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Blackmail, Murder & Mayhem

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The Game

The Game

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: David Fincher's 3rd Best Movie!
Review: A very cool suspense movie starring Michael Douglas. It is about a rich business man (Michael Douglas) and his brother (Sean Penn) wants to give him a gift of a real-life game that takes place in the real world. But when it gets too hard to take , and Michael Douglas is being hurt , and starts to suspect this is real life , all hell breaks loose. Is someone trying to kill him or is someone playing a horrible trick on him. Watch it and find out. Starring: Michael Douglas , Sean Penn , Debroah Unger , James Rebhorn and Peter Donat...

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: dangerous philosophy
Review: The philosophy of this film is a very dangerous one: This ist faschism in it's most modern way, blasphemy, man's arrogance in it's most concentrated way. There is no man on earth to whom anyone has the right to play games like that. This is no game - this is brainwashing, breaking the rules, hurting human dignity. No man on earth has the right to do things like these to another - no matter how evil the man should be: God has meant men to be free to decide wether to be good or to be bad. This freedom cannot and MUST not been taken away by man. Or we will find us somewhere in a somewhat "brave new world"!
Summary: How a pity that Nicholas revolver didn't really shoot - all who where taking part in this game should have been killed! They must be supposed to be members of a dangerous sect.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: At last a David Fincher flick I can get into
Review: In "The Game", Michael Douglas plays Nicholas Van Orton, a successful, filthy rich investment banker who may just be on the edge of death. Coming from a long line of rich men who couldn't stand their ordered lives - especially Nicky's father who killed himself on his own birthday - Van Orton is determined to survive, even as he lives alone and unloved in a baronial manor outside of San Francisco. Van Orton spends his days setting high profit goals for the companies he's invested in, even those whose relationship with Van Orton's money go back to Nicky's father. On the eve of Nicky's 48th birthday (the same age in which Nicky's father gave himself the gift of suicide), his brother Conrad (Sean Penn) pops up with a birthday gift of his own - The Game. Conrad is a bit of a character - not quite as self-made as Nicky, he buys crystal meth from the waiters who work the restaurants where Nicky dines - but he has Nicky's number. The Game is a scavenger hunt, a high tech puzzle in which Nicky seems to be the prey. Characters, places and whole situations appear and disappear. Kara Unger plays a waitress, a seemingly innocent bystander who gets dragged into the game...or is she part of it. The Game pushes Van Orton's buttons, and even Conrad seems to realize that they're all in over their head.

The Game is a psychological thriller, which means that it's supposed to mess with your head. The real puzzle however is Van Orton - he starts out dead, but the game brings something in him to life, something you'll appreciate if you're a Michael Douglas fan. It's also clever, and telegraphs impending thrills - in one scene, Van Orton receives the roll handle for a car door's window, and you can just imagine the spills in which that trinket will come in handy. If the flick has any flaw, it's that none of the characters other than Van Orton (and maybe Conrad) become real - like Van Orton, the script is almost afraid of reaching out to characters who may be in on the conspiracy.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Mickey D's worst
Review: ...So this guy is to believe he's murdered the last living member of his family and had his assets, finance, career, friends, integrity, pride and identity taken away from him, just for the purpose of his drop-kick, powdered nosed brother wanting him to relax and enjoy life a little more. The ending was so unbelievably far fetched it made my skin crawl. What would they have done if the guy decided to throw himself of the other side of the building, or blow his brains out, or even thrown himself in front of a bus???
...PA - LEASE!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: David Fincher's OTHER under-rated classic
Review: First, the specs of the dvd.....This should be quick, cause there aint much to it. Its one of those earlier, 2 sided dvd's (which I despise), with widescreen on one side, and full screen on the other. Thats basically it, it has bios of the cast and filmmakers, but nothin even close to what could be called "special features". Ok, now 'bout the movie....I love the direction of David Fincher almost so much that I forget about the story. A rich, anti-social, reclusive, yet successful businessman, played by Michael Douglas, is introduced to a "game". This game shoves him into situations that push him to the edge, and in a sense, bring him out of his anti-social shell, making this almost a "coming of age" movie. This is probably David Fincher's most under-rated movie, 2nd behind Fight Club, which even though got recognized, didnt get near the amount of recognition it deserved. Douglas does a great job playing a yuppie, which is nothing new to him, but I love Sean Penn's performance the most. Penn is already known for his intensity as an actor, and the blown tire scene in this movie lets you see just what everyone is talking about. Much like Fincher's Se7en and Fight Club, this movie is more fun to watch the second time around, for reasons I cant disclose on the assumption that people who haven't seen The Game might read this. If you like Se7en, you like this one. If you love both, hopefully you've seen Fight Club and Panic Room, if not.....don't wait doing so, you wont be disappointed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: BEST STRANGE MOVIE
Review: I love this movie! I know its an older movie, but wow! Michael Douglas does a great job in it. its just plain out wierd. its a keeper!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: I liked it
Review: The game is perhaps the most least understood of David Fincher's movies. While Fight Club and Seven wear their premise on their sleeves The Game invokes expressions of bewilderment and indignation from first time viewers. It was only after I had watched it for the 3rd time that I realized that I understood it. The movie itself is well crafted and fast paced. It has a first class cast and produciton quality. Michael Douglas and Sean Penn are two accomplished actors and they are in good form here. Douglas especialy is spot on as the bewildered and confused banker whose tranquil life is suddenly turned upside down as he redeems a gift coupon given to him by his brother played by Penn. The gift coupon belongs to a company which promises to bring a bit of spice and vitality back in Douglas' life. But it is actually a passport to hell. As the game progresses Douglas' life is turned upside down. He is left homeless and pennyless and $600 million stolen from his bank. Either everyone is part of this elaborate practical joke or this nightmare is for real, you will never be able to guess till the end. Even after the end you are left a little dazed and confused. What we don't realize is that deliberately or perhaps unintentionally Fincher is commenting on the human condition. Have'nt there been times when we feel as if it is fate that sometimes plays the most important part in what we turn out to be.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: good movie bad video qulity
Review: this disc uses letterboxed for widescreen insted of anamorphic, and some noticiable white spots poping out from time to time. 3 stars for video qulity.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THERE ARE NO RULES TO THIS GAME.
Review: This is a role that Michael Douglas was born to play...an intelligent, powerful, wealthy and sharp tongued businessman. Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) seems to have everything together. Everything, that is, except for a healthy social life. Nicholas treats everyone very coldly and even his own family members aren't spared his wrath. His brother, Conrad (Sean Penn), decides that he has found the perfect birthday gift for his uptight sibling. He signs him up for a "game" run by Consumer Recreation Services.

Of course, this is no ordinary game. It is a game that takes place in real life. There is no stated beginning or end to this game. There are no apparent rules. Since this is a thriller it would be best not to go into any plot twists. However...this is one hell of a ride. Deborah Kara Unger is fantastic as a waitress who gets caught up in the events. I had never heard of her before this film and was extremely impressed with her performance in a complex role.

There are a couple of things which help to make a really good thriller. One is that you are truly surprised. So many films in this genre have been made that it is hard to be surprised anymore. "The Game" brings a freshness that I hadn't seen in quite a while. You will be both entertained and kept guessing as to what could possibly happen next. The sign of a GREAT thriller is one that you actually want to watch again even though you know the plot twists. "The Game" falls into that limited category. The acting of Douglas, Penn, Unger and even the more minor roles is nothing short of exceptional. This is a film that will leave you wishing you could play their game in real life.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A stunning thriller
Review: This one of the best thrillers I have ever seen and one of the only films I can watch again and again. Michael Douglas is perfectly cast, playing a character that seems to fit like a glove. I find his performance to be even stronger than the infamous Gordon Geckko he played in 'Wall Street' and this is a very good job because Douglas holds the film together as the film centres around his character Nicholas Van Orten. Nicholas is given a birthday present from his wayward brother Conrad, skillfully played by Sean Penn, and this is where the fun and GAMES begin. I don't want to spoil the plot for anyone but I guarantee if you sit down and watch this movie 'The Game' will take over your life just as it does to Nicholas Van Orten in film. I am certain that this film will become more respected as it gets older and other than Douglas this mainly down to David Fincher who does an excellent job keeping the complicated plot moving and I feel it is his best effort behind the camera. This is no mean feat when you consider he has helmed the likes of Se7en and Fight Club. The biggest credit this movie recieves is that a form of 'The Game' is now played is real life - watch this movie.


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