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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Directed by Desmond Davis
UK 19
67

 

Swinging London becomes limping London when Rita Tushingham (The Knack… and How to Get It) and Lynn Redgrave (The National Health) make the scene and have a Smashing Time. Carnaby Street will never be the same after Rita and Lynn embark on a mod adventure to fulfill their dreams of excitement and success. In the beginning, they stick together and get by working as cocktail hostesses and dish washers. However, their luck changes in no time and they part ways while swinging into fame, Redgrave as a recording star and Tushingham as “the face of the 1970s”, realizing that smashing times must come to an end. Desmond Davis (Clash of the Titans) directed this smash hit comedy-musical co-starring Michael York (Logan's Run).

***

Yvonne (Lynn Redgrave) and her best friend, Brenda (Rita Tushingham), head for the big city -- in this case, London -- with dreams of hitting the big time. But when they arrive and quickly lose their savings to a robber, they find that city life is tougher than expected, and success may be more elusive than they planned. The pair separates, and after Yvonne unexpectedly turns a bad song into a hit single, she begins to wonder about the cost of fame, and the whereabouts of her old friend.

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 20th, 1967

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Review: Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

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Distribution Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:36:05.551     
Video

1.66:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 19,862,219,518 bytes

Feature: 18,706,341,888 bytes

Video Bitrate: 22.75 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1555 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1555 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps 

Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Kino Lorber

 

1.66:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 19,862,219,518 bytes

Feature: 18,706,341,888 bytes

Video Bitrate: 22.75 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Audio Commentary by Film Historian Kat Ellinger

Trailers


Blu-ray Release Date: August 14th, 2018
Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 8

 

 

Comments:

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

Kino have brought the 60's British satire-leaning Smashing Time to Blu-ray with a "Brand New HD Master from a 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative!". It's on a single-layered disc but colors are exported with some impressive depth. It can look a bit soft in the opening scenes but settles to look quite pleasing via the 4K-restoration with fine texture. There is no damage and the in-motion 1080P presentation is quite strong - no doubt, as good as it will get for the film.

Kino Lorber provide a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel (16-bit) track in the original English language. There are some mild slapstick-related effect and a score by John Addison (Tom Jones, Guns at Batasi, The Man Between, A Taste of Honey, The Honey Pot, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, Strange Invaders) and main title song Smashing Time performed by Lynn Redgrave and Rita Tushingham as well as Carnaby Street, Waiting For My Friend, New Clothes, It's Always Your Fault, While I'm Still Young, Day Out and other songs. It sounds quite pleasing in the lossless. Kino Lorber add optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

Supplements include a commentary by Kat Ellinger who provides a excellent appreciation for the underrated film and it's sixties themes, also discussing the era of British Kitchen sink, realism, dramas (A Taste of Honey) and the film's relationship with working class characters, and she finds an interesting link to the Czech film Daisies, and other female 'buddy' films. She discusses Take a Girl Like You, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, Alfie and other films that were leaning more to male desires etc.. Ellinger has the ability to encourage sparks of interest in the film she is talking about - she is well-prepared and I thoroughly enjoyed her commentary. There are also some trailers - but none for Smashing Time.

Smashing Time is a farcical look at the 'swinging 60's' and doesn't venture into the more risqué or romantic aspects preferring to remain light-hearted with some physical comedy focusing on the friendship of the leads and their economic struggles. It's quite a different film from others that are pigeon-holed into a similar genre. The Kino
Blu-ray has value with the film's uniqueness, good performances and the wonderful Ellinger commentary. Absolutely recommended!

Gary Tooze

 


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Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Distribution Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray




 

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