10:30pm Summer

Directed by Jules Dassin
USA/Spain 1966

Nobody had a good word to say for this adaptation of Marguerite Duras' novel which, though a potentially good script (by Duras and Dassin), is treated so heavily that it becomes risible. Finch and Schneider play a couple deciding whether to or not, while Finch's alcoholic wife (Mercouri) goes bananas to the point of being obsessed by a local crime passionel. Much of the blame can be attributed directly to Mercouri's barnstorming performance, though the inappropriately tarted-up Spanish postcard settings don't help either. Strange that a director like Dassin, who spearheaded the neo-realist movement in Hollywood after World War II, should look so completely out of touch with any level of reality in later years.

Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE

Poster

Theatrical Release: October 24th, 1966

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DVD Review: MGM - Region 1 - NTSC

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	MGM Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:24:39
Video	1.66:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.54 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	English (some Spanish) (Dolby Digital 1.0)
Subtitles	English, Spanish, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: MGM Home Video Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.66:1 Edition Details: • none DVD Release Date: July 24th, 2007 Keep Case Chapters: 20

Comments:

Although single-layered - this progressive and anamorphic (in the original 1.66 ratio) DVD image looks excellent from MGM. It is encouraging that this production company are releasing world cinema titles at such a stellar level of competence considering past transfers. I see no excessive manipulation and the image is clean. There is stereo audio with optional English or Spanish subtitles.

Bare bones again from MGM with no extras at all (not even a trailer). The film is a bit of an odd duck and Dassin fans might only view as a curiosity. On the positive I thought Melina Mercouri, Romy Schneider and Peter Finch were all excellent.