The Big Switch Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Big Switch Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 25, 2015

Working his way out of the nudie movie business, 1968’s “The Big Switch” represents writer/director Peter Walker’s effort to redirect his career, trying to make a down and dirty impression with this British gangster picture. With its emphasis on violence and nudity, it’s easy to see what Walker was after with “The Big Switch,” hoping to tantalize audiences with exploitative elements he spent his early years perfecting. Missing from the film is any type of pace and conflict, lumbering along, waiting for the periodic burst of aggression to snap it awake.

There are moments when “The Big Switch” is literally a waiting game. A tale of creep John Carter (Sebastian Breaks) as he navigates Swinging London, facing gangsters up to no good and willing women, the picture is often caught lounging around, waiting for Walker to dream up another incident of aggression that could propel the snoozy feature along. True excitement is rarely found here, with Walker more interested in stillborn moments of intimidation, prolonged sequences of criminal conversation, and naked women, with Carter catnip to any female he encounters.

The Big Switch Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.66:1 aspect ratio) presentation represents a restoration from the BFI, who manage to refresh "The Big Switch" for modern HD consumption. Roughness remains, with mild scratches, speckling, and debris detected, along with few damage spots, but the overall look of the movie remains surprisingly clean, delivering compelling primaries and natural skintones, while filmic textures are preserved to a certain degree. Delineation is communicative, even when dealing with tighter cinematographic demands, allowing an opportunity to survey London nightlife and shadowy encounters.

The Big Switch Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 LPCM sound mix manages with the inherent limitations of the original recording, which retain a scratchy quality, though a great deal of hiss has been dialed down to comfortable levels. Extremes are crispy, with mild distortive qualities, but dialogue exchanges are adequate, managing accents and echoed rooms. Scoring and soundtrack cuts retain crispness, and while they're used repetitively, music is effective in conjuring mood, never steamrolling over dramatic requirements. Atmospherics are spare, mostly contained to group activity in nightclubs.

The Big Switch Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Pete Walker: Man of Action" (14:58, HD) sits down with the director to discuss his work on "The Big Switch" and "Man of Violence." Both films were created with intent to fill holes in the exploitation market, with "The Big Switch" written over a single weekend -- a fact Walker is almost ashamed to admit. Discussions of sexual repression across England during the 1960s (allowing the helmer to sell his work on T&A alone) and Walker's place in film history as a director are also included.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

The Big Switch Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Big Switch" attempts to be a male fantasy, with guns and breasts explored with equal concentration, but Walker forgets to bring a story along with him. Glacial, even at 68 minutes, "The Big Switch" never builds to anything significant, frequently caught impersonating a roaring gangster saga instead of actually becoming one.