Customer Reviews

Diary of a Nudist / The Naked Venus

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

 

 

This disc is packed with stuff! There are the two movies with their very coy nudity (watch as the ladies artfully stand with their legs covering the 'rude' bits or with towels/papers/hats draped over their midsection. The picture is a good restoration of some poor quality (old poorly preserved) originals, but it is still very watchable. The movies themselves are not spectacular in their plot but still fun and interesting.

The extra's (of which there is over an hour) are the piece de resistance. You get trailers from 6 nudism related movies, extra footage from The Naked Venus, four shorts on nudity, a heap of poster art/production stills from various nudity related movies (with radio discussions over the top) and an easter egg of a nudist wedding.

About half of the extra's are in black and white (as is The Naked Venus). Some have been restored to very good quality but one or two are almost unwatchable. There is virtually no full frontal nudity, but lots of breasts and bottoms.

Everything is from the 50's and 60's and looks it (even naked, you can tell the era from the hair/makeup (sometimes this is caked on) and the cars). If you're interested in the history of nudity or nudity in films then this is highly recommended.

I finally broke down and purchased my first double feature from Something Weird Video. I'll have to admit I wasn't expecting very much, because while some of these low-budget films from the late fifties/early sixties are enjoyable in a campy way, a lot of them are pretty tedious or just plain dumb. Consequently I'm pleased to say that these two little movies turned out to be quite entertaining.

First up is DIARY OF A NUDIST, a color film about a newspaper reporter whose editor sends her on an assignment to uncover the shocking goings-on at a nudist camp. The acting in this one is atrocious, and the filmmaking is hopelessly amateurish, but there's a certain innocent charm about the whole thing that makes it fun to watch. The actress who plays the reporter is rather cute and appealing, and the film has a relaxed, take-your-time feeling that really suits the subject matter. The music score is kind of catchy, too, and features a dreamy instrumental version of "You're My Thrill."

The second feature, THE NAKED VENUS, is actually quite impressive. In some ways it has the look and feel of a B&W European art film. The story, centering around a controversial divorce case, is well constructed and the performances (particularly by the actor and actress who play the lawyers) are pretty darn good. This one really held my attention until the very end. Loved the courtroom scene -- the expressions on the judge's face are priceless.

In terms of nudity, there isn't anything crude or tasteless here. It's just people having a relaxed time with their clothes off. All in all, with two good little films and some interesting extras, I'd say this disc is definitely worth the price of admission.

I agree with the two previous reviews.

I would add that both films has a couple of very pretty ladies. One short scene in Diary of a couple of girls sqealing under a cold hose is wonderful, and more sexy than 98% of anything the adult industry has turned out.

Also, some of the extras, "info" films about nudism from the fifties, are just hilarious. Quite amazing.

This Double feature may be a cloyingly "sanitized" presentation, yet, it bespeaks a gentleness and wholesomeness that is sadly absent in this day and age. The attempts back in the 1960s to exercise as much caution as possible in the portrayal of the human form, undoubtedly was on account of prevalent censorship laws, and therefore renders the unnatural contorting of the body somewhat quaint if not ungainly. However, one must look beyond that little annoyance and appreciate the genuine and sincere attempt to portray the joys of naturism in the most dignified and elegant way. These directors have striven to break free of the prevailing stigma and deal with the subject as boldly as possible, avoiding sensationalism, but attempting to bring nudity and naturism to the public domain devoid of any false mystique or lascivious excess. This also applies in the case of about an hour of short clips, trailers and other delectable short subjects that have been selected from the decade of the 1950s and `60s. One could not help but feel that there was an ever so slight tendency, especially in "Beatlettes Go Nudist", to be a tad exploitative of the ladies. In addition to the now politically incorrect male chauvinism that is almost palpable in the piece, there is some unnecessary double-entendre in the maudlin commentary! Even then, one must appreciate the tender care exercised in keeping it free from the pornographic crudeness that one too often encounters presently. This is a good albeit imperfect example of the historic approach to fostering a respect for the unadorned human form. But, it would have been far more real if the men were equal partners with the women in the portrayal. The very few images of masculine grace certainly left one inspired to spend many more hours in the gymnasium to appear as they did!!

As I understand it, in years past the only way to show graphic nudity on movie screens was to depict non-sexual nudity, and that ultimately meant... movies about nudist camps! So there was this whole rash of movies (especially in the 60's) that featured mainstream mystery stories, horror stories, dramas, etc., but with one big difference from regular theater fare: the movies were set in nudist resorts. Talk about a weird, weird sub-genre of movies, a sub-genre nicely sampled on this DVD.

"Diary of a Nudist" is, the ridiculous story and low-budget production values notwithstanding, not a completely inaccurate look at what life in a nudist camp is like. I would just add that in real life there would be a wider diversity of bodies than the perfect specimens on hand here. So sit back, relax, and-- once you get past the endless scene of happy nudists arriving at the club and letting themselves in the gate-- enjoy a silly little drama (and ultimately romance story) set in the sunshine and peace of a 60's-era Florida nudist resort.

"The Naked Venus" is more of an outright hoot. Filmed in crisp black and white, this is essentially a courtroom drama with a little bit of nudism thrown in for good measure. Two things really stand out. First, the movie revolves around a custody battle for a little kid. So what does the woman who wants custody of her kid do once she runs off with the little tyke? She immediately takes refuge in a nudist camp. Now, there may be nothing wrong with nudism, but would a nudist resort be the FIRST PLACE you'd go when the other side is looking for ANY LITTLE THING to put forth as a red flag and cause for concern about a person's fitness to be a mother? Heck, just wait 'til you after win the case before you take your kid to the nudist camp! Sheesh. Secondly, the judge and lawyers in the case constantly confuse the meanings of the words "overruled" and "sustained". It's a riot.

This fun, generous DVD is rounded out with a nice variety of nudist "short subjects" from the silent era to the 60's. I saw a recurring theme: while most of the short subjects emphasized the wholesome aspects of nudism, several of them (as well as the two main features, too) tried to sneak in a little light prurience here and there. I guess that's fair. Because while nudism isn't about overt sex, if you're a person who enjoys looking at attractive people at a regular beach or resort, you're going to enjoy looking at attractive people at a nudist beach or resort. You just wouldn't be impolite and ogle.

If you like this DVD, check out Something Weird's double-feature DVD of "The Beast That Killed Women" and "The Monster of Camp Sunshine". After all, you haven't lived 'til you've seen that pinnacle of western civilization known as the nudist horror movie.

As a long time member of the American Association for Nude Recreation www.aanr.com I purchased this video to see what has changed in the nudist community over the years. I found the video funny, whimsical and proof that nudists can now enjoy nude recreation without the mystery that nudists in the past endured. This is a great video for a group of nudists who can remember the days when nudists were still in the closet.

Two very different types of nudist films, both excellent in their own way. Doris Wishman's Diary of a Nudist has many of the features of a great campy movie- delightfully bad acting, pleasingly ugly set pieces, hilarious dialogue. And if you're into just sitting back and watching a bunch of pretty girls (and none is prettier than the star of the film, a reporter who is sent to a nudist camp to "expose" the camp in her paper, but who becomes a nudie camp believer) running around naked, there's that, too. Naked Venus, although also somewhat campy, is more of a "serious" film, complete with dramatic courtroom scenes, wherein an uptight socialite American mother tries to get custody of her granndaughter from her French daughter-in-law, who is a nude model. Because this package was put together by Something Weird, there's a whole boatload of delightful extras - trailers, short film, extra footage from the main features - all with a nudist camp theme.