MovieChat Forums > Surviving the Game (1994) Discussion > A Guilty Pleasure - So Bad It's Good!

A Guilty Pleasure - So Bad It's Good!


This movie has just stuck with me ever since a friend of mine and i rented it back in early 95.It's just one of those movies that has so many flaws but is still a joy to watch again and again!Gary Busey's acting is simply unmatched and the only shame is his early demise as his "birthmark" story is downright intense!One of my favorite scenes is when Rutger Haur takes off on his ATV in total darkness and Ice-T jumps up to get on his ATV and when we next see him its in broad daylight!Gotta love this movie.

reply

Agree, I saw this for the first time last Saturday (I want to say it was on one of the higher channels, like "Encore Action" or something like that), and it was really cheesey and fun. I'm deffinitly looking to see if they have the DVD at the local electronics store next time I go. (Well, actually it'll be the first time I go, they tore down Circuit City and are now putting a Best Buy in its place at a location about a block away.)

reply

John C. Micginley, F. Murrey Abraham, Ice T, and Rutger Hauer overacted so bad in this film it was hilarious. The director had no control of this cast as they all tried to constantly upstage one another. Busy wasn't bad though. The original screen writer must be so disapointed in the outcome of this film.

reply

"The original screen writer must be so disapointed in the outcome of this film."

Except he isn't.

Meh!

reply

Except he should be. This movie blows. Bad acting, cliche writing, non existent directing, and nothing happening. Even when something finally goes down, it's done so terribly that you don't even care. Bad, bad movie. I wanted it to be a 'so bad it's good' movie, but alas it was not, to me anyway...


"Did you mean for all those words to come out like that or did they just fall out randomly?"-H.H.

reply

Sounds like you didn't even watch it too me. Your ramblings are all over the place and lacking any point. This was a good film too me. Much better than Hard Target and VD's mullet. Loved all the characters, especially Hauer and Ice-T. I think several people would have loved this more if it was a white guy in the lead.

PS- i am white.


(K) eira

K (N) ightley

(O) rlando

(B) loom

Need I say more?

reply

Haha, what? My ramblings? You mean the reasons I gave as to why it's not a good movie? Not sure what about those confused you so hard. They were all very straight forward and syntactically correct. It seems like you didn't even read my post, you just saw someone not liking a movie you do enjoy, and decided to reply without anything real to say.

You say I ramble, then you talk about Van Damme's movies, his mullet, racism in action movies and your race in relation to them. And yet, somehow, i'm the rambling one? Then something about taking the first letters from names and making a bad word? Except when it doesn't work and you're forced to use a 2nd letter from their name. Are you insulting the actors? Their fans? What? Then to ask if you need say more? Yes, yes you do.

This movie sucks, accept it and move on please. I know you wanted to sound really smart and everything, but it just didn't work, sorry.


"Did you mean for all those words to come out like that or did they just fall out randomly?"-H.H.

reply

Except he should be. This movie blows. Bad acting, cliche writing, non existent directing, and nothing happening. Even when something finally goes down, it's done so terribly that you don't even care. Bad, bad movie. I wanted it to be a 'so bad it's good' movie, but alas it was not, to me anyway...



You must be one angry old lonely turd there.

I feel sorry for you idiot.

reply

except shut up. ''bad acting, cliche writing..'' this is YOUR opinion. how is it cliche writing? how is the directing non existent? dont just throw around words you heard someone else say. justify them with exapmles. this movie does NOT blow. you need to pull your head out of your ass

reply

What, should I have taken notes throughout the whole movie or something? So I know scene by scene what I didn't like? No, nobody does that, what a silly thing to say.

And of course it's my opinion, where did I imply otherwise? Do you need 'in my opinion' on EVERY SINGLE post here on imdb? It's a movie site, it's nothing but opinions champ. Even more than that, I said 'to me' at the end. Please learn to read before posting.

PS: Did you just say this movie doesn't blow and then give no examples, which is what your whole post derided me for? What a joke...



"Did you mean for all those words to come out like that or did they just fall out randomly?"-H.H.

reply

I disagree. There was lot's happening in this movie. Mind you, it was something of a more subtle variety than say, with regards to SCTV, stuff being "blowed up real good".

I recommend you take another look.

This wasn't your typical action movie. I mean, one of the best scenes in the movie is not a climatic shootout, but a bunch of dudes chatting around a dinner table. Look at what's going on here: character development. The whole thing could have easily been a throwaway scene just to get to the shootin' and killin' parts. Instead, it's well-crafted scene that sets the tone for the rest of the film, making the inevitable payoff all the sweeter.

The whole dinner scene begets suspense. A bunch of intense, evil men prodding the nature of their prey. They want to see who they're up against. I also love how they cleverly reveal clues (carefully not to reveal too much) as to their true intent. For example, Busey talking about "devouring the soul" while piercing Mason with his looney-toon stare. Then there's Hauer revealing his twisted sense of morality in partaking his wisdom of "cherising the moments" to Mason. In short, he's telling Mason in a roundabout way that this is his last meal.

For an action movie, there are a lot of monologues...good ones too. Busey's mind-blowing "birthmark" anecdote which, if in a different movie, would've earned him an Oscar nod. Even McGinley's unstable Texan is instilled with pathos.

The performers are so on top of their game that even Ice-T (who's no acting giant) gets fully plugged into the material and blends almost effortlessly, thanks to an outstanding supporting cast.

Truly this is an underrated film filled with top-notch performances and a well-paced, complex narrative.







reply

Great post, Scrap.

reply

It wasn't broad day light.

It was the break of dawn with the sun coming out.

No flaw there.

This movie is not your typical B rated bad movie. It is a pretty good movie with great action and suspense and pretty good acting for a action flick.

reply

[deleted]

saw this saturday and thought i was gonna hate but i really loved it lol i loved the scene where griffin and busey jump off there atvs and r running threew the woods like mad men.

reply

[deleted]

loved the dinner scene....loved it better the 2nd time around b/c you realize how sick and twisted it is and this is just the calm before the terror...popping $450 bottles of wine, reading, playing chess, sitting by the fire, hauer's character telling wolfe jr 'i want you to tell me, where this came from' in regards to the feather...

the conversation b/w busey and ice-t where he tells him about prince henry stout, so good, so good...




it is better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it

reply

it's so bad it's good? wtf

if it's good it's good and if it's bad it's BAD

just because it's not a BIG BUDGEt MOVIe with professional DIRECTING and CINEMATOGRAPHY
doesnt make it a bad movie


it's a B movie, average everything
solid characters good cast, and great plot twist

it doesnt TRY to be what it's not
and i respect that

reply

I know this is an old movie, but it has stuck with me too when I watched it in the mid 90's. Renting it from Hollywood Videos, the good old days when you would spend an hour looking for a movie to rent that you would probably spend less than that on a film until you give up on it.

State champ in martial arts, trained with firearms, I eFF'n dare you!

reply

So bad?? This movie is very good. I understand the expression, but it does not apply with this film

reply