Dangerous Game – Cinématographe (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1993
Director: Abel Ferrara
Writer: Nicholas St. John
Cast: Harvey Keitel, Madonna, James Russo, Nancy Ferrara, Reilly Murphy, Victor Argo

Release Date: May 28th, 2024
Approximate running time: 108 Minutes 30 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $49.98

"New York based filmmaker Eddie Israel (Harvey Keitel, Bad Lieutenant) is embarking on a new production titled Mother of Mirrors, being shot in Los Angeles. Joining Israel in Hollywood are his film’s lead actors, Sarah (Madonna, Desperately Seeking Susan) and Francis (James Russo, China Girl), playing an unhappily married couple coming to terms with matters of religion, drug use and unconventional sex. As reality and fiction begin to merge, Israel’s wife, Madlyn (Nancy Ferrara, real life wife to Abel), enters the fray of the tumultuous film production that has become home to infidelity, drug use and acts of violence, setting the stage for an unpredictable and uncompromising final act." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative."

Dangerous Game comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray. 

Disc Size: 41.5 GB

Feature: 26.8 GB

The bulk of the source is in great shape; Dangerous Game has never looked better. That said, the quality is not that strong when it comes to the rehearsal moments. The colors look correct, image clarity, and black levels are strong throughout. Also, compression is solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio is in excellent shape; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 28 seconds, DTS-HD Stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicolas titled Abel Ferrara's Game of Mirrors (15 minutes, DTS-HD Stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with editor Anthony Redman titled Under a Rock (20 minutes 13 seconds, DTS-HD Stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with composer Joe Delia titled Punctuation and Underscoring (16 minutes 54 seconds, DTS-HD Stereo English, no subtitles), an audio interview with actress Nancy Ferrara (24 minutes 44 seconds, DTS-HD Stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor James Russo titled Doing This or What (12 minutes 14 seconds, DTS-HD Stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director Abel Ferrara titled Wins the Prize (19 minutes 8 seconds, DTS-HD Stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with filmmaker Chris O'Neill and Bill Ackerman of the Supporting Characters podcast, and a 40-page booklet with an essay titled Abel Ferrara Beyond New York written by Samm Deighan, an essay titled Dangerous Game written by Carlos Valladares, and an essay titled The Limits of Control written by Peter Labuza.

Summary:

Directed by Abel Ferrara whose other notable films include, The Driller Killer, Ms .45, King of New York, Bad Lieutenant and The Funeral.

The narrative revolves around a filmmaker whose life mirrors the movie he’s making.

Dangerous Game is three films: the one that the audience is watching, The Mother of Mirrors, the film being made by the protagonist, and behind-the-scenes footage of the cast and crew working on The Mother of Mirrors. Dangerous Games takes the film within a film scenario to another level, despite its widespread use in other films.

Dangerous Game is a film that is difficult to digest in a single viewing. Though the narrative for the most part is linear, throughout there are moments where rehearsal footage is used. Reportedly, Abel Ferrara shot the rehearsal footage with a cast that thought they were fleshing out their characters. Though the actors are not fully in character, this footage actually works really well within the context of the story that unfolds. Also, the addition of the rehearsal footage adds a level of meta to a film that’s filled with meta moments.

The entire cast is very good in their roles; they fully immerse themselves in their characters, especially Madonna. She frequently faces criticism for her acting, but her performance in Dangerous Game is undoubtedly her best. Her performance has a rawness that allows her to go places she has never been before or since as an actress.

The most surprising performance is Harvey Keitel’s portrayal of Eddie Israel, a filmmaker in the middle of a personal crisis while trying to complete his latest film. His character is essentially Abel Ferrara. Despite being known for portraying characters with violent tempers, Eddie Israel is the polar opposite of his character in Bad Lieutenant. That said, it is James Russo (China Girl) who portrays the character with an uncontrollable rage.

Abel Ferrara’s cinema always takes you to a dark place. And though his films are mostly filled with unlikeable characters, that never lessens the potency of the stories he tells. Also, it is the actions of the characters that bring about their own destruction; in the case of Dangerous Game, it is things like infidelity, addiction, and rage. Ultimately, Dangerous Game is exactly the type of film that one would expect from Abel Ferrara, a filmmaker who never plays inside the lines.

Dangerous Game gets an exceptional release from Cinématographe that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

                                       Screenshot example of rehearsal footage.

Written by Michael Den Boer