'Le Choc Du Futur' [aka 'The Shock Of The Future']
(Clara Luciani, Philippe Rebbot, Alma Jodorowsky, Geoffrey Carey, Laurent Papot, et al / DVD / NR / 2020 / MVD Visual)
Overview: In the Paris of 1978, old formulas do not charm listeners anymore in a male-dominated music industry.
Until Ana (Alma Jodorowsky) uses her synthetisers to make herself heard, creating a new sound that will mark the decades to come: the music of the future.
DVD Verdict: Simply put, 'Le Choc Du Futur' (aka The Shock of the Future) is for anyone who's watched a music biopic and thought "that's not how it works!"
Directed and co-written by Marc Collin of Nouvelle Vague fame, it's perhaps the most realistic film about recording music ever made.
Alma Jodorwsky plays Ana, an aspiring synth wave sensation. She spends her day (which takes up the entire length of the film) in a friend's flat that she's sitting, along with his huge collection of synthesizers, keyboards and recording equipment.
She experiments, demos, and converses with a rotating cast of visitors. The slimy Jean-Mi (Philippe Rebbot) keeps popping by for a backing track he's commissioned, taking full advantage of continental kissing, and a singer (French musician Clara Luciani) turns up for a cancelled session.
But all Ana really cares about is her music, and hopes her upcoming party is the perfect place to impress a music executive.
This simple premise is merely an excuse for top-grade synthesizer porn. Oscillators and arpeggiators, wooden cheeks and colored jacks, the mystery of what noise will come from each figuration.
It perfectly captures the pioneering spirit of the age, with each new gadget opening new unheard worlds. Ana is a total geek for this stuff, prone to monologuing about a brave new world away from the dirty rock clubs, thousands of people dancing in fields to electronics and light shows - just imagine!
In closing, and as a head's up, a fair amount of the film is dedicated to showcasing the sounds of the era, which is most definitely a proper treat for the anoraks among us! [OR] This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs via a brand new 2K scan, and comes with the Special Features of:
Interview with Writer/Director Marc Collin
Image Slideshow
Theatrical Trailer
www.MVDvisual.com