The Cold (aka. The Game) (1984)

This is another little gem from director Bill Redbane.  Well okay maybe gem is a bit of a stretch.  Enjoyable sort of “what the hell” is this kind of movie is a much better description.  Basically what happens is three really bored and rich people decide to play a little game.  They collect nine volunteers who really need the money and challenge them to spend the weekend at a creepy resort hotel.  Knowing of course the whole time that they will be forced to face their fears, but if successful the will receive a million dollars.  But almost as soon as the game starts odd things begin to happen.  People seem to disappear without warning, and there is blood on the floor where there shouldn’t be.  It seems like the old hotel might actually be haunted and could be turning the tables on them.  Or maybe it isn’t, or maybe it is, but then again maybe it isn’t.  Okay so by the end of the movie I was completely confused as to what was happening because the movie doesn’t make much sense.

Let me start the review portion here by saying that I’m a huge fan of Bill Redbane (The Giant Spider Invasion, The Demons of Ludlow) and am normally inclined to dig his movies.  But even I have to admit that The Cold has some pretty big flaws.  The biggest issue that I have with the movie is the story.  It starts off promising with a basic story that seems pretty cool, even if it has been done a thousand times.  But as the movie goes on the plot becomes muddled and makes less and less sense.  Is everything going according to the millionaires plan?  At times it doesn’t seem so, but then the characters suddenly forget that one of their contestants is missing and that blood was found on the floor.  Even after the reunion and the big reveal at the end there are people missing and no one seems worried about it.  Then the film tacks on an ending with the millionaires getting killed by a fog machine that kills any chance the movie had of making sense.  The actors aren’t very good in their roles and constantly stumble over their lines.  There are a couple of actresses that were clearly chosen for their appearance and willingness to show some skin, though much of it is just skimpy underwear.  Though I can’t really complain about that. 

Technically this is a poorly put together film.  Director Redbane’s films have always been made on a really low budget.  This has made for some really funny and entertaining results like the creature in the Giant Spider Invasion or the ghost “attacks” from Demons of Ludlow.  But the Cold lacks any of the fun or charm of these two earlier efforts.  From the terrible opening credits to the rubber shark fin in the pool this movie doesn’t impress me at all.  Not even on a low budget cheesy level.  Toss in some terrible dubbing (and really the sound is awful throughout) and one of the worst attempts at lip-syncing a song I’ve ever seen for a really disappointing movie. 

This comes from someone who dig’s Bill Redbane’s movies.  Pass on this one no matter what title you find it under.  As with most of his movies this is available from Mill Creek on several of their budget DVD sets.  Check them out at http://www.millcreekent.com/ for more information.

1 out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer

© Copyright 2009 John Shatzer