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More Out There Than Slumdog Millionaire
February 23

So this weekend is the Academy Awards, where, if you're a game show fan, you're hoping that "Slumdog Millionaire" walks out with a ton of Oscars. However, that's not the only game show movie out there. If you are a game show fan, here are ten items of entertainment value that are worth seeing at least once, if not deserving of being on your bookshelf or DVD cabinet.

Champagne for Caesar (1950): I'm guessing that most of you haven't heard of this one, but it's a gem. From the 1950's, this satirical movie features Ronald Colman, a genius who to take revenge at a company who refused to hire him, gets on a show sponsored by them - a show that doubles the money for every correct answer, and a show that Colman threatens to bankrupt as he continues to get questions correct.

The Gong Show Movie (1980): This one won't be winning any Academy Awards, but this movie based on the week in the life of mastermind Chuck Barris is a must for Gong Show fans. If you like comedy in Barris' mindset, then you'll want to at least take a peek at it.

The Running Man (1987): This is classic Arnold Schwarzenegger as he tries to run through a gauntlet of over the top villains who have only one objective - his head on a platter. This may be more popular among game show fans not for Schwarzenegger, but for Family Feud host Richard Dawson, who plays Killian, the evil smarmy host.

Stay Tuned (1992): John Ritter is trying to save his wife Pam Dawber from a TV set sent to him by The Devil, but he must travel through hell and navigate a maze of 666 channels to do so. This film follows the genre of 'Airplane'-style movies and throws a lot of jokes at you. A number of them miss, but the ones that hit are funny as they spare no genre - including game shows.

Quiz Show (1994): If serious historical value is more your genre, then you can't go wrong with this, the closest as to what happened behind the scenes of the rigged show '21' as you're going to get. This flick featuring John Turturro and Rob Morrow made a splash of its own during their year at the Academy Awards, being nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture.

24/7 (2001): This is one of two books that make the list. Jim Brown created an amazing novel of a game gone horrifically wrong when 12 contestants on an internet reality show see their game get sabotaged by a killer, who gives them all a poison and lets the world wide web vote on who should not receive the antidote. It's gripping from beginning to end.

Series 7: The Contenders (2001): It's a new show with a disturbing twist: seven contestants have to kill each other off. Last person standing wins. If you like the movie (and it was done rather well), then you'll love Battle Royale (1997), which features the same premise, except with 40 high school students, each one given a different weapon. If you love that and want to see more regardless of the quality, then there's The Condemned (2007), featuring Stone Cold Steve Austin and a watered down version of the concept with ten inmates, which is competent, but not nearly as good as the previous two movies.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2003): Another movie based on Chuck Barris is here. But while the movie, featuring George Clooney, was decent, the book, which was released a few years before, is better, and has more game show elements and stories than the movie. So I would strongly suggest to grab the book instead.

American Dreamz (2006): This is a blatant stab at American Idol and the pop culture that has prevailed over America. Although the intention was there, the execution and ideas fell far short. This is here because it's the only movie of its genre, but if you want a better play, may I recommend Americathon (1979) a darker movie that takes more stabs an in era where the movie wasn't handcuffed by political correctness.

Dead Set (2008): Finally, we have a zombie outbreak in the UK. The only people left unscathed...the people in the Big Brother House. If you like Big Brother, or zombies, or Big Brother hosts and staff turning into zombies, then this miniseries is for you.

So this is my Top Ten list of game show related media. Do you have anything to add to the list? Then toll me an email to gordon@gameshownewsnet.com. I'll put up a list suggested by you, the fans, at a later date.