Mazes and Monsters

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Mazes and Monsters (28-Dec-1982)

Director: Steven Hilliard Stern

Writer: Tom Lazarus

From novel: Mazes and Monsters by Rona Jaffe

Keywords: Fantasy, Unintentional Comedy, Board Games

Name Occupation Birth Death Known for

Lloyd Bochner Actor 29-Jul-1924 29-Oct-2005 It's a cookbook

Wendy Crewson Actor 9-May-1956 Night Heat

Anne Francis Actor 16-Sep-1930 2-Jan-2011 Forbidden Planet

Kevin Peter Hall Actor 9-May-1955 10-Apr-1991 Predator

Murray Hamilton Actor 24-Mar-1923 1-Sep-1986 Jaws

Tom Hanks Actor 9-Jul-1956 Forrest Gump

Clark Johnson Actor 10-Sep-1954 Det. Meldrick Lewis on Homicide

Chris Makepeace Actor 22-Apr-1964 My Bodyguard

Vera Miles Actor 23-Aug-1929 The Searchers

Louise Sorel Actor 6-Aug-1940 Days of Our Lives

Susan Strasberg Actor 22-May-1938 21-Jan-1999 Picnic

REVIEWS

Review by Manninder (posted on 1-Sep-2005)

I give this movie 2&1/2 stars because it is somewhere between zero (for acting, special effects, and cheesy stereotypical characters) and five for the sheer fun of it.

Seeing oscar-winning Tom Hanks in possibly his worst performance of his life (including any elementary school plays) is a hoot. The stereotypical characters who all come from different walks of life (child prodigy, althletic pretty boy, soulful girl-next-door, and troubled child of alcoholic mother) but find common ground in role-playing. The special effects are bad, even for 1982. There is a talking mina bird that insists very vocally that birds don't talk... a repeating gag... Robbie (Tom Hanks) running through a bit of spinning sewer pipe with a light at the end that talks to him, and a "gorvil" that is an obvious rubber suit, even with the vasoline on the camera lens. I don't want too spoil to much, but basically, Robbie breaks up his fling with the girl-next-door, and then goes more than a little nuts.

On the whole, I love this movie. I show it to anyone I think will watch. Not for the reason they intended -- to scare anyone from playing Dungeons & Dragons (Hmm.. Mazes & Monsters... Dungeons & Dragons... do you think there's a correlation here?), but because it's just a fun spoof of what the alarmists most fear about those of us who choose to use our imaginations.

Thanks for reading. PS, For an extra bit of fun pay close attention to the "sound effects" they used in the caves.

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