Cheap Diary of a Nudist / The Naked Venus (DVD) (Doris Wishman) Price

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Customer Reviews of Diary of a Nudist / The Naked Venus

A Gentler Age
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!!

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Great fun
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.

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Good, Clean Fun (Naturally)
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.