Skip to main content

A Look Back - The Game (1997)


Growing up in the 90’s I always caught this David Fincher classic on tv, but admittedly as a dimwitted child, I never quite grasped what was going on. Regardless, what never changed, no matter what age I came to, was the palpable tension instilled within me whenever I watched it. And if nothing else, that alone kept my interest time after time for subsequent viewings throughout my childhood. Fast forward to today and The Game returned to me like a haunting ghost from the depths of Netflix, beckoning me for another visit, for if nothing else, a chance to offer resolution to the all too puzzling mystery laid before me so many years ago. What was The Game?


This is the very question posed by wealthy banker, Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) when he’s presented with a peculiar gift from his brother on his 48th birthday. And what does someone get for a man that presumably already has everything? Is it fancy cakes? Extravagant trinkets? Forbidden contraband? No. It’s merely a simple certificate for a once in a lifetime experience, known simply as The Game, catered by a mysterious organization known as CRS.


Enticed, Nicholas investigates into the possibility of participating, completely unaware that by merely taking just the slightest interest that he has unknowingly began to play.


From start to finish, The Game will have you scratching your head, investigating every corner of your screen, throwing suspicion at every passerby, and laying your breath low if just to perk your ears to every last subtle sound chiming from your tv. So if you’re in for a tense, gripping, and mind bending thriller, then look no further than The Game. Because let me tell you, once the music hit and the first image came to the screen, I was 6 years old again, scratching my head and wading in intense, indefinite suspense to know the all too pestering question on everyone’s mind. What was the Game? And although I could never bring myself to spoil the experience, what I can say is that it is one you will never forget. 


Levi Mock (August 2021)



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MK Legends: Scorpion's Revenge - Same as it Ever Was

It's a tale as old as time. Earth falls under threat of an otherworldly force, prompting humanity to cobble together a ragtag team of would-be heroes to save it from sheer enslavement and/or annihilation (take your pick). However, what separates Mortal Kombat from the seemingly endless catalog of similar stories are the unique kung-fu tournament-focused specifics of it's world ending scenario, it's crimson-stained hyper violence, a colorful cast of karacters , and of course a deep and rich bastion of fan-beloved lore. It's just such a shame that with all these wonderful toys and avenues for creativity, the MK creators just can't seem to fully step away from the original glorious outing of their universe, much less its staple karacters. But perhaps, with enough care and ingenuity, they can make the past feel as fresh and fun as their first blood spattered debut ... maybe. Let's get into it. Mortal Kombat is a story in which the champions of Outworld and Earthreal...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vince McMahon - The God, The Freak, & The Fraud

     Within a vast sea of eclectic personalities, all strange, deranged, and nostalgic in their own right, it’s truly a wonder that one manages to easily stand head and shoulders above all the rest, both in and out of the ring. And I’m not talking about The Rock, The Hulkster, or even The Unseeable Cena. No. Because even with all their charisma combined, I can surely say that their legacy does not hold a candle to the most revered, beloved, and reviled personality of them all, the infamous head honcho that everyone loves to hate, Vincent Kennedy McMahon.      Yes. Always walking ten feet tall and with every inch of the Biggest-D-Swagger the world has ever known, Mr. McMahon single handedly birthed, grew, and perfected the multibillion dollar WWE empire that many know and love today, producing unforgettable stories, legendary bouts, and larger than life superstars that rival (perhaps even best) the ancient myths of old world gods and monsters. Or so the rum...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Whale of a Fail? - The Cursed Dreams of Giants

The lights fall low and the dream-like silver screen dazzles the eyes with the humble beginnings of an all too familiar tale. The sprawling forests of an seemingly nondescript fantasy world bleed into view, before homing in on a party of unlikely heroes; heroes that have been brought together by the whispers of apocalyptic destruction. And although some are more eager than others to commit to such a heroic quest, they all go (more or less) willingly, finding adventure, hardship, and revelation along the way. The Cursed Dreams of Giants: Belly of the Bone Whale is yet another would-be fantasy-franchise-starter that endeavors to stand out in an oversaturated genre already packed with juggernauts like Willow, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Dungeons & Dragons, of course the many fantastic adaptations of The Lord of the Rings . But are such aspirations merely the crazed fallacies of a starry-eyed filmmaker or has director Julia McLaughlin crafted the next great epic to be etched...
Post a Comment
Read more