It's not just reminicent of "The Running Man", but also of "Das Millionenspiel", which is an adaptation of the short story "The Prize of Peril":
https:// secure.wikimedia.org/ wikipedia/de/wiki/ Das_Millionenspiel
http://www.imdb.com/ title/tt0066079/

Also sad seeing John de Lancie there.

This movie was painful to sit through..

I agree, this review was pretty bad.
Oh, you're talking about the movie he's reviewing, yeah I agree on that part too.

Oh my god, Film Brain's stubble is so manly and handsome!


On another note: I recall on a youtube commentary conversation with someone while watching a Halo video about that sort of thing. I was just learning what "tea-bagging" was and the person said its sole purpose is to humilate both the game player and the gamer. Which I responded how I wouldn't do it since it seemed rude and impoliate and he goes: "Yeah its true, but its sure as hell rewarding when the dumbass tries to blow you up with a grenade and sniper-trolls you during a mission-make him pay.lol."

Its funny the things gamers will teach you in certain contexts. >__>

Whereas I am not a prude when it comes to other people tea-bagging others when playing, I really didn't think that scene was really necessary and there could have been better more appropiate gaming in-jokes that could have been used than "tea-bagging".

I grew up with Robert Sheckley's satirical SF short stories, so this was indeed the first thing I thought of when I watched the movie in theater.

It was a surprisingly boring movie, all things considered.

Why i can0t watch Blip videos anymore?

This film is complete trash. That fat, sweating gamer is more of a metaphor for the film and it's creators themselves, not for it's target audience. It's more offensive to gamers that it is celebratory. Let alone all the characters that act like douchebags. It seems ironic that it tries to parody violence and sex in the media, when it itself embodies what it's supposed to be parodying. Glad it got the treatment it deserves.

Lol, you covered practically the whole content of my filmaffinity critic XD

Nice review I saw this film once but I did not think that much about it after but you still did a great job at ripping it a new one I really hope that you can do a review of Law Abiding Citizen soon because that movie really deserves it

Is that seriously Peter Petrelli playing a character called Rick Rape? I... I think a piece of my soul just died.

I've been a gamer for a long time, and honestly the only thing that I really liked about this movie was the opening sequence. The plot is shit, character development is non-existent. And many things about this movie insult the average or even the pro gamer. Great review film brain.

Shit plot, no character development, insulting to gamers... Hell. That sounds like half the games they put out these days. :-P

It seems as if it protrays all the worst and negative stereotypes of a gamer and what is even more insulting was that the movie's intent was that its key film demographic was suppose to be to gamers.


Epic fail movie!

Michael C. Hall, what are you doing here? Just because you're good at playing villains doesn't mean that you should accept every villain role that's offered to you. Have standards, man! You're better than this.

Heh... sexual deviance. That's a pretty loaded term. I know what was meant when it was used in the context of the review, but ... Keep in mind that "sexual deviants" is also a term that has been used (somewhat disparagingly) to refer to members of the LGBTQ community, so hearing it also used to describe people who get off on murder and rape just rubbed me the wrong way (no pun intended). I'm not offended or anything, but... that's a term one should be careful with.

Man, though, the people who made this movie pissed me off. If you want an example of how not-so-subtle sexism and homophobia still pervade American society, look no further!

@honestiago

Pft, loaded nothing - it's completely meaningless by now. Back in ye olde times "sexual deviance" was doing it in any other position other than missionary, at least to some people.

So by now it's just a bullshit term that means "Stuff I don't approve of"

Uh... completely meaningless? Not so much. I wasn't referring, as you seem to imply by your sarcastic "ye olde times," that I was offended by some term only used disparagingly in the Middle Ages. And I do realize that it was used to refer to sexual behavior other than homosexuality. However, it was not a term that originated in way back whenever, and is still in use today, much like the even more offensive term "faggot" (though that one actually did originate in the Middle Ages). The term "sexual deviant," when used derisively (there have been efforts by gays to reclaim it, as with the term "queer"), is typically used by reactionary right-wingers, who genuinely do believe that gays are as evil as rapists or murderers (as anyone who's ever heard Michelle Bachmann speak can attest). Sure, you and I may believe that their statements are bullshit, but there are a lot of people who take that stuff seriously. For example, I feel that the stuff uttered by hate-based organizations such as the KKK and the al-Qaeda may be bullshit, but that doesn't mean that it isn't dangerous. Thus, when Film Brain kept on using the term "sexual deviant," he inadvertently associated himself with people like Bachmann (poor word choice on his part, but like I said, I know what he meant). People don't realize the extent to which word choice reflects a person's attitudes. Thus, terms, especially critical ones, should not be tossed around too lightly, and one should not be so glib about their use. For more info about how word choices reflect a person's attitudes and prejudices, I'd suggest reading David Foster Wallace's seminal essay on lexicography entitled "Authority and American Usage." While only a few sections are devoted to this issue in American lexicography, they are highly informative, particularly those in which Wallace critiques the modern "politically correct" speech, which he regards as hypocritical. The rest of the essay is very interesting as well... I'd recommend it even to people who aren't particularly interested in language.

The term 'sexual deviant' in the UK means someone who is extremely sexually-motivated and someone twisted in his desires. It certainly does not have the connotations that you mentioned in the UK and I apologize for any offence caused. I was not aware it was such a politically-charged phrase.

Its not politically charged. He's living in a politically charged environment where anything people say or do is scrutinized and categorized as either something they approve of from a political standpoint or disapprove of from that same standpoint. Its a sad state we've found ourselves in in America because of it. If you want a good laugh, check out the Comments section of Yahoo News for the US. They turn EVERYTHING into something political, no matter how far from politics the story is. Its nothing you did, its just the culture us Americans are stuck in.

I think you're selling the intelligence of everyone who watched this video a bit short. I, and I'm sure most if not all of the people who watched it, knew perfectly well what was meant by the term "sexual deviant." In fact, I've heard it used plenty by non-right winger conservatives outside of the small political realm your mind seems to stay focused on. Get a grip dude and quit trying to nitpick and point out an issue that wasn't there while slamming us with some intellectual snobbery, "Well, I think you should all read blah blah blah." Step away from your political blogs and tv shows and get a breath of fresh air. The ONLY person who associated Film Brain with Michelle Bachmann was you. Perhaps you have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with her and should get that looked at. Geez.

You think the term "sexual deviant" doesn't apply to someone who gets off by seeing someone killed?
Just because the term has been used inappropriately at some point by a certain group of people with certain beliefs doesn't mean that the original non-politically charged meaning is not valid.

You know, as an actual gay person I find the fact that gay people were the first thing you thought of upon hearing "sexual deviant" a bit offensive. I think this says more about you than Matthew.

Seriously, those guys from Crank just saw Gantz and thought "what if we combine that with the Running Man?"

Seriously, it had lots of potential. I mean, it mixes Gantz with The Running Man! How the hell did this got fucked up? And i expected Gerard Butler to go full throttle like what he did in 300 and what Jason Statham did in Crank. They should have made his character a mix of Leonidas and Chev Chelios, and instead we got the cliche war prisoner stereotype. I'm disappointed with this film.

Talk about offensive. And nonsensical.

Yeah, I didn't really get the point of such badly made action scenes. They kinda ment to recreate the atmosphere from the game gun battle, but omg that was so wrong. I expected so much more from this movie. Surrogates were so much better and made a lot more sense.

I think everyone saying fuck is supposed to be poking fun at the fact there is a lot of swearing in online gaming and net culture. Only logical that a society dominated by a gaming mastermind would be potty mouthed.

Thanks for the heads up Film Brain. Is it me or do you never end up with an enjoyably bad movie?

This just might be one of the most pointless and offensive movies ever made, sharing accolades with Cannibal Holocaust, The Human Centipede and A Serbian Film.

Not exactly with it's level of onscreen content, but in it's overall "message" as insulting, pathetic, badly conceived and stupid as it is. And for that, it deserves the company around it, even though "Gamer" may be the most astoundingly stupid and simple-minded out of all of the films listed above.

This is one of the few films that I had ever seen which actually made me legitimately angry at the people who made it a reality.

This is the kind of film that would have been made by Jack Thompson. To the point where I wouldn't be surprised if he ghost-wrote the film. This film is the equivalent of saying that gamers are the filth of society and deserve to die with all the grace and dignity of a "U MAD?" post, thereby trolling every single person that would ever conceivably see it.

Fuck this movie, and fuck everyone who was associated with it's production.

Man they really ripped off Running Man with this one.

Did anyone else notice that TGWTG was one of the websites in his room at 8:51? Was that added in as a joke or was that actually in the movie? I can't tell.

Oh, and Starkiller from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the clerk that the wife sees about getting her daughter back. I notice stupid stuff

Look at the effect more carefully, and you'll have your answer.

Yeah, I'm curious too if that was a joke or was in the actual movie - kinda one good thing with this movie I guess if it was. o0

It's a censor bar - he actually looks at a porn site.

So bad you couldn't even make a review of it? Not even a crossover review?

Hey, what's the name of the OTHER bad movie about gamers? You know, the one about the chick who bathes in blood. Oh yes...Stay Alive. There was also another bad movie called Gamer, made only 3 years before this one.

There's something Hoganish about your face today bro.

FB: "What the HELL just happened?"
Me: "End-of-map glitch."

Boy does this movie ever miss the point of gaming, & it doesn't even acknowledge RPGs.

Welp, it was easily as bad or even worse than Tekken & Final Fight.

Guh! I can't believe this movie has a 5.6/10 on IMDB. I'm'a downvote it. But it needs many many more people to take effect.

I believe it's called "Stay Alive." Phelous has a pretty funny review of it, if you're interested.

god, I hated that movie for getting the story of Bathory wrong!

Jeez, this movie was such a disappointment for me. I heard about it and thought the premise was kind of neat, then I saw the cast list and got excited (though a little nervous due to Butler's track record). Dammit -_- Well, at least Hall looks like he's having a blast making an ass of himself.

*sigh* Too much of SecondLife actually does look like that.

I wonder if I should e worried that the guys in charge of this movie made the upcoming Ghost Rider movie!?

I've heard mixed to bad things about this movie and thats why I haven't seen it and am waiting to see it when it's on tv someday to watch it!

You know a good one for you to review now and it's got Bulter in it as well!? Dracula 2000!!! I saw it on the other day and was shocked thatb he played Dracula in it! I saw it years ago but that was long before 300 came along!

I remember watching the trailers for this movie and being genuinely intrigued. Luckily, I escaped the horrors of watching it because better movies came out, and I only had enough money to see one or the other.

Just so you know, the Director Duo of this movie were initially associated with Jonah Hex, but were screwed by the producers who later replaced them and turned an otherwise R-rated movie to an incomprehensible PG-13 rated one.

i wanted to watch this with a friend for a "really really shitty movie" night and it was unbearable. we are both gamers and pretty composed and even-tempered all the time. but with this movie my friend started to get really mad and angry and so did i. we had to turn it off after cables penultimate battle (so basically after 40 mins). this movie is not only bad... its EVIL! like the ring from lord of the rings. ive never witnessed something like that. the second the movie was shut down we were friends again o.O i guess it was all the flashing lights on a 30 sqare ft screen. thx for reviewing!

Hahaha I personally loved this movie for what it was - a giant 95 minute troll of gamers and internet junkies. Think about it, the exaggerated basement dwelling fat guy with a sexual perversion centralized on sexual abuse. Its pretty much what every gamer or internet nerd has called someone (if not exactly in those terms)at some point during the course of their time online or while playing a video game.

I live in London and I was watching this the other night.

The only part I liked in the whole film was Michael C Hall doing that weird dance.

And here you are reviewing it XD.

Wait, the directors of Crank directed this? The hell. =/

I mean, Crank's formula was perfect for absolute chaos and juvenile behavior but quite apparently they can't say something serious for an hour and 30 minutes worth jack shit. =/

Great review FB.

I'd just like to point out that yes, TGWTG was on the scrolling of websites that they had around the eight minute mark.

http:// img829.imageshack.us/ img829/8894/ tgwtgingamer.png

That was an obviously added effect by Film Brain, indeed a few posts up he states it was a censor bar to cover up nudity and he made a joke out of it.

8.51 - Is that ... 8-bit Mickey!?

I have seen this film and I left my TV thinking that they could have done much better. The idea of the movie was cool but the product was bad. It felt like they just put the some of the cast and crew in a room and ask them what do you want to do and we will make a movie around it.

Editing people want crazy camera and odd cut effects that they never get to use in a normal film. You got it.

One of the actors wants a musical fight. Sure why not.

The lighting people want to put in strobes. Oh what the hell, why not.

One of the producers wants a chick to me groped and half naked. Oh yea we'll do it.

The special effects people want to put everything they got in this movie even if its overkill. We don’t know the meaning of the word “overkill”, you bet your sweet ass we do it.

From there the movie is just looks more fun to the people who made than anyone who watched it. This is also added to the fact that in this room a lot of the actors and the writers were left out and pay for it. This is just one of those movies I can’t help but to think “what a waste of the good set-up”. Even if there are like 2 better movies that did a lot of it and no “death race” doesn’t count as a good movie.

Trust me it can be fun to make stuff up that no one will get.

That why I will take this green horned monkey and go riding off into the purple lights.

I saw this in theaters. The shaky cam and the rape of the song sweet dreams ticked me off. The movie wasn't that bad once it stopped the shaky cam. But it wash' that good either.

So this is what Michael and Kyra were doing before Dexter and Closer. I´m glad they got better roles today.

Actually this movie came out after Dexter and The Closer had become successful series... which makes these actors appearance in it kind of sad.

Oh no! What were tehy thinking!? They should really have few chosen words with teir agents.

I had the misfortune of seeing "Gamer" last year, and I found it ugly, tedious, and insulting.

You're right, the movie is extremely hypocritical for trying to satirize sex and violence while reveling in it at the same time. It wants to have its cake and eat it too.

Yes! thank you for reviewing this, this movie was horrible.

As I am a girl and a gamer, this piece of shit managed to insult me in two different ways! They think all girls that own a console go on xbox live to search for horny men? I dont know about anyone else but I go on xbox live to play Call of Duty, Gears of War, Halo etc. This is a disgrace to the game and film industry.

um....that claim was never once made. Your saying that if a movie shows a horny female then it is insulting all females or if it shows violent games it is insulting gamers.
News flash, violent games, annoying idiotic childish gamers, and horny females DO EXIST regardless of how much they offend you.

You say it's sexist to show a female looking for depraved sex? What about every other movie that shows guys doing nothing but looking for sex? Is that sexist too? Oh that's right, people like you assume guys are actually like that so it's ok.

Seriously you people will complain about anything as long as it's not in a video game. Video games, the only place you are allowed to show sex crazed people getting their heads blown off without being called crazy.