Matchbox Cineclub The Name of the Game is Kill

This month our guest programmers - Something Weird Film Club - present one of the most elusive shockers of the late 1960s, Joe Soloman’s psychological thriller The Name of the Game Is Kill. The film has held a certain mystique among genre fans for the latter half of the 20th century due to its evocative stills and write-ups in various horror publications over the years. After its initial release the independent cult classic soon dropped out of the radar and into obscurity, never to be screened again until recently.

The story follows a young girl (Susan Strasberg, best known for her role in The Trip) who comes across Hungarian refugee and vagabond (played by Jack Lord) whilst driving down a desert highway in rural Arizona. The pair venture to an abandoned town where the young girl’s family - her two sisters and estranged mother - run a gas station. As more is revealed about the characters, we learn of the sisters’ shattered past. This is when our Hungarian protagonist becomes entangled in their web of lies, lust and deceit leading to “one of the most surprise shock endings ever filmed”. After being lost for over four decades, this drive-in cult classic will be sure to keep you spellbound!