strongly tied with producer and Embassy Pictures head Joseph E. Levine. Having greenlit The 
Graduate and Carnal Knowledge with Nichols, the pair had one film left in their contract that led to an very unexpected film often regarded as the start of Nichols' fall from grace: The Day of the Dolphin, a loose adaptation of a French novel by Robert Merle that was regarded as a somewhat cursed property when Roman Polanski had to abandon it due to the murder of his wife, Sharon Tate. Enlisting regular collaborator Buck Henry to write the script, Nichols created a unique and beautifully shot fusion of science fiction, animal rights tearjerker, and paranoid thriller that left many critics scratching their heads at the time. Since then it's become something of a cult film, largely due to the brilliant score by composer Georges Deleure and a committed main performance by George C. Scott (who was reportedly a major pain during production, but the results speak for themselves).
challenges arise, but it soon becomes possible for both of them to communicate with the scientists. After 
extorting the Terrell's financial supporter, Harold DeMilo (Creepshow's Weaver), shady government agent Curtis (Sorvino) infiltrates the lab posing as a reporter to find out the truth about the dolphin breakthrough. Of course, it soon turns out that there's a nefarious plan afoot to utilize the dolphins for destructive means, with Jake and Maggie forced into a race against the clock.
works as a fine showcase for some fun veteran character actors also including Edward Herrmann and Pretty 
Maids All in a Row's John David Carson, who teamed up with Scott and Van Devere again the following year in the far more perverse The Savage Is Loose. 
scenes audio commentary with film historian Sheldon Hall (32m40s) is more of an audio essay, only partially scene specific 
while mostly offering a general overview of how to approach the film, the significance of a few scenes to the overall agenda of the film, Nichols' attitude to the film during and after its creation, and the intricacies of the sound design. The three archival interviews are ported over here (separated again as with the DVD), but some new interviews are added as well. In "Days of My Life" (43m46s), actor Jon Korkes provides an extremely thorough account of the film's production including his memories of Nichols starting with Catch-22, the loose casting process for this film, the arduous production process starting in Miami and then focusing mainly in the Bahamas, and the eventful and sometimes friction-filled interactions during the shoot, which at least allowed them to have first-run movie nights together. Apparently Nichols' legendary improv skills came in pretty handy, too. Then in "Moon Over the Bahamas" (39m24s), second assistant director and longtime Nichols collaborator Michael Haley gives a very colorful account of his earlier days learning the trade on adult films and The Honeymoon Killers through his first acting experience opposite Sophia Loren and his many Nichols projects starting with this film all the way through Charlie Wilson's War. Also included are the theatrical trailer (in its original form and a Trailers from Hell version presented by Larry Karaszewski), a very lackluster TV spot, 86s of radio spots, and a 66-image gallery of stills and promotional material. The 3,000-unit limited edition comes with a 36-page booklet featuring a perceptive new essay by Neil Sinyard ("Another World") about the film's place in Nichols' work, extracts from interviews with Nichols and Levine over the years, an archival Los Angeles Times with interview with Van Devere, samples from the dolphin conversations in the source novel, and three sample critical reactions from the initial release.Indicator (Blu-ray)
Kino Lorber (Blu-ray)
Home Vision (DVD)
