Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Nashville Girl Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 20, 2019

Gus Trikonis' "Nashville Girl" (1976) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Scorpion Releasing. The supplemental features on the disc include a vintage trailer for the film; episode of Trailers From Hell"; and exclusive new video interview with producer Roger Corman. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The girl who went to Nashville to become a star

Apparently, neither director Gus Trikonis nor producer Roger Corman knew much about the country music scene and Nashville when they decided to do Nashville Girl in the early ‘70s. However, Robert Altman had already made his film, so Corman, who had terrific instincts, almost certainly knew that at the time he was on the right track. This is one of the two main reasons why Corman became so successful -- he had amazing instincts. The other was his ability to make money, all the time, with all kinds of different projects.

The film follows closely Jamie (Monica Gayle, Switchblade Sisters), a sixteen-year-old girl, who decides to travel to Nashville and find out if she has what it takes to be a country star. She goes on the road alone, gets a ride from a couple of suspicious characters who have had plenty of adventures with younger girls like her at trucks stops across the country, and then reaches Nashville overflowing with optimism. But all of the talent agents she encounters there quickly turn out to be either creeps who want to sleep with her or crooks who attempt to scam her while claiming that they can introduce her to legit producers. While waiting for Lady Luck to smile at her, Jamie then gets a job in a busy illegal ‘massage parlor’ as a receptionist, and when she refuses to replace a missing girl offends a client who sends the cops to raid the place. In the ensuing chaos, she is arrested and sent to a juvenile detention center where a corrupt lesbian supervisor with equally high expectations loses her job because of her. Eventually, Jamie is released and one of her new friends introduces her to veteran singer Jeb (Glenn Corbett, The Crimson Kimono), who takes her under his wing, changes her name to Melody Mason, and gives her a chance to prove that she can sing. But the old-timer also begins pocketing half of Jamie's profits, and, as part of their ‘partnership’ arrangement, she is routinely asked to visit his bed.

Nashville Girl is the type of unfiltered, direct, and unapologetic ‘70s film that quite simply cannot be made in the current socio-cultural environment. It heads straight to Nashville’s underbelly and then exposes a motley crew of shady characters whose actions are frequently so repulsive that the entire music scene that they are supposedly a part of begins to look like a surreal circus. Of course, the surreal also produces a fair number of laughs, but if this was indeed the type of environment that ambitious singers and even rising stars had to endure, it is impossible not to conclude that during the ‘70s Nashville was an even greater cesspool than Hollywood. (In an exclusive interview that is included on this release, Corman confirms that Trikonis did plenty of research work in Nashville, so the likelihood of the film exaggerating what looks so ugly and surreal seems small).

Despite the modest budget that Trikonis had to work with, the studio rehearsals and the big stage performances look terrific. In fact, Gayle’s body posture, movement and attitude around the real musicians that were hired to do the film are so good that it is awfully difficult to tell If she is lip-syncing during some of the major performances where the camera follows her closely. The sequence in which Corbett introduces her with her new alias before her fans is one of the highlights of the film.

The editing is a bit rough, but it actually helps the film’s credibility. As soon as Gayle goes on the road, the film acquires that very partcular raw look that so many great Americanas from the ‘70s are known for. It was lensed by cinematographer Iry Goodnoff, who a couple of years later went on to work with David Berlatsky on the cult revenge thriller The Farmer.

*This recent release of Nashville Girl is sourced from an exclusive remaster struck from the original camera negative that was commissioned by Scorpion Releasing.

Nashville Girl Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Gus Trikonis' Nashville Girl arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Scorpion Releasing.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new remaster that was struck from the original camera negative. Rather predictable, the entire film has a very pleasing and consistent organic appearance. A few tiny blemishes, scratches and dirt spot, and one area with small fading, can be spotted, but overall this is a very strong technical presentation that boasts good depth, clarity, and fluidity. The color grading is convincing as well, though a little bit of black crush does sneak in during indoor/darker footage and impacts a few nuances. Image stability is excellent. Finally, there are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Nashville Girl Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

The audio is clean and stable, but it is what makes it most obvious that the film was shot with a modest budget. Indeed, there are plenty of organic sounds and noises, but parts of the film were probably done with single or rushed takes and the recording equipment and it appears that occasionally the recording equipment was not placed at the best location(s). As a result, from time to it is rather easy to to notice some minor unevenness, or clarity fluctuations when the person speaking turns toward the microphone. Still, the overall quality of the soundtrack and the lossless track is very good.

Nashville Girl Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers From Hell - a vintage episode featuring director Allison Anders (Gas, Food, Lodging), who quickly explains why she likes the film and addresses the vintage original trailer. A second original trailer is included as well. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Theatrical Trailer - a vintage theatrical trailer for the film. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Interview with Roger Corman - in this new video interview, co-producer Roger Corman recalls how the original idea for Nashville Girl came to exist, the pre-production process and the casting of Monica Gayle, the music scene in Nashville, the film's reception (plus comments about its European reception), etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Scorpion Releasing. In English, not subtitled. (6 min).

• Facts and Trivia Mode - an alternate viewing option.

Nashville Girl Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Just like Robert Altman's Nashville, Gus Trikonis' Nashville Girl heads to the Music City to capture its pulse and atmosphere during the early '70s. However, the place it discovers is quite different than the one that Altman saw -- it is very cynical, abusive, and at times really quite surreal. I don't know if at the time Nashville and the people that created country stars there were really as depicted in Trikonis' film, but the atmosphere most definitely feels legit. Also, out of all the different films that I have seen with Monica Gayle over the years, Nashville Girl is the absolute best. Scorpion Releasing's recent release is sourced from a very nice exclusive remaster that was struck from the original camera negative, and is Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.