Game of Survival Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Game of Survival Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 12, 2022

For his directorial debut, Armand Gazarian attempts to participate in the home video gold rush of the 1980s, assembling “Games of Survival” (titled “Game of Survival” on the Blu-ray packaging), which presents low-fi action for evenings of VHS rental roulette. Gazarian doesn’t come armed with a major budget, locations, and actors, getting by on the bare minimum of technical achievements, electing to shoot the endeavor on 8mm, giving it the general atmosphere of a student production. “Games of Survival” doesn’t aim high when it comes to dramatic engagement, but Gazarian is looking to land a basic actioner with sci-fi touches, trying his hardest to make some B-movie magic with grungy cinematography and modest fight choreography. There’s a mild sense of appealing lunacy in play, but there’s nothing here that’s too challenging for genre fans.

Zane (Nicholas Hill) is a resident of the planet Sino (also called Zikon in the movie), and he’s a desperate man trying to preserve what little freedom he has left after the planet has been claimed by destructive forces. Captured and imprisoned, Zane is left to rot in prison, but he soon acquires a different purpose, beamed onto an alien ship controlled by leader Gothic (Steve Dalton). Enjoying his position of power, Gothic has devised a special game for his companions, bringing together outlaws Skullblaster (Roosevelt Miller Jr.), Gygon (Dennis Warren), Minig (Eugene Pigeon), Zooloj (Johnnie Saiko), and Moozy (Anthony Julian Tarantino), sending the gladiators and Zane to Los Angeles, where they must hunt for a special ball hidden in the city. The last man standing with the prize after 60 hours is granted freedom, making the mission especially important to Zane, who begins his quest, encountering meddlesome humans and his fellow players, who seek to destroy anyone who stands in their way.

All is not well on Sino, with Zane a hunted man trying to find a safe place on a planet crawling with armed enforcers. Well, one armed enforcer, but he manages to capture Zane, who’s grown obsessed with his idea of “total freedom,” soon offered a chance to achieve his dream with Gothic’s sick-o game of death. There’s a slight “Highlander” tilt to “Games of Survival,” which pits the competitors against one another, each looking to collect a spiked orb that’s actually a family heirloom, with the last man standing winning the prize. The screenplay offers simple introductions for the competitors (e.g. Minig is a little person archer, Skullblaster is a barbarian, and Gygon is masked) before beaming them from Gothic’s cramped spaceship to the streets of Los Angeles, where the players quickly encounter the locals, including Zooloj, who happily munches on drugs offered to him by a local dealer.

Suspense should amplify at this point, beginning a brutal contest, but “Games of Survival” doesn’t have that kind of budget, with Gazarian mostly sticking to permit-less locations, including the glamour of a trainyard, a park, and an apartment complex. The ball’s initial hiding spot in a Mr. Goodbar box at a convenience store accurately represents the scope of the picture, with the production merely striving to deal with what they have to work with. “Games of Survival” follows the fighters around the city, where they explore the area and occasionally clash, though, weirdly, they rarely use the weapons gifted by Gothic. Instead, there’s more physical activity to the movie, and while chorography is half-speed silliness at times, the conflicts do bring some level of excitement to the endeavor, which could use all the distractions it can get.

Game of Survival Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Games of Survival" was originally shot on 8mm, with the AVC encoded image (1.33:1 aspect ratio) presentation representing a restoration effort from Culture Shock Releasing, bringing the picture to Blu-ray for the first time. The viewing experience tends to reach as far as it can go with detail, offering a softer study of skin surfaces and warrior costuming. Textures aren't deep, but a general idea of facial particulars is present, along with some alien makeup work. Colors are pleasingly refreshed, providing warmer L.A. tones and decent greenery. Skintones are natural. Primaries have heft with clothing choices. Delineation is acceptable. Grain is heavy and film-like. Wear and tear is present, with sustained scratches, splice marks, and a few jumpy frames. Frame debris is also noticeable.

Game of Survival Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is dealing with a simple production. Largely shot without sound, dialogue exchanges retain their broadly dubbed presence, but intelligibility is never threatened, even when weird choices are made to whisper lines. Scoring cues offer a basic synth sound, balanced adequately with the performances. Sound effects are pronounced.

Game of Survival Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Intro (:51, HD) offers a welcome to the "Games of Survival" Blu-ray experience from co-writer/director Armand Gazarian, who offers production history and achievements, noting the film was created with a crew of three people.

• Commentary features co-writer/director Armand Gazarian.

• "8mm Hollywood" (30:34, HD) is an interview with actor Johnnie Saiko, who recalls his initial involvement with "Games of Survival," brought to the attention of the filmmakers due to his look, which included previous gigs involving a mohawk. Saiko details previous times working on 8mm productions, and he's quizzed on character name pronunciation, sharing how these things were often made up on the spot. The interviewee explores his time with Don Jackson and special makeup effects artist Steve Wang, who was 13 years old when he met Saiko, sharing his love of creature effects and monster movies. Time on-set is remembered, with the actor also working behind-the-scenes on "Gremlins 2." Saiko closes with the resurrection of his "Games of Survival" character for a 2018 Municipal Waste music video, though he refused to provide a fresh mohawk for the band.

• "8mm Hollywood #2" (8:30, HD) is an interview with cinematographer Bruce Hensius, who was fresh out of film school when he began working on "Games of Survival," happy to help his pal, director Armand Gazarian. The interviewee recalls visiting various locations during the shoot, with the production never bothering with permits, which led to some confrontations with property owners. Hensius shares some anecdotes about the making of "Games of Survival," including a task to provide many voices for the movie, which was shot without sound.

• "Slime and Punishment" (4:13, HD) is music video from Municipal Waste.

• Restoration Comparison (4:03, HD) provides a split-screen appreciation for work put into the resurrection of "Games of Survival."

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

Game of Survival Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even at 76 minutes in length, "Games of Survival" has filler, including scenes devoted to the preparation of frozen pizza and Minig's hunt for a dog, which represents his dinner. Dramatic entanglements aren't riveting, with the addition of Cindy (Cindy Coatman), an Earthling caught up in Zane's situation, more about adding a damsel in distress than providing a storytelling complication. "Games of Survival" is rough around the edges, but there's a certain bottom shelf charm to the work, supplying some momentum with the hunt for the ball, and Gazarian manages to secure a light comic book tone to the endeavor, helping viewers with lowered expectations to enjoy a determined offering of action cinema.