Fatal Games (1983)
I first learned of Fatal Games under one of its alternative title, The Killing Touch, while exploring Linnea Quigley’s filmography. It’s a peculiar entry in her filmography, and like many, I waited to see the film before researching it further, hoping to spot her unannounced. My hope was misplaced.
Fatal Games, also known as Olympic Nightmare centres on a group of high school athletes competing for spots in a prestigious international event, might be the Olympics… given the alternate title. They become the targets of a relentless killer armed with a javelin. Masked and clad in a dark tracksuit, the murderer begins systematically eliminating the teenagers, often during their late-night training sessions. As the number of victims rises, the survivors piece together the killer’s plan and eventually uncover their identity.
The film certainly feels like a patchwork of familiar elements, particularly reminiscent of the earlier Graduation Day (where Quigley also appears). It is also lampooned by the from the comedic Pandemonium and, crucially, employs a core concept directly from Sleepaway Camp.
When it comes to the slasher elements, the film is a bit of a mixed bag. The killer’s strict adherence to using a javelin makes the kills feel monotonous compared to the variety found in peers like Graduation Day. Most deaths are simply impaled by a big point stick type affair, they collected up all the javelins and removed them… the killing would have ended. There is a standout sequence of genuine weirdness involving a scuba-clad stalker lurking at the bottom of a swimming pool.
Despite its rough edges, Fatal Games isn’t a total loss, though it frequently mistakes duration for tension. The filmmakers’ attempts to build suspense often devolve into tedium, most notably in an agonising ten-minute sequence where a character in a leg cast explores the school. What was likely intended as a slow-burn exercise in dread feels more like a literal exercise in endurance.
The film does open effectively. There’s a genuinely well-done introduction to the group over dinner, establishing their camaraderie through lighthearted banter and capers, which is quite funny. I also liked that the movie is defined by its finale. The closing reveal is right out of Sleepaway Camp and years later it’s fun for sheer, baffling shock value.
The young cast performs creditably in their athletic scenes. Given their convincing abilities, it’s likely they were athletes first and actors second. The difference in skill becomes apparent when Oscar-nominated Sally Kirkland appears on screen. The rest of the cast is fairly unknown aside from Spice Williams-Crosby, who later built an interesting career as a stunt performer.
The pacing suffers under a lot of filler. You can expect your patience to be tested by endless locker room scenes, training montages, and slow-motion jogging that make the modest 88-minute runtime feel nearly double its length. It’s like a very bready sandwich, there is some tasty stuff in the centre, just getting to it is challenging.
The movie has an air of an “opportunity” production about it. Shooting for two weeks in a disused sports hall and locker room, while capitalising on the popularity and low cost of horror, seems plausible. Whilst Director Michael Elliott didn’t go on to direct another film, Fatal Games is competently assembled, and he demonstrated enough potential that one wonders why it was his only directorial effort.
Linnea Quigley’s presence is indeed subtle. Whilst creditted as “Athlete” she plays actually the butt double for Lynn Banashek. In fact, I recall thinking, during filming, “Banashek has a terrific butt, I hope we see it more.” It turns out, of that particular bottom, we did and across many different productions. Banashek, however, left acting behind when she became unhappy with the level of nudity requested from subsequent productions.
Fatal Games is quite hard to track down, and for the most part, it’s not worth the effort. It offers some fun kills and a few pleasing genre touches, but it only holds interest for enthusiasts of the low budget horror movie.
Despite being relavivelty unheard of and having a small release, the selection and variation of poster art is exceptional. I never noticed the UK VHS copy had Fatal Games on the cover, adding “also known as” is a hoot.
Vinegar Syndrome released a restored version on region-free Blu-ray sourced from a theatrical print, as the original elements have unfortunately been lost. The print’s gritty quality adds significant atmosphere to the film, even if the blu ray cover art leaves something to be desired.
