Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Blood Games Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 31, 2020

1990’s “Blood Games” offers one of the more peculiar set-ups for a thriller I’ve ever encountered. While the material eventually settles into formula, depicting a forest battle between backwoods predators and female prey, the path to such a showdown makes its first stop at a rural baseball game, with the visitors a team of scantily clad ladies that drive around the country, battling local opponents. It’s an underworld of sports betting with a side of Hooters-style teasing that gently launches the feature, giving director Tanya Rosenberg multiple opportunities to arrange sexploitation shots and examine the horrors of uncontrollable men. It’s so weird, and yet, it’s actually a fantastic way to commence “Blood Games,” earning viewer interest with the unexpected before Rosenberg gives in to the predictability of genre demands.

Deep in rural America, “Babe and The Ballgirls” have arrived for a game against local goons who’ve gathered to celebrate Roy’s (Gregory Scott Cummins) birthday. Managed by Midnight (Ross Hagen), The Ballgirls are a proficient team of players committed to winning, but also attentive to the visual aspect of their profession, wearing skimpy attire that riles up the young men. When the hicks are trounced by the ladies, Midnight plans to collect a $1000 bet from Mino (Ken Carpenter), Roy’s father, who’s greatly bothered to have lost the wager. Refusing to deliver the cash as Midnight, his daughter, Babe (Laura Albert), and the rest of the team try to leave the small town, Mino sends Roy and additional enforcers to make trouble for the visitors, with goons choosing to sexually assault a few of Babe’s teammates. When Midnight takes a knife to the gut during the fight, Babe tries to speed away in the team bus, only to lose her way in the endless forest, setting up a hunt for Mino, who offers a small fortune to locals capable of tracking and killing the women. Unwilling to become a victim, Babe and the lineup elect to fight back.

The baseball sequence that opens “Blood Games” is a lively overview of sporting skill and gender antagonism. On one side are The Ballgirls, a traveling team made of up young, attractive women who strive to defeat their opponents. Midnight wants a good, clean game, but he’s also mindful of the visual potential of the show, dressing the players in tiny outfits to best delight the gathered crowd. Babe and her teammates are out to destroy, but rival men are mostly interested in ogling the visitors, or trying to grab them in increasingly hostile ways. Rosenberg understands what kind of movie she’s making, offering plenty of downblouse and upskirt cinematography as the good old boys lose their minds around The Ballgirls. The afternoon game sours considerably once the locals realize they’re going to lose by a lot, turning to sneaky acts of violence to cover for such a humiliation, giving “Blood Games” its first hint that the afternoon isn’t going to be easy for Midnight and his team.

The game sequence is suspenseful, slowly exposing what Mino’s goons are capable of. What begins with a fast elbow to the chin quickly becomes a sexual assault, as two players on The Ballgirls are subjected to the nightmare of hicks and their lack of impulse control, with Rosenberg setting the violence level of the feature. There’s more to come once Mino puts a bounty out on the team, and “Blood Games” does an acceptable job of escalation, with a sudden welch setting danger in motion for Babe, who soon becomes the leader of the escape plan. Rosenberg takes care of a few expectations along the way, including a shower sequence where the grotesque Vern (George “Buck” Flower) decides to peep away. Once The Ballgirls hit the forest, “Blood Games” transforms into a survival thriller, watching frightened women try to avoid their pursuers, who are armed with crossbows and an urge to complete their mission to rape, then murder.

Blood Games Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Blood Games" makes its Blu-ray debut with an AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation, sourced from a 2K scan of the 35mm interpositive. Color is impressive here, highlighting substantial greenery as the action heads from the grassy ballfield to the deep forest. Skintones are natural. Interiors showcase varied signage, and costuming supplies a full read of primaries, dealing with yellow player shorts and the blue denim loving goons. Detail is compelling, picking up on sweaty faces and grizzled men. Nature visits are dimensional, along with bar interiors. Clothing is fibrous and some outfits retain intended sheerness. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is film-like. Source is in good condition, with mild speckling.

Blood Games Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix isn't quite as strong as the visual experience, as the low-budget nature of "Blood Games" is readily apparent throughout the listening event. A few dialogue exchanges are difficult to hear, dealing with production limitations, occasionally threatened by scoring efforts. This appears to be an inherent issue, as other elements presented here, including sound effects, are rarely delivered with precision. Instrumentation is acceptable, with piano-based offerings registering clearly. Atmospherics are a tad muted at times, though forest expanse is capable, along with ball game crowd activity.

Blood Games Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Playing Hardball" (10:08, HD) is an interview with actor Ken Carpenter, who was billed as "Luke Shay" in "Blood Games" due to union entanglements. Carpenter describes his comfort with the outdoor aspects of the production, having grown up near a forest, highlighting the challenges of shooting in Wyoming, including changes in elements. The interviewee recalls a minor conflict with co-star George "Buck" Flower, who was likely asked by the producers to give Carpenter acting tips to strengthen his villainous character. An assessment of director Tanya Rosenberg is offered, and Carpenter describes the experience of working around real logging equipment for the film's final showdown, recalling increased safety measures.

• "Playing a Tough Babe" (10:09, HD) is a video conferencing chat with Laura Albert, an actress who began her career as a model, winning "five free acting lessons" along the way. Albert shares her memories of "Blood Games," dealing with the outdoors and developing a growing interest in stunt work, which eventually inspired her transformation into a stunt career. Longtime connections to her co-stars are shared, with Albert in touch with most of the other women in the film, still enjoying camaraderie established decades ago. The interviewee details her motherly relationship with Ken Carpenter's children, showering them with attention during the making of the movie, recently returning to their lives. Albert closes with her crossroads moment, which led her to abandon acting for the stunt life, finding tremendous success along the way.

• Promotional Gallery (1:53) collects poster art, publicity shots, and film stills.

• And a Trailer (2:07, HD) is included.

Blood Games Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Blood Games" is sleazy, that's the point, but it has movement thanks to Rosenberg, who's no action craftsperson, but she does well with a lower budget. Deaths are mildly shocking, and villains are repellent. And the whole endeavor builds to a terrific ending on a logging site, making smart use of the location to doing something a bit different. There's little artfulness here, just B-movie fury, ugliness, and lewdness, with Rosenberg attentive to the essentials of this type of cinema. And yet, as the film descends into brutality, the real surprise of "Blood Games" is how well it works as a kooky baseball feature. I wasn't expecting that.