Let’s hope Hasbro doesn’t get their hands on this concept. Estranged brothers come across the ancient titular video board game while dissolving their long-absent father’s video store, and its discovery helps to explain the old man’s disappearance while unlocking a few demons of its own. The opening credit swing through the bowels of a VHS player, followed by a cameo appearance by North Hollywood’s Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee (substituting for Dad’s shuttered shop), pointed to a kindred spirit. The fresh-faced cast and first-time director Jackson Stewart give it their best, but once the tape enters the machine, all bets are off. The moment the contrivance kicks in, what follows is a game of gore that quickly emerges as an interactive snooze. Credit is due for at least trying to resist camping things up and demonstrating an eye for color design. With: Graham Skipper, Chase Williamson, and Sara Malakul Lane. (2016) — Scott Marks
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