The Game
 

Does anyone know if the most recetly released version of "The Game" (the Universal release) is anamorphic?

Thanks

it's non-anamorphic according to dvd compare

http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=558

A terrible transfer to boot. As has been stated countless times, this needs an SE or CC release.

I don't remember the transfer being that bad, other than being non-anamorphic, but yeah, this definitely needs a new edition.

i used to think it was okay for nonanamorphic....until i watched it on my projector this weekend.

it looked TERRIBLE.


there are many non-anamorphic dvd's that look acceptable on my setup but THE GAME was nearly unwatchable.

I can't wait for a Special Edition of this film. Anybody know what the hold-up is?

my region 2 version is anamorphic and looked quite ok on my projector iirc.

this movie definitely begs for a SE or at least a decent transfer. I remember teh first time I watched it, I was pretty shocked :)

I love this movie and can't wait for a SE or CC release, especially with some commentary....

and the alternate ending that was included in the LD release.

Can you describe what was included in the alternate ending for those of us that haven't seen it?

Why couldn't the laserdisc features at least be ported over to DVD? It had (according to IMDB.com):

* Audio commentary by David Fincher, Michael Douglas and others
* Behind-the-scenes footage
* Storyboards
* Production design artwork
* An alternate ending
* Original theatrical trailer
* Teaser trailer
* Psychological test film.

If it's a Criterion LD, Criterion probably produced the extras and owns the rights to them, and Criterion seldom licenses its extras to other studios.

Actually, they do it fairly often these days. They've licensed extras out to Columbia (Monty Pyhton & The Holy Grail), New Line (Once Were Warriors), Image (Bodies, Rest & Motion), MGM (the upcoming Raging Bull SE), etc.

The "Criterion doesn't license out extras" thing died quite a while ago.

DJ

He did say "seldom."

But it isn't really seldom any more. Given the size of Criterion's catalog, it's a significant number and it happens fairly often.

DJ

really? Would you like to go back and look at how many of their LD titles have actually ported over to DVD through some other distribution company?

None of the Criterion that I own are out on DVD as a Criterion DVD or otherwise.

Looks like "seldom" to me.

Putting that argument aside for a second, Criterion wouldn't have produced, or have any real claim on rights to, the trailers, the deleted scene(s?), the storyboards, or the artwork. The psychological test, don't know what that is. The behind-the-scenes footage, I'm unclear on how rights works with that, that might be Criterion-owned but, then again, they almost certainly didn't shoot it themselves. So, really, there's the commentary track which we can assume Criterion owns (though it's worth pointing out that, at least, Paul Thomas Anderson produced his own 'Boogie Nights' commentary so that he owned it himself, and was thus able to bring it over from the Criterion LD).

Except for the footage created specifically for the movie (ending, psychological test), everything else was filmed for Criterion including all extras. They did a Criterion edition for Se7en and very little of that material ended up on the 2 disc DVD set. The commentary on that boxed set is probably the best I've ever heard and what got me into commentaries in the first places. The other extras, cept for the trailer and alternate opening(s), were left off of the DVD.

So again, just because others have done it, doesn't mean it will happen here. Pretty much wishful thinking, IMHO.

The transfer is that bad.

Sure. I eyeballed the list quickly:

Bodies, Rest & Motion
Boogie Nights
Boyz N The Hood
Dead Ringers (Canada)
Halloween
Long Good Friday
Mona Lisa (UK)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (UK)
Once Were Warriors
Raging Bull (forthcoming)
Repulsion (UK)
Time Bandits (UK)
Trainspotting

Given that many of their LDs were released on DVD by Criterion and given that many of the remaining LDs didn't have any extra features, the number of licensed titles is fairly significant (probably in the neighborhood of 10%+). In the world of licensing extras, that's a pretty big number. How often do other companies similar to Criterion (in terms of basing their video distribution business on acquring licenses - e.g., Anchor Bay, Kino, Wellspring, etc.) license out their extras after their license has expired? As compared to other similar businesses, the frequency with which they license out extras is huge.

Quote:

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None of the Criterion that I own are out on DVD as a Criterion DVD or otherwise.

Looks like "seldom" to me.

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I'm not sure your collection is necessarily a very good barometer. We seem to hear about another licensed set of extras once every few months. If we were discussing drinking water, once every few months would indeed be seldom. In the world of licensing extras, however, it's fairly often.

DJ

The DVD was released quite a while ago-in 1998. The reissues have been repackagings of that original disc.

What exactly was filmed by Criterion for the Seven set? Let's look at the extra features listed on the back of the box:

- Commentary: this was obviously created by Criterion
- Deleted scenes, outtakes, and dailies - not created by Criterion, appears on DVD
- Crime scene photographs, production design sketches, and storyboards - not created by Criterion, appears on DVD
- A study of the opening credit sequence, including storyboards and an early version with commentary by Kyle Cooper - mostly not created by Criterion, appears in expanded form on DVD with more commentaries
- A visual essay and commentary by Rob Bottin - created by Criterion, not on DVD
- The killer's photographs with notes by Melodie McDaniel - not created by Criterion, appears in different form on DVD
- The killer's diaries - not created by Criterion, appears on DVD
- Behind-the-scenes photos, production and publicity stills, and proposed promotional artwork - not created by Criterion, mostly appears on DVD
- Trailer, television spots, and behind-the-scenes footage - not created by Criterion, mostly appears on DVD

It's a great LD, but most of it wasn't created by Criterion, and most of it shows up on the DVD.

DJ

I never meant to say that they were filmed for Criterion. My bad. I meant to say that about The Game.

And I would argue that "most" does not show up on the DVD. If it's not exactly the same, it's not on the DVD. Not the same commentaries, not the same footage (outtakes), tv spots, etc.

The criterion blows the 2 disc DVD out of the water IMHO.

SE being released this year. :)

Where did you hear that? Details please, details. :)