Naked Came the Stranger – Distribpix (DVD)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1975
Director: Radley Metzger (as "Henry Paris")
Writer: Radley Metzger (as "Jake Barnes")
Cast: Darby Lloyd Rains, Levi Richards, Mary Stuart, Alan Marlow, Christina Hutton, Kevin Andre, Helen Madigan, Ronda Fuller, Rita Davis, Steve Anthony, Alfie Holliday, Tom Dane, David Savage, John Buco, Gerald Grant, Marc Stevens

Release Date: January 1st, 2012
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes 23 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Subtitles: English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese
Region Coding: Region 0 NTSC
Retail Price: OOP

"Inspired by the notorious best-selling book of the same name, it follows the sexual exploits of radio host Gilly Blake (the effervescent Darby Lloyd Raines in a career best role) who is determined to get even with her philandering husband Billy (Levi Richards) in a series of torrid affairs with their friends and acquaintances.

Set in swinging 1970s New York, the film features a series of daring escapades taking place at an elaborate fancy dress ball, an exquisite old-fashioned ball room, and even on the top floor of a double decker bus as it drives around Manhattan in plain daylight." – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Naked Came the Stranger was scanned in 2K on a Spirit 2K Dutacine from the original 35mm blow-up internegative in its original theatrical exhibition aspect ratio of 1.85:1. Color timing and restoration was performed using Da Vinci Resolve Color System. PixelFarm's PFClean system was used to remove instances of dust and scratches which were printed into the negative. The uncompressed HD file was archived on HDD and compressed ProRes was created for DVD use."

Naked Came the Stranger comes of a dual layer DVD.

Disc Size: 7.4 GB

Naked Came the Stranger was shot on super 16mm and blown up to 35mm for theatrical exhibition. The source looks excellent; any debris is very minor, flesh tones look healthy, colors look very good, image clarity and black levels are strong, and there are no issues with edge enhancement. When compared to this film's previous home media releases, this new transfer is vastly superior in every way.

Audio: 3.5/5 (Dolby Digital Mono English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English)

This release comes with two audio options, a Dolby Digital mono mix in English and a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in English. Though both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, I prefer the mono track. Included are removable English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, and Portuguese subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an ephemera gallery (25 images - articles), a slideshow (49 images - stills), radio spots for Naked Came the Stranger and Maraschino Cherry (3 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann hardcore version (5 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Maraschino Cherry hardcore version (5 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer for Naked Came the Stranger softcore version (3 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), nine deleted scenes (6 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a restoration featurette (8 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a soft vs hard comparison featurette (15 minutes, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a locations featurette (7 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo), a film facts subtitle track, an audio commentary with director Radley Metzger and adult film historian Benson Hurst, a Darby Lloyd Rains postcard, two Henry Paris-related promotional inserts, a slipcover, and a 44-page booklet with liner notes written by Benson Hurst, Ian Culmell, and Lawrence Cohen, who discuss the film, the music, and critical analysis, respectively. The booklet also has information about the transfer.

Summary:

Billy and Gilly, a husband-and-wife radio duo, host a hugely popular radio sex talk show. Their marriage, on the surface, appears to be perfect, while underneath the duo are having affairs. How long will it take before their affairs disrupt their on-air chemistry?

When I first saw Naked Came the Stranger, I was not that impressed with it. And to be fair, I did not watch the film in the most ideal of ways. The version I watched was missing almost eleven minutes of film (which amounts to 1/8 of its intended running time). You can see the film in all its glory thanks to this new release from Distribpix.

Newsweek journalists, working under the pseudonym Penelope Ashe, wrote the novel "Naked Came the Stranger" in the late 1960s. Radley Metzger, for his follow-up to The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann, decided to go a completely different route with his second hardcore film. Naked Came the Stranger is a film that relies heavily on the style of comedy known as screwball, which was most popular during the depression era.

Though I am a huge fan of the screwball style of comedy, I was initially not impressed with how it's used in Naked Came the Stranger. Upon subsequent viewings of Naked Came the Stranger, the comedic set pieces finally connected with me. Two of the more notable moments of humor include the many times in which Billy and his secretary rush off into town at the end of each radio session and meet up for a sexual rendezvous. The other moment that stands out is when the film’s main protagonist, Gilly, dances in an empty pool while dressed in a tuxedo.

Besides the aforementioned comedic flourishes, another area where Naked Came the Stranger holds up really well is its stylish cinematography, notably a black & white sequence that pays tribute to silent films. Also, the music always plays an important part in every Henry Paris film, and the score for Naked Came the Stranger does a superb job reinforcing the mood.

All around, the acting is outstanding, especially Darby Lloyd Rains, who portrays Gilly. Her comedic timing and onscreen chemistry with Levi Richards are Naked Came the Stranger’s greatest assets. That said, though none of the other cast stand out, their performances suit the story that unfolds.

Radley Metzger’s growth from each hardcore film is remarkable, especially when you factor in that he never repeated himself. Though his early forays into hardcore lack the heat of his later films, he still manages to craft some scenes that are better than most of his peers. Some notable moments include a scene with Gilly and sex toys and another scene where Gilly performs fellatio on a two-tier bus.

Once again, Radley Metzger puts together a narrative that finds a perfect balance between exposition and sex scenes. The two protagonists and her husband's infidelities are the narrative's driving force. Besides humor, screwball comedy's influence can be felt in Naked Came the Stranger’s pacing. Ultimately, Naked Came the Stranger is an exemplary example of adult cinema’s golden age.

Though the Distribpix release of Naked Came the Stranger raised the bar when it came to adult cinema home media releases, it is now long OOP. That said, it is criminal that a film like Naked Came the Stranger remains out of circulation.

Written by Michael Den Boer