The Game (1997) From Arrow

[Agent Kay]

After True Romance was basic with 2.0 PCM and a halfway between French and Warner releases looking at shots I am glad this is getting a real release.
Hoping for a collectors edition.

[bonehica]

One of my favorite Fincher's. Love my Criterion, but if this gets the full on LE treatment...well, what do they say about a sucker and their money?

[alien2010]

If this gets the LE treatment with a 4K restoration, then I will pre order. Already have the Criterion edition and the film looks great with its 2K restoration, especially when upscaled to 4K when watching via a 4K UHD player. As for the extras, at times Arrow have done better than Criterion in the extras department, just look at Thief

Originally Posted by drush9999

The Criterion is already pretty sweet. Someone kick Sony and get them to release Panic Room.

Got that right. Sold my three disc edition of Panic Room back in 2009, thinking that a new blu ray edition was on the horizon. A decade later, and still no news.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by alien2010

If this gets the LE treatment with a 4K restoration, then I will pre order. Already have the Criterion edition and the film looks great with its 2K restoration, especially when upscaled to 4K when watching via a 4K UHD player. As for the extras, at times Arrow have done better than Criterion in the extras department, just look at Thief

I can't see it being restored again so soon just for a 1080p disc (for it will shirley be 1080p only). Arrow will use the same restored transfer with their own encode.

Originally Posted by Rottweiler30

I have the Criterion but I guarantee as soon as the Arrow comes out the Criterion will suddenly have compression issues and poorly resolved grain....

That's funny because I sold the Criterion like a year or two ago to get the US BD of the same remaster which is encoded far better.

To that end it remains to be seen what the Arrow can bring to the table. I've got the full roster of Criterion extras on the UK SE DVD, I've got the new remaster encoded impeccably on the Uni US BD, I'm not rebuying this just for some tat, the inevitable 'woke' essay in the booklet and a few more talking heads in a documentary. I know I said similar things about something like Robo which I ended up ordering but having the theatrical cut and the 2.0 audio there is what swayed me, so apart from their Game being an actual 4K HDR disc then this is a pass from me.

But the UK debut of the remaster will be reason enough for most folks to buy it, so no arguments there.

[MechaGodzilla]

I haven't got around to picking this up yet, so I might as well spring for the Arrow. I'm sure they'll do a good job of it.

Originally Posted by Geoff D

the inevitable 'woke' essay in the booklet

I was going to say "how could someone even put such a spin on The Game?", then I realized that it doesn't even have to make sense; it can always be shoehorned in even when no moderately sane person could possibly make that connection on their own.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by MechaGodzilla

I haven't got around to picking this up yet, so I might as well spring for the Arrow. I'm sure they'll do a good job of it.



I was going to say "how could someone even put such a spin on The Game?", then I realized that it doesn't even have to make sense; it can always be shoehorned in even when no moderately sane person could possibly make that connection on their own.

I'm quite sure they'll make some sort of connection between matey waking up in Mexico and Trump's America.

[drush9999]

The Criterion is already pretty sweet. Someone kick Sony and get them to release Panic Room.

[Scottishguy]

Originally Posted by drush9999

The Criterion is already pretty sweet. Someone kick Sony and get them to release Panic Room.

Sony are proud to announce Panic Room in 4K HDR10+ ......for digital only.

[fatboyslim142]

I got this in my Demonlover BD. Doesn't look like it'll part of Arrow Academy.

[NovaNaut]

Damn I just lost the game

[blueman_Richie]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

After True Romance was basic with 2.0 PCM and a halfway between French and Warner releases looking at shots

Where did you see the True Romance stuff?

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by blueman_Richie

Where did you see the True Romance stuff?

4K CollectivE News and Reviews posted some images (albeit photographed off a TV monitor) with some rudimentary screencap comparisons to Capsaholic on Facebook yesterday.

[Marv Inc.]

Nice, put off getting the Criterion for years because i never saw it for a good price. This will do nicely.

[Captain James]

My favourite Fincher film. Great news.

[Eibon]

Originally Posted by Captain James

My favourite Fincher film. Great news.

Really?

I love a lot of his stuff but this one left me cold. The contrivances of the story are impossible to get past or forgive? You have me intrigued. I haven't seen it since the cinema run but of course as a movie fan I have the DVD SE filed away with his other great movies. I'll give it another watch but maybe I'm focussing too much on beggaring belief.

[Captain James]

Originally Posted by Eibon

Really?

I love a lot of his stuff but this one left me cold. The contrivances of the story are impossible to get past or forgive? You have me intrigued. I haven't seen it since the cinema run but of course as a movie fan I have the DVD SE filed away with his other great movies. I'll give it another watch but maybe I'm focussing too much on beggaring belief.

Yes, I suppose it is a bit of a cold film but it continues to be my go to Fincher film just like Temple of Doom is my go to Indiana Jones film or Licence to Kill is my go to Bond film. Can't quite explain why.

Having spent several years decoding film and reading/writing a lot of film theory I tend to just enjoy film now for what it is. I enjoy getting swept along with the narrative so I tend to not question anything anymore.

Like you, I saw The Game at the cinema upon original release and just found it to have such an air of mystery/confusion and bewilderment.

As cinema goers and film fans I imagine that we all try to guess what is happening or will happen in various films just from having such a vast knowledge of genre and convention, but I can remember having the rug swept from under my feet with this one. And I liked it.

I went in not knowing a thing about the film (beyond the trailer) and I found that the narrative didn't go where I thought it was going to go.

Having been fooled by The Game it seemed poetic that the joke was on me.

If you haven't seen it since cinema release you ought to give it a go. Just let the narrative sweep you along for the ride.

[LMFAObros]

Bout time arrow do this one justice. The ol uni disc spelt director wrong which is a sign of how bad it is. Upon a rewatch, the noise level and black crush make the disc unwatchable mostly taking place at night

[Rottweiler30]

I have the Criterion but I guarantee as soon as the Arrow comes out the Criterion will suddenly have compression issues and poorly resolved grain....

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by Rottweiler30

I have the Criterion but I guarantee as soon as the Arrow comes out the Criterion will suddenly have compression issues and poorly resolved grain....

Suddenly?
The universal release of the same master was already miles better

[Rottweiler30]

Originally Posted by Agent Kay

Suddenly?
The universal release of the same master was already miles better

IIRC the UK blu was heavily criticised for some reason.

Edit - 2.5 for picture on this very site for one.