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Directed by Jacques Demy
USA 1969

 

Maybe Tomorrow. Maybe Never. Maybe.

French New Wave writer / director Jacques Demy, best known for his stylish musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, reunites with French star Anouk Aimée (their first pairing, 1961's Lola) to direct his first film in America. Gary Lockwood (2001: A Space Odyssey) plays shiftless but innocuous George Matthews, who can't seem to get himself worked up about anything: the girlfriend he is about to lose, his soon-to-be repossessed car or even his draft notice. Until one day, he sees a beautiful but detached model (Aimée), and he begins to follow her. From Malibu Beach to Beverly Hills mansions to Santa Monica Boulevard's cheap strip joints, Los Angeles is critically examined...

***

Model Shop (1969) offers the great French filmmaker Jacques Demy’s take on America of the era, and specifically, on Los Angeles. Bringing his celebrated character, Lola (the divine Anouk Aimée, reiterating her eponymous role from Demy’s 1960 film), to the City of Angels, he introduces an American, George (Gary Lockwood, giving a sensitive performance): unemployed, broke, about to be drafted to Vietnam, and suddenly madly in love with Lola, a woman he has only briefly glimpsed. As George searches for his potential amour, Demy gives us a portrait of the city that captured his heart in the same, lightning-bolt way.

Posters

Theatrical Release: February 11th, 1969

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Comparison:

Sony - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray

1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT

 

Box Covers

   

 

Distribution Sony Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:37:00  1:37:06.862  
Video 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 4.8 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s 
Disc Size: 26,295,128,873 bytes

Feature Size: 25,886,625,792 bytes

Average Bitrate: 29.99 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Bitrate:

Bitrate: Blu-ray

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0) 

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1809 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1809 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Isolated Score:

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1643 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1643 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)

Subtitles English, None English (SDH), None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Sony

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1

Edition Details:

• Trailer (2:59)

DVD Release Date: September 8th, 2009

Keep Case
Chapters: 12

Release Information:
Studio: Twilight Time

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio 1.78:1

Disc Size: 26,295,128,873 bytes

Feature Size: 25,886,625,792 bytes

Average Bitrate: 29.99 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video 

 

Edition Details:
Isolated Music Track
TV Spots (0:19 + 0:12)
Original Theatrical Trailer (0:59)

Linear Notes

Blu-ray Release Date: April, 2018
Transparent
Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 24

 

 

Comments:

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

The Twilight Time 1080P is opened-up a shade in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. The Blu-ray visuals are more detailed than the SD, flesh tones warm, there is consistent, fine, film grain and plenty of depth. It's a remarkable bump over the DVD.

Twilight Time uses a DTS-HD Master 2.0 mono transfer (24-bit). No effects - lost of car driving, traffic background noise and conversation. The score is credited to 'Spirit' including pieces like The Moving Van, Mellow Fellow, California, Model Shop, Song For Lola etc. and some will not, on the radio in Lola's car, Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. The score is
offered as an isolated option. There are optional English subtitles on the region FREE Blu-ray disc.

No extras aside from the isolated score option, 2 TV Spots and a Trailer, plus some liner notes by Julie Kirgo.

I know I usually warm further to films after seeing them in HD. Not this time. I just couldn't buy-into the performances of Gary Lockwood and Alexandra Hay. Always great to see iconic Anouk Aimée though - but her beauty couldn't carry this. Demy didn't capture the free-spirit essence, although he tried. This
Blu-ray, does its job but I needed some supplements and a commentary to appreciate Model Shop. I don't know - maybe I need to see it again. Fans of the director may wish to indulge as the DVD is way out-of-print.

Gary Tooze

***

ON THE DVD: The single-layered, anamorphic transfer looks acceptable if never brilliantly stellar. The image is clean with, at times, surprising detail and some grain visible in backgrounds. Noise is not much of a factor. The film has many outdoor shots and the colors are only slightly dulled. It is consistent and seems to report reliably. It may be that any of the DVD visual weaknesses are the result of the single-layering. I suspect the film would look quite strong in 1080P definition.  The 2.0 channel audio is unremarkable but clear and close, I'll wager, to the way  it was produced with no strong hiss or pops surfacing. There are optional English subtitles.

There is only a theatrical trailer as an extra but the very reasonable price reflects the lack of supplements. The film doesn't share the essence of Lola but it's not so far off to be hyper-critical of the result. The camera work is highly interesting (hence I added more than the usual number of screen captures). Demy and/or Anouk Aimée fans will want to indulge as I believe this is the first time the film has reached DVD. I think it's definitely worth picking-up at only $13. 

Gary W. Tooze

 


Sony - Region 1 - NTSC


 

Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray



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

 

Subtitle Sample

1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Sony - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


Box Covers

   

 

Distribution Sony Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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