Score

 (1974)

Score Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
A happily married couple makes a bet that they can seduce a couple of naive newlyweds during a weekend get-together at their Riviera Villa.

For more about Score and the Score Blu-ray release, see the Score Blu-ray Review

Starring: Claire Wilbur, Calvin Culver, Lynn Lowry, Gerald Grant
Director: Radley Metzger

» See full cast & crew

Score Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, February 14, 2013

Radley Metzger's "Score" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video. The supplemental features on this release include the film's original theatrical trailer; video interview with actress Lynn Lowry; making of featurette; audio commentary by director Radley Metzger and film historian Michael Bowen; and more. The release also arrives with a collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by Robin Bougie, as well as reversible sleeve featuring original and newly illustrated artwork by The Red Dress. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Let me show you how to do it...

I became interested in Radley Metzger's films because of Italian actress Eleonora Rossi Drago. She was very good in Michelangelo Antonioni's Le amiche (The Girlfriends) and simply terrific in Valerio Zurlini's Estate violent (Violent Summer), which is why in the early '80s I started tracking down everything she had done that was available on VHS. So, I ended up seeing and liking Metzger's Camille 2000, in which Drago had a small role, and then slowly started going through the rest of his films. They were certainly very different. Because some were quite explicit, at the time in America a lot of critics could not quite figure out how to classify them. I could not either.

Score is one of Metzger's better known films. It is based on an off-Broadway play by Jerry Douglas about a swinging couple, Elvira (Claire Wilbur) and Jack (Gerald Grant, Both Ways), who decide to play a game to determine who could score more sexual conquests. So they meet another couple, Betsy (Lynn Lowry, The Crazies) and Eddie (Calvin Culver a.k.a adult star Casey Donovan), and seduce them in a luxury villa in the beautiful European city of Leisure (Leisure is actually a mythical city; Metzger filmed Score in the home of a high-ranking military official from Bakar, Croatia, which used to be part of the now defunct Yugoslavia).

The seduction scenes are a lot more entertaining than the sex scenes, all of which are indeed quite explicit. For example, in the early seduction scenes, the naive couple is given soft drugs and asked to experiment with various costumes.

There are also some incredibly hilarious scenes in the film. A lot of the dialog, for instance, is rather uneven, and the actors often times look quite stiff. This rawness gives the film that unique pro-amateur soft-core campy look and feel which the overwhelming majority of Metzger's films are known for.

Despite some critics claiming otherwise there are absolutely no serious political or social overtones in Score. Its relaxed attitude towards gay and lesbian sex certainly isn't meant to deliver a stamp of approval. If anything, Metzger only reminds us how prudish and weak innocence could be.

Score has a remarkably strong psychedelic soundtrack courtesy of Robert Cornford. The instrumentals that are heard during the seduction scenes, for example, are notably dark and moody. The opening song, however, which is used as leitmotiv, is surprisingly light and airy.

Lastly, unlike the Cult Epics Blu-ray release, Arrow Video's release contains Metzger's censored version of Score, which runs at approximately 84 minutes (01.24.44). The Cult Epics release contains the uncut version of the film, which runs at approximately 92 minutes (01.31.38).

Note: In one of the supplemental features provided on this Blu-ray disc it is revealed that when Jerry Douglas' play was staged in New York City, a young Sylvester Stallone had a small role in it.

Score Blu-ray, Video Quality

 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Radley Metzger's Score arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video.

Unlike the Cult Epics release, Arrow Video's release contains Metzger's censored version of Score, which runs at approximately 84 minutes (01.24.44). The Cult Epics release contains the more explicit uncut version of the film, which runs at approximately 92 minutes (01.31.38).

The high-definition transfer appears to have been sourced from the same master Cult Epics had access to when they prepared their Blu-ray release of Score for the U.S. market. Generally speaking, depth and clarity range from decent to very good, and with a few minor exceptions contrast remains stable. The best news is that there are no traces of excessive degraining - while the transfer does have some inherited rough spots, it also has a stable organic look. Small scratches and even tiny marks are also present, but there are no sharpening corrections. Color reproduction is good. Saturation can be better but color fluttering never destabilizes the image. Lastly, there are no serious stability issues to report in this review. To sum it all up, even though there is room for improvement Score has a pleasing organic look. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Score Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Arrow Video have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

The lossless audio track gives the film better overall depth and during select sequences better range of dynamics. The film's original sound design, however, is rather modest and it often shows. For example, some small spikes and drops in dynamic movement during the outdoor sequences are easy to spot, while the music occasionally quickly takes over the dialog. There is no heavy background hiss, pops, or audio dropouts to report in this review.

Score Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

 

Note: All of the supplemental features on this release are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray machines, including the PS3.

• Commentary - this is the same audio commentary by director Radley Metzger and film historian Michael Bowen that was included on the Cult Epic release of Score. There is plenty of good information about the film's production history, the European and American film industries during the '70s, the general attitude towards explicit sex in mainstream films, etc.

• The Making of Score - this featurette, which also appears on the Cult Epics release, focuses on the production history of Score and director Radley Metzger's career. Also included is footage from the pre-production process in Yugoslavia. In English, not subtitled. (19 min, 480/60i).

• Keeping Score with Lynn Lowry - a great recent video interview with actress Lynn Lowry who recalls her work with Radley Metzger and rather unfortunate relationship with Claire Wilbur. The interview also appears on the Cult Epics release. In English, not subtitled. (20 min, 480/60i).

• Score Trailer - original trailer for Score. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

• Camille 2000 Trailer - original trailer for Radley Metzger's Camille 2000. Music only. (3 min, 1080p).

• The Lickerish Quartet Trailer - original trailer for Radley Metzger's The Lickerish Quartet. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Booklet - collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by Robin Bougie.

• Coverart - reversible sleeve featuring original and newly illustrated artwork by The Red Dress.

Score Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

 

Arrow Video's Blu-ray release of Radley Metzger's Score uses a high-definition transfer that is virtually identical to the one Cult Epics used for their Blu-ray release of the film in the U.S. and adds a lossless audio track. However, this release contains Metzger's censored version of Score, which runs at approximately 84 minutes. The Cult Epics release contains the more explicit uncut version of the film, which runs at approximately 92 minutes. Considering the fact that the two releases are Region-Free and have the same supplemental features, you should seek to obtain the uncut release. RENT IT.

British distributors Arrow Video have officially announced and detailed their upcoming Dual Format releases of Radley Metzger's Camille 2000 (1969), The Lickerish Quartet (1970), and Score (1974). The releases will be available for purchase online and in shops ...

Next year, Arrow Video are planning to bring more genre films to Blu-ray. Officially announced and detailed are the following titles: Radley Metzger's Score and Camille 2000, Mario Bava's Black Sunday/I Vampiri and Lisa and the Devil, and Wes Craven's Deadly B ...