Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

The Game Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 15, 2021

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection.

Somewhat hilariously considering the geographical focus of this collection, I have previously disclosed that I discovered some time ago that undeniably weird Wisconsin is evidently the presumed center of the universe. That is a conclusion I not so coincidentally came to after I married a woman from that state, but it's a sentiment which has been regularly reinforced by a truly gobsmacking number of Wisconsin set films that have crossed my path in various ways in the time since I said "I do". There have also been an unusually high number of Wisconsin-centered or actually filmed titles that have as a matter of fact entered my queue to write about over the years, and though not part of my official reviewing duties, two wildly disparate films, American Movie and Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox, actually have a more or less direct connection to the tiny town my wife grew up in, Menomonee Falls. As if to make the circle complete, one of American Movie's aspiring filmmakers shows up as a talking head in the documentary about Bill Rebane included in this set. That documentary starts off with a kind of joke where a critic is asked to sum up the impact of "someone like Bill Rebane", to which the critic may understandably respond, "Who is Bill Rebane?" For those who are either unacquainted with this kind of delirious "regional" filmmaker, or in fact for those who have already fallen under the sway of "classics" (?) like Monster A Go-Go!, this new collection from Arrow provides a nice selection of Rebane's work, with the typically broad and deep assortment of supplementary material that has become Arrow's stock in trade.

The Game may instantly bring to mind two other films with somewhat similar titles, The Most Dangerous Game and/or Games, in that there is both an element of seemingly jaded rich folks utilizing a gaggle of people as supposed prey, and also a presumed supernatural element underlying part of the story. In what amounts to a kind of real life Survivor, a group of invitees is competing for one million dollars, if they can live long enough to collect it. This film features some expectedly gonzo elements, including a shark in a swimming pool and a kind of Alien that pops out of a mattress, supposedly documenting the expiration of a character or two, before winking not once but twice at the audience as things come to a close.

The Game Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Game is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in either 1.85:1 or 1.33:1. The hardback book included with this limited edition contains both an initial overall disclaimer about video quality, along with subsequent detailed information on the transfer, as follows:

All the films included in this collection have been restored by Arrow Films from the best available materials. While every effort has been made to deliver the best possible presentations, the results inevitably vary according to the condition of the source materials, some of which were in poor shape.

We hope that this does not affect your enjoyment of the films.

The Game (aka The Cold) is presented in its both 1.85:1 and 1.33:1 aspect ratios with mono audio. The 16mm original AB camera negative was scanned in 2K resolution at Company 3. The film was graded and restored at AGFA. The mono mix was remastered from the track negative at Deluxe Audio Services.

The Game has another nicely suffused palette, which is probably the overall strong suit in the presentation in either aspect ratio. Densities are generally very good, and the film's sometimes lurid, almost giallo-esque, lighting and production design schemes really pop with considerable authority (there's one especially Bava-like scene in a supposed haunted house where an impromptu jail cell contrasts really intense greens and reds). There's quite a bit of damage to be spotted, including some recurrent blue staining during the opening along the left side of the frame, something that recurs again later, unfortunately during a night scene, where it's probably more noticeable. There are also a couple of other oddities, including a momentary red flash that occurs late in the film. Grain is once again very heavy, to the point that it can look noisy in some of the darkest scenes, but also where even against lighter backgrounds, as in some of the grays of the credits sequence, it looks slightly pixellated. There's frequently a chunky yellow quality to things in darker moments. I didn't notice any huge framing issues in either aspect ratio, and I've included a couple of screenshots from the 1.33:1 version that mimic two screenshots from the 1.85:1 version so that those interested can do a side by side comparison. My score is 3.25.

The Game Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

While there are yet again some amplitude variances, The Game has one of the generally better sounding DTS-HD Master Audio Mono tracks. Synch is sometimes loose, as they say, which may be due at least in part to some post looping, but for the most part dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly (there really doesn't seem to be a lot of logic as to why there are amplitude deficits at times, since at least some of the scenes seem to be "studio" set). The use of a Scott Joplin rag on a honky tonk piano as underscore seems to be a bit odd. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Game Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Game and Twister's Revenge share the same disc, which offers the following supplements:

• Straight Shooter: Bill Rebane on The Game (HD; 6:57)


• Straight Shooter: Bill Rebane on Twister's Revenge (HD; 8:10)


• Discovering Bill Rebane (HD; 28:16) is an online lecture by historian and critic Stephen R. Bissette, who recounts his history with Rebane's films.


• Trailers

  The Game (HD; 1:27)

  
  

  Twister's Revenge (HD; 3:39)

• Image Gallery (HD; 2:50)

The Game Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rebane was evidently under a bit of pressure to start including more graphic gore and nudity in his films, and while not all that prevalent, both things show up in The Game. The film is really kind of a shaggy dog story when you get right down to it, but it's weirdly charming. Within the context of a set that features transfers culled from less than optimal elements, The Game has nicely saturated if still occasionally problematic video and decent audio, and as usual Arrow has included appealing supplements, for anyone who is considering a purchase.