(1960-1969/USA)
Reviewed By Christopher Neill No Director Credited
No Cast Credited Source: Retro-Seduction Cinema (2006, NTSC Region 1) Extras: Seven Additional Loops; Joe Sarno Trailers
Runtime: Approx. 120 minutes (Feature)Enthusiasts for vintage erotica have been fortunate in recent years with the advent of DVD. Viewing examples of this genre has become easier as several companies have emerged which are dedicated to bringing many previously inaccessible adult titles back into circulation. Retro-Seduction Cinema which, most significantly, has released the finer works of directors Joe Sarno and Nick Philips, has developed a reputation of putting out exceptional examples of the genre. Their latest release, NAUGHTY NUDES OF THE 1960S, is the first volume in a welcome series of ‘Classic American Peep Show’ compilations.
The twelve "stag loops" contained on NAUGHTY NUDES OF THE 60S, which have been edited together into one feature-length collection, relate more to Irving Klaw’s burlesque pictures from the 50s than the explicit adult films of the 70s. These "nudie cutie" shorts are crudely made, often shot handheld with edits occurring in-camera. They have no plot, no sound and do not run any longer than the length of one 10-minute reel. The production of these loops were very much on the level of a home movie, it often appears that the women on display were performing solely for the benefit of the person filming. Occasionally they look directly towards the screen, awkwardly seeking their next prompt from behind the camera. A reply is usually acknowledged by a subtle nod, an unheard spoken word or a slight smile or giggle. These elements add an intimate quality that intensifies the voyeuristic nature of the material.
This collection’s merit or lack of such will depend entirely upon the viewer’s interest in the material, regardless of its quality. As 42nd Street Pete points out in his introduction to the compilation, historically these films represent a period in America when adult cinema was an underground movement and not the semi-‘respectable’ industry it has since become. These loops were made anonymously for quick money while their titles changed frequently when passed from one dealer to another. The women displayed are often ‘imperfect’ in their looks and attributes when compared to performers of modern adult material, and to quote 42nd Street Pete, these are "real women - not this endless parade of cookie-cutter blondes with saline tits and botox butts" as seen today.
Since these loops were shot silent, a soundtrack of newly-recorded music accompanies the strip tease routines. The scoring, as with the other loop collections released by Retro-Seduction, is performed by The Ubangis, The Pink Delicates and Ron Atkins. I usually find attempts to recreate music from the 60s and 70s sound earnest but phony. However these scores, of the droning guitar variety, are quite effective and add an atmospheric touch. To extend the peepshow ‘feel’ to the viewing experience these scores play along with the sound effect of a film projector.
Considering the rareness of the material, Retro-Seduction should be praised for their efforts in presenting these loops in the best possible form. The original film elements often contain scratches, splices and dirt but bearing in mind the amateur nature of these productions, it is unlikely these loops looked much better during their original run. If anything, these flaws further enhance the ‘peepshow’ experience that these films would have originally provided. The image quality varies with each loop but generally speaking the picture is as sharp as the source materials will allow. Any occasional softness or focus issues are probably due to the original cinematography.
The most questionable element throughout is the aspect ratio. I presume that most, if not all, of these loops would have been shot at a basic ‘flat’ academy ratio of 1:33:1 but the disc presents them letterboxed at 1:78:1 and enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Occasionally the picture appears tight and cropped, a flaw which is particularly evident in HEAVENLY BODIES, the first loop on the compilation where the first woman’s head constantly bobs in and out of frame. Having said that, taking into consideration the home movie-crudeness of these loops, it is possible that these cropping issues are because of the original camerawork.
The most significant extra consists of seven additional loops left off the compilation. The image quality of these films is generally below-par with lots of grain, focus issues and excessive print damage. THE STEWARDESS suffers from heavy scratches but stands out since the filmmakers had obviously made an effort with this production. There is exposition when the on-screen action is put into some context (a stewardess returns to her apartment after work and undresses while listening to music). Interesting camera angles and shadowy black and white cinematography prove that the people behind the scenes did have artistic intentions. Most disappointing is RENE’S SEXY STRIPTEASE which features the only recognisable face of all the stag loops, Rene Bond. Unfortunately the image is so badly filmed that if the packaging hadn’t informed me Ms. Bond was involved, I would not have realized it was her.
The other welcome extra is the inclusion of several trailers for Retro-Seduction’s Joe Sarno collection. Like Nick Philips and Radley Metzger, Sarno’s films have been given a new lease of life on DVD and these previews are a great introduction. The trailers featured are for INGA (1967), SEDUCTION OF INGA (1969), SWEDISH WILDCATS (1972), VAMPIRE ECSTASY (1974), GIRL MEETS GIRL (1974), BUTTERFLIES (1974), LAURA’S TOYS (1975), ABIGAIL LESILE IS BACK (1975), MISTY (1976) and SUBURBAN SECRETS (2006). Also included with the disc is an amusing six-page booklet with text by 42nd Street Pete in which he describes each of the loops individually in his usual crassly clever style. As he points out regarding future releases, "Oh thee of sweaty palm and stained shorts, there is more to come".
Story: 3/5 Bitch Slaps
Extras: 4.5/5 Bitch Slaps
Picture/Audio: 3/5 Bitch Slaps
Overall DVD: 3.5/5 Bitch Slaps-or-
© 2006 cinema-nocturna.com
