14 May 2008

American remakes of European favourites are usually high on my hit list, but I'm genuinely not sure how to react to Michael Haneke's own shot-for-shot remake of his most disturbing film, Funny Games. Starring Naomi Watts (who has shown her worth in works such as Mulholland Drive and Eastern Promises), Tim Roth (who's also in the new Incredible Hulk, believe it or not), Michael Pitt (Last Days, The Dreamers)and Brady Corbet (Mysterious Skin), the story is transposed to America and played in the English language, presumably to reach an American and English audience who who never sit through a subtitled movie, many of whom are in need of the lesson delivered so powerfully by the original.

For those new to the film, a little plot. Taking a much-needed vacation, a young middle-class family prepare for a relaxing time at their secluded holiday home. When a polite young man makes a surprise call and asks to borrow some eggs, his clumsiness leads to the appearance of his equally charming friend. However, the seemingly innocent visit soon turns into an horrific ordeal as the whole family is subjected to an unrelenting campaign of torment and torture. And the boys are playing to win.

Confronting the notions of violence in the media, his two protagonists, Paul and Peter, taunt not on the family but also the viewer, addressing the camera and implicating others into their torturous game play.  His earlier films such as Benny's Video and The Seventh Continent explored similar themes, which were also evident in his box-office smash, Hidden.

Jointly produced by Tartan Films and Halcyon Pictures, the remake of Funny Games (or as it's been tagged in the media press, Funny Games US) will be released by Tartan on UK DVD and Blu-Ray on 28th July 2008. The DVD extras will include:

• Tartan exclusive interview with producers Hamish McAlpine and Chris Coen;
• Tartan exclusive interview with Michael Haneke;
• Interviews with cast; trailer; viral clips.

The Blu-Ray disc will DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD, and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundtracks. The DVD will retail at £19.99, the blu-ray disc at