#john mccafferty

Death threats and assassination attempts are an everyday occurrence for Chuck Toedan (John McCafferty, Texas), host of the game show Live or Die. With their freedom dangled in front of them, prisoners on death row compete for their lives in front of a cheering audience. Not only is Chuck berated by those who think him amoral, but he also has a slovenly hitman, Luigi Pappalardo (Beano), on his tail.

Luigi is there on behalf of the mafia, after their boss was killed on Live or Die in a particularly humiliating way. The assassin is distracted by the glaringly-named feminist Gloria Sternvirgin (Robyn Blythe, The Brady Bunch Variety Hour) - until his elderly mother (Mark Lasky, doing a poor old lady impersonation) inadvertently becomes a contestant on the game show. Naturally, Chuck and Gloria butt heads at first before falling for one another.

McCafferty is pitch-perfect as the smarmy game show host, right down to the cheesy smile. Blythe is suitable as the love interest, although she isn't given many jokes. The cast members talk about how funny Beano was on set, but much of his cartoony comedy on screen is dated. Astute B-movie aficionados may recognize Conrad Brooks (Plan 9 from Outer Space) as one of the show's judges in the opening scene, Esther Elise (Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers) as the groupie who sleeps with Chuck, and Eve Brent (Fade to Black) as the colorful crossing guard.

Vinegar Syndrome restored Deathrow Gameshow's original 35mm camera negative in 2K for a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. Even by Vinegar Syndrome's high standards, this one carries a ton of extras, including the remastered version of the film (in standard definition) from 2015. Pirro went in corrected some minor faults a la a low budget George Lucas - from digital touch ups to additional sound effects - in an attempt to make it look less cheap. But that cheapness is part of the charm, so I recommend sticking with the original cut - which looks great in HD.

Pirro gives a brief, optional introduction to the film. He, McCafferty, and Blythe participate in a revealing commentary track, in which they admit that both men were romantically involved with Blythe, resulting in tension on set. They have a good sense of humor about the situation now, joking about it between stories from the set. Pirro discusses the changes made for the remastered version, along with other interesting tidbits.

Revisiting Deathrow Gameshow is a 32-minute documentary about the film from 2013 with several cast and crew members. Two of Pirro's early Super 8 films are included on the discs: Buns (1978) is a 20-minute comedy about a man (played by Pirro) who goes on a murderous rampage at the sight of a hamburger, and The Spy Who Did It Better (1979) is a 45-minute James Bond spoof starring McCafferty as 014. The quality is a bit rough, but Pirro's wacky humor remains intact. The supplementary materials are rounded out by the theatrical trailer, a TV spot, an image gallery, and a bio on Pirro.

Deathrow Gameshow is like the illegitimate lovechild of Death Race 2000 and UHF; it's pitch-black yet goofy, and its tireless energy renders the film entertaining throughout. It also has a wonderfully 1980s theme song that plays over both the opening and closing credits. The movie may be as disposable as the lives of the prisoners depicted within, but what more could you ask for from a movie named Deathrow Gameshow?