June Lockhart, and Hollywood legend Dick Butkus? You still with me? Just seeing if you’re paying attention. If you think you’ve seen every damn ‘80s slasher, I bet there’s still a couple more lurking about that you haven’t gotten to yet. If Deadly Games is on that list, give it a go! Highly recommended.
The Arrow Video release of Deadly Games is a helluva nice way to spend an evening. I am so glad that I never sought this one out on an old VHS tape because the darker scenes (of which there are a lot) would’ve been impenetrable. This is a solid looking and sounding release that would make an awesome double feature with their recent rescue of Death Screams from the “I wish I could see what was going on in this scene” VHS hellscape. There are cool interviews with Jere Rae-Mansfield, who played one of the lovely victims in the film and John Eggett guy who did effects and stunts on the film. They both have some great stories to tell! Rounding things off is a superb audio commentary by the Hysteria Continues podcast.