TAG: The Assassination Game (Synapse Films Blu-ray Review)

Nicholas Castle is known for playing Michael Myers in John Carpenter's horror classic Halloween and co-writing Escape from New York, but he was also a filmmaker. In 1984, he directed the classic The Last Starfighter. But just two years before, he would make his directorial debut in the action comedy Tag: The Assassination Game.

Synapse Films rescues cult films that big studios deem not worth the time and gives them Blu-ray releases. Well, such is the case with Tag. Now fans of this 80s film can rejoice as they can relive this 80s cult classic in HD whenever they want with this new Blu-ray release.

Synopsis: 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!

TAG: The Assassination Game has so much potential to be more than just a cult film. The film stars Robert Caradine and, in her feature film debut Linda Hamilton. After this film, she would go on to star in The Children of the Corn and The Terminator. The end result is a mildly fun action comedy, but its missteps keep it from being a pure classic. 

Synapse Films has transferred Tag to Blu-ray in 1080p and is presented in 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The audio track is an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0.  There is also the option for English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. Now, this transfer is not just any transfer; it is taken from a new 2k restoration from the original 35mm archival vault material.

Watching this film on Blu-ray is a nice experience. It is not perfect by any means. There are times when the picture is a bit fuzzy and the audio is less than sharp. But in my opinion, for a low-budget film that is over 40 years old, it's not a bad-looking restoration.

Bonus Materials:
Audio Commentary with Director Nick Castle and Star Robert Carradine
Original Theatrical Trailer

As you can see, the bonus features are a tad disappointing here. I like that they included the trailer and an audio commentary with the director and star. But it would have been nice to see a bit more.

TAG: The Assassination Game is a fun little escape film that could have been a lot better. The Blu-ray again had potential to be spectacular, but in the end it is a nice home video release; I just wished there was more.

If you love 80s cinema and are a fan of Robert Caradine or Linda Hamilton, well, this new release of TAG: The Assassination Game might just be your next purchase for your library. Head over to MVD Shop or Amazon and order your copy of this film today.



Out of 4 Film Reels (4 being the best) The Blu-ray of TAG: The Assassination Game receives.....