Play It Cool Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Play It Cool Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 28, 2025

Even people who don't have any special affinity for musical theater may recognize the unusual title of the first international collaborative success between Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, Stop the World — I Want to Get Off, maybe simply because that title is so unusual. The link actually points to a perhaps misguidedly made and probably understandably little remembered 1966 film version where the lead character of Littlechap has one of several interesting moments of breaking the fourth wall and personally addressing the audience after he finds out that his eldest daughter has gotten pregnant out of wedlock. This is exactly how that particular daughter came into the world (though Littlechap does marry her mother before the birth), and in Littlechap's monologue, he pretty much tells this daughter courtesy of his anecdote delivered straight to the viewer that she shouldn't worry, when "something runs in the family, there's nothing you can do about it." As peculiar as it may sound, there's something at least a little similar at hand in Play It Cool, a film which according to some of the supplements on this disc was not especially revered at the time of its release, and which has become something of a rarity to even be able to see in the decades since its release in 1970. The story can't help but be on the tawdry side, probably by design, as it follows a hapless young woman named Yumi (Mari Atsumi), who seems to be a pawn of various fatalistic forces that seem to be ushering her into a life quite similar to her mother's, namely one of if not prostitution, something pretty darned close, and one which Yumi herself has attempted to prevent for herself.

The back cover of this release calls it "chic and erotically charged", and while some may quibble with either / both of those descriptors, there's little doubt that Yasuzo Masumura was traipsing right up to the veritable edge of more explicit pinku eiga outings, without ever really tipping over completely into that category. That said, among the trials and tribulations Yumi encounters is one outright rape (courtesy of her mother's boyfriend) and several other attempts, all of which give the film opportunities for various states of undress and sexually charged vignettes, though it's really the whole aspect of Yumi being a damsel in distress who nonetheless tries to exert whatever control she can over the situation that ends up giving the film its emotional power.

What ensues is a rather provocative tale that suggests neither Yumi nor her mother Tomi (Akemi Negishi) can escape the confines of being a woman in a male dominated culture. The fact that this film was released in 1970 makes this a perhaps counterintuitive depiction, at least within the global zeitgeist of nascent feminism. That said, as undeniably skewed and probably ironically as it's presented here, there is a feminist subtext of sorts, though claiming power doesn't necessarily augur for a happy ending.

Play It Cool Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Play It Cool is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.43:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following minimal information on the presentation:

Play It Cool (Denki kurage) is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 [sic] with mono audio. The high definition master was provided by Kadokawa.

This is another one of the "pre delivered" masters sometimes presented by Arrow and/or Radiance that is not in the best condition, as can probably be made out pretty easily in some of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review. The palette is probably one of the strongest parts of this transfer, though even it is often quite variable, and as can be seen in several of the screenshots, there's a somewhat faded, brown to yellow look on display quite a bit of the time. Blacks can vary between milky and deep enough that crush occurs. There are some rather wide variances in densities and especially clarity along the way. This is another Japanese effort where either lens anomalies or problematic focus pulling can offer sections of the frame that are blurry.

Play It Cool Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio side of things on this disc fares considerably better with an LPCM Mono track that can admittedly sound just a tad boxy at times, especially with regard to some of the sound effects, but which provides a solid listening experience overall. The film has some fun if dated music (which frankly seems more early to mid sixties than early seventies), all of which sounds fine. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Play It Cool Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Jasper Sharp and Anne McKnight


• Too Cool for School (HD; 46:07) is an in depth analysis by Mark Roberts.


• Original Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:07)


• Image Gallery (HD)

Arrow also provides another nicely appointed insert booklet with a good essay by Earl Jackson. Packaging features a reversible sleeve and a slipcover.

Play It Cool Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Somewhat hilariously, especially given the fact that the film came out in 1966 when one would think sensibilities wouldn't have been that shocked, the film version of Stop the World — I Want to Get Off changes a key line late in the film when Littlechap's other daughter announces she's gotten married and wonders why Littlechap didn't come to the ceremony. In the original stage version, Littlechap somewhat cheekily tells her, "I didn't even know you were pregnant", to which the girl replies "You don't have to be pregnant to get married", which some "genius" rewrote for the film, replacing "pregnant" with "engaged", which obviously defeats the humor and in one way makes no sense whatsoever. What's kind of interesting about that decision, at least within the framework of global cinema and this film, is how just four years later, things were a good deal more explicit and unguarded. In that regard certain elements of Play It Cool actually reminded me of another entry from 1970 which somewhat like the 1966 musical is a lesser remembered film, Puzzle of a Downfall Child. There's frankly no real "puzzle" here, since the film shows pretty clearly that Yumi is buffeted by the winds of fate, though she manages to remain at least relatively resilient. This is a film which can't evade its smarmier aspects, but which may still be of interest to Masumura fans in general. It's probably salient to note that the on disc supplements and even the insert booklet essay attempt a valiant defense of the film, while also being unable to avoid mentioning how poorly thought of it has been in Japan. Technical merits are variable in terms of video but fine in terms of audio. This release does offer some outstanding supplements, for those who may be considering making a purchase.