Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Smashing Time Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 31, 2018

1967’s “Smashing Time” is a romp about Swinging London, and it does whatever it can to project a mood of comedic insanity, trying very hard to be the liveliest viewing experience of its release year. Director Desmond Davis offers no restraint here, giving the movie over to a moment in time when the city was exploding with fashion, music, and attitude, sending stars Lynn Redgrave and Rita Tushingham on an odyssey of thespian bigness that’s remarkably exhausting to watch. “Smashing Time” is ready to loved and appreciated as a satiric overview of a cultural movement, but about halfway through the endeavor, it starts to feel like a runaway train that’s run out of track.

“Smashing Time” is basically a series of vignettes featuring mousy Brenda (Rita Tushingham) and brassy Yvonne (Lynn Redgrave), who travel to London seeking fame and fortune, only to get caught up in the shifting trends of the city, coming into contact with deceptive men and judgmental women as they try to experience everything around them. There’s a distinct Richard Lester tone to the picture, which generally follows urges instead of a plot, sticking the young women in situations that require bulging reactions to troubling vocational and style challenges. Yvonne wants to be a cover girl with the world at her feet, looking for a glamorous discovery, only she finds difficulties with photographer Tom (Michael York) and the nature of personal responsibility, forced to accept a job before she can conquer the beauty industry.

Brenda has the more grounded mission, simply trying to keep herself together as misadventures lead her into ill-fitting positions of authority after years spent as Yvonne’s pushover friend. The potential for an arc concerning personal growth and awareness of predatory types is generally tossed out the window in favor of slapstick sequences, with one encounter pitting Brenda against art gallery robots, while there’s a mid-movie pie fight to sell the throwback wackiness of the endeavor, which, like everything else here, carries on way too long.

Smashing Time Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Smashing Time" comes to Blu-ray boasting a "Brand new HD master from a 4K scan of the original camera negative." The AVC encoded image (1.67:1 aspect ratio) presentation enjoys a considerable boost in clarity, with hues from the cartoon opening credits making an immediate impression, delivering vibrant primaries. Thankfully, colors remain jubilant throughout, enjoying help from exaggerated costuming and period decoration, bringing out the boldness of the setting, with its myriad of advertisements and fashion. Tushingham's big blue eyes also add some snap. Detail is strong, permitting study of facial surfaces and fibrous outfits, along with street exploration, securing signage to capture the time capsule vibe of Swinging London. Delineation is comfortable. Grain is filmic. Source is in fine shape, with a few visible hairs and some mild speckling.

Smashing Time Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is inherently cacophonous, putting the natural shrillness of the lead actresses to the test through a heavy amount of ADR, which doesn't welcome a fuller sound. Dialogue exchanges are strange enough, but lines aren't lost along the way, keeping performances present. Music isn't as lush as hoped, with an inherent tininess, but musicianship registers. Sound effects are loud, as is everything here, with major comedic set pieces dipping into sonic chaos, but, again, this seems to be the intent, mixed with some age-related wear and tear.

Smashing Time Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Kat Ellinger.

• And a Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Smashing Time Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Smashing Time" takes a few shots at Candid Camera, pokes fun at the entertainment industry, and indulges the outrageous of self-expression from the era. It's an excitable film, but enthusiasm doesn't equal achievement here, as most of the movie is too open range for its own good. There are intermittent creative aspects that manage to shine, and while Tushingham and Redgrave are playing hostile characters, they manage to pull off some sense of purpose to Brenda and Yvonne's mission. "Smashing Time" is an amazing time capsule of Swinging London escapades and decoration, but as a spinning carousel of manic antics, it's a ride that's difficult to enjoy to the very end.