Funny Games [DVD]

Description

It is impossible to have a neutral opinion about the Austrian
thriller Funny Games–a movie so relentless in its ability to shock that it
gained pariah status on the film festival circuit in 1997. In the warped
tradition of A Clockwork Orange, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and Blue
Velvet, this is a film–directed with electrifying audacity by Munich-born
Michael Haneke–that addresses the controversy of screen violence by making
the viewer as guilty as the Leopold and Loeb-like killers who terrorize a
young family of three during their summer vacation. They arrive as friendly
neighbors, seducing the family with phony congeniality, but soon Funny Games
reveals its devious strategy, turning savage and appalling… and completely
captivating for those who can endure the terror. There’s actually less
violence than you’d see in a typical American horror flick such as Scream, but
Haneke’s forceful staging effectively fulfills his agenda of viewer
complicity; we vividly experience this doomed family’s fate and feel helpless
to save them. So helpless, in fact, that Haneke dares to offer a hint of
respite by giving a victim the upper hand, only to “replay” the same scene
with the darkest of outcomes. Funny Games is guaranteed to outrage some
viewers with its manipulative schemes, but there’s no denying the film’s
visceral impact, generated by Haneke’s expert handling of a superior cast.
Don’t even think of allowing anyone under age 17 to watch this film; all
others should proceed with caution. –Jeff Shannon

Features:

Product Details:

• Format: Subtitled, Letterboxed, NTSC, DVD, Widescreen, Color
• Contributor: Monika Zallinger, Michael Haneke, Doris Kunstmann, Ulrich Mhe, Frank Giering, Wolfgang Glck, Susanne Lothar, Stefan Clapczynski, Arno Frisch, Susanne Meneghel, Christoph Bantzer See more
• Language: German
• Runtime: 1 hour and 48 minutes
• Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ Unrated (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.38 x 0.6 inches; 3.21 Ounces
• Director ‏ : ‎ Michael Haneke
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Subtitled, Letterboxed, NTSC, DVD, Widescreen, Color
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 48 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ January 26, 1999
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Mhe, Arno Frisch, Frank Giering, Stefan Clapczynski
• Dubbed: ‏ : ‎ German
• Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English