Dangerous Game (1987 film)
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Judith West
Marcus Graham
Steven Grives
Kathryn Walker
Sandie Lillingston
John Polson
| Dangerous Game | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Stephen Hopkins |
| Screenplay by | Peter West |
| Produced by | Basil Appleby Judith West |
| Starring | Miles Buchanan Marcus Graham Steven Grives Kathryn Walker Sandie Lillingston John Polson |
| Cinematography | Peter Levy |
| Edited by | Tim Wellburn |
| Music by | Steve Ball Les Gock |
Release date |
|
Running time | 98 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | A$4.7 million[1] |
| Box office | A$31,802 (Australia)[2] |
Dangerous Game is a 1987[a] Australian slasher film directed by Stephen Hopkins.
The film received a limited release but, in Hopkins' words, "was seen in Cannes by a bunch of Hollywood people" and "was quite a big sort of stylish action film on a small budget" and led to Hopkins being offered the jobs of directing Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5 and Predator 2.[6]
Jack Hayward (Marcus Graham) is a computer hacker who breaks into a department store one night with his friends for thrills. They are soon locked in by former cop, turned security guard, Patrick Murphy (Steven Grives) who had recently been suspended from his job because of Jack and his friends. This cat-and-mouse game becomes a fight for survival when Tony (John Polson), one of Jack's friends, is murdered by Murphy, and his friends are next.
Cast
- Miles Buchanan as David
- Marcus Graham as Jack
- Steven Grives as Patrick Murphy
- Kathryn Walker as Kathryn
- Sandie Lillingston as Ziggy
- John Polson as Tony
Production
Reception
The film was made in 1987 but not released in Australian theatres until March 1990, by which time Hopkings had made Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5.
According to Stephen Hopkins, the film sold well at Cannes because "at that time it was quite cool to be Australian."[9]
Critical
The Age felt "its virtues far outeweighed its flaws."[10]
"Vern" wrote "the characters are likable, the cinematography is excellent, the filmatism is strong, there are some good action parts and the villain is multi-layered and interesting."[11]
Eugene Kane of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wrote "Well, despite the intriguing setup, an engaging cast and some creative stunt work, "A Dangerous Game" has a leaky premise through which all credibility drains away."[12]
The Toronto Star's capsule review gave it 4 stars saying "the characters are likeable, the tension is well-handled and the whole thing is beautifully filmed by director Hopkins,".[13]
Accolades
| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AACTA Awards (1987 AFI Awards) |
Best Sound | Peter Fenton | Nominated |
| Phil Heywood | Nominated | ||
| Martin Oswin | Nominated | ||
| Best Production Design | Igor Nay | Nominated | |