Customer Reviews

Smashing Time

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For anyone fascinated by the London take on the swinging sixties circa 1966 to 67, this is the one to watch. Actually, there's not that much competition; The Knack is overrated and handicapped by being black and white (this was NOT the time to be black and white), Help! is outrageously cooky and more about the Beatles than the 60s. Darling, and Alfie also spring to mind, but they are less interested in the "scene" than this film is.

The plot is essentially a string of semi-independent set pieces strung together, some more successful than others, but for the 60s connoisseur the great thing is how they all set out to capture the mood and action of the time. Therefore, we have in the front line a hip photographer, a Northern girl manufactured into an overnight pop star, a wild party in the Post Office Tower revolving restaurant (that dates it, doesn't it? Before the bombs...), a far-out boutique named "Too Much" owned by a titled but trendy deb-type, and an "in" restaurant.

What the makers also capture, perhaps unwittingly, is the fact that hip London was just a tiny island in the middle of a sea of a country still emerging only slowly from the morass of post-war penury. So we also see the desperately grimy and dismal streets of London, the inside of a typical Camden café (and we are definitely talking caff here, not caf-fey) and a dismal example of ghastly exploitative TV (no great change there then).

The main thing is the sheer creative exuberance of the time and the joie-de-vivre of the young hipsters. The sixties were radically out of fashion by the Thatcherite eighties, and if you want to know why this film gives a few pointers. The self-confidence and self-importance of the time looked distinctly like adolescent innocence by the time London had run through the terrorism, recession, explosion of sex and violence in film and TV and near collapse of the country in the seventies. Fortunately for those of us with a soft spot for this kind of thing, the last ten years has seen a reevaluation which finally recognises just what a fantastically creative and imaginative period this was.

Not a film to watch for character development or depth, but unparalleled as an inside glimpse of a special corner of the sixties.

If you love slapstick films or anything from the 1960s, this DVD is for you. This obscure film deserves to be seen and enjoyed by all lovers of the Swinging Sixties.

Rita Tushingham and Lynn Redgrave (Mollie Sugden from "Are You Being Served?" probably got the idea for her character's wigs after seeing Redgrave here) are two girls who decide to make their mark in Swinging London. This film was shot entirely on location and is filled with wonderful shots of Carnaby Street and 1960's London.

Tushingham, who appeared so vulnerable in "The Knack...and How to Get It", really shines in this comedic roll, especially in a scene where she sneaks into the apartment of the man who is trying to seduce a drunk Redgrave. The resulting sabotage is a pleasure to watch.

Anchor Bay released this in widesceen but there are no additional extras on it. After viewers see this, they'll not only wish that there had been some extras, they'll also wish that additional movies about these characters had been made.

This has to be one of the forgotten gems of the 60's. Hilariously funny, a riot from start to finish and it captures swinging London in an "Austin Powers" sort of way. Being from the UK myself its hard to believe that it's not available over here. If you want an easy to watch and very funny slice of 1960's Britain then this is the film for you.

You have to see this, if only to see a very young Lynn Redgrave! She and the always-talented Rita Tushingham are hilarious as a couple of young northern English lasses who decide to move to Swinging London in the middle of the 60's! Redgrave is a riot as a bossy over-bearing ego-maniac of a best friend, whose self-centeredness earns her all the bad karma she gets. Likewise, Tushingham plays to perfection the down-trodden buddy, the "plain jane" of the two who winds up, as all good underdogs do, well and truly on top! Best remembered as that weird 60's movie that ends in a meltdown at London's epitome of the swinging 60's - the Post Office tower - Smashing Time is fabulous, and I'm thrilled to find it on video in the U.S. Buy it!

A wild, wacky knockabout farce as only the British can do! Rita Tushingham is a sugary little cough-drop tag-along to chum Lynn Redgrave, a saucy loud-mouth "bird" with stars in her eyes for the Pop Scene of the Swinging Sixties. It's silly, it's completely inconsequential, but it's a riot from start to finish. BUY IT!

This has to be one of the forgotten gems of the 60's. Hilariously funny, a riot from start to finish and it captures swinging London in an "Austin Powers" sort of way. Being from the UK myself its hard to believe that it's not available over here. If you want an easy to watch and very funny slice of 1960's Britain then this is the film for you.

One of the best british films that was ever made with top stars and a lovley young Lynn Redgrave, IAN CARMICHAEL AND NOT FORGETTING THAT BIG BOSS ARTHUR MULLARD.
WHAT A CRAKER THIS FILM IS I GARENTEE THIS TO ANY ONE.

If you approach this film with no expectation you will walk away feeling rather pleased, but not remembering anything five minutes later. If you're expecting the Lynn Redgrave of "Georgy Girl" or the Rita Tushingham of "Taste of Honey" or even "The Knack . .And How To Get It" it may have you climbing the walls. The film doesn't remotely approach Richard Lester's wit or style. The style, what there is of it, is very broad, somewhat embarassing slapstick that gives you the idea it was made up as it went along. The script is non-existant and seems to have been written under a combination of Preludin and Cannabis. It's easy to see how this film became something of a model for "Austin Powers". The music, by John Addison (who did Tom Jones) is good but out of place. The real discovery, the tunes by Skip Bifferty (a band whose one album is highly sought after by collectors) are frustratingly short. Certainly not a pretentious film like "The Trip" or "Riot On Sunset Strip", but an interesting curio to be savored like Cotton Candy. The film, like the times it portrays is on that cusp of youthful naivte before reality raced in. For a roller coaster ride, see this film and "Medium Cool" at the same time - that might give you an idea of what the 60's were at least partially about.

I'm very fond of this send up of swingin' London and its pretensions, but even if I weren't, the song Redgrave sings, about not being able to do anything, but she's young, is worth it. I've always been surprised that some punk band never covered it, or maybe somebody has and I just don't know who. Lots of fun, more fun than most of these Swingin' 60s films, most of which simply haven't held up with time.

I give 5 stars for the seller. The DVD arrived quickly, about a week to get from the USA to Australia. It was packaged well. I had sent them a message asking to make sure it was packaged well to avoid damage, which sometimes occurs in some orders from others.
The condition of the DVD was as reported, very good. The movie itself appears to be an older release from before the time of anamorphic DVDs (up to 2000?). It is 4:3 cropped for 16:9. The least liked aspect of it, is that the movie does not appear to be in sharp focus. The picture quality appears very good otherwise with good colours. This is a hard to get DVD, and as far as I can tell there has never been any other DVD release of this movie. The movie itself is a must for 60s movie fans. It is about 2 girls going to London in 1967 and various adventures happening around them. It is one of the 60s movies with Lynn Redgrave and Rita Tushingham. Lynn Redgrave puts on an odd voice throughout. Rita Tushingham is like a female Ringo Starr.