Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

SpecialsTarget Disturbing yet enthralling

Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Juana what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

cultfilmfreaksdotcom Director Nick Castle delivers a suspenseful dark comedy about a group of college students who play a game of TAG, consisting of sneaking around with suction-dart guns and keeping tabs on who lives and dies.In the cat and mouse game, each participant lurks in the shadows… dorm rooms, hallways, and even showers… to "remove" their opponents from the list, all covered by L.A. based rock DJ Frazer Smith as the frantic scorekeeper.Enter Robert Carradine as a wannabe pulp writer working for the campus newspaper, interested in covering what, in his opinion, is a strange and subliminally violent pastime where students center more on a fictional death than studying, reading, or anything else worthwhile.With signature full lips, sexy smile and independence, quick-witted Linda Hamilton becomes his very own Lauren Bacall. But the real story begins after scene-stealing Bruce Abbott, as the brooding antagonist, getting accidentally taken out by a dart and being the only player who's never lost, loses his mind: turning into a calculating killer using a real gun with real bullets.Director Castle, a student of John Carpenter, keeps things at a steady pace and, as Abbott sneaks around campus like a shadowy wraith, the body count/horror film aspect works along with the dark comedy and steamy romance. While GOTCHA starring Anthony Edwards, with a similar plot of a game turned lethal, became more mainstream a few years later, TAG is darker and more intense.Kristine DeBell co-stars as a creative but ultimately unlucky gamer and Michael Winslow wields his voice sound effects sporadically. The tagline, "Everybody Gets It In The End," was used as an actual title overseas. And the name fits, almost.A parody of horror combined with Noir and a dash of exploitation, there are plenty of cool homage's to old black and white films and some more "modern" classics, including Abbott looking much like a youthful GODFATHER2/TAXI DRIVER era Robert De Niro.Good stuff from start to finish, 'cause you never know what'll happen next...For More Reviews: www.cultfilmfreaks.com

cleaninghouse07876 Basically a cross between a slasher film, romantic comedy and drama. The acting is better than in slashers but the script ends up being lacking at times, not enough comedy and the romance angle was largely boring. The biggest draw to the movie and the real reason there is a cult following of sorts (cult following among those who actually saw it) is because of kids or teens who had dart guns and loved the concept of the game being portrayed and in fact this movie inspired the creation of such games. The movie thus should have devoted more to the game itself. It not only would have made it more interesting but also more suspenseful.The killer is revealed within the first 20 minutes. It would have been better if the identity of the killer was not shown so we do not see what the killer looks like. The only time Tag players other than Susan and Gersh appeared was when they were interacting with Susan or Gersh. It would have been nice to see some of the other players making kills. In combination with the killer's identity being secret, or at least the face of each assassin not being shown until after a kill this would have increased the thrill factor because the audience would wonder whether each upcoming kill would be real or fake. Mixing up real and fake kills would have done wonders. Instead there were just 3 players murdered on screen with a total lack of surprise or suspense plus we do not care much about the victims either. With so few murders the movie needed more of the game shown and some suspense. Towards the end it is revealed that Gersh murdered 5 players. Yet only 3 bodies were shown in his room. If the budget and/or time did not permit hiring more actors or showing the other two kills at the very least the movie should have shown Gersh calling Carpenter to report the kills so the audience would be aware of them. The way the reveal played out, many viewers don't even realize these extra two kills supposedly occurred. Another problem is that while the killer has a motive to commit the first murder (to silence the victim) there is no reason to continue killing which for sure will result in getting caught. It is hard to buy that someone snapped so completely over a game even if he has little else in his life. Odd is that while he has no qualms about violating the rules while using a real gun he obeys the time limits, "no shooting after midnight". Compared to some slashers though with the likes of super human freaks nearly impossible to kill this is relatively minor.Another minor issue is that on 2 occasions various players teamed up to get Susan. Why would players team up to get her? If anything you would expect them to team up to get Gersh. Allowing players to team up seems to run counter to the whole spirit as well of each having a target.The love scenes were just plain boring and the retro music corny. The real charm was the game and it simply was not developed as much as it should have been. As in Halloween, music is used extensively to set the mood and try to frighten. There are not enough scary scenes though, and the only thrill is towards the end as the killer is chasing Susan.Action centers mainly around 2 buildings that are Gothic and Romanesque. Props for the choice because they look great on film. Definitely a film that is watchable as long as you take it at face value and accept some parts are slow moving.

Scarecrow-88 Odd blend of comedy and thriller has a writer for a college paper, Alex Marsh(Robert Carradine)deciding to follow a student(in psychology, no less), Susan Swayze(Linda Hamilton)as she plays a popular game, TAG, where opponents are pitted against each other, on campus, with guns that shoot rubber darts. One of the players, Loren Gersh(Bruce Abbott, REANIMATOR), has been champion for four years running, and when actually "killed", he doesn't take defeat very well..something snaps and Gersh loads his gun with real bullets and starts actually killing those on his game's hit-list. Talk about a sore loser! Anyway, Susan is quite a skilled "assassin", and a threat to Gersh's reign so that puts her life in grave danger. Marsh falls in love with Susan and even helps her at times when she runs out of darts and her gun is useless. Once student bodies start going missing, Gersh begins a transformation, cleaning himself up, even wearing a suit and tie, and eventually Susan will be his next target.While not in it much, Kristine DeBell has some nice work as Hamilton's pal Nancy, unfortunately a fellow TAG player who winds up on Gersh's hit-list. This also features an early performance from "human sound effects machine" Michael Winslow who is fortunately on Susan's hit-list and spared the fate of those targeted by Gersh.Abbott is quite effective as the psychopath who never appears very stable to begin with, obsessed with the TAG game maybe because it's the only thing that gives his life meaning. Hamilton is stunning, the camera worshiping her as much as Carradine's reporter. I've always been a fan of Carradine's and this film doesn't change my opinion of him, chomping on a cigar, just head over heels(as I was)for Hamilton, his character is one of those unlikely Hitchcockian heroes who saves the day in the nick of time, just because his reporter stumbles upon a novel idea for a story based on his infatuation for a girl who entered his room to avoid being "shot" by an "assassin" at the beginning of the movie.I think the film benefits from this great cast, but, gosh, this premise is pretty disturbing if you think about it. For instance, there's that one scene where Gersh walks underneath the bleachers as his victim is watching a potential boyfriend preparing for his run on the track, shooting her as the coach fires his pistol for the boys to take off. The potency of the murders is the very fact that Gersh doesn't play fair and his victims never stand a chance. The main problem I imagine others will have with this film, besides the idea that college students could commit to their studies and play this demanding game, is that the outcome will not be a surprise. I think a movie hinges on the suspense of the premise, but I figure, if you were like me, no one will be convinced that Hamilton won't be rescued by Carradine. Still, I thought TAG:THE ASSASSINATION GAME was a nice surprise, because I had never heard of it. And, when I noticed that Carradine and Hamilton were both in it, as well as Abbott, I was more than excited to see what might come of it. Lots of nice homages to classic film noir, and the score is very bluesy, appropriate for what inspires Carradine(this includes a loving nod to TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT where Hamilton gets to run that famous line from Lauren Bacall and steals Carradine's heart in the process). I got a kick at how Carradine's eyes would go puppy-doggish, as if entranced by Hamilton, when around her..he wasn't the only one. From the director of THE LAST STARFIGHTER, and John Carpenter associate, Nick Castle.

poe426 The late '70's and early '80's saw the release of some truly entertaining films that seem to have since vanished from all Earthly ken. Why this has happened remains a mystery. One of the more entertaining entries happens to have been T.A.G. Well-written and flawlessly crafted from start to finish, this one boasted a superb cast and a film noir sensibility that elevated it head and shoulders above the then-current run-of-the-mill murder movies. There are enough in-jokes to keep John Carpenter and Nick Castle fans satisfied, and the overall look and feel of this film makes it a must-see for students of the art.