New Edition of the 1997 Thriller The Game

One of these days we're going to sit down and actually compile a list of our favorite films … and better still, write reviews for them. In the meantime, we'll just mention them to you when there is a good reason to do so.

And for the 1997 thriller The Game, that reason is a new "Criterion Collection" edition of the film, being released tomorrow, Tuesday September 18th, on DVD and Blu-ray disc. (We have to say, though, we're not all that fond of the new cover, right.)

Here's a synopsis of the film: Enormously wealthy and emotionally remote investment banker Nicholas Van Orton (Michael Douglas) receives a strange gift from his ne'er-do-well younger brother (Sean Penn) on his forty-eighth birthday: a voucher for a game that, if he agrees to play it, will change his life. Thus begins a multilayered, noirish trip down a rabbit hole that is puzzling, terrifying, and exhilarating for Nicholas and viewer alike.

Directed by David Fincher from a screenplay by John D. Brancato and Michael Ferris, The Game is one of the most original films we've ever seen. This new edition includes a restored digital transfer, supervised by director Fincher and director of photography Harris Savides, with the original theatrical 5.1 surround theatrical soundtrack; an alternate 5.1 surround mix optimized for home theater viewing, supervised by sound designer Ren Klyce and Fincher; audio commentary by Fincher, Savides, actor Michael Douglas, screenwriters Brancato and Ferris, digital animation supervisor Richard Baily, production designer Jeffrey Beecroft, visual effects supervisor Kevin Haug, and visual effects producer Robyn D'Arcy; an hour's worth of exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and film-to-storyboard comparisons for four of the film's major set pieces.

The Game "Criterion Collection" is available on a 2-disc DVD set and on Blu-ray disc. The film is also available via iTunes and Amazon Instant.