The Next Reel Film Podcast

“Never underestimate a man who’s got nothing to lose.”
The Most Dangerous Game Gets a 90s Action Makeover
In 1994, director Ernest R. Dickerson took on his second feature film following his directorial debut with Juice. After years as Spike Lee's cinematographer, Dickerson was ready to tackle this action-thriller starring Ice-T as a homeless man hunted by wealthy thrill-seekers. The film drew inspiration from the 1924 short story "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell, updating it with a contemporary urban twist and social commentary. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue the People Hunting People series with a conversation about Surviving the Game.
Hunting Down What Makes This Film Tick
The film assembles an impressive ensemble cast including Rutger Hauer, Charles S. Dutton, Gary Busey, F. Murray Abraham, and John C. McGinley. While Ice-T delivers a solid performance as Mason, the homeless man targeted for sport, it's the eccentric hunters who steal the show. Furthermore, the film explores themes of class divide and entitlement through its intense cat-and-mouse premise, though some logical gaps in the hunters' abilities occasionally strain credibility.
Deep Diving into the Woods and Characters
  • Gary Busey's dinner table monologue about training and killing his dog stands as the memorable highlight
  • Dickerson's direction shows his cinematographer's eye, particularly in a Blade Runner-inspired shot of Rutger Hauer
  • Stuart Copeland's score starts strong but becomes less effective as the film progresses... at least per Andy
  • The film's Pacific Northwest setting (actually shot in Washington, not Oregon as stated) provides a compelling backdrop
  • Charles S. Dutton's casting as a seemingly benevolent shelter worker who reveals darker motives works particularly well
  • The film oddly uses Philadelphia stock footage to represent Seattle in the finale
The Trophy Room Verdict
Despite some narrative shortcomings and questionable hunter competency, Surviving the Game delivers exactly what you'd want from a 90s action thriller. The stellar cast elevates the material beyond its B-movie roots, while the social commentary adds welcome depth to the hunt. Both hosts thoroughly enjoyed this bonkers entry in the People Hunting People series. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
Film Sundries

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Creators and Guests

Host
Andy Nelson
With over 25 years of experience in film, television, and commercial production, Andy has cultivated an enduring passion for storytelling in all its forms. His enthusiasm for the craft began in his youth when he and his friends started making their own movies in grade school. After studying film at the University of Colorado Boulder, Andy wrote, directed, and produced several short films while also producing indie features like Netherbeast Incorporated and Ambush at Dark Canyon. Andy has been on the production team for award-winning documentaries such as The Imposter and The Joe Show, as well as TV shows like Investigation Discovery’s Deadly Dentists and Nat Geo’s Inside the Hunt for the Boston Bombers. Over a decade ago, he started podcasting with Pete and immediately embraced the medium. Now, as a partner at TruStory FM, Andy looks forward to more storytelling through their wide variety of shows. Throughout his career, Andy has passed on his knowledge by teaching young minds the crafts of screenwriting, producing, editing, and podcasting. Outside of work, Andy is a family man who enjoys a good martini, a cold beer, a nice cup o’ joe. And always, of course, a great movie.
Host
Pete Wright
#Movies, #ADHD, & #Podcasting • Co-founder @trustory.fm🎥 The Next Reel Family of #Film Podcasts @thenextreel.com🎙️ Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast @takecontroladhd.com📖 Co-author of Unapologetically ADHD • https://unapologeticallyadhdbook.com

What is The Next Reel Film Podcast?

A show about movies and how they connect.
We love movies. We’ve been talking about them, one movie a week, since 2011. It’s a lot of movies, that’s true, but we’re passionate about origins and performance, directors and actors, themes and genres, and so much more. So join the community, and let’s hear about your favorite movies, too.
When the movie ends, our conversation begins.

Pete Wright:

I'm Pete Wright.

Andy Nelson:

And I'm Andy Nelson.

Pete Wright:

Welcome to the next reel. When the movie ends

Andy Nelson:

Our conversation begins.

Pete Wright:

Surviving the game is over. Welcome to manhood.

Trailer:

Why would you wanna kill yourself? Maybe I like the idea of choosing when I die instead of having somebody else choose for me. If someone offered you a good job, would you be interested? What kind of job are you talking about? We need someone to help us with our hunts out in the wilderness.

Trailer:

Are you sure about this one? Oh, I'm sure. Has he got courage? Gentlemen, I would like to meet our new hunting guide, Mason. Here's a toast to the hunters and a prayer for the hunted.

Trailer:

The

Trailer:

hunt begins

Trailer:

begin. No. Let me get the door for you.

Trailer:

Go. Go. Go.

Trailer:

We're not really gonna hunt him, are we?

Trailer:

He's nothing. He's less than

Trailer:

nothing. You're mine, Mason.

Trailer:

Don't take any part in this.

Trailer:

I want you. If

Trailer:

you make it to civilization, you live. If you don't, maybe God will have mercy.

Pete Wright:

Okay. Andy, this movie. What a bonkers movie this is. Seriously, this is bonkers. I also loved it.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. Back to our people hunting people, series, which is Uh-huh. It's it's a fun one because it does put you in a place where you're getting some interesting types of action stories and everything. And this one, I think, for me, ended up working so well because of this cast they put together. Like, it is you got iced tea as your lead.

Andy Nelson:

He's this homeless man who's, suffering from depression after his wife and child were killed in a fire. So now he's homeless, and then his dog dies, and then his best friend dies. Like, his life is miserable. And then you've got, Charles s Dutton as the kind hearted food line worker who is really only working in the food lines at this, at this nonprofit to pick prey, to to find potential targets that they can then kill. He works for Rutger Hauer, Thomas Burns, who runs this, this hunting organization where they have hunters pay $50,000 to come due under these adventure hunts in the in the Pacific Northwest again.

Andy Nelson:

Anyway, he's the he's leading this whole thing. Gary Busey is is a psychologist, which is really funny, who works for the CIA, and he's, one of the founding members of this team. F Murray Abraham is this Wall Street dick who is here to not just hunt, but also to show his son how it's done. His son is William McNamara. And then, of course, we have John C.

Andy Nelson:

McGinley, who is an oil tycoon and, who is having some serious issues of his own.

Pete Wright:

That that only start with asthma. Right. Exactly.

Andy Nelson:

Great group of, like, action movie actors to put into this film that takes the whole most dangerous game story and kind of, kicks it up a notch.

Pete Wright:

This is this movie, I mean, the re the reason this movie is success I mean, you you you said it. But the reason it succeeds is because Ice Tea is, like, at the bottom of the list of most interesting things going on in this movie. Like, he's he's great, and everything else is more bonkers in this movie. All the other performances are more bonkers except, you know, and maybe maybe generously William McNamara, who's just there. But everybody else is fascinating.

Pete Wright:

These are some fascinating faces and some just like McGinley. This was I I wrote my review, and I have to tell you this line, I'm most proud of. He's a Texas oil man who is one bad day away from screaming, do you know who I am at a barista? That's exactly John C. McGinley in the movie.

Andy Nelson:

His puff off of his asthma inhaler. Yes.

Pete Wright:

Yes. I I adore this cast. This is not a this this movie, I'll be interested to see if it gets any award nods later because this is not a movie that seems award heavy, and I still have a blast.

Andy Nelson:

And I think part of it is because, you know, you know, I mean, in our member pre show chat, we were talking about movies that take place in the woods. And we happened to end up picking a number of them that were action based films in the woods. And I think one of the things that ends up working in this era is casting an action film with I mean, these faces are great action movie faces from the eighties and nineties that we were seeing all the time. And like that's why I think for me, this ended up working so well because it's just like all of these people are in other films, action films that I love from this era. Maybe not f Murray Abraham.

Andy Nelson:

I don't know how many action films he ended up being in. But he was perfect. He was perfect. He plays a great, like, Wall Street guy who's just, you know, trying to Wearing

Pete Wright:

his little page boy hat.

Andy Nelson:

Trying to tell his son how life is, and, like, dang, this guy is, is brutal. I loved it. So, yeah, it's it's such an interesting setup for the film. And as you said, and that's just starting with, with iced tea at the at the heart of the film as our homeless man.

Pete Wright:

Yeah. The the first grand betrayal and perfect casting is Charles s Dutton as the shelter worker. Because Charles s Dutton, what business does he have being a bad guy? Really. He is, like, the sweetest of the sweet guy.

Pete Wright:

He's, like, the tough but amazing prohumanitarian actor. And I don't know. I mean, I I didn't I'm just saying this off the cuff. I should have looked. How many times has Charles S.

Pete Wright:

Dutton played an evildoer? Maybe it's more than I think, but I think of him as as a really kind person.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. Or the coach in, on Rudy. Or not the coach, but the he's not the coach. He's the, the groundskeeper. The inspiring groundskeeper.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah.

Pete Wright:

Right. Right.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. He's great in that. I and that's I like, alien three, he's perfect as Dylan. He's and again, a group of really angry men, including him, except he still ends up being, like, the voice of reason.

Pete Wright:

So Yeah. Voice of reason. And so to put him in this role and make him a smiling, congenial murderer was a a bit of casting sleight of hand that I think should be, like, a a doff of the hat because it is it is perfect. Perfect. It is the first major casting rug pull that I experienced watching this movie.

Andy Nelson:

I don't think I realized that he had retired. Did you know Dutton retired? No. Yeah. He hasn't acted since 2016.

Andy Nelson:

So almost ten years now. I mean, he's 74. So, yeah. So more power to him. Yeah.

Andy Nelson:

I I love him. And yeah, he is great as this guy that we feel like a connection to because, you know, he is working to talk to Mason, Ice Tea's character, and try to be somebody who's there to help him. Now, he's pretty suspicious right away because, you know, he's working the food line at this shelter, and he sees Ice Tea walk by rejecting the food. And what does Dutton do? He jumps out of his job in the line, and he chases iced tea down to have this big talk with him in this confrontation on the street.

Andy Nelson:

It's like, dude, you have a job. You're supposed to be, you know, serving food. Hello?

Pete Wright:

Nothing screams ulterior motives louder than this. Right. Exactly. Yeah. And then he has the ready made cart.

Pete Wright:

Like, go go talk to my kind buddy, Rutger Hauer.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. Yeah. No. Dutton is great, but then you get to Rutger Hauer, and it's just like, as this businessman who who runs this hunting organization, you just are already suspicious when you see Rucker Hour. But I I have a question.

Andy Nelson:

Before we kind of continue with the actors, I have a question. Because the way the film is set up, we are we start the film. We're following Mason. We're seeing him picking through trash, getting food. He's talking to his dog.

Andy Nelson:

He's talking to his friend. They're stealing some food, like a big hunk of, like, a side of beef from a truck that they can eat and and cook. While that is going on, we actually are getting some intercut moments of a hunt going on, of one of these situations, whereas you see a guy running in panic through the woods, and you see a group of hunters who we don't as memory serves, we're not necessarily seeing their faces. It's more we're seeing ends of weapons and things like that. And we finally see the crossbow pointed at this guy and taking him down.

Andy Nelson:

How does that work for you as far as you assume people who are going into this movie know, okay. This is gonna be a most dangerous day game type of movie. They're gonna be hunting this guy. If you saw the trailer, you would have figured it out. There are plenty of things that are gonna give away.

Andy Nelson:

I mean, it's it's the plot. You need to have some sense as to what the story is. But did we need that setup at the beginning of the film?

Pete Wright:

No. I don't think we did. I'm I I think it's a leading question, and I think you agree. I don't think we needed that. I think it was an energetic way to start the film, and I think there's a I I can make a case for it in the edit that there is something about the pace and the music.

Pete Wright:

The Stuart Copeland score is outstanding, and there's something about tying all the quick cuts to the pace of the music, to the energy of the chase that I can see making like, getting in my head about that and making that case. But watching the movie as a whole, I think it reveals too much too early when they had something with just following Mason and his buddy and the loss of the dog and all of that. I think that just worked better to allow us to build to a higher pace later.

Andy Nelson:

That's I think that's where I was. I felt like I don't know if it came from a new line, like the higher ups that wanted to kind of get things moving a little quicker. It's starting too slow. We wanna have some action at the beginning because otherwise, it's too slow a pace. I had that sense from it that there was something about that that just didn't need to be there.

Andy Nelson:

And who knows? It could have been Dickerson himself who wanted a little more energy in the start. I don't know. But it just really didn't feel like it needed to be there. And that was one of those bits that it it just didn't seem needed and, kind of left me going, okay.

Andy Nelson:

I'm not exactly sure I like how the film is starting.

Pete Wright:

Yeah. Because also, I mean, I you said it. Like, the trailer gives away a lot, but that doesn't mean it was right for the trailer to give away a lot. And there's something about, like, leaving it a little bit mysterious. The movie had an opportunity to leave it mysterious.

Pete Wright:

Like, otherwise, everybody Mason comes in contact with from Charles s Dutton to Rucker Howard. Like, you know, we already know they're putting him in the channel, in the funnel toward the the hunt. Eventually, he's gonna end up in the woods. And I think that's a that's sort of a sad state. I think the movie is is better when it keeps its secrets just a dash longer.

Andy Nelson:

Which which for me made the actual context interesting, like, once they get there and everything. And, you know, we so to that end, let's go back to the kind of talking through the cast and their roles and stuff. Because Rutger Hauer, we said, is next. He's the one who basically offers Mason a job to be the wilderness expert. If there's something that you really have to buy into early on in this film to to just kind of go along with so that the film itself is gonna work.

Andy Nelson:

I think that's the biggest ask the film is making, that they're gonna hire random homeless people to be wilderness survival experts for this group of hunters. Yeah. Like Yes. Where is the logic in that?

Pete Wright:

Yeah. It is the saddest statement on Mason's sort of mental health right there, that he is already we know how lost he is. He tried to end his life in front of a truck. Right? We know that he is bereft, and that's the this is the case I'm making.

Pete Wright:

Because I know how lost he is, I get a sense that he might say yes to anything.

Andy Nelson:

Well, I yeah. And I I think that's the case, especially when there's a price tag that comes along with it. When when he finds out he's gonna get $500 a week, I mean, he doesn't even know how long the job is. Is it a one week job? Is it four weeks?

Andy Nelson:

Is it two days? Like, how much how long will he actually be there? So some of that setup was a little rushed as far as, rushed and sloppy. Like, they're just kind of skirting over it because they just have to get out into the woods to kind of get the story moving.

Pete Wright:

Sloppy, what are you talking about? He passed the treadmill test, Andy. Nothing sloppy about that.

Andy Nelson:

That was really funny. The fact that they they make this homeless guy, like, put him through the paces of putting him on a treadmill to prove that he can run for thirty minutes.

Pete Wright:

Yes. His grief his grief transcends his burgeoning emphysema.

Andy Nelson:

Oh, yeah. So anyway, that's Rutger Hauer, who does end up hiring him to basically do this job. Although he doesn't tell him that at the time. He shows up randomly at this, this hotel that he's staying in. Well, guess he does tell him he's gonna hire him.

Andy Nelson:

He gives him a a down payment. Right? Yeah. $200? Yeah.

Andy Nelson:

And where which he uses on the hotel and everything. But but yeah. Then he just kinda shows up and says, hey, we're leaving. Let's go. Got you some clothes.

Andy Nelson:

And off we go off to the races as they hop in their plane and fly out into the middle of nowhere.

Pete Wright:

They do. And then they treat him well. Right? And that's the the the next sort of rug pull in the movie is that they feed him well. They make him eat straight from the head of a pig, and they have the weirdest dinner conversation.

Pete Wright:

This is why you watch the movie.

Andy Nelson:

Well, I just wanna say it's really funny the way that you phrased all that. They treat him well, and they made him eat from the head of a pig. I don't think you're intending to say that that was part of them treating him

Pete Wright:

well. Wait.

Andy Nelson:

What are

Pete Wright:

you talking about? That's not how you eat every night?

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. Yeah. They they treat him well, but they still do make him eat from the head of a pig. Okay.

Pete Wright:

So so the little words matter. That's right. But they they feed him well. They give him a glass of of $450 bottle of wine. They all tell their stories.

Pete Wright:

And this is where we get I think you said it in your letterbox review. We get the future audition monologue for every actor ever,

Andy Nelson:

Gary Busey's. It should be. It should be.

Pete Wright:

Yeah. It totally should be. This was absolutely fantastic. Please, I'd now I'd like to invite you all to watch Andy Nelson delivering Gary Busey's monologue from surviving the game.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. Right. I don't think anybody anybody could actually pull that off like Gary Busey does. It is it's an insane story that he tells about his the scar on his face that he got as as he as we find out from his bulldog. And it's this story.

Andy Nelson:

He says, I refer to this as my birthmark. Like, that is because it's it's the story of him being born as the person that he is today. Yeah. And you get this story. His dad bought him a bulldog.

Andy Nelson:

He named him prince Henry Stout, like, great name. He fed his dog. He took care of his dog. He loved his dog. But then his dad says, you need to train your dog to be a protector.

Andy Nelson:

And so he gave him a bunch of cherry bombs, and he would put this dog, like, tied out in the yard by a dummy. And he would throw cherry bombs at it to make this dog start getting angry and attacking the dummy. And then as he gets older, like, it just gets worse and worse, and he his dad makes him actually fight the dog, and he ends up having to kill the dog. It's it's like and then his dad is like, welcome to manhood. And he's yeah.

Andy Nelson:

It's like, wow. That's not the story that William McNamara's character is gonna be walking away with after all this.

Pete Wright:

It's the enthusiasm with which he delivers the line, crack. I felt his neck break. Yeah. Awful. Right.

Pete Wright:

Because he's acting it out.

Andy Nelson:

He's, like, really into it.

Pete Wright:

Exactly. Now we've talked about, Gary Busey before. I know I've said this before, but it's been a long time. I wanna remind everybody that Gary Busey and Gaylord Sartain did comedy on public access in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1974, and I just put a link to a YouTube video of their coach, Chuck video. Public access comedy from Gary Busey and Gaylord Sartain.

Pete Wright:

I mean, you need to watch these things back to back because they're exactly what you might expect.

Andy Nelson:

That's funny. I'm gonna have to check that out. And do do we know who Gaylord Fontaine is?

Pete Wright:

Gaylord Sartain. G a lord Sartain. Gaylord Sartain. I think he went on to I think he went on to Hee Haw. Okay.

Pete Wright:

He's he was I mean, he was funny. He's a funny guy. You'll know him when you see him.

Andy Nelson:

I'll recognize him. Gotcha. Yeah. He's one of those faces. Yeah.

Andy Nelson:

Yep. What's interesting about the monologue that Busey has here is that he wrote the whole thing himself. It was actually a moment where there was we're getting a sense of kind of like the butting of heads and who's really running this group and stuff. And Rutger Hauer, he he told this story that that it was a scene where his character, Rutger Hauer's character, was supposed to put Gary Busey's character in his place in this conversation. Busey said, hey.

Andy Nelson:

I I have this monologue or this thing I wrote. I wanted to try it out. Rutger Hauer thought that he was just trying to steal the scene, so tried throwing some responses into this, but it didn't play well. Dickerson so loved this monologue that he came up with that he ended up kind of keeping the whole thing in. And so it's just fun to see that this whole thing is just out of Busey's crazy mind.

Pete Wright:

Yeah. God. That he's a psych he's the psychiatrist of the group.

Andy Nelson:

Right. But CIA psychiatrist. And you hear that, you're like, okay.

Pete Wright:

Yeah. Right. I think one thing one time, he does say, how does that make you feel? Which really lets you bury bury yourself in the part. Yeah.

Andy Nelson:

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Of fun. I had a great time, with that whole thing. Just everything with the dinner sequence was a lot of fun.

Andy Nelson:

Because again, as you said, they are pushing and testing Mason to try to get a sense as to who this guy is, how far can we can we push him, and how far can we take this guy? You know, we're getting a little bit of his backstory about his his wife and daughter and how they had died. He just says he killed them, which really sets McGinley off because as we learn McGinley, his own daughter had been murdered, apparently also by an African American. And, you know, later, he's

Trailer:

just like, it could have been you

Andy Nelson:

for all I know. Like, he's, you know, kind of going off the deep end with all of this. And then Abraham is also kind of pushing and testing, and it made for a really fun scene. Like, whole thing with the cigarettes when where Mason asks for a cigarette, and Doc's just like, take the pack. He's just like, oh, I don't want the pack.

Andy Nelson:

I just want one. He's like, well, then I'm gonna throw them away. I've got another pack. Like, it's like weird psychological games that this group of guys is playing with Mason just to kind of, like, test him out. It's it's like, you know, like, poking him with sticks before they kill him to get his adrenaline pumping or something.

Andy Nelson:

It's

Pete Wright:

Oh, that's exactly right. That's right. You do get the feeling that he's in he's in a metaphorical cage, but a cage nonetheless, and they're poking him. That's great. Fascinating group of people.

Andy Nelson:

So, yeah. Anyway, who else do we wanna talk about? We talked about we talked much about f Murray Abraham and his his kind of role as the dad who brings his son here for, the experience of a lifetime, not telling his son what they're doing. I don't know. I how did that play for you?

Pete Wright:

You know, I it felt to me right on the money. Like, it was it it felt like exactly a thing this sort of whelp of a dad would do because he he never felt like one of the guys. He felt like he was coerced into being one of the guys and bought into it. And now he's trying to coerce his son into being one of the guys because he thinks he should. I found that really believable, and I think f Murray Abraham was the guy to pull that off, to pull that part off.

Pete Wright:

And and I should say, I I felt like his son was a a perfect chip off the old block, like the the kid who, you know, he almost comes to terms with it until that very end. He says, I'll help you, and then you and I are very different. You guy kind of realize William McNamara comes to his senses, and I thought that was I thought that was a lovely relationship between those two guys. So I I am a big fan of f Mary Abraham. His face in this movie is is perfect as the the lesser of all the alpha hunters trying to out alpha each other, and, it was a deep surprise to see him in this movie.

Andy Nelson:

That was yeah. And that's, I think, a great a great point because you think of, f Murray Abraham, and I don't know. My brain always goes to things where he is like Salieri in Amadeus, or the way that he plays I can't remember if he's the dean or the head of the school or whatever he is in, Finding Forrester. Right? The one where he like, he he is the sort of person who seems like very erudite, and he's like the, you know, in charge of things as kind of an erudite professor or a businessman or a president of something.

Andy Nelson:

And so to see him as this Wall Street guy made perfect sense, but that little shift that they have of saying he's also the sort who's gonna pay to go hunt a human being, it's like that actually made it really interesting for me. I I liked that the way that they brought that into his character because I wasn't that yeah. I don't expect that sort of thing with Abraham.

Pete Wright:

He's in a couple of more recent things that I just wanna shout out. First, he's c w Longbottom on mythic quest, and he's just perfect in those first couple of seasons as I think this character. Right? Like, he is He's playing what this guy ends up being old doing, like, kind of falling apart. He's he's he's crazy and eccentric, and and he plays the same character on season two of the white lotus where he's the pervy granddad.

Pete Wright:

And he's just like, he's a guy who's entitled based on whatever context he's in, whether it's in, you know, as a as a science fiction fantasy author believing himself to be better than he is or as this pervy granddad believing himself to be a better family man than he ever was. He is here believing himself to be better than he ever was as a father and and maybe as a businessman. It is a roundly terrible financial decision to spend this kind of money to do this. Let's just say I probably came out wrong. You should never spend any money.

Pete Wright:

Nope.

Trailer:

That's not it.

Pete Wright:

Don't kill people. Let's start with that.

Andy Nelson:

It's like, oh, how are you gonna how are you gonna get there?

Pete Wright:

Yeah. No. There's no way to get there. I I believe in not killing people.

Andy Nelson:

Oh, man. No. Yeah. Don't do that. Don't do that.

Andy Nelson:

I mean and to think that he's bringing his son. So he is forking out a hundred thousand dollars to go do this trip. Pretty crazy. And just, like, so arrogant to assume that his son like, without ever having, like, tested his son in any way, like, verbally or having conversations at home just to figure out, is his son gonna flip out about this and, like, take him to court? Or like, what is his son gonna do as as they go through this process?

Andy Nelson:

Like, that's not the sort of thing that you just casually decide unless you are an arrogant ass who just assumes, yeah, I my son will be just like me.

Pete Wright:

Well, Andy, isn't it the same thing that we get from Gary Busey? Right? This is another relationship of a father son told from the perspective this time of the son who was abused by his father and made to do things that he did not wanna do. And we don't get that story from every one of these characters, but I'll bet every one of these characters' backstory has that in it. It's one of the those sort of central themes is who do we become if not our fathers?

Pete Wright:

What are the shackles we have to to shake free to not become the worst parts of our dads?

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. No. That's a good point. And it does it's never brought up, but it does make you wonder, like, what is the backstory with Rutger Hauer, Charles L. Stutton, John c McKinley?

Andy Nelson:

What are the stories that brought them to this? Because it's it's definitely a place that like, a dark place that people have to get to in order to make this decision. Like, yeah, I'm bored with hunting boar.

Pete Wright:

Yeah. And and, you know, a piece that we get a a little bit later, like, terms of this movie being adaptation of an original short story and in the spirit of the movie we of the the original film that we watched, they kept the heads. During the hunt, Ice Tea goes back to the cabin and breaks into the locked door, and we have the heads, the trophy room. I loved that they kept the heads. It is the a a truly sociopathic example of these guys and and the way they have made toxic their manhood.

Pete Wright:

I actually think it works it works better than in the original. I think it works better here.

Andy Nelson:

It's well, what what's interesting about it, I mean, it's just as gruesome, and it definitely becomes one of those tropes that you kind of wanna see them continue in in different iterations of this story of the most dangerous game because it is brutal when you actually get to that point where you see this trophy room that they are they're keeping behind locked doors in their cabin. It also makes you wonder, because I mean, obviously, it's not the same group of guys coming back time after time. Does the person who actually killed the the person they're going after, do they not get to keep it themselves? Or do they specifically say, we're gonna keep it here because you're gonna get if you put it in your living room, someone's gonna see it, and you're gonna bring the whole thing down. Like, it's yours, but it's here on display in this, quote, safe place.

Pete Wright:

Yeah. No. I I I mean, that's the only way I can rationalize it. I don't think you keep this kind of trophy.

Andy Nelson:

No. Yeah. Right.

Pete Wright:

But but but, look at the the confidence, like, disgusting level of confidence that they have in their game, that one of the things that Mason discovers is an empty jar with his name already embossed on it.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. Right. Very, very sure of themselves they are.

Pete Wright:

Ugh.

Andy Nelson:

So bad. Yeah. Well, you do definitely get a sense from the place that these characters are coming from that you know that Doc works for the CIA. Right? Like, that's his background.

Andy Nelson:

But you do start getting this sense that Cole and Burns also were like black ops or something. Just like the way that they handle themselves seems like there's there's something they're obviously ex military, but there's something about, like, this this background that they came up through the military in a way where they just have much less of a consideration for human life at this point.

Pete Wright:

I I yeah. I mean, I think Doc says as much. Like, I know these two inside and out. Right? He was their CIA therapist.

Andy Nelson:

Right. Exactly. That's the whole thing. That's right. He was their shrink.

Pete Wright:

It does make you wonder a little bit, like, who was the mastermind? Like, Rutger Hower is sort of credited as the mastermind buying the whole thing, but the psychiatrist really is is I in my head, the psychiatrist is is the guy who's ultimately started the whole thing. He's in control. He's the manipulator.

Andy Nelson:

And that's a great point because he obviously knew that they had elements in their past that he saw as an opportunity to, quote, help them out and probably put it in their heads. This is what we should do. This will get you through whatever PTSD, whatever nightmares you're having, whatever. Let's kind of figure that out. The only aspect of their background that I don't know if I fully understand is how Burns also is a master of disguise because he at the end of the film, in order to escape, like, I don't know what that outfit is.

Andy Nelson:

He'd, like, disguises himself as

Pete Wright:

like an orthodox Russian priest.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. Right. To slip out of the country. Like, what what a strange costume decision to go with. And one that's kind of complex and honestly, a little more noticeable.

Andy Nelson:

Like, maybe go with something that doesn't stand out as much.

Pete Wright:

Andy, you know what they say in in the in the company. They say, if you can't hide it, hang a flag on it. That's exactly what he did here. He just hung a flag on it, and he's he's now standing out in the best way. When she says, oh, father, could you, you know, bless me?

Pete Wright:

He kisses her forehead, and she says, give me some cash. He says, get lost. Like, what a great exchange. Oh

Andy Nelson:

my gosh.

Pete Wright:

So that's the the intro that trio of Rucker Howard, Charlotte Stutt, and Gary Busey, interestingly, it is Gary Busey who goes first. I did not expect that. Gary Busey goes when the house explodes after iced tea goes back and and sets it ablaze, blows it up. I did not expect Gary Busey to be gone halfway through the movie. And I wonder I wonder sort of strategically, like, in the spirit of character economy and ego economy, how he was written out against a character like Rutger Hower's playing.

Pete Wright:

Because Rutger Hower is the other most strong persona there. If I see either of those two guys together in a movie, I it's almost unsustainable. Like, you gotta get one of them out of there.

Andy Nelson:

Well, it's interesting. First off, I just have to say Ice Tea got back to that cabin ridiculously fast. Like, it was a little unbelievable how fast that happened. But no, it's actually interesting because the screenwriter, Eric Burnt, actually expressed at some point after the film came out that he regretted killing off Doc so early in the film. And he said if he had the chance to redo it, he would actually kill off f Murray Abraham at that point, and then have Doc take over a father figure role for William McNamara's character.

Andy Nelson:

You know, the speculation is because, Abraham had won an Oscar that he had the opportunity to to be the more the character that was gonna live longer and everything, but who knows? Who knows?

Pete Wright:

It was unsatisfying.

Andy Nelson:

Well, his death was unsatisfying. Yeah. Everything about that. I was like, oh, yeah. Because especially after that speech, I wanted him to last longer.

Pete Wright:

I did. And you know what I really wanted was I wanted our trio of CIA guys to be the last three. They needed to be the last three. To your point or to the writer's point, like, losing John C. McGinley the way we lost him was I liked him being kidnapped.

Pete Wright:

I thought that was great. And losing William McNamara and f Murray Abraham early, that father fatherly vengeance angle was less satisfying than the craziness of Gary Busey on screen. Yeah. I think we could have had all of that happen much earlier, save Gary Busey, and and let the three of them be as explosive as they need to be in the hunt for iced tea.

Andy Nelson:

Well yeah. And I think that could have been interesting. I do you know, we should say I mean, there are plenty of problems with this film too. This is far from a perfect film. One of my issues with this film is, like, we've got these supposed hunters who are very bad at actually showing us ever that they know how to actually stalk and hunt prey.

Andy Nelson:

Like, they are so loud when they're tracking him down. It's like, how are they even hearing anything? What if they're not riding their four wheelers and motorcycles through the woods? And I like how they threw in that one quick line from Dutton as they're racing through the woods on four wheelers. He says, oh, how can you not see his tracks?

Andy Nelson:

Like, this guy, like, what like, it's like, you're going so fast. How do you see footprints, like, in leaves? Like, my goodness. Like, that I I had a hard time buying ever that these guys were actually good at it because they were noisy. And it's like, iced tea is gonna have a very easy time getting away from you because you basically are the worst people at being sneaky in a forest setting.

Pete Wright:

Well, and I think it's because so much of the story like, on one side, it's iced tea and his sort of thematic search for survival and resilience. Right? He's coming back from great grief, and this is an example of him, like or this is an opportunity for him to exude control. And these other guys are an example of class divide, right, social inequality, and they didn't use the word woke once in this movie, but you can kinda hear how they were thinking it. Like, it just hadn't become a thing for them to be upset about.

Pete Wright:

This was guys who were entitled, and they were exploring their entitlement. And entitlement doesn't have to be quiet because the world bends to them. That's what I I think is so funny about this movie is just how well it captures these guys who whose confidence comes from entitlement and not skill.

Andy Nelson:

Well and that's, I think, a very valid point. And I think, if anything, I think it would have helped to actually demonstrate that a little better because they still were doing a pretty good job at staying close to where Mason was anytime that he was, you know, running through the woods. It was still easy. Yeah. It was still easy for them, and I would like that to have played a little more realistically.

Andy Nelson:

Because your point is very valid and absolutely part of the point of the story. But then give us a sense that part of the reason some of these hunts might actually be difficult is because they're really not great hunters. They're just cocky and arrogant and assume they're going to be able to defeat these homeless people.

Pete Wright:

Well and that was the next the next bit of kind of silliness. Like, I applaud the vault of heads. How is this with all those heads, how is this the first time they've actually had a an accident? Right? How is this the first time that they've had somebody that they weren't able to catch right away?

Pete Wright:

Because they're idiots. Their entitlement leads to idiocy.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. Especially because, I mean, they gave him I mean, they're they're gonna take a leisurely breakfast. So however long their leisurely breakfast was, that's how much of a head start Mason had to start running through the woods. A person could, you know, I mean, say that it's, I don't know, leisurely breakfast, what, half hour? Hour, maybe?

Andy Nelson:

A person could actually get pretty far away, and if there were these bozos who really weren't good at tracking, that person could probably, assuming they're good at hiding, they could probably hide pretty well. Now, sure, they may not be able to survive for days in the woods, and that would I would assume end up being their downfall. The fact that they start starving and start making some dumb decisions, and lo and behold, they end up getting caught and killed. But then show us that. Like, we see that opening hunt in the beginning of the film, and it just seems like an easy it seems more like a chase.

Andy Nelson:

Like, they're not really hunting anybody. It's just like, let him go, and now we're after him, and we're gonna shoot him. Like, that's kind of what it felt like.

Pete Wright:

Yeah. No. I think that's I I think that's exactly right. And he and they they you know, it just feels to me like like that he would have found he would have found something. There there is a moment in the in the movie where Charles s Dutton looks back at the crew and says, he thinks we won't go in the water.

Pete Wright:

And I laughed out loud at that at that moment because they've demonstrated so little aptitude at figuring out how to actually chase this guy. He was so this this homeless, you know, in quotes, this homeless guy has bested them around almost every corner and is really good, obviously, in a fight that he took on Gary Guse, who is just, you know, sinew and alcohol, drugs.

Andy Nelson:

Well and he's also got his his, his war paint on. He's wearing his his native American, you know, deerskin Yeah. Coat. Right. Like, yeah.

Andy Nelson:

Just a little crazy. Awful. A little crazy. And so, yeah, that's there were some issues like that. I don't fault the film so much for some issues they have with, like, you know, it's difficult shooting a film on location like this and having the time of day not always matching up.

Andy Nelson:

Like, it's hard to say, okay, we're gonna shoot this during the day, and then you have, like, bright light shining down on on please harsh shadows, and then suddenly, it feels like it's a little closer to evening, and then it's more of a, you know, midday and then sunrise, like, it's bouncing all over the place. I didn't have as you know, I I gave them a little more leeway on that, but it is one of those things that it jumps around time wise quite a bit as we're watching the course of the film.

Pete Wright:

The location is not, again, not terribly far from, my fair home, Lake Wenatchee and the Wenatchee National Forest and, Entyat, Washington. It is east a couple of hours, from Seattle and, very near Leavenworth, which is a lovely Germanic town in, Washington. And I highly recommend, visiting if you get this on your on your docket.

Andy Nelson:

But not Oregon, as they say in the film.

Pete Wright:

No. It is not Oregon. It is not Oregon. It's Washington for Oregon. Definitely Washington for Oregon.

Andy Nelson:

Although, they also use, Philadelphia for Seattle. Did you catch that?

Pete Wright:

Oh my god. Yeah.

Andy Nelson:

They they're filming in Washington, but for some reason, when they show the shot toward the end of the movie where it's like five days later, it's a shot of Philadelphia instead of actual Seattle. And I was I even wrote in my notes, Interesting that they choose to show Seattle, but not show the Space Needle because that's, like, the most prominent feature. And I'm like, oh, I wonder where this is. I'm like, Philadelphia? What were these guys doing?

Pete Wright:

I know. That is so dumb. And it's not even just the Space Needle. Like, the Seattle skyline, it has its own kind of identity. It's one of those cities that has an identity to it.

Pete Wright:

And so, yeah. No. It is what it is.

Andy Nelson:

Apparently, it's never been revealed as to why they used. I I don't know if it's just a stock shot that they had of a city that they threw in there. A lot of people have questioned that, but nobody really knows. Just one of those strange things.

Pete Wright:

Anyone else you wanna talk about?

Andy Nelson:

Well, we should talk about the director a little bit. We haven't talked about Dickerson. Dickerson started as a cinematographer, which is I think where I first knew him because he worked with Spike Lee on like Joe's Bedside Barbershop, We Cut Heads, and, She's Gotta Have It. But then also shooting things like the brother from another planet and Eddie Murphy raw. And so it was definitely somebody, well, and do the right thing, we probably brought him up on that way because he, again, in all the films that he was doing with Spike Lee, Malcolm x also.

Andy Nelson:

And then, shifted to directing, in '92, which he started with Juice, which he co wrote or no, I think he just wrote and directed. Yeah. And then from that point forward, has been kind of directing films. Surviving the game was his second feature. Demon Knight, one of

Pete Wright:

Tales from the crypt?

Andy Nelson:

Is it not necessarily great, but Tales from the crypt film. It was fun, not necessarily great, but yeah, they did that. Bulletproof, Ambush, Blind Faith, Bones was one of those interesting films that, it's kind of a supernatural film with Snoop Dogg and Never Die Alone and then Double Play along with a lot of TV stuff. So, yeah, Dickerson, what do you think?

Pete Wright:

Well, I mean, I I know that I I know of Dickerson because of his contributions to Dexter and the Walking Dead. He he's not one of those single kinda run and gun directors who comes on for just an episode. He he did, you know, a dozen episodes of the walking dead or something and another almost that many of Dexter. And I I think he he has a a stamp on particular arcs in those shows, which is that's compelling to me.

Andy Nelson:

Same with Bosch. A lot of episodes on Bosch and The Wire.

Pete Wright:

And The Wire. Exactly. Bosch was Bosch is new to me. I've been told many times I need to get on the Bosch train, and I just never have. But but The Wire, for sure.

Andy Nelson:

Sure. I like Dickerson. I I haven't seen as many of the films that he's directed, but probably more stuff that he's DP'd. I think now with this, I've seen four of his films. You know, I like I like what he's doing.

Andy Nelson:

I don't know if this stands out. Like, I don't I don't feel like I've seen anything that I would call a Dickerson stamp, in in kind of the scope of it. But I I think as a DP who has shifted to directing, I think that he's shown that he can, you know, tell a good story.

Pete Wright:

Oh, clearly. I I think he's great. He's got a just with all the TV work, of course, he's got a ton of credits, 75 directorial credits. And I think this this movie is bonkers. As a second film, I had a blast.

Pete Wright:

Right? Like, this this was for sure of the era. Is it doing anything I wouldn't expect for a nineties action violent action movie in the woods? No. It's right across the bow.

Pete Wright:

This is exactly what I'd expect.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. Bojan Bozzelli was the DP for this. One of those DPs who just worked a lot through the nineties and aughts and, you know, things like deep cover for Bill Duke right before this and the body snatchers, Abel Ferrera won California, the, Brad Pitt movie, all the way up through things like the lone ranger and Pete's dragon and Snake Eyes, underwater. So, you know, I think a DP that's been around doing all sorts of interesting work.

Pete Wright:

For sure.

Andy Nelson:

We didn't really talk about Ice Tea much. How does Ice Tea strike you as a a leading man?

Pete Wright:

You know, I mentioned that he's the maybe the second least interesting thing going on in the movie. I I think he was fine. Like, you can tell he was sorta he just felt like he was figuring stuff out. It felt so like, I he just didn't live up to the characters that we got in the hunting party. Like, he just doesn't he he just didn't feel like he was as compelling to watch for me as either of those guys.

Andy Nelson:

But does he hold his own against them? Because it's a pretty big group of, personalities and eighties action stars. Yeah. For sure. For sure.

Andy Nelson:

But

Pete Wright:

does he hold his own against him against them? I guess. I I don't have strong opinions about Ice T's performance in this role. And and I like Ice T, and he's done some things that I think are are legit great performances. I would not put this up up there as a hall of fame performance from Ice T.

Andy Nelson:

I think it was a fine performance. Yeah. I don't I didn't love it. I think that he has been in some interesting films. Just I mean, through the era, I I really enjoy a lot of different things that he's been in.

Andy Nelson:

I mean, you know, I think he does hold his own against them. It's hard against these characters because they are such interesting characters, but I actually enjoyed him quite a bit as the lead. To your point, I, like, I don't know if anyone else would have been able to do better. I think it's it's a tricky part that isn't given quite as much fun that as the villains have. But, I mean, I I liked him.

Andy Nelson:

I I I felt that I could feel his the kind of depression that he was going through, you know, the struggles. Like, I, you know, I bought into it.

Pete Wright:

Yeah. I mean, you know, I mean, there there's just no way I I think it's very, very difficult to catalog iced tea's performances that are outside of law and order SVU. I mean, the dude has been on that show for twenty five years. Yeah. That is a that is an astounding career, and some of his best work is in that show.

Pete Wright:

And I'm I'm not even a huge fan of that show, but I I think it's just it's, you know, important to note that he's made a career of of a single television property in addition to, like, 90 other films that he's done. He's incredible. He's incredible. So does he hold his own? Sure.

Pete Wright:

He's fine in this movie, but it was also pretty early in his career, and he's he's gone on to do some to be an incredible contributor, to the field.

Andy Nelson:

But Pete, he was in breakin' and breakin' two.

Pete Wright:

Electric Boogaloo. I know. I almost I I almost mentioned that myself, but I felt it was better for you to do it.

Andy Nelson:

Great movie. I did Rutger Hauer is always great. I just have to point out there was one fantastic nod to Blade Runner in here, and that's like a late in the film shot of him where there's I something blew up, and you just see kind of the reflection in his eyes that is like exactly out of Blade Runner with kind of like the replicant eye reflection. I was like, what a nice little touch that Dickerson threw in to kind of

Pete Wright:

What, was that when he was he had put the war paint on and he was in the bushes watching them fight and blow each other up? Yeah. That that was the one where that really struck me. That when everything's dark, you just see the light. Yeah.

Pete Wright:

Great.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. He's he plays that so well. Yeah. You know, I just wanna throw out one last little nod. Jeff Corey plays the homeless pal that, that Mason has.

Andy Nelson:

Jeff Corey is one of these faces who has been in films, like, since the thirties, and we have talked about him on a few films. I don't know if we've talked about him so much, but he was in The Killers. We talked about that film last year. And then he popped up in The Boston Strangler, which we talked about recently. He's one of the people that they bring in in question.

Andy Nelson:

He was in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, Beneath the Planet of the Apes. Lot of movies that we have talked about on the course of the show. This was right toward the end of his, career. He was working in, films into the late nineties, and then into about February, and then passed away in 02/2002. But one of those faces that is just a that guy in so many movies over the decades.

Trailer:

Since the thirties.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. Yeah. Crazy. Starting out as a thug, 1938 in I am the law. Yeah.

Pete Wright:

Amazing. Crazy stuff. Yeah. I gotta shout out Stuart Copeland one more time. Because you didn't get to talk about Stuart Copeland.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah. You said that, and I'm glad you brought it back up. Because I wrote down in my notes early on, I'm like, oh, I'm liking what the music is doing. And then later, I'm like, wow, the music sure fell off off the tracks. What?

Andy Nelson:

I by the time we got later in the film, I'm just like, this music does not fit with me, like, with the scenes, like, with the action and stuff. It just felt like I I don't know. I just I had a harder time with the score as it the film progressed.

Pete Wright:

I'm a legit fan of Stuart Copeland, and I think I'm a little bit, soft on him because well, the police, obviously, but the equalizer theme is one of my favorite. The original equalizer theme is one of my favorite pieces of scoring that he's ever done.

Andy Nelson:

Well, and certainly, like, somebody who's done a lot of a lot of film work. So much. Yeah. Yeah. Starting with Coppola's Rumble Fish.

Andy Nelson:

So I mean Yeah. You know, there's a lot of there's a lot of stuff that he's done over the over the decades that that I enjoy. It's just, like, this one started good, and then I was like, oh,

Trailer:

okay.

Pete Wright:

I'm sorry to hear that.

Andy Nelson:

Yeah.

Pete Wright:

Next time you're lost to the woods, see what kind of music hits your head.

Andy Nelson:

There you go. Alright. Well, I guess that's everything. So we'll be right back. But first, our credits.

Pete Wright:

The next reel is a production of True Story FM, engineering by Andy Nelson, music by Ido K, Carlos Santarita, Vacheslav Draganov, Oriole Novella, and Eli Ketlan. Andy usually finds all the stats for the awards and numbers at d-numbers.com, box office mojo Com, I m d b Com, and Wikipedia.org. Find the show at truestory.fm. And if your podcast app allows ratings reviews, please consider doing that for our show. You make up in the middle of the woods.

Pete Wright:

No map, no compass, just the eerie silence of the trees and the unsettling feeling that something is watching. You reach for your radio, but all you hear is static. Panic sets in. You need supplies, something to keep you warm, something to remind you who you are, something to show the world you survived. Then out of the corner of your eye, you spot it, a clearing, a beacon of hope, a destination carved from legend, the True Story merch store.

Pete Wright:

You step forward, drawn by the glow of expertly crafted tees, mugs, hoodies, and gear inspired by every show in the True Story podcast universe from the next real to Marvel movie minute and beyond. Your fingers graze over the soft fabric of a premium hoodie. Its design whispering

Trailer:

of cinematic adventures and deep dive discussions. A stainless steel mug catches your eye, perfect for sipping your victory coffee after your

Pete Wright:

next harrowing escape. You load up because this is survival. This is storytelling. This is legendary gear for legendary listeners. Don't get lost.

Pete Wright:

Find your way to truestory.fm/merch. And remember, only the prepared survive. Alright. Awards season, Andy. Did it get any awards, or was it a perfect movie all on its own?

Andy Nelson:

I guess it will be a perfect movie all on its own. Well, no. And that's not completely fair. It didn't get any awards at the time. It's probably not the sort of movie that was gonna be getting any awards anyway.

Andy Nelson:

That being said, in 2016, there were the all deaf movie awards, the ADMAs. This was an award show that lasted one year. No. Sorry. Two years.

Andy Nelson:

It recognizes actors in movies that are often overlooked by other award shows. Russell Simmons created this in response to the Academy's failure to nominate any actors of color for two years in a row. Their goal was to be more diverse and inclusive. You know, that whole DEI thing that we're hearing so much about these days. I'm all for it.

Andy Nelson:

But, yeah, I don't know. I'd it wasn't something that really was sustainable, unfortunately. This film was nominated in 2016, the first year that it ran for best black survivor in a movie. Ice T was nominated. It wasn't just of the year.

Andy Nelson:

It was of any year. And so Ice T ended up losing to Ice Cube in anaconda.

Pete Wright:

Well, at least they kept it to the chilled of the black survivors in film.

Andy Nelson:

Those who are iced. And Exactly.

Pete Wright:

You know, I could I could see either one of those guys winning that award, frankly.

Andy Nelson:

Yes. Yes.

Pete Wright:

I can't remember

Andy Nelson:

if Ice Cube had as good a a final last line of the film as Ice T gets here, because that was a a fun Chekhov's, loaded gun, moment that we had there at the end of the film. Yeah.

Pete Wright:

Absolutely. Well, how to do at the box office? I hope it made as much money as fills my heart right now for this movie.

Andy Nelson:

Well, for Dickerson's homeless hunting movie, he had a budget of 7,400,000.0 or 15,800,000.0 in today's dollars. The movie opened 04/15/1994 opposite Cops and Robbersons, White Fang two, Myth of the White Wolf, and the limited release of Backbeat. This landed in ninth place and never got higher than that. Still, it managed to make a profit barely, earning 7,700,000.0 or 16,500,000.0 in today's dollars. None of that is inclusive likely of prints and advertising.

Andy Nelson:

But since that's not what they're giving me, I'm gonna say, hey. It made a tiny profit. Lands with an adjusted profit per finished minute of $7,295. Hey. You know, it landed in the green.

Pete Wright:

I'll take it. Yeah. I'll take it. That's great. Good for movie.

Pete Wright:

Fun movie.

Andy Nelson:

Good good good for movie. It's a it's a fun movie. I had fun with it in the scope of these people, hunting people stories. You know, it worked. It it played in that exactly what I wanted out of a nineties action movie.

Pete Wright:

Exactly what I I could not say it better myself.

Andy Nelson:

Alright. Well, we'll be right back for our ratings. But first, here's the trailer for next week's movie, closing out our people hunting people series. It's Daniel Minahan's two thousand one satire on reality television series seven, The Contenders.

Trailer:

Everyone gets a number at birth. Your number comes up. They know where you live. They come in the night.

Andy Nelson:

We're here

Pete Wright:

to help you.

Trailer:

Bearing gifts.

Trailer:

You can't do this.

Trailer:

Now all you have to do is stay alive.

Trailer:

It's kill or be killed. I'm going to win.

Trailer:

Meet the contenders. Dawn, Jeff, Connie, Lindsay, Tony, Franklin.

Trailer:

Just watch him back. Chris told he's coming.

Trailer:

One will win.

Trailer:

I'm a survivor.

Trailer:

The rest will die.

Pete Wright:

What happened? Series seven.

Trailer:

Just thought I'd look these people up, you know, psych them out.

Trailer:

The highest rated series in television history I

Pete Wright:

hate you.

Trailer:

Just got too big for your living room.

Trailer:

There's a bomb in your house, and it's gonna blow in about five, four, three, two, one.

Trailer:

They're real people. I'm gonna get you, Connie. In real danger, in a fight for their lives.

Trailer:

Can you shut that off, please? There's not enough light. Yeah. Well, why don't you go first then? Right now, I can't see anything.

Trailer:

It's too hot for TV.

Trailer:

Innocent people are gonna get hurt here.

Trailer:

And it's coming to a theater near you.

Pete Wright:

That means means you were assholes. Oh my god. They're here to let them in. Elaine, left them in. Serial seven.

Trailer:

The game is real.

Trailer:

I saw you on TV. I love you.

Trailer:

As I make my way through the lush, verdant forests of Washington state, my binoculars at the ready, I can't help but feel a sense of peace wash over me. The gentle rustling of leaves, the soft chirping of birds, it's like a symphony of nature, and I'm lucky enough to have a front row seat. Oh, look. They're in the branches of that towering Douglas fir. It's a Steller's jay with its striking blue plumage and jet black head.

Trailer:

What a beauty. And over there, flitting amongst the bushes, a black capped chickadee. Its cheerful song never fails to bring a smile to my face. But wait, what's that? Could it be?

Trailer:

Yes. I think it is. A varied thrush with its bold orange and black markings. It's not every day you spot one of these shy, elusive creatures. I feel like I've stumbled upon a hidden gem, a treasure nestling deep within these woods.

Trailer:

And there, perched upon a mossy log is a sight that takes my breath away. It's it's the NextReal's membership program in all its glory. The way the sunlight catches its exclusive content, the way its ad free episodes glisten like dew on a spider's web. It's simply stunning. I've heard tales of this rare and wondrous creature whispered amongst film lovers in hushed reverent tones.

Trailer:

They say that for just $5 a month or $55 an entire year, you can gain access to a world of cinematic wonders, early releases, bonus content, and a community of like minded souls who share your passion for the silver screen. As I watch transfixed, the membership program seems to beckon to me, its plumage shimmering with the promise of untold delights. I feel an irresistible urge to reach out to become a part of something greater than myself. With trembling hands, I navigate to truestory.fm/join, my heart racing with anticipation. This is it.

Trailer:

This is my chance to join the ranks of the next reel's most devoted followers to immerse myself in a world of film and friendship. As I complete my membership, I feel a rush of joy, of belonging. I know that I found something special here amid the towering trees and the chattering birds, a place where cinema and nature intertwine, where the magic of the movies is as real and tangible as the earth beneath my feet. And so with my membership secured and my heart full of wonder, I continue my journey through the forest, my eyes and ears open to the beauty that surrounds me. The birds, the trees, the films, they're all a part of this grand tapestry, this glorious dance of life, and I am grateful, so very grateful to be a part of it all.

Pete Wright:

Letterbox, Dandy. Oh, Letterbox. That's, where we put our stars and hearts on the line. Letterbox.com/thenextreels where you can find our, HQ page.

Andy Nelson:

What are you gonna do? This is a fun, easy watch. You know, it's a nineties action joy that I have just putting a movie like this on and just letting it, just flow over me. It's just a lot of fun. Yeah.

Andy Nelson:

There are some story problems, but, you know, it's easy to just look past those and just have a good time. Three stars in a heart is where I land with this bad boy.

Pete Wright:

I am absolutely right there with you. Three stars and a heart, and I will be revisiting this movie at some point. It's crazy, and I am here for it.

Andy Nelson:

That's right. Well, that will average out to three stars in a heart over on our letterbox account, which, as Pete said, is at the next reel. You can find me there at soda creek film. You can find Pete there at pete wright. So what did you think about surviving the game?

Andy Nelson:

We would love to hear your thoughts. Hop into the ShowTalk channel over in our Discord community, where we will be talking about the movie this week. When the movie ends Our conversation begins. Letterbox give it, Andrew. Does Letterbox always do it?

Pete Wright:

Alright. What'd you do? High, low activity?

Andy Nelson:

I went just a skosh higher than us. Three and a half and a heart by Ira Brooker, who had this to say. Everybody remembers this as, quote, that iced tea gets hunted by crazy rich dudes movie, end quote. But I don't think enough people remember it as, quote, that iced tea gets hunted by Gary Busey, Rutger Howard, John C. McGinley, Charles S.

Andy Nelson:

Dunn, and f Murray Abraham movie, end quote. That's a tough build to top. Completely agree, Ira. Completely agree.

Pete Wright:

Completely agree. You made a a comment about that last line, and so I bring you this entry into the top five last lines in cinema history, Dave Edwards, who says the this. Number one, Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Naturally, cast a blank cut.

Andy Nelson:

Good. Yep. Yep.

Pete Wright:

Two, I'm finished. Yep. There will be blood. Outstanding.

Andy Nelson:

That's a good one. Yep.

Pete Wright:

Now, where was I? Memento 2,000, outstanding. Alright, mister DeMille. I'm ready for my close-up. Sunset Boulevard, outstanding.

Pete Wright:

And five, always check the barrel surviving the game. It is a perfect, perfect end to this movie. PS, those two guys in the motel Ice Tea checks into in the first act are the most authentic extras in movie history. Yes. PPS, the red eye effect used on Rutger Howard's character in the third act is a fantastic Blade Runner reference and an incredibly effective stylistic choice by Dickerson.

Pete Wright:

Totally on board with that. PPPS, Busy's dinner table monologue is the perfect blend of crazy pants actor and crazy pants backstory, chef's kiss. Could not agree more. Outstanding.

Andy Nelson:

Lots of comments about Busey's monologue and how great it is. Absolutely. Yeah. Here here's a good one. Four stars by Ricky Wade.

Andy Nelson:

Gary Busey's show stopping soliloquy about training and then murdering his family pet is the closest nineties action movies ever came to Shakespeare.

Pete Wright:

Perfect. Thanks, Letterboxd.