Oct 30 2008
Review: The Cold (aka The Game, 1984)
Low-budget movies often turn out to be decent, or even classics. Bill Rebane has made many low-budget films that have become very popular among fans and collectors. The Cold (aka The Game, 1984) is an example of a film that works with very little, but can be entertaining nonetheless.
Three millionaires invite nine guests to a resort that has been closed for the winter. The millionaires challenge their guests to stay at the resort for a few days to face their fears; it is promised that one million dollars will go to the lone “survivor.” It is revealed that there will be many false scares, and that the millionaires will be out-of-sight for the duration - but will “be in touch.”
The game begins, and the contestants drop like flies. Some of the guests appear to have been murdered. Every time a contestant is about encounter trouble, a heavy fog flows into the room and follows them. The few remaining guests decide to do an investigation of their own when they realize that more may be on the line than the chance to win a million dollars…..
The low budget for this film is evident, but The Cold can be fairly entertaining if the viewer decides to simply not expect a Hollywood blockbuster. It has all of the elements to help recommend it as part of the “Halloween viewing” category: lots of fog, color spot-lighting, familiar sound effects and music, and a gritty 16mm film look. The Cold is not a difficult film to find, and is cheapest when purchased as part of the Chilling Classics 50 movie set released by Mill Creek.
