SMASH PALACE Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray Release Date: May 29, 2018
Director: Roger Donaldson
MPAA Rating: NR
Runtime: 108 Minutes
Purchase: Amazon

This product was provided for review by Arrow Video. All opinions are our own.

Playing out like a wild Kiwi version of Kramer vs. Kramer, Richard Donaldson’s 1981 drama Smash Palace follows Bruno Lawrence as Al, a scruffy junkyard owner and amateur race car driver whose wife leaves him after years of complacency and boredom. Jacqui, played by Anna Maria Monticelli, longs for a more fulfilling life outside the rural town she lives in, away from the dirt and grime and motor oil permeating through her core.

After falling for a local police officer and Al’s best friend, she decides she’s had enough and sees her way out. She announces she’s leaving and taking their daughter, Georgie (Greer Robson-Kirk) with her. This departure sets Al down a path of destruction as he slowly unravels, culminating in the kidnapping of his own daughter.

With a superb performance from Bruno Lawrence and some thrilling driving sequences, Smash Palace is a hidden gem worth looking into, made that much easier to procure now that Arrow Academy has released a new Blu-ray version.

The video has been digitally restored from original film elements by the New Zealand Film Commission and uses the original mono audio. While not superb, both the audio and video transfer look good and are more than serviceable for a film such as this, one that puts a higher emphasis on plot and character than on strong visuals.

Included on the disc is an audio commentary track from Roger Donaldson and stunt driver Steve Millen. Getting Millen on the track was a good choice as some of the driving sequences are spectacular to watch, reminding you that they simply don’t make movies with that amount of risk anymore. Like all Arrow releases, the cover is reversible featuring both new artwork and the original poster.

There’s also a 51-minute making-of documentary and the theatrical trailer included as bonus content. The Blu-ray package contains a full-color booklet with essays from critics Ian Barr and the incomparable Pauline Kael, along with press notes and stills from the film.

Smash Palace may be one of Roger Donaldson’s lesser-known early works, and while it doesn’t pack the same punch as his debut, Sleeping Dogs, it’s still a powerful film bolstered by some fantastic performances and driving sequences that make it well worth a look.