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

ADDITION: Fun City Editions Blu-ray (May 2021): Fun City Editions have transferred Michael Ritchie's Smile to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "New 2K restoration from its 35mm interpositive". Aside from some infrequent aberrations the 1080P image quality is very impressive. It's a tight, clean image on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. There is consistent grain and adept contrast. A remarkable HD presentation exporting frequent depth and true colors.

NOTE: We have added 70 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Fun City Editions use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. There is plenty of music in the film starting with Charles Chaplin's "Smile" (written for his film Modern Times - lyrics added later by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons) and beautifully sung by Nat 'King' Cole. There is other recognizable 'hits' including The Beach Boys California Girls, and older standards; Robert Maxwell's Ebb Tide, Let the Good Times Roll sung by Shirley & Lee, Yes Sir! That's My Baby sung by Michael Chain and some may recognize Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 In D Minor (Choral), Opus 125 and Mozart's Concerto #2 for Flute in D Major by the flutist and Young American Miss Pageant contestant "Robin" - by Janette Butler utilized in Joan Prather's 'talent performance. It all sounds as clean and scrip as the image without egregious flaws via the lossless. Fun City Editions offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Fun City Editions Blu-ray offers a new commentary by actor-filmmaker Jim Healy (his brother Pat was in Henry Gamble's Birthday Party and PTA's Magnolia) and film curator Jim Healy (Cinema Scope's Nicholas Ray’s Bigger Than Life: A Conversation with Jonathan Lethem.) I thought they did a great job discussing the many performers (many professional actors as contestants, and many who were not), careers of Bruce Dern, Michael Ritchie, Barbara Feldon, bit performers as well as the many films released around the time of Smile and links to Preston Sturges. They were extensively prepared and professional. There is a also a newly filmed 29-minute interview with actor Bruce Dern entitled "Dernsie's Credo". He recalls the making of the film, his involvement (a week before shooting,) Michael Ritchie (his height - 6' 7"), the TV series 'Stoney Burke' and his recommendation for cinematographer Conrad L. Hall (Marathon Man, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Cool Hand Luke etc.) and much more. There is also a theatrical trailer, image gallery and the package contains a liner notes booklet with a new essay by film historian Mike McPadden.  

Michael Ritchie's Smile strikes a perfect balance between satire and chaotic realism - in such a  way that it is funny because it's true (if exaggerated at times.) It has plenty of young stars playing the contestants; Joan Prather, Denise Nickerson ('Violet Beauregarde' in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory), Melanie Griffith (only 17), Annette O'Toole (a favorite), Maria O'Brien, Colleen Camp, Caroline Williams and more. It a well-realized comedy and the Fun City Editions Blu-ray offers a lot with the commentary, Dern interview, liner notes essay and impressive a/v presentation. 70's humor at its filmic best. Absolutely Recommended!

Gary Tooze