How Bad is Ninja Assassin?

The Most Dangerous 90s Action Movie You Forgot About | Surviving the Game ft. Ice-T, Rutger Hauer & Gary Busey

Before Squid Game made “hunting humans for sport” a global phenomenon, Hollywood was already doing it on a VHS tape from your local mom-and-pop video store. In 1994’s Surviving the Game, Ice-T plays a homeless man lured into the Pacific Northwest wilderness — only to discover he’s not a guide. He’s the prey. With Rutger Hauer, Gary Busey, and F. Murray Abraham along for the ride, this gritty adaptation of “The Most Dangerous Game” is loud, messy, and somehow — kind of a blast. Join Dallas and John as they dig this one out of the bottom of the box to find out if Surviving the Game is a forgotten ’90s action gem or if it belongs exactly where they found it — on The Bottom Shelf! Connect with John:https://linktr.ee/johnharju [https://linktr.ee/johnharju] Check out the Gundam Watch Podcast: https://thegundamwatch.wordpress.com/ [https://thegundamwatch.wordpress.com/] Check out the Spider-Fan Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/spiderfanpodcast [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/spiderfanpodcast] Connect with Dallas & Celeste Via Geek Devotions: YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/geekdevotions [https://www.youtube.com/geekdevotions] TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/geekdevotions [http://www.twitter.com/geekdevotions] INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/geekdevotions [http://www.instagram.com/geekdevotions] FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GeekDevotions/ [https://www.facebook.com/GeekDevotions/] Timestamps:   00:19 – Cold open / intro music 00:39 – Dallas & John kick things off — no intro bit this week, and why 01:27 – John introduces himself and Captain Dallas; quick rant on gatekeeping 02:01 – Revealing the movie: Surviving the Game (1994) 02:34 – Dallas remembers renting it on VHS; the classic video store box discussion 03:10 – John reads the back of the VHS box 04:13 – Movie overview / Google research: director Ernest Dickerson, the cast, and the plot 05:18 – Ice-T, Law & Order SVU jokes, and first Ice-T movie memories 07:10 – Fun trivia: filmed entirely on location, no sound stages; the Bank of America parking lot 08:38 – The Most Dangerous Game source material — the 1924 short story and the 1932 film 10:08 – Community outreach segment 11:10 – Dallas met Ice-T in real life — the story 13:22 – Ice-T’s voice acting credits: Batman Beyond, Borderlands 3 14:47 – Pre-watch expectations — Dallas & John share what they’re hoping for 17:57 – 90s action philosophy: why movies changed after 9/11 19:23 – “Movie Watch” bumper — they go watch the film 20:03 – SPOILER-FREE REACTION begins — effects, continuity, pacing 21:01 – The “texture” of 90s film vs. modern polish 22:08 – The storytelling style: plot over character development 23:47 – SPOILERS BEGIN 28:03 – The mysterious missing scene / edit glitch discussion 31:45 – Content warning: the father-son hunters, who survives 34:06 – The Gary Busey fight scene breakdown — highlight of the film 35:25 – The Rutger Hauer final fight — the “Final Girl” moment 36:46 – The ATV explosion payoff and the mechanic setup from earlier 38:39 – The wolf scene — Chekhov’s wolf that never returned 40:33 – Weird whimsical music in the opening — the score discussion 42:07 – Final verdict: “Ice-T’s Pitch Black” — elevated made-for-TV energy 43:07 – The Rating Breakdown explained (Top Shelf / Middle Shelf / Bottom Shelf / Dumpster Fire) 43:45 – Dallas’s rating: Low-Middle Shelf — “Won’t seek it out, but won’t turn it off” 44:53 – John’s rating: Upper-Middle Shelf — “Dumb action scratches a specific itch” 46:20 – Weak Connections segment — Dallas ties the film to Matthew 25 and caring for those in need 50:41 – Closing remarks, subscribe CTA, socials shoutout 53:11 – Outro music

How Bad Is The One?

After exploring the limits of the multiverse long before it was a cinematic trend, Jet Li decided to face off against his toughest opponent yet—himself. In 2001’s The One, we see a high-stakes pursuit across parallel dimensions that left audiences seeing double and critics feeling single-minded. Join Dallas and John as they hop through the quantum tunnel to discover if this martial arts sci-fi holds up as a unique gem, or if its place in history is strictly on The Bottom Shelf! Connect with John: https://linktr.ee/johnharju  [https://linktr.ee/johnharju] Check out the Gundam Watch Podcast: https://thegundamwatch.wordpress.com/  [https://thegundamwatch.wordpress.com/] Check out the Spider-Fan Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/spiderfanpodcast [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/spiderfanpodcast] Connect with Dallas & Celeste Via Geek Devotions: YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/geekdevotions [https://www.youtube.com/geekdevotions] TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/geekdevotions [http://www.twitter.com/geekdevotions] INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/geekdevotions [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHl2VEFIUlZVV3drWTUxdGdrei1rMzdOWFBud3xBQ3Jtc0tsSFlMdkYzMkkzcjJYRm0zblJESUtQT2pqOVNBUTVXZkdiUFQ1WVB6TVJNWFdFM0dpemo1cTduZ1F0VUZXVkVWLVNjTVlrMTZQd0pxZTdaSUpwS1dtMDQzNXRMTTJrYXhfemZRaDdGZG1QN3lWNll1RQ&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fgeekdevotions] FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GeekDevotions/ [https://www.facebook.com/GeekDevotions/]

How Bad is Ninja Assassin?

On the heels of directing V for Vendetta, James McTeigue decided to bring a stylized ninja story to the silver screen called, Ninja Assassin. Legend says that the movie cut the hearts of viewers everywhere who loved it, but the hearts of critics were apparently made of iron. Join the team of The Bottom Shelf as they look to discover if it’s better than what the critics say, or if it truly belongs on, The Bottom Shelf!

How Bad is War of the Worlds 2025?

Straight to Amazon Prime comes War of the Worlds (2025), a “screen-life” style alien invasion film starring Ice Cube as a DHS agent watching humanity unravel through monitors and phones. Critics say the shaky visuals, heavy product placement, and flat script make it a disaster — but could this modern spin on H.G. Wells’ classic actually be a hidden gem? Or does it truly belong on… The Bottom Shelf? Connect with John: https://linktr.ee/johnharju  [https://linktr.ee/johnharju] Check out the Gundam Watch Podcast: https://thegundamwatch.wordpress.com/  [https://thegundamwatch.wordpress.com/] Check out the Spider-Fan Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/spiderfanpodcast [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/spiderfanpodcast] Connect with Dallas & Celeste Via Geek Devotions: YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/geekdevotions [https://www.youtube.com/geekdevotions] TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/geekdevotions [http://www.twitter.com/geekdevotions] INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/geekdevotions [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHl2VEFIUlZVV3drWTUxdGdrei1rMzdOWFBud3xBQ3Jtc0tsSFlMdkYzMkkzcjJYRm0zblJESUtQT2pqOVNBUTVXZkdiUFQ1WVB6TVJNWFdFM0dpemo1cTduZ1F0VUZXVkVWLVNjTVlrMTZQd0pxZTdaSUpwS1dtMDQzNXRMTTJrYXhfemZRaDdGZG1QN3lWNll1RQ&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fgeekdevotions] FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GeekDevotions/ [https://www.facebook.com/GeekDevotions/]

How bad is Kickboxer?

On the heels of the release of “Bloodsport,” Mark DiSalle got to work on a new action pack martial arts movie about a man out to prove he’s the best at fighting style that he’s just learned. Bloodsport 2! er…. Kickboxer! This Jean-Claude Van Damme movie worth watching? Is it better than what the critics say? Or does it truly belong on… The Bottom Shelf? Connect with John: https://linktr.ee/johnharju  [https://linktr.ee/johnharju] Check out the Gundam Watch Podcast: https://thegundamwatch.wordpress.com/  [https://thegundamwatch.wordpress.com/] Check out the Spider-Fan Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/spiderfanpodcast [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/spiderfanpodcast] Connect with Dallas & Celeste Via Geek Devotions: YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/geekdevotions [https://www.youtube.com/geekdevotions] TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/geekdevotions [http://www.twitter.com/geekdevotions] INSTAGRAM: http://www.instagram.com/geekdevotions [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbHl2VEFIUlZVV3drWTUxdGdrei1rMzdOWFBud3xBQ3Jtc0tsSFlMdkYzMkkzcjJYRm0zblJESUtQT2pqOVNBUTVXZkdiUFQ1WVB6TVJNWFdFM0dpemo1cTduZ1F0VUZXVkVWLVNjTVlrMTZQd0pxZTdaSUpwS1dtMDQzNXRMTTJrYXhfemZRaDdGZG1QN3lWNll1RQ&q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fgeekdevotions] FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/GeekDevotions/ [https://www.facebook.com/GeekDevotions/] Bloodsport [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/bloodsport/]Dallas Mora [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/dallas-mora/]featured [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/featured/]Jean-Claude Van Damme [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/jean-claude-van-damme/]john harju [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/john-harju/]karate [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/karate/]Martial Arts [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/martial-arts/]Martial Arts Film [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/martial-arts-film/]movie podcast [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/movie-podcast/]Movie Review [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/movie-review/]Review of Martial Arts Film [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/review-of-martial-arts-film/]The Bottom Shelf [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/the-bottom-shelf/]The Bottom Shelf Podcast [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/tag/the-bottom-shelf-podcast/] POST NAVIGATION Previous Post: [https://thebottomshelf.blubrry.net/2024/12/18/how-bad-is-beyond-the-mask/]