Rating: C+
Dir: Roberta Findlay
Star: Joe Lynn, Enrique Sandino, Mina Bern, Larry Lara
a.k.a. Game of Survival
My only experience of Findlay’s previous work was as cinematographer on her husband Michael’s The Slaughter, in 1971 – the film is better known as the basis for the notorious Snuff. She remembered, “I was the cameraman. I said to my husband, ‘I don’t know how to do this.’ He said, ‘Aim it, and press the button.’ So I did.” Frankly? It shows, with Snuff being basically unwatchable. This, made a long time later, and after Michael got sliced and diced in a rooftop helicopter accident, is surprisingly competent. Not great, in a number of ways. Yet as a grubby depiction of eighties New York, it feels like Roberta was taking notes from Abel Ferrara.
On the other hand, Chris – who lived in New York during the eighties – was less than impressed, unleashing frequent salvos of decisive snorts. It’s the story, unfolding over one night, of an apartment block in the Bronx, whose basement is occupied by a gang, under the leadership of Chaco (Sandino). When one resident, Mr. Rojas (Lars), has had enough of the anti-social activity, he tells the cops. In what may be the film’s biggest stretch, they actually show up and arrest the gang. Albeit briefly. When Chaco and his thugs get out, they return to the tenement seeking revenge, cut the phone lines, and lay siege to the building and its inhabitants, with the resistance from inside led by caretaker Sam Washington (Lynn).
This is one of the few films ever to get an X rating from the MPAA, purely on the basis of violence. It was also rejected emtirely by the BBFC when submitted to them in 1987, and only approved in 2005. There are a couple of undeniably nasty moments, which likely factored into both of those boards’ decisions. In particular, one tenant gets raped with a broom. However, most of the other violence is not well-staged, with blood that doesn’t look real, in colour or texture. It doesn’t help that the perps are largely unconvincing, both as a threat and (going by the frequency and volume of Chris’s snorts) as a gang in general. They look more like a bad Halloween group costume of a New York gang (top).
More convincing are the rag-tag group of residents. They are a good example of the melting pot which is the Big Apple, eventually pulling together despite their differences. There is no shortage of energy here too, and the pacing is close to relentless, which is enough to make me inclined to forgive some of the low-budget flaws. The soundtrack, would be one of these, beginning with the cringeworthy rap song (performed by “The Kool Krew”) which opens proceedings. There’s also a surfeit of synth-pop which does nothing to enhance the threat posed by the gang. Nobody is ever going to mistake this for Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13. Yet if I had rented this on VHS in the late eighties, I’d be well-enough satisfied.