Dangerous Game (1993)

Director:

Abel Ferrara

Writer (WGA):

Nicholas St. John (written by)

Release Date:

19 November 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A New York film director, working on his latest movie in Los Angeles, begins to reflect the actions in his movie and real life, especially when he begins an affair with the lead actress.

Plot Keywords:

Drugs | Film In Film | Psychological Drama | Divorce | Film Making

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Harvey Keitel	...	Eddie Israel
Madonna	...	Sarah Jennings
James Russo	...	Francis Burns
Nancy Ferrara	...	Madlyn Israel
Reilly Murphy	...	Tommy
Victor Argo	...	Director of Photography
Leonard L. Thomas	...	Prop Guy
Christina Fulton	...	Blonde
Heather Bracken	...	Stewardess
Glenn Plummer	...	Burns' Buddy
Niki Munroe	...	Girl in Trailer
Lori Eastside	...	Party Guest
John Snyder	...	Party Guest
Adina Winston	...	Party Guest
Dylan Hundley	...	Party Guest

Also Known As:

Snake Eyes (UK) (USA) (working title)
Dangerous Games (Australia) (TV title)

Runtime:

108 min (Unrated Director's Cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:18 | Ireland:(Banned) | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/16 (video premiere) | South Korea:18 | UK:18 | USA:NC-17 (original rating) | USA:R | USA:Unrated (DVD/VHS release) (uncut version)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Cecchi Gori Europa N.V.

Trivia:

Eddie Israel is shown watching a scene from Les Blank's documentary Burden of Dreams (1982), about Werner Herzog's attempt to haul a real 340-ton steamship over a mountain during the making of his film Fitzcarraldo (1982) (which he successfully accomplished).

Quotes:

Eddie Israel: Either do more coke or more booze or less! But give me what I need!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Short Film About the Long Career of Abel Ferrara (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

MO' BLUES

Infidelity, Sex, Drugs and Booze

While shooting a movie in Los Angeles about the abused wife Sarah Jennings (Madonna) that has converted to Christian and her husband Francis Burns (James Russo) that misses their orgies, the New Yorker director Eddie Israel (Harvey Keitel) pushes his lead actor and actress to the edge affecting their real lives. Eddie has one brief affair with Sarah but he feels also affected by his work and confesses the truth about his many infidelities to his wife Mad Israel (Nancy Ferrara), blurring fiction and reality and destroying his marriage.

"Dangerous Game" is a sort of experimental "movie within a movie" showing a parallel journey to hell of the character, lead actor and director blended with sex, drugs and booze. The result is a strange and unpleasant movie but very well acted, especially by Madonna that has a magnificent and very convincing performance. It is not entertaining and certainly not the best film of Abel Ferrara, but for fans like me it is worthwhile watching it. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Olhos de Serpente" ("Eyes of Snake")