Dangerous Game (Limited Edition)

There’s nothing easy about sitting through an Abel Ferrara film. Even his slick crime thrillers like King of New York sprawl out psychologically and delve into natural transgression that’s sorely missing from films made by Ferrara’s peers. There’s a reason his work causes such a hullabaloo with critics and audiences alike. It’s not so much that Ferrara holds his gaze on the terrifying and morally destructive, it’s that he’s found comfort in treating the audience like both hopeless onlookers and essential initiators of the action. In Dangerous Game, real life and reel life bleed into one another, then it’s locked and focused on an abusive Hollywood film set. The result is nothing short of uncomfortable, but it’s all emboldened by honesty that’s also sorely missing from similar chamber dramas.

Dangerous Game tells the sordid tale of New York-based filmmaker Eddie Israel (Harvey Keitel) as he embarks on the production of his new film titled Mother of Mirrors. The film is being shot in Los Angeles, plus it stars the white-hot Sarah Jennings (Madonna) and Francis Burns (James Russo) as an unhappily married couple falling apart at the seams with questions of religion, drug use and unconventional sex abound. And when Madlyn (Nancy Ferrara, real wife to Abel) arrives in Los Angeles to find a film production cursed with infidelity, drug use and violence, the pot boils over leading into an uncompromising final act.

Raw and uncompromising are two words used to describe Ferrara’s work at large, though I can understand the hesitancy of any audience member or critic for steering away from his difficult films for that exact reason. Ferrara has been derided as a blowhard by some, though you’d be hard-pressed to find a more humble, shocking self-reflection of filmmaking and its many deleterious real-life moral effects than Dangerous Game. Madonna has famously disowned the film for being the disgusting, abusive work that drove her to essentially quit acting for a while. And you can certainly see why when watching Dangerous Game, as it uses chaotic format changes between film and early camcorder footage to upset anything clearly meant to be cinematic. This is a polished drama that uses this realistic, non-illusory video format to break the barrier between movie and reality. 

All in all, Dangerous Game smashes the wall between hopeless onlooker (viewer) and performer (actor) that feels just about as cursed as the set it was produced on. Hearing all the stories about Madonna butting heads with Ferrara’s approach, which can be likened to pure improv to find a deeper emotional truth in a film, only really emboldens how rare this shocking of a work is. If you find value in that shock is up to you, but this viewer found it spellbinding from beginning to end.

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-rays
Tumult and turmoil on a film set takes over in Dangerous Game, presented here by Cinématographe in their customary mediabook packaging with slipcase and j-card. The mediabook comes with three different booklet essays, some reproductions of production photos and the custom-molded disc holder that holds the single Blu-ray (BD50) disc. The Blu-ray boots to a standard menu screen with options to play the film, select chapters, browse special features and set up audio and video.

Dangerous Game is presented in 1080p with an AVC encode, framed at 1.85 and sourced from a new 4K restoration of the uncut camera negative. While the previous Olive Blu-ray from 2015 offered both Theatrical and Unrated cuts of the film, Cinématographe only includes the Unrated cut, which I think is a good thing since the Theatrical cut neuters the hardest moments to watch in the film a bit. Anyway, picture quality! This new 4K restoration looks terrific, with both contrast and detail enhanced over the old video master that the 2015 Blu-ray used. Black levels are also enhanced, flesh tones are nice and tuned in, and the source looks to be in terrific condition. Some may be upset at no 4K Blu-ray presentation, but I’m here to report that this particular film’s drab coloring, lack of highlights and use of early camcorder footage makes it a better candidate for 1080p. Shadow details look terrific and there’s a ton of detail to appreciate over the old MGM video master. Grain is appreciable, if not a tad light and any damage has been cleaned up for a smooth, filmic presentation throughout.

We’re provided with a single DTS-HD 2.0 MA stereo track sourced from original elements and it’s a clean, clear track that makes easy for work of this dialogue-filled work. The balance between music and dialogue works out wonderfully, plus those heightened screaming and yelling never sound tinny or blown out by limitations. Source seems to be in terrific condition with little-to-no damage to note. Didn’t notice any hiss or sibilance issues either.

As for supplements, Cinématographe capably picks up the daunting task of rounding out this provocative film with interviews, booklet essays and an audio commentary from experts on Ferrara’s work. The new interview with Ferrara is particularly enlightening in how the filmmaker describes how he came to the project. The guy is a no-bullshit talker and has no issue recalling how disappointing its reception was upon release, including how Madonna trashed the film on its initial release. Pick any of the interviews from this list of supplements and you’ll find honest insights from those involved with the production, plus the three booklet essays approach Dangerous Game from different critical angles to avoid repetition. 

• Audio Commentary with filmmaker Chris O’Neill and Bill Ackerman of the Supporting Characters Podcast
• Interview with director Abel Ferrara (HD 19:08)
• Interview with actor James Russo (HD 12:14)
• Audio interview with actress Nancy Ferrara (HD 24:44)
• Interview with composer Joe Delia (HD 16:54)
• Interview with editor Anthony Redman (HD 20:13)
• Video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (HD 15:00)
• Theatrical trailer (HD 1:28)

Abel Ferrara’s grand work of Hollywood provocation, the hard-nosed 1993 drama Dangerous Game, is now available on Blu-ray courtesy of Cinématographe with a gorgeous 1080p presentation sourced from a new 4K restoration. In addition, this mediabook edition comes loaded with interviews, insights and commentary around the film from a wide variety of different voices, including original cast and crew. This release easily comes Highly Recommended to those who can stomach its brand of shock. 

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