Written by Robert Scucci | Published
It's easy to forget that post-apocalyptic thrillers existed before 1979's Mad Max because George Miller not only perfected the formula, but successfully built decades of wasteland fiction that many of its modern counterparts don't hold a candle to. There are gems out there, though, like 1975 A Boy and His Dogand other difficult concepts that are well written but poorly executed, such as 1978 A game of death.
A game of death it has all the makings of a solid, low-budget, post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, but it doesn't quite have that x-factor that George Miller's vision proved to have. It has laser-armed dirt bikes known as Death Machines and vivid power structures in play, but it lacks the “every man for himself” vibe so well portrayed in the Mad Max films. But for something made with a $150,000 production budget, A game of death it lacks its charm, and there are many bright orange explosions, which are quickly stimulated to fill the desert with the spectacle of intense action.
Let the Games Begin!
A game of death takes place “a thousand years from tomorrow” after the Neutron wars have turned the world into a Mad Max-style wasteland. The story follows Kaz Oshay (David Carradine), a wandering warrior who is captured by the city of Helix and thrown into a brutal spectacle known as Deathsport, which involves riding dirt bikes with lasers that go “pew pew.” While participating in the game, he meets fellow Range Guide Deneer (Claudia Jennings), who was captured while escorting a group of desert refugees from the murderous regime of Lord Zirpola (David McLean). The two quickly form an alliance after learning that a young girl named Tara was taken by mutant cannibals during Deneer's kidnapping.
After surviving torture, prison, and a rogue Deathsport game filled with unauthorized landmines, Oshay and Deneer escape Helix and head for the desert. Along the way, they rescue Tara, evading the Death Machine riders every step of the way. Meanwhile, Oshay is driven by a personal vendetta against Ankar Moor (Richard Lynch), the man responsible for his mother's death.
Finally, A game of death is a straight-forward story of two bad guys who escape an oppressive city, rescue a kidnapped child, and settle old scores in the process.
It Proves the Perfect George Miller Concept
Although George Miller is far from the first person to explore the wilderness with the Mad Max films, it is clear to me after watching. A game of death that he changed the post-apocalyptic subgenre forever. Deathsport's fatal mistake is that it puts us in a state of irreparability and tries to fit a thousand years of social decay into a period of 82 minutes, while Max is crazy he shows us the beginning of the end and builds the challenge from there. It's a smart way to launch a franchise, whether Miller knew it at the time or not.
It is worth noting, however, that David Carradine would not have been the best actor to choose the leading role, as he already had the role in 1975. Death Race 2000a witty satire that focuses on the same gameplay. with my money, Death Race 2000 the best movie because it's so tongue-in-cheek that it makes you smile wryly that everyone thinks it's socially acceptable to kill by cars as long as it's played out on the field.
A game of death it's quite rough around the edges and plays like a stripped-down version of Mad Max, but it's also a great look at the cinematic history of this period. The recession and fuel rationing had many progressive filmmakers worried about the state of the world at the time, which led to an infection of this type of film in a very short time, with Mad Max leading the way when it unexpectedly burst onto the scene in 1979.
If you're looking for a classic spin on the now-famous cinematic setting that's dominated the Mad Max universe for decades, stream it. A game of death free on Tubi as of this writing and enjoy a very similar story from a completely different angle.
