Fair Game Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Fair Game Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 19, 2022

Mario Andreacchio's "Fair Game" (1986) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Camera Obscura The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; audio commentary by director Mario Andreacchio and writer Rob George; multiple behind the scenes featurettes; and more. In English or German, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Sometimes hunting can be uniquely Australian sport.

If you are focusing on the exchanges between the four principal characters and are frequently discovering obvious flaws in their thought process, you are missing what should be even more obvious -- Mario Andreacchio’s film is about one thing only: pure, high-octane, slightly unhinged Aussie action. So, don’t overthink things. Pour yourself a drink, get comfortable, and just enjoy the madness.

The beautiful Cassandra Delaney plays Jessica, the lonely owner of a small ranch somewhere in the Australian Outback. She isn’t single, but her husband is away on business and she can’t wait for him to come back. She’s got a smart puppy, a horse, and even a few exotic birds, but without her man the ranch just isn’t the same.

While picking up her groceries at the local deli Cassandra attracts the attention of a stranger (Peter Ford) who offers to buy her newest painting, but when he mentions that he is the leader of a team of kangaroo hunters that have arrived to clean up the area she instantly rejects his cash. The man then bags his items and jumps in his truck.

A few hours after she returns to the ranch Cassandra realizes that she has become a target and that the man from the deli and his two partners (Garry Who and David Sandford) are about to teach her an important lesson. The improvised foreplay before the lesson, however, energizes Cassandra and she gathers the courage to strike back, which only further strengthens the hunters’ desire to tame her.

The title is most appropriate because the entire film is essentially one long and relentless cat-and-mouse game without rules, so anything is ‘fair game’. The only consistent element of this game is the gradual increase of the intensity which basically gives the film its identity.

The film was undoubtedly made with a small budget -- though by Aussie standards it actually may have been pretty decent – but whatever Andreacchio had available to work with he used it wisely. For this kind of genre picture the action really is first-class and there is also some pretty spectacular panoramic footage which tells me that someone did a lot of scouting work to get the right locations. The Beast, the customized truck that the hunters use to destroy the ranch, is also quite the beauty.

Predictably, the spotlight is on Delaney and she easily manages to look gorgeous in even the most ridiculous situations. From time to time she makes the clichéd wrong decisions that keep on extending the game, but as mentioned earlier these types of ‘flaws’ are necessary and once the fun begins they are incredibly easy to ignore. A very wild Aussie thriller that can be the perfect companion piece to Richard Franklin's similarly themed Road Games.

Fair Game Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Fair Game arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Camera Obscura.

A couple of years ago, Fair Game was restored in 2K by Australian label Umbrella Entertainment. In 2018, we reviewed this release, which was sourced from the 2K remaster. Camera Obscura's release is sourced from the same 2K remaster as well.

I think that the entire film looks simply gorgeous on Blu-ray, but the footage from the Outback is actually quite striking. In terms of delineation, clarity, and depth everything looks so solid that at times some viewers might think that the film was redone in 4K. Yes, there are a few areas with min or density fluctuations, but they are part of the original cinematography. As you could tell from the screencaptures that are included with out review, the visuals boast some mighty impressive primaries and supporting nuances as well. A few might be a tad too strong, but I actually like the overall balance a lot. Image stability is excellent. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. A few tiny white specks pop up, but there are no larger age-related imperfections to report. For what it's worth, this release is encoded better than the Australian release that is referenced above. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Fair Game Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and German LPCM 2.0. Optional English and German subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Fair Game has a lot of action footage that benefits greatly from the lossless treatment. In fact, I would say that in the final third of the film there is quite a bit of material that can test the muscles of your audio system, so, when you sit down to view it, if possible, crank up the volume. The dialog is clear and stable. Unlike the Australian release, this release offers optional English subtitles that some viewers that are not comfortable with Australian accents may find quite helpful.

Fair Game Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Extended Interview with Cassandra Delaney - in this archival interview, actress Cassandra Delaney recalls how she was invited to play Jessica in Fair Game, and discusses her work with director Mario Andreacchio during the shoot in the Outback as well as some of the unique qualities of her character. The interview was conducted by Mark Hartley for his documentary Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! in 2008. In English, with optional German subtitles. (16 min).

• Audio Commentary - director Mario Andreacchio and writer Rob George go down memory lane and offer plenty of very interesting information about the production history of Fair Game, the various locations where important sequences were shot, the stunt work (which was done without CGI effects), the tone of the film, etc.

• On Location - presented here is raw footage from the shooting of Fair Game. In English (4 min).

• Action News - an archival news report on the ongoing production of Fair Game with some quick comments by director Mario Andreacchio. In English, with optional German subtitles. (1 min).

• State Affair - a short archival promo piece with raw footage from the shooting of Fair Game and some interesting observations by director Mario Andreacchio and actress Cassandra Delaney. In English, with optional German subtitles. (3 min).

• Trailer - a newly remastered original trailer for Fair Game. In English. (2 min).

• Storyboards - presented with music. (9 min).

• Image Gallery - a large collection of original promotional materials for Fair Game (1080p).

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• Not Quite Hollywood - Mark Hartley's documentary Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008) is one big and very, very informative masterclass on the evolution of Australian genre cinema. It includes a wide range of exclusive interviews with Cassandra Delaney, Quentin Tarantino, Tim Burstall, Russell Boyd, and Jamie Blanks, amongst others. Also, it features plenty of archival footage and clips from many of the Ozploitation genre's biggest gems. In English or German, with optional English or German subtitles. (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1/1080p/104 min).

• Trailer - original U.S. trailer for Not Quite Hollywood courtesy of Magnolia Pictures/Magnet Releasing. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Booklet - 16-page illustrated booklet with writings in German.

Fair Game Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If Fair Game was a contemporary production I would not have finished viewing it. Do you know why? Because it would have been loaded with modern CGI effects and turned out like one uncharacteristically long and exotic TV commercial. It would have been unbearably plastic-looking and dull, like all those 'new' blockbuster sequels that Hollywood currently has parked at your local theater. There are no CGI effects in Fair Game, only risky stunts, and while it does have a certain cartoonish quality, it has a big beating heart as well. This is what even the smallest genre films from the '70s and '80s had -- a heart and an authentic personality that made it easy to embrace them even when they did some silly things to impress.

I was just sent this terrific release of Fair Game, which is quite unfortunate because had I tested it earlier, I would have ended up placing it on my International Top Ten list from 2020. It is sourced from the same excellent 2K master that the folks at Australian label Umbrella Entertainment prepared, but offers Mark Hartley's outstanding documentary Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! as a bonus on a second disc. Also, both Fair Game and Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! are presented with optional English subtitles. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.