6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Chuck Toedan's the host of a gameshow featuring death row convicts competeing in life-or-death contests in hopes of cheating the executioner or, at the very least, winning some nice prizes for their next of kin. Not surprisingly, Chuck has made more than a few enemies, from outraged viewers trying to ban his show, to families of losing contestants looking for revenge. A hitman hired by one such family has shown up at Chuck's office, and he'll need to enlist the help of his most outspoken critic to keep from ending up like most of his contestants
Starring: Darwyn Carson, Zachary Harris, Jim Bruce (II), John McCafferty, Robyn BlytheDark humor | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
“Deathrow Gameshow” is the second film from 1987 to address a futureworld where the incarcerated are offered a chance at freedom if they compete on a popular television show. However, this isn’t “The Running Man,” which is admittedly a pretty goofy movie trying to keep a straight face. “Deathrow Gameshow” is a farce from writer/director Mark Pirro (and his Pirromont Pictures, which uses a mountain-esque image of a single female breast as their logo), who doesn’t waste a minute on serious business, launching this take on the disposable lives of the condemned as a wacky exploration of television production and stupidity, without any sort of social or political commentary. It’s a broad creation, but one that’s eager to please, doing what it can to secure any laughs from viewers, trying to make a limited budget feel sizable with help from slapstick, nudity, and small bites of industry satire.
The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation ("Scanned and restored in 2k from 35mm original camera negative") brings "Deathrow Gameshow" to Blu-ray with a bright, clear viewing experience, sure to please fans used to seeing the feature on video and cable. Sharpness is generally good, securing welcome detail on facial reactions, as Pirro tends to abuse close-ups for comedic effect. Textures are also found on costuming and set decoration, making it easy to spot how budgetary dollars were spent. Colors are superbly refreshed, bringing out bold primaries and lush greenery, also handling dynamic lighting for the game show sequences. Skintones are natural. Delineation is secure. Grain is appealing, adding a filmic presence. Source is strong, without overt damage. Some mild judder is detected.
The 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix provides unexpected energy to "Deathrow Gameshow." Scoring cues and soundtrack selections come through clear and defined, with full instrumentation to bring a musical presence to the feature. Dialogue exchanges are most crisp and tight, handling the movie's broadness without distortion. Also, natural microphone tone is preserved, giving McCafferty's performance a boost. Sound effects are pronounced, but they don't overwhelm.
"Deathrow Gameshow" doesn't offer a satisfying ending, failing to come up with a snowballing sense of lunacy to successfully stick the landing. However, it opens with enough agreeable nonsense to pass, actually doing something with a promising premise for the first half of the feature. Pirro doesn't have the money to truly expand this oddball world of televised executions and mob enforcement, but he nails tonality in pieces, keeping "Deathrow Gameshow" afloat for longer than I'm sure anyone might expect.
2013
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