Times Square Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Times Square Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 30, 2022

Allan Moyle's "Times Square" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include archival audio commentary recorded by the director and star Robin Johnson; exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critics Kat Ellinger and Heather Drain; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

I just had my first viewing experience with Allan Moyle’s Times Square. This is a film from the early ‘80s that I recall being promoted at my favorite independent video store a lot. The giant original poster for Times Square was next to the equally impressive original poster for DeepStar Six, which is a completely different genre film. I know for a fact that the owner of the video store loved DeepStar Six because we had some quite interesting conversations about its special effects, but I am unsure if he was a fan of Times Square. He was a shrewd businessman, so if I had to guess, I would say that he had the poster up to make his store more appealing to his youngest customers.

After the end credits of Times Square appeared on my screen, I began wondering whether in 1980 Moyle was like the owner of my favorite video store – a genuine film lover but also a shrewd businessman. (Aren’t all directors genuine film lovers? No. For some, shooting with a film camera is just another job that pays the bills). It is pretty easy to establish that Moyle was a genuine film lover because when he began working on Times Square he had a crystal-clear vision of how it should look and later on refused to compromise it to please top brass at the studio that had financed the film. It is why he was fired before production had wrapped up. A director that was not a genuine film lover would have instantly agreed to make all the supposedly necessary adjustments and then quietly moved on to the next project. Times Square was Moyle’s first studio project, so by sticking to his guns he essentially risked his entire career. The tricky part is establishing whether Moyle was also a good businessman that made some big errors -- or whether it was primarily his inexperience that got him in a whole lot of trouble. I will tell you why, but before I do, I would like to provide you with a short summation of Times Square because it will make my job easier.

In New York City, teenage girls Pamela (Trini Alvarado) and Nicky (Robin Johnson) are admitted in the same psychiatric hospital, placed in the same room, and informed that they will undergo the exact same tests. Even though they come from drastically different social and cultural environments, the two quickly bond and decide to escape. When they do, Pamela’s father, who happens to be one of the city’s most prominent politicians and is in the middle of a heated reelection campaign, instructs his staff to keep the ‘story’ under wraps, but someone leaks it to local radio host Johnny LaGuardia (Tim Curry) and he begins praising the runaways on the air. Then, while the police are looking for the runaways, LaGuardia transforms them into punk stars and secretly lets them perform in his studio. At the peak of their glory, the runaways, now calling themselves Sleaze Sisters, stage a live event in the heart of Times Square.

Apparently, Times Square was partially inspired by the personal diary of a young and mentally ill woman that Moyle discovered in a used couch he had purchased for his home. However, instead of a personal film in its current form Times Square actually looks a lot like an early MTV reality program that very carefully targets a very particular audience. Needless to say, it is loaded with scripted messages that effectively destroy its integrity.

The biggest problem with Times Square, however, is that it looks like the uneven creation of two completely different directors, one that kept trying to make it look like an organic project, and another that kept trying to please its financiers. I feel that Moyle was the first director, which is most likely why there is so much terrific unfiltered footage from the grungy areas of Times Square that made it into the final version of the film. I can’t tell who might have been the second director. Moyle still could have been behind the camera, but some pretty large areas of the film leave the impression that someone else was calling the shots. These are the areas where the messaging is most transparent and the acting most problematic.

The soundtrack is something of a mixed bag, too. Instead of strengthening the film’s punk identity a lot of the songs feel pretty random.

*Apparently, the version of Times Square that is included on this Blu-ray release isn't the Director's Cut, which is the film Moyle wanted audiences to see. The information is revealed in the archival audio commentary that Moyle and Johnson recorded some years ago for Starz/Anchor Bay's out-of-print DVD release of the film.

Times Square Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Times Square arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master that is a thing of beauty. To be honest, the only minor criticism that I have pertains to the encode, which could have been optimized a little bit better so that it handles darker areas with greater authority. No, you do not have to worry about serious anomalies, but the grain has a tendency to become a tad looser than it should be. I still think that the visuals hold up nicely and look really, really good, even on a very large screen. The rest is fantastic. Delineation, clarity, and depth range from very good to outstanding. Density levels remain solid as well. The party that graded this master did a phenomenal job, too. Indeed, the primaries are lush and wonderfully balanced, while the supporting nuances are simply perfect. In darker and nighttime footage shadow nuances are very nicely handled as well. Finally, the entire film looks spotless. All in all, this is a very pleasing presentation of Times Square that should make its fans extremely happy. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Times Square Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track and did not encounter any issues to report in our review. The dialog was clear, clean, stable, and easy to follow. I thought that dynamic intensity was good too, though I must admit that I expected the soundtrack to provide better contrasts. The upper register, where these types of older films reveal weaknesses, was very healthy.

Times Square Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Times Square. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Commentary One - this archival audio commentary was recorded by director Alan Moyle and star Robin Johnson.

• Commentary Two - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Kat Ellinger and Heather Drain.

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art for Times Square.

Times Square Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Punk films can't be very carefully scripted films dispatching very carefully scripted messages. If they are, they always end up looking like those fake reality shows that destroyed MTV. Times Square has some lovely period visuals but the wrong personality to be a genuine punk film, which is apparently what Allan Moyle wanted it to be. It looks like the creation of different people that attempted to shape it up in unique ways and at the end both failed because they refused to compromise. Naturally, I think that the negative reviews it generated back in the days were entirely deserved. (For what it's worth, the version of Times Square that is on this release apparently isn't the Director's Cut, which is the film Moyle wanted audiences to see). Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release is sourced from an excellent exclusive new 4K master, so if you are a fan of Times Square, consider picking it up. If you are not a fan, spend your money on a different release.