This German TV-production is an impressive satire on reality-TV-shows - and made almost three decades before reality-TV-shows existed!
"Das Millionenspiel" ("The million game") is a TV-show that gets broadcast live once a month for a week. One contestant is hunted by three ruthless killers through the country, and if he survives the week, he'll win one million. The film follows the contestant on the last day of the fifteenth show, the killers always on his toes. If things go to smoothly for him, the producers help the killers to catch up with him again, and vice versa. During the climax, the contestant has to got through a tube, where each of the three killers has a last chance to shoot him dead. The whole program is - of course - interrupted by TV-spots from the show's sponsors "Stabilelite".
Even though the settings look dated nowadays, this unusual thriller still works with its issues, even though the reality-TV-show-phenomenon is almost worn out again. Knowing that "Das Millionenspiel" was made over 30 years ago, it bares almost prophetic content, which makes it even more interesting in the 21st century. Strangely, the film was "lost" after its first broadcast in the beginning of the Seventies and never showed again on TV until 2002. Also very remarkable are some of the cast: The show is presented by Dieter Thomas Heck, who himself became a very well now showmaster in german television later in the Seventies. Heribert Fassbender, who went on as a sports presenter for German TV, also plays one of the show's hosts. And, most interesting, German comedian Dieter Hallervorden can be seen in one of his very few serious roles: he's the leader of the killer gang!
Undoubtedly one of the best German TV-productions ever made and somewhat a predecessor of the reality-TV-satire "Series 7: The Contenders", which is also highly recommended and can be called "the American approach" on reality-TV-show-satire, made over 30 years later, though. "Das Millionenspiel" certainly is worth checking out, rating: 8 out of 10.
"Das Millionenspiel" ("The million game") is a TV-show that gets broadcast live once a month for a week. One contestant is hunted by three ruthless killers through the country, and if he survives the week, he'll win one million. The film follows the contestant on the last day of the fifteenth show, the killers always on his toes. If things go to smoothly for him, the producers help the killers to catch up with him again, and vice versa. During the climax, the contestant has to got through a tube, where each of the three killers has a last chance to shoot him dead. The whole program is - of course - interrupted by TV-spots from the show's sponsors "Stabilelite".
Even though the settings look dated nowadays, this unusual thriller still works with its issues, even though the reality-TV-show-phenomenon is almost worn out again. Knowing that "Das Millionenspiel" was made over 30 years ago, it bares almost prophetic content, which makes it even more interesting in the 21st century. Strangely, the film was "lost" after its first broadcast in the beginning of the Seventies and never showed again on TV until 2002. Also very remarkable are some of the cast: The show is presented by Dieter Thomas Heck, who himself became a very well now showmaster in german television later in the Seventies. Heribert Fassbender, who went on as a sports presenter for German TV, also plays one of the show's hosts. And, most interesting, German comedian Dieter Hallervorden can be seen in one of his very few serious roles: he's the leader of the killer gang!
Undoubtedly one of the best German TV-productions ever made and somewhat a predecessor of the reality-TV-satire "Series 7: The Contenders", which is also highly recommended and can be called "the American approach" on reality-TV-show-satire, made over 30 years later, though. "Das Millionenspiel" certainly is worth checking out, rating: 8 out of 10.