Night Game

Director - Peter Masterson (Blood Red)
Starring - Roy Scheider (Jaws), Karen Young (Heading South), and Lane Smith (The Mighty Ducks)
Release Date - 1989
Genre - Crime/Drama
Tagline - "Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than hunting down a murderer is...finding him"
Format - BluRay (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I was in high school the local video store shut down to make room for a beauty shop.  They had VHS tapes going for $5 or 3 for $10.  I checked em out and they were mostly shit that I don't watch like Jerry Maguire and Sweet Home Alabama.  I passed on the sale and went home.  A few days later a friend of mine said they pulled all the tapes from the racks and had them on sell for 50 cents a pop.  I left school early that day just to check em out.  I was able to grab more VHS tapes that day then I could carry.  I was able to get Frankenhooker, Neon Maniacs, Godzilla 1985, Vamp, Uncle Same, First Blood, Night Game, and several others.  Night Game was the only one I had never seen but the artwork suckered me in.  Hell, it looks like a baseball oriented slasher.  As soon as I got home I showed my friend and he told me that Night Game was not a horror flick, but instead, it was a crime drama.  That bummed me out so I never watched it.  Recently, Olive Films announced that they were releasing the film on Blu.  Once again the artwork suckered me in and I had to finally see it.  I requested a copy and you are now reading my review.  Funny how that keeps working.

     The film follows Detective Mike Seaver (Scheider) who is working a murder case involving a group of several beautiful women that were slashed by an unknown weapon.  The murders draw heat from the governor who sends down a lackey to take over the investigation but Seaver starts to notice a pattern.  Every time a beautiful young woman is murdered it is when the Astros win a night game at the Astrodome.  As Seaver makes his way closer and closer to uncovering the killer, the killer sets his sights on Seavers extremely young fiancee Roxy.  Before the killer can attack, Seaver uncovers that the murders were committed by a a former pitcher who lost his hand in a bus accident and now sports a hook.  Seaver is able to track Roxy down and intervenes before he can kill is future wife.

     I normally dislike crime dramas because they are way too predictable and offer acting equivalent to a day time soap.  However, Night Game really surprised me and made me feel like an idiot for never watching the VHS that I still have.  The acting in this one is great and Roy Scheider shows hes still got it after all these years.  1989 was a decade and a half from one of Roy's biggest roles in Jaws.  With that being said, I liked this role a lot fucking more.  I normally hate the cliched beat cop detective role that has been played out for over 4 decades now.  However, Roy added a lot of personality to his character which makes it extremely easy to like.  The remainder of the cast did a phenomenal job except for Rex Linn who portrayed the killer Epps.  Linn made the killer almost unbelievable and his lumbering performance made it almost laugh worthy.  The story is your typical crime drama but this time they mix it up a bit with a serial killer running wild holding a grudge against an athlete.  That is one of two reasons this one sticks out from the rest.  They story is obviously the inspiration for the 1995 comedy classic Ace Ventura which features a transsexual replacement kicker that holds a grudge against Miami quarterback Dan Marino.  Also, the film has some pretty bloody kills for a crime drama that really impressed me.  That is the other thing that sets this one apart from the others.  It flows like a slasher and has the kills to rival one and that is why horror fans will find some interest in this one.  Finally, this blu release has an amazing transfer that looks awesome and a vast improvement over the VHS release (popped it in the VCR after sitting on it for 10 years).  Another fine transfer from Olive.  Sadly, the film lacks any kind of special features which is a huge let down.  I absolutely hate when the release does not include a trailer.  Overall, the Night Game release from Olive Films is a solid release.  The movie is fun and the film quality is great but it does lack any kind of special features.  Fans of special features will not be happy with this release.