Songwriter / musician / actor John McCafferty ('Texas') plays Chuck Toedan, the slimy host of a "Running Man" type TV show where condemned prisoners get a chance for freedom. But he had previously made a very bad mistake in having a mafia kingpin on his show, who ended up in a device triggered to execute him upon his getting an erection. Now, an overbearing mob henchman, Luigi Pappalardo (Beano, "Caged Fury") is determined to get some revenge on Chuck. Meanwhile, Chuck has incurred the wrath of a feminist journalist, Gloria Sternvirgin (Robin Blythe, 'The Brady Bunch Variety Hour').
Written and directed by Mark Pirro, "Deathrow Gameshow" clearly has the aim of being a cult dark comedy, but for every mildly decent laugh (this viewer would be lying if he said that he NEVER chuckled), there are a bunch of gags that land with a thud. To add to that, Pirro gives this thing almost no energy, and to say that it's cheesy might be an *under*-statement; it looks like it was filmed for about $1.95. The acting is almost universally insipid, but I did like Darwyn Carson ("True Confessions") as Chucks' secretary and B movie sex symbol Debra Lamb ("Beverly Hills Vamp") as the presenter Shanna Shallow, who never stops striking poses even when Luigi eventually takes over the show and imprisons much of the "talent" in a cage.
This could have been something to treasure had it been in better hands, but it really needed a better script and better direction. Nevertheless, it seems to have *some* sort of following.
Blythe rehashed her role in the movies "Rectuma" (2003) and "The Deceased Won't Desist!" (2021) (both also written & directed by Pirro).
Four out of 10.
Written and directed by Mark Pirro, "Deathrow Gameshow" clearly has the aim of being a cult dark comedy, but for every mildly decent laugh (this viewer would be lying if he said that he NEVER chuckled), there are a bunch of gags that land with a thud. To add to that, Pirro gives this thing almost no energy, and to say that it's cheesy might be an *under*-statement; it looks like it was filmed for about $1.95. The acting is almost universally insipid, but I did like Darwyn Carson ("True Confessions") as Chucks' secretary and B movie sex symbol Debra Lamb ("Beverly Hills Vamp") as the presenter Shanna Shallow, who never stops striking poses even when Luigi eventually takes over the show and imprisons much of the "talent" in a cage.
This could have been something to treasure had it been in better hands, but it really needed a better script and better direction. Nevertheless, it seems to have *some* sort of following.
Blythe rehashed her role in the movies "Rectuma" (2003) and "The Deceased Won't Desist!" (2021) (both also written & directed by Pirro).
Four out of 10.