It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Another of C Thomas's films that fits this bad quota. An afternoon party turns deadly with the arrival of an older narcissistic, forward, and shady executive guy, Barry, who does the red headed hottie of the guy who's hosting the party. Things start to take a nasty turn, after a quite challenging and sinister game of charades, where we then see Barry's true colors. I didn't like the film. I liked the woman in it, not Black who actually wrote this tripe, and directed it if I recall. It's just a ridiculous movie that doesn't make sense. One scene has Barry outside, beating a poor young kid, who towing the hottie's car. C Thomas Howell actually brings of relief of sanity to the movie. He's about to marry a familiar Baywatch face, where you can also recall, this bird popping out of a cake naked in a popular Seagal film. James Russo is wasted as a cranky, lonely and hateful neighbor who becomes a 187 at the murderous hands of Barry. This movies only good for eye candy and Howell, the rest of it, is an excursion into "What the f..k territory?"

Thoroughly enjoyable little film, which runs along at a nice pace before building up to an explosive finale. The audience are never in the dark here, kept interested throughout and up to speed by solid characters and an intriguing story. Video favourites Howell and Scalia are good as ever, as guests at host James Wilder's `friendly get together'. It was also nice to see former baywatch babe Erika Eleniak in an all too rare appearance, but it was most definitely sexy Kimberley Kates who really gets the pulses raising here playing the part of Wilders wife with more than a passing interest in his mysterious, and slightly unbalanced, work colleague.

sebcz was right, the beginning was too slow, but we re-worked it extensively, with a new title "Charades" which was the original script title (much more appropriate to the story - watch the movie, you'll see what I mean). Premieres at the Austin Film Festival October 8th, 1999.

... but it's OK! Good cast, Thomas C Howell should be more exposed in the story - he's a great actor, even when he's a bit wounded. Wounds, blood and violence - remember, there is much of it here. The moment the first blood appears is both comic and shocking - worth waiting for! And we've got two pretty flowers here - Erika and red-headed, sexy, unfaithul wife Kimberley Kates. And remember - don't ever do the same thing to the guy who takes your car away from your neighbour's pavement!