Fatal Games
| Fatal Games | |
|---|---|
 VHS cover | |
| Directed by | Michael Elliot |
| Produced by | William Kroes |
| Written by |
Rafael Buñuel Michael Elliot Christopher Mankiewicz |
| Starring |
Sally Kirkland Lynn Banashek Sean Masterson Michael O'Leary Teal Roberts Spice Williams-Crosby |
| Music by | Shuki Levy |
| Cinematography | Alfred Taylor |
| Edited by | Jonathon Braun |
Production company |
Impact Films |
| Distributed by | Media Home Entertainment |
Release dates | 1984 |
Running time | 88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Fatal Games (also known as Olympic Nightmare and The Killing Touch) is a 1984 slasher film written and directed by Michael Elliott and starring Sally Kirkland, Lynn Banashek, Sean Masterson, Michael O'Leary, Teal Roberts, and Spice Williams-Crosby. The plot consists of a mad slasher wielding a javelin killing off various members of a high school gymnastics team. The film shares many of its plot points with an earlier slasher film, Graduation Day.
Plot
A seven member gymnastics team at the Falcon Academy of Athletics is up for the "Nationals". But before they can reach the competition, a killer dressed in a black tracksuit and wielding a javelin shows up to stalk and kill each member of the team. They then have to discover the killer's identity before the entire team ends up slaughtered.
Cast
- Sally Kirkland as Diane Paine
- Lynn Banashek as Annie
- Sean Masterson as Phil Dandridge
- Michael O'Leary as Frank Agee
- Teal Roberts as Lynn Fox
- Spice Williams-Crosby as Coach Drew
- Melissa Prophet as Nancy Wilson
- Angela Bennett as Sue Allen Baines
- Nicholas Love as Joe Ward
- Lauretta Murphy as Shelly
- Michael Elliot as Dr. Jordine
- Christopher Mankiewicz as Coach Jack Webber
- Ed Call as Mr. Burger
- Mel Klein as Annie's Father
Soundtrack
The song "Take it All the Way" was composed for the film by Shuki Levy. The song was written by Levy and his then-wife, Dallas writer Deborah Shelton.
Release
The film was released in America in 1984 by Impact Films, and was subsequently released on VHS by Media Home Entertainment as both its original title and the alternate title, Olympic Nightmare. It was never released to theatres. As of 2016, the film has not received a DVD release.
Reception
Fatal Games has a score of 4.8/10 on IMDb and was critiqued by Internet critic Brad Jones in February 2014 to coincide with the 2014 Winter Olympics.[1]
British review site Hysteria Lives! wrote a mixed review, stating that "Fatal Games is a real cheap production- but still not as cheap as the video extravaganzas of later years. For much of its running time it has the production values, editing and acting of bad porno- complete with farting synth score." while also praising the kills and the climax, which was "fun, in a strictly campy way".[2]
BleedingSkull.com wrote a mixed review, criticizing the film's bland direction and music, but praising its opening theme song.
References
- ↑ "Fatal Games by the Cinema Snob". Blip. Retrieved 25 February 2014.
- ↑ "Fatal Games (1983) review". Hysteria Lives!.