House of Games (1987)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

David Mamet

Writers:

Jonathan Katz (story) &
David Mamet (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

11 October 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Nothing is as it seems.

Plot:

A psychiatrist comes to the aid of a compulsive gambler and is led my a smooth-talking grifter into the shadowy but compelling world of stings, scams, and con men.

Plot Keywords:

Compulsive Gambler | Con | Undercover Cop | Sharpster | Best Selling Author

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Lindsay Crouse	...	Margaret Ford
Joe Mantegna	...	Mike
Mike Nussbaum	...	Joey
Lilia Skala	...	Dr. Littauer
J.T. Walsh	...	The businessman
Willo Hausman	...	Girl with book
Karen Kohlhaas	...	Prison ward patient
Steven Goldstein	...	Billy Hahn
Jack Wallace	...	Bartender, House of Games
Ricky Jay	...	George / Vegas Man
G. Roy Levin	...	Poker player
Bob Lumbra	...	Poker player
Andy Potok	...	Poker player
Allen Soule	...	Poker player
Ben Blakeman	...	Bartender, Charlie's Tavern
Scott Zigler	...	Western Union clerk
William H. Macy	...	Sgt. Moran (as W.H. Macy)
John Pritchett	...	Hotel desk clerk
Meshach Taylor	...	Mr. Dean
Johnny 'Sugarbear' Willis	...	Hotel doorman (as Sugarbear Willis)
Josh Conescu	...	Garage attendant
Julie Mendenhall	...	Late student
Rachel Cline	...	Student
Patricia Wolff	...	Patient / Ford's office
Paul Walsh	...	Man in restaurant
Roberta Maguire	...	Restaurant hostess
Jacqueline de La Chaume	...	Woman with lighter

Directed by
David Mamet

Writing credits
Jonathan Katz		(story) &
David Mamet		(story)
David Mamet		(screenplay)

Produced by
Michael Hausman	....	producer

Original Music by
Alaric Jans

Cinematography by
Juan Ruiz Anchía

Film Editing by
Trudy Ship

Casting by
Cyrena Hausman

Production Design by
Michael Merritt

Set Decoration by
Derek R. Hill		(as Derek Hill)

Costume Design by
Nan Cibula

Makeup Department
Laurent Delouya	....	hair stylist: Mr. Mantegna
Erin Lyons	....	hair stylist
Gregory Villamil	....	hair stylist: Miss Crouse
Pamela S. Westmore	....	makeup artist (as Pamela Westmore)

Production Management
Lee R. Mayes	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ned Dowd	....	first assistant director
Michael Hausman	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Jeff Balsmeyer	....	storyboard artist (as Jeffrey Balsmeyer)
Valerie Ross	....	property assistant
Samara Schaffer	....	property master
J. Grey Smith	....	lead man
Jeffrey P. Soderberg	....	set dresser (as Jeff Soderberg)

Sound Department
Douglas Axtell	....	boom operator
Suki Buchman	....	assistant sound editor (as Susan Buchman)
Anthony J. Ciccolini III	....	supervising sound editor
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Pam DeMetruis-Thomas	....	assistant sound editor (as Pam DeMetruis)
Kathleen Earle Killeen	....	assistant sound editor (as Kathy Killeen)
Thomas A. Gulino	....	sound editor
John Pritchett	....	sound mixer
John Pritchett	....	sound
Marc S. Shaw	....	adr editor
Gail Showalter	....	assistant sound editor
Jeffrey Stern	....	sound editor
Jacqueline Tager	....	assistant sound editor (as Jacqui Tager)
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recording supervisor

Special Effects by
Robert G. Willard	....	special effects (as Robert Willard)

Camera and Electrical Department
Michael F. Barrow	....	gaffer (as Michael Barrow)
Michael F. Barrow	....	grip equipment
Michael F. Barrow	....	lighting equipment
Martin Bosworth	....	grip (as Marty Bosworth)
Chris Centrella	....	key dolly grip
Henry Cline	....	second assistant camera
Geoffrey Coburn	....	electrician
Robert Diehl	....	electrician
Bill Flick	....	grip
Lars Larson	....	grip
Mark Lorge	....	electrician
Hugh McCallum	....	best boy grip
Robert McClure	....	electrician
John Merriman	....	best boy electric
George Mooradian	....	first assistant camera
Lorey Sebastian	....	still photographer
Michael Sudmeier	....	electrician
Greg White-Wiegand	....	electrician
Quintin Woo	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Candace Blake	....	wardrobe assistant
Dawn Johnson	....	costumer
Sally Roberts	....	wardrobe assistant
Sally Roberts	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Peter B. Ellis	....	apprentice editor
K.F. Ligammari	....	apprentice editor
Colleen Sharp	....	apprentice editor
Barbara Tulliver	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Warren Bernhardt	....	musician: piano solom, "Fugue From the Toccata in C Minor"
Suzana Peric	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Gregory W. Anderson	....	driver (as Gregory Anderson)
Jerry Jackson	....	transportation coordinator
Jon McCarthy	....	driver (as Jon R. McCarthy)
David Milchen	....	driver captain

Other crew
Alexa Albert	....	production assistant
Rachel Cline	....	assistant to producer
Liz Dixon	....	coach
Liz Dixon	....	consultant
Peter Hutcheson	....	production assistant
Kevin Hyman	....	production accountant
Ricky Jay	....	consultant: confidence games
Richard Lorenzana	....	financial representative
Ron Lynch	....	location manager
Susan McBrine	....	caterer (as Susan MacBrine)
Ivan Passer Jr.	....	production assistant
P.J. Pettiette	....	dailies courier
Deborah Pritchett	....	production office coordinator
Cathy Sarkowsky	....	production office coordinator
Sheila Thompson	....	craft service
Lynn Wegenka	....	key production assistant
Christine Wilson	....	script supervisor
Patricia Wolff	....	production assistant
Scott Zigler	....	production assistant
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Filmhaus

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1987) (USA) (theatrical)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Orion Pictures Corporation (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1988) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Special Effects Unlimited

Other Companies

• Balsmeyer and Everett  titles
• DeLuxe Laboratories  prints
• Mac B's Catering  catering
• Michael Barrow  grip and lighting equipment
• Trans / Audio  post-production services

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Canada:PG | Finland:K-14 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Company:

Filmhaus

Trivia:

This was originally intended to be a larger-budget film with many "name" actors, but David Mamet chose to direct on his own with his wife (Crouse) and friends (Mantegna) in the cast.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the end of the film, at the end of the airport baggage area scene viewing Mike and Margaret from above a ventilation duct, Margaret's travel bag is visible on the far left exactly parallel with the edge of the conveyor belt upon which it's placed. But in the next shot from the same view, the bag is at a 45-degree angle from its original position.

Quotes:

Dr. Margaret Ford: Beg for your life, or I'm going to kill you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Shade (2003/I)

Soundtrack:

Fugue from the Toccata in C Minor

United States of Kiss My Ass

`The United States of Kiss My Ass'

House of Games is the directional debut from playwright David Mamet and it is an effective and at times surprising psychological thriller. It stars Lindsay Crouse as best-selling psychiatrist, Margaret Ford, who decides to confront the gambler who has driven one of her patients to contemplate suicide. In doing so she leaves the safety and comfort of her somewhat ordinary life behind and travels `downtown' to visit the lowlife place, House of Games.

The gambler Mike (played excellently by Joe Mantegna) turns out to be somewhat sharp and shifty. He offers Crouse's character a deal, if she is willing to sit with him at a game, a big money game in the backroom, he'll cancel the patients debts. The card game ensues and soon the psychiatrist and the gambler are seen to be in a familiar line of work (gaining the trust of others) and a fascinating relationship begins. What makes House of Games interesting and an essential view for any film fan is the constant guessing of who is in control, is it the psychiatrist or the con-man or is it the well-known man of great bluffs David Mamet.

In House of Games the direction is dull and most of the times flat and uninspiring, however in every David Mamet film it is the story which is central to the whole proceedings, not the direction. In House of Games this shines through in part thanks to the superb performances from the two leads (showy and distracting) but mainly as is the case with much of Mamet's work, it is the dialogue, which grips you and slowly draws you into the film. No one in the House of Games says what they mean and conversations become battlegrounds and war of words. Everyone bluffs and double bluffs, which is reminiscent of a poker games natural order. This is a running theme throughout the film and is used to great effect at the right moments to create vast amounts of tension. House of Games can also be viewed as a `class-war' division movie. With Lindsay Crouse we have the middle-class, well-to-do educated psychiatrist and Joe Mantegna is the complete opposite, the working class of America earning a living by `honest' crime.

The film seduces the viewer much like Crouse is seduced by Mantegna and the end result is ultimately a very satisfying piece of American cinema. And the final of the film is definitely something for all to see and watch out for, it's stunning.

An extremely enjoyable film experience that is worth repeated viewings. 9/10