Earlier this year, the FBI released “Game of Pawns” a short film dramatizing the Glenn Duffie Shriver espionage case. The film’s awkward dialogue and low production values drew some jeers, pointing out that their “downtown Shanghai” was clearly filmed outside the DC Chinatown Metro stop.

Despite the cheap feel, budget documents requested by Shawn Musgrave revealed that project still cost the agency at least $650,000 - almost ten times the amount Shriver was paid by the Chinese government.

The budget is surprisingly difficult to interpret, with odd duplications and excisions, and an earlier calculation came at $1.5 million. Take a look for yourself, and let us know if we got our math right - as well as anything else of interest you might have found - at info@muckrock.com.

FOI-L Movie night, anyone?

Image via the FBI