According to Home Theater Forum, The Criterion Collection has plans to give David Fincher’s The Game their signature treatment on DVD.
It
was a box-office hit, so it can’t be considered a cult classic;
however, it has developed a strong following of devoted fans over the
years, many of whom have been clamoring for a special edition DVD
release. (UPDATE: While it made $100 million worldwide, it didn’t even break even at the U.S. box office — not exactly a hit, after all. It gained much of its following on DVD. – RM) For them, this announcement of Criterion doing what
it does better than anyone else on DVD — and now Blu-ray — should come
as stellar news.
This
won’t be the first time that Criterion has tackled this material,
either. A special edition laserdisc hit stores in August 1998
and came loaded with extras, including: select scene commentary from
Fincher, star Michael Douglas, and others; behind-the-scenes footage;
storyboards; production design artwork; alternate ending; original
trailer and teaser; and a psychological test film (curious about that
one). All of which came with Fincher’s official approval, so
one hopes that the new release will get all this and more.
According
to DVD producer David Prior, Universal (the studio who owns the rights
to the film) signed a licensing deal with Criterion for The Game while Prior was working on the special features for Criterion’s edition of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Prior has worked on the DVD extras for a number of other Fincher films, including Zodiac and the upcoming The Social Network, so he has some clout when it comes to delivering this news even though nothing has been announced officially by Criterion.
If
there’s one movie out there in desperate need of a special edition,
it’s this one. While others have received countless versions
(I’m looking at you, Evil Dead), the fact that The Game
still has the same, single-disc, no-frills DVD out there is long
overdue for a change. Here’s hoping we don’t have to wait too
much longer.