T.A.G.: The Assassination Game – Synapse Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1982
Director: Nick Castle
Writer: Nick Castle
Cast: Robert Carradine, Linda Hamilton, Kristine DeBell, Perry Lang, John Mengatti, Michael Winslow, Frazer Smith, Bruce Abbott

Release Date: September 8th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 90 Minutes 50 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: PG
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"Before college movies were all about nudity, slapstick comedy, beer bongs and bad decisions, TAG: The Assassination Game gave this genre a killer twist. In this 1982 film noir-inspired gem, a group of students turns dorm life into a mock battle royale by playing a game that could never be done on campuses of today. The rules of TAG are simple. Players try to "murder" each other using rubber-tipped toy dart guns. If you are shot, you are "killed" and taken out of the game permanently until only one player remains. Unfortunately for this year's TAG players, one sore loser is determined to win at any cost, even if it means murdering his competition for real!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Synapse Films is proud to present TAG: The Assassination Game in its high-definition worldwide home video premiere, lovingly restored in 2K from the original 35mm archival vault materials."

T.A.G.: The Assassination Game comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 23 GB

Feature: 22.2 GB

This is another stellar transfer from Synapse Films; the source looks excellent. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always retains an organic appearance.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The track sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 34 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with director Nick Castle and actor Robert Carradine.

Summary:

T.A.G.: The Assassination Game was written and directed by Nick Castle, who is best known for directing The Last Starfighter. T.A.G.: The Assassination Game is based on Assassin, a live-action game where players use mock weapons to eliminate each other until only one player remains. The most common weapon is a nerf gun that shoots foam darts.

A college campus turns deadly when one of the players in a game of tag has a mental breakdown and uses a real gun to eliminate his competition.

A pre-credits sequence does an excellent job of setting the foundation, followed by James Bond-like opening credits that establish a tongue-in-cheek tone that remains throughout. While there are many tense moments, T.A.G.: The Assassination Game has some well-placed humor that greatly aides the story unfolding. An area where T.A.G.: The Assassination Game scores high marks is the inventive way in which each victim is knocked off.

T.A.G.: The Assassination Game features an outstanding cast, many of whom had yet to have their breakout role: Linda Hamilton (Terminator), Michael Winslow (Police Academy), and Bruce Abbott (Re-Animator). The most notable cast members are Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds), who portrays a reporter who more resembles a Raymond Chandler-like private eye, and Kristine DeBell (Meatballs). All around, the cast are excellent in their roles.

The well-crafted narrative quickly grabs and things move quickly from one kill to the next as it builds to a finale showdown with the killer. For a first-time filmmaker, Nick Castle does a superb job balancing visually stylish moments and letting the cast performances take center stage. That said, there are times where the visuals have a neo-noir-like look that greatly enhances the mood. Ultimately, T.A.G.: The Assassination Game is a highly entertaining mix of action, suspense, and humor.

T.A.G.: The Assassination Game gets a first-rate release from Synapse Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer