DEATH GAME
dir. Peter S. Traynor, 1977
87 mins. United States.

SATURDAY, JULY 2 – MIDNIGHT
FRIDAY, JULY 8 – MIDNIGHT
SATURDAY, JULY 16 – MIDNIGHT
FRIDAY, JULY 22 – MIDNIGHT

On a dark and stormy night, while his family are away, two strangers ring George Manning’s doorbell. He probably shouldn’t have answered it, he really shouldn’t have invited them in, and he definitely shouldn’t have slept with them. Now George must fight for his life and escape their DEATH GAME…

Staring Oscar-nominated actor and longtime Cassavetes collaborator Seymour Cassel, DEATH GAME is a home invasion fever dream about a man’s poor decision making. Originally written by Jo Heims, the film shares DNA with her earlier works PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1971) and BREEZY (1973), despite ultimately being re-written by less experienced men. The rewrite, which lead actress Sondra Locke described as less suspenseful and more exploitative than Heims’ original, romanticizes the self-inflicted woes of a male protagonist in that way you love to hate.

Too ironic to not enjoy, DEATH GAME is a shining example of a joyful revenge fantasy as misunderstood by the male gaze. (Eli Roth later remade the film as 2015’s, KNOCK KNOCK, which was executive produced by DEATH GAME director Peter Traynor as well as lead actors Sondra Locke and Colleen Camp.)

Special thanks to Grindhouse Releasing.