The Gambler (1974) (Imprint Standard Edition)

James Toback made his screenwriting debut with this taut drama, loosely adapted from the story by Dostoevsky. Axel Freed (James Caan) is an intelligent and well-respected professor of literature at a noted New York university, who uses great writing as a springboard for examining moral and philosophical issues in his class. But when he’s not in front of the chalkboard, Axel has a serious problem — he’s hopelessly addicted to gambling.

Starring James Caan, Paul Sorvino, and Lauren Hutton.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

• 1080p presentation of the film on Blu-ray
• Audio Commentary from cinema author & critic Matthew Asprey Gear (2021)
• “After the Game” Video essay by Chris O’Neill (2021)
• “On The Morning After: Composing The Gambler” – A new interview about Jerry Fielding’s legendary score with author/film music historian Jon Burlingame.
• In On The Cut – Interview with assistant editor Sue Kingsley
• 1991 archival audio interview with Karel Reisz about his life & career from the British Entertainment History Project
• LPCM 2.0 Mono
• Optional English subtitles
• Theatrical trailer