Stay Alive - 2006

Most every gamer I know loves a good survival/horror game. But, what if you found one with a twist? The basis of the game set in reality and terrifying consequences when you lose. That is what you get with the 2006 film. “Stay Alive”. A movie that moves between creepy video game and horrifying reality. Being a gamer myself, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this movie. I have seen video game movies before, with “Doom” (2005), “Silent Hill” (2006), and the “Resident Evil” franchise (2002-2016) being some of my favorites. But, those films do not reference their source game, not like this where the game itself is an actual character in the movie with a part to play. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. The cast works well with each other, the atmosphere of the film is really well put together.

The game itself is very well done, reminiscent of games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill. Sharp-eyed gamers will be able to notice that the plantation used at the beginning of the movie is a carbon copy of the plantation used in the 1998 SEGA shooter, “House of the Dead”. The game itself is supposed to be either in beta testing or just having come out. For those who might not be familiar with what beta testing is, it is usually a way to find out what bugs a system may have that may possibly make it unplayable or if it's multiplayer and has multiple characters it's about testing things to keep the game balanced. (Thank you to my own gaming community members for the wonderful explanation). Another way to look at it, Testing a nearly-finished game before it's officially released to the public. You search for things in the game that aren't working properly or as intended, give your feedback about the game to the developers, etc. (Thank you another gaming friend, Saoirse Rook, for their explanation.)

The atmosphere of the film itself goes from creepy to sometimes silly. BUT, every gamer that watches this movie will find members of their own gaming circle in the cast. I will admit that was part of the fun in watching this, was looking at the different characters and getting a giggle when I could point out similarities between them and people that I played within my own gaming life. But, that was just part of the fun for me, as this movie has a basis in history. A very, very dark part of history. The “bad guy” in the video game and film is named Elizabeth Bathory. For those unfamiliar with her real name, she was also known as the “Countess of Blood” a Hungarian noblewoman who lived from 1560-1614 and was rumored to have murdered over 600 servants and young women from the surrounding villages to bathe in their blood in an attempt to stay young. Now, this movie does deviate from the actual legend a bit, as Bathory was actually walled up in her castle and never left. Most of the legend is followed up to a point. But they did the legend of this frightening woman justice.

This film plays on your eyes and your nerves. There are plenty of jump scares and “did I just see that?” moments. The lighting changes to fit the tone of the scene and leaves you always wondering what is going to happen next. Not to mention, the music in this movie is not overpowering, it sets a proper tone and is just loud enough to set your nerves on edge as you watch what this group of young people go through trying to figure out how to stop everything from happening. A fun fact, this was the final production filmed in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina. This was the first film from Hollywood pictures in five years as well as Disney’s ONLY slasher film.

Now that I have talked about the movie a bit, Let’s talk about the cast that carried this movie and didn’t let it fall apart. First up we have the beautiful, yet, mysterious Abigail, a young lady that ends up joining the group of gamers after a tragedy brings them together, she is really not a gamer herself but tags along and becomes one of the group after the first night of playing the game together.

She is played by the equally beautiful Samaire Armstrong. Samaire started her career as a television actress with roles in such series as “Party of Five” (2000), “Freaks and Geeks” (2000), “The X-Files” (2001), and “ER” (2001). After she played our Abigail, she secured a recurring role on the popular hit teen series “The O.C.” (2003-2006), She had multiple movies and television roles until she got the recurring role in “The Mentalist” (2011-2012) and then “Resurrection” (2014-2015), Most recently you can see her in “Carter and June” (2017) and “Robot Chicken” (2018). Abigail is actually a character you can root for as she is not one of those simpering, screaming harpies that some movies cast in the female lead/ co-lead role. She has a strength and personality, but she isn’t overdeveloped. She is another strong female character but she has a vulnerability that makes her a likable character. The old fashioned camera that she uses when we first meet her in the film is a tip of the hat to the game “Fatal Frame” (Known as “Rei Zero” in its native Japan and “Project Zero” in Europe.) series of survival/horror games upon which the concept for the “Stay Alive” game was partially based.

Our second cast member grew up before our eyes on the hit television series “Malcolm in the Middle.” (2000-2006). That’s right Malcolm himself, Frankie Muniz, but did you know that he actually had quite the career before he was everyone’s favorite know-it-all. From roles in such series as “Spin City” (1998), “The Simpsons” (2001), and my personal favorite series “The Fairly Oddparents” (2001-2005) to starring movie roles in the films “Agent Cody Banks” (2003) and “Agent Cody Banks 2.” (2004). After he was our favorite pint-sized gamer in “Stay Alive” he went on to have roles in “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.” (2007), “The Legend of Secret Pass” (2010), as well as “Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!” (2015). Most recently you can see him in “Sharknado: Heart of Darkness” (2016) as well as “Another day in Paradise” (2018 in post-production as of this writing). For us though, he is the pint-sized gamer, Swink, he looks to be similar to his Malcolm character as he is probably in most ways the most intelligent of the group and is their networker. He appears to also be the youngest in the group and struggling sometimes to show that he belongs with the rest. His character is one that all gamers have in their groups, younger, but highly intelligent, but maybe a bit more on the socially awkward side. Something that most people may not know, Frankie actually suffered a mini-stroke at the age of 26, in 2012.

Our next lovely lady of “Stay Alive” is the polar opposite of Abigail, and that would be the brooding, goth October, played by the lovely Sophia Bush. October is the girlfriend of our lead Hutch, and sister to Phineus. She is harder than Abigail, a bit more brash, and clearly a bit of a scrapper in the way that she carries herself. But, just like all characters in a movie, they have more than one side, she does have a loving, caring side that she shows to Hutch, due to everything going on around him, as well as you will sometimes see it with her brother as well. She is the true gamer and a bit of that girl that pokes at the other girls as seen by her line “So tell us about yourself, Abigail, we don’t know much about you, other than you can’t game for shit.” Sophia got her start in film with the 2002 installment of the Van Wilder series “Van Wilder: Party Liasion”, she then went on to have roles in such series as “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch” (2003) and, “Nip/Tuck” (2003) She became a household name when she landed a recurring role on the hit television series, “One Tree Hill” (2003-2012). After her role as the brash and brooding October, she went on to have roles in “The Hitcher” (2007), and television series such as “Phineas and Ferb” (2009-2011), “Law and Order: SVU” (2014-2016) where she carried the role from SVU into the “Chicago” franchise of “Chicago Fire” (2013-2017), “Chicago Med” (2015-2017), “Chicago Justice” (2017) and “Chicago P.D.” (2014-2017). Most recently you can see her in “Acts of Violence”(2018) and “The Incredibles 2” (2018, in post-production at the time of this writing.)

Our last cast member is one member of our gaming groups that we all love, but all want to strangle at the same time, in this case, it would be Phineus, the brother to the brooding October, and our pot-smoking, completely immature rabid gamer. Phineus is the character that you love because he makes you laugh, but you also cringe whenever he opens his mouth to speak. He is played by the talented Jimmi Simpson.

Phineus is that guy with NO FILTER, he says what he wants, doesn’t seem to have grown past the age of about 15, but you still find yourself gaming with him every chance you get because he is funny and a good friend. And in this case, the lead is dating his sister. Jimmi brought this role to life so well, that when tragedy strikes, it makes you sad, just a bit. One of his first roles was the underhanded Kevin Bollinger in the Stephen King Mini-series “Rose Red” (2002), he went on to have roles in “24” (2002), “Herbie Fully Loaded” (2005), and “My Name is Earl” (2006). Once before and again after he played our pot-smoking, pain in the tail, he went on to join the cast of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (2001-2009), as well as have roles in “The invention of Lying” (2009), “Date Night” (2010) and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” (2012). Most recently, you can see him in “Westworld” (2016-2018), “Black Mirror” (2017), and “Under Silver Lake” (2018).

This movie is a fun afternoon film, but some of the jump scares and the subject matter is what keeps it from the Panda friendly list, but it is a good film to use if you are looking for something *just off* the list. Though always remember, when you get together for that game night and someone tells you they have a new game to try, and they got it under tragic circumstances, put your controller away and go home. You won’t regret the decision. Happy playing.

2 of 5 - there is one sex scene though it is more alluded to than really seeing anything.

3 of 5 - rather small cast and a rather high death count

3 of 5 - It has it's bloody moments but it isn't so over the top that it detracts from the story.

4 of 5 - it is higher on the scare chart because it does monopolize on camera tricks to fool your eyes as well as the jump scares and random screams

3 of 5 - It doesn't quite make our list because of some of the content, but it is a great film to start introducing people to something off, the Panda List

Recomendations:

Darkness Falls - 2003

House of Wax - 2005

The Hitcher - 2007

Pulse - 2006