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