Perhaps another victim of the dreaded "theatrical preview process," director John Frankenheimer cut or altered eight scenes from his original, preferred cut of Reindeer Games to appease audiences. Supposedly, this was to help the film be more "commercial," though the changes didn't seem to have the intended effect - the film still bombed.

But, after releasing the theatrical cut on DVD in the middle of 2000, complete with audio commentary, Miramax and Buena Vista have finally issued the Director's Cut on DVD this past month. However, in what could be considered a missed opportunity, Buena Vista decided to forgo the "seamless branching" option and include only the Director's Cut version (which runs 124 minutes, 19 minutes longer than the theatrical version) along with a supplemental section featuring the 8 scenes in question in their original theatrical form.

So, since both versions remain on the market, and neither includes both of the cuts, consumers must make a choice as to which version to buy or rent. In a nutshell, the Director's Cut is a harsher film; not necessarily more violent, just an overall "grittier" tone. A highlight of some of the changes restored for the Director's Cut:

• Two scenes involving "the darts" have been extended with more graphic violence, including where Rudy heals his wounds
• The "Love Rollercoaster" casino scene has been extended and reedited
• After Gabriel kidnaps Rudy and Ashley, the scene where they discuss their situation has been extended, and additional scene between the pair with the pair has been added.
• In the theatrical cut, it is hinted at that Gabriel shoots a fisherman. In the Director's Cut, the scene has been extended to show Gabriel shooting the ice around the fisherman, making it clear he did indeed murder him.