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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Head Over Heels")

 

Directed by Joan Micklin Silver
USA 1979

 

The trailblazing Joan Micklin Silver—one of only five women to direct a film for a Hollywood studio in the 1970s—digs fearlessly into the psychology of a thorny relationship in this anti–romantic comedy, based on Ann Beattie’s best-selling novel, about lovelorn civil servant Charles (John Heard) and his married-but-separated coworker Laura (Mary Beth Hurt). Months after their affair has ended, Charles is haunted by memories as he desperately attempts to rekindle a love that perhaps never was. Switching deftly between past and present, Micklin Silver guides this piercing deconstruction of male wish-fulfillment fantasy beyond standard movie-romance tropes into something more complicated and cuttingly truthful.

***

In writer-director Joan Micklin Silver’s endearing adaptation of Ann Beattie’s celebrated novel, Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979), Charles (John Heard), a bored office worker, falls in love with Laura (Mary Beth Hurt) when she is separated from her husband, Ox (Mark Metcalf); when she returns to the appropriately named fellow, Charles makes it his life’s work to get her back, aided, abetted, and occasionally hindered by a sensational cast of eccentric friends and relatives, played by the likes of Peter Riegert, Kenneth McMillan, Nora Heflin, and the great Gloria Grahame.

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 19th, 1979

Reviews                                                                                   More Reviews                                                                DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

 

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:35:22.675          1:35:34.770
Video

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 25,353,235,680 bytes

Feature: 24,906,209,280 bytes

Video Bitrate: 26.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 49,599,129,919 bytes

Feature: 28,805,050,368 bytes

Video Bitrate: 36.01 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Twilight Time Blu-ray:

Bitrate Criterion Blu-ray:

Audio DTS-HD Master Audio English 1965 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1965 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Commentary:
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1745 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1745 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Isolated Score:
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1827 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1827 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)

LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
 

Subtitles English (SDH), None English (SDH), None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Twilight Time

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 25,353,235,680 bytes

Feature: 24,906,209,280 bytes

Video Bitrate: 26.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Joan Micklin Silver and Producer Amy Robinson
• Isolated Score Track
• Original Theatrical Trailer (1:45)

Liner notes by Julie Kirgo


Blu-ray Release Date:
February
9th, 2017
Transparent Blu-ray Case

Chapters 9

Release Information:
Studio:
Criterion

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 49,599,129,919 bytes

Feature: 28,805,050,368 bytes

Video Bitrate: 36.01 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• New program featuring producers Griffin Dunne, Mark Metcalf, and Amy Robinson (28:07)
• Documentary from 1983 by Katja Raganelli about director Joan Micklin Silver (45:32)
• Excerpts of a 2005 interview with Micklin Silver (14:34)
• Original ending of the film, cut by Micklin Silver for its re-release in 1982 (8:42)
• Trailer (1:44)
PLUS: An essay by scholar Shonni Enelow


Blu-ray Release Date: March 28th, 2023

Transparent Blu-ray Case

Chapters 8

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (March 2023): Criterion have transferred Joan Micklin Silver's Chilly Scenes of Winter to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "New, restored 4K digital transfer". The Criterion 1080P is very different from Twilight Time's from 2017. Colors and contrast improve. It also looks sharper if having a slight green cast. The Criterion is better looking in almost all areas.

NOTE: We have added 38 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Chilly Scenes of Winter has no aggressive audio sequences. The score is by Kenneth Lauber (The World of Henry Orient), sounding clean with consistent dialogue in the uncompressed transfer. Criterion offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Criterion Blu-ray offers a supplements. There is a new 1/2 hour video piece on the producers. Chilly Scenes of Winter was the first film produced by Griffin Dunne, Mark Metcalf, and Amy Robinson. In this program, recorded for the Criterion Collection in December 2022, the three discuss the project's beginnings, their work with director Joan Micklin Silver, and the impact the film had on their subsequent careers. There is also a 3/4 hour 1983 documentary by Katja Raganelli featuring director Joan Micklin Silver; her husband and frequent producer, Ray Silver; and other key collaborators discussing Micklin Silver's work, from her debut feature, Hester Street, through Chilly Scenes of Winter, originally released as Head over Heels. There are 1/4 hour's worth of an excerpt of a September, 2005, video where filmmaker Michael Pressman sat down with director Joan Micklin Silver for a career-spanning interview for the Directors Guild of America's Visual History series. In this excerpt, Micklin Silver talks about her work on Chilly Scenes of Winter. Lastly the original ending is presented. In 1982, director Joan Micklin Silver had the opportunity to recut the ending of her 1979 film Head over Heels. At that time, she also changed the film's title to that of the Ann Beattie novel on which it was based, Chilly Scenes of Winter. There is a trailer and the package has liner notes with an essay by scholar Shonni Enelow.

Joan Micklin Silver's Chilly Scenes of Winter has attained a minor cult-status. It's based on Ann Beattie's 1976 novel and the author also played a waitress in a diner scene. There is an unrequited love revolving around the centre of Chilly Scenes of Winter. It's an intelligent and honest film that is hard to dislike. The Criterion Blu-ray doesn't have the Twilight Time commentary but has other valuable extras. It's always reason to celebrate to see Gloria Grahame - if only for a few brief scenes. Good film choice by Criterion to advance on an alternate out-of-print edition.

Gary Tooze

 


Menus / Extras

 

Twilight Time - Region 1 - NTSC

 

Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

1) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP

2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP

2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP

2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP

2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP

2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

 

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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