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THE SCARE GAME
Written and Directed by Eric Stanze
Produced by Jason Shepherd, Michael Bradley, and Tommy BiondoThe Presence - D.J. Vivona
Don Shaffer
Jennifer Sweeney
Michael BradleyI'm not sure which was more frightening, the movie itself or the amazing variety of mullets sported by the characters within. I take that question back, it's the mullets themselves that provide the film's most frightening moments.
For those not in the know, the mullet is that do-to-end-all-do's, where the hair is short on top and long in the back. Business up front, party in the back. You see them a lot at Nascar functions. There were two steroid twins that wore this hairstyle at the gym I used to frequent. I would tease the behemoths until one day when they threatened to rape me in the shower. They weren't kidding. A man's mullet is his manhood.
I bring this up only because the hairstyles really date the film. THE SCARE GAME is an early 90'S effort from Eric Stanze, the director of modern underground classics such as ICE FROM THE SUN and SCRAPBOOK. Fans of ICE take note, THE SCARE GAME is the little-seen prequel to that masterpiece. While it's clear during the viewing that Stanze doesn't have his visual style down just yet, you still get glimpses of the visually fantastic filmmaking to come.
This is where D.J. Vivona first essayed the role of The Presence. His original take on the character was that of a Terminator clone with a mullet so frizzy it looks like he's got a 12 pound tumor exploded on the back of his neck. Vivona is overly intense, with stiff, wooden movements meant to be menacing but come off amateurish. The filmmakers were kids at the time, so I guess they can't be faulted to terribly much. When the character appears in ICE FROM THE SUN, he's much more matured, relaxed, and frightening. Maybe it's because he no longer has braces that we can take him seriously.
One thing Vivona has going for him is the ability to pull off some of the most convincing and brutal hand-to-hand fight scenes I've had the pleasure to ogle. The guy can't deliver his dialogue, but he sure as hell can throw down. These aren't fights of Martial Arts Legend, but full-body power-fights where you use every finger, elbow, foot, and tooth you have to win.
If it weren't for a recent interview with Stanze in Neon Madness, I would never have known ICE FROM THE SUN was a sequel to THE SCARE GAME. The story and themes are identical. The more I think about that, the more it lessens my view of ICE. Other than a strong visual progression, no new ground is covered. To keep that film pedestaled as a crowning achievement in underground film, it might be a good idea for overlook what the director says and still view ICE as an on-film remake of the video-lensed SCARE GAME. It hurts to think a filmmaker with as much talent and Stanze wouldn't cover new thematic ground with a follow-up.