sitkaman@nospam.com (sitkaman) wrote in news:bqWdnb5PybICYOrLnZ2dnUU7-
LEAAAAA@giganews.com:
> This is a VCA NTSC DVD.
Reviewed by greybeard 12/18/2003
NOTE: This is not your typical review. Others have done an excellent job
reviewing the content, scenes, performances, etc. of this porn classic.
This "review" concerns itself with how the DVD's contents compare with
the complete, uncut original release version of the film or an early
(before prior self-censorship) VHS version. The Ratings given refer
either to the "original" version of the film (Performers, Plot, Sex,
etc.) or to the DVD version (Extras, Value, etc.) and are relatively
arbitrary. The important info is that which follows.
NAKED (AND EDITED!) CAME THE STRANGER ON DVD
VCA has released another of the Henry Paris (Radley Metzger) hardcore
classics on DVD, "Naked Came the Stranger." They should have retitled it
"EDITED Came the Stranger" and warned everyone ahead of time, because
this one is really a hatchet job. Not only are there complete scenes
missing (only one of which even halfway qualifies as questionable under
that make no sense at all and damage the flow and (in one case) the plot
of the film. Further, unlike the "Pamela Mann" DVD, there is no
edited! The folks at VCA should be ashamed of themselves!
Actually, they should be doubly ashamed, and had better not attempt to
been made from an original release print of the film, I have a VHS copy
first acquired distribution rights. These two versions are exactly the
same, and it appears that no editing has taken place -- which means that
VCA is solely responsible for the chop job they have released (sorry,
"allowed to escape" is more like it) on DVD! For the record, I used the
old VCA VHS version to do the shot-by-shot comparison with the DVD.
Unlike the first three Paris/Metzger films released on DVD, "Naked Came
the Stranger" appears not to have been originally shot in a widescreen
format. It looks like it was shot full frame, but composed with some
extra "head" and "foot" room, so that it could be masked to around 1.85
to 1 when shown in theaters. In this one, the titles are not cut off at
the edges, nor does any of the framing look cramped or odd. So,
letterboxing or pan-and-scanning is not really necessary this time.
That, plus the facts that (1) the print used was a good one (which, by
the way, looks like exactly the same print used for the early VCA VHS),
and (2) the transfer to digital was done well are perhaps the last good
Press Slick" in the Extra Features section of the DVD. The actual
running time of the film as originally released is 83:17. Although the
DVD case shows a running time of 75 minutes, the actual "clock" time of
the feature on DVD is 72:20, which means the DVD has been chopped by
10:57 -- almost 11 minutes!
Two major scenes are missing -- one involving some comic S&M (the only
one, by the way, that I expected to be cut from the DVD), and the other
actually a love scene that begins with a bit of friendly rough-and-
tumble. In addition, various other scenes have been edited which should
not have been edited at all, including one edit which loses a bunch of
important dialog!
VCA gets right into the spirit of things by clipping some of the main
titles! 31 seconds into the film, the supporting cast title listing
"Rita Davis, Steve Anthony, etc." is cut short by 3 or 4 seconds to
remove a shot on the TV screen shown behind the titles. It is a quick
shot of a man hanging by his wrists in a dungeon or torture chamber. He
about! This is torture!" The DVD removes this shot, jump-cutting to the
TV-movie shot of the woman with the camera, who says, "Exactly, dear
boy!" The jump cut as the camera moves in on, and past, the TV set is
obvious. By the way, nothing happens to the man in the edited shot -- he
For the next 25 minutes or so, all is well and the DVD matches the
original shot for shot. Then, at 25:49 into the DVD, two full scenes are
completely cut. After finishing the radio show, Billy runs to his car.
Cut to a shot in the bedroom with a telephone and a statue in the
party. Cut to a two-shot from the party of "Little Love Bunny" Phyllis
glasses. Then comes a close-up of Ernie. At that point, the DVD cuts to
much later in the film, as Gillian and a guy-on-the-street pass a phone
booth and both dive for the change.
shopping bag on his desk, and pulls out of it, one by one, an assortment
of S&M/B&D toys, such as a paddle, whip, manacles, chains and a
gently, to thrash her, but soon starts getting into it, snarling and
scowling as he thrashes her harder and faster. G then hands him a
paddle, and leans over. E enthusiastically paddles her butt, saying,
"Yes! Oh, I love this!" He starts getting out of hand, grabbing and
using various toys, etc. to thrash her, screaming, "Here, bite on this!
letting me do this!"
more than she bargained for, and starts screaming for E to, "Stop it!
That hurts -- stop it!" Finally, she grabs one of the black leather
accessories and, screaming "STOP IT!" hauls off and really belts him
with it. E falls back against a bookcase, breaking a lamp, then slowly
gets up, holding his back in pain. Winded and momentarily spent, E
slowly turns to G and smiles, saying, "That was -- wonderful!" Turning
his back to her and pulling down his jacket, he points to his back and
me!" G, however, has had it with the whole scene, and as E follows her,
pleading for her to beat him, she disgustedly goes around collecting the
toys. By this time, E is lying face up on his desk, begging G to beat
him on the stomach. She takes the whole load of toys, dumps them on his
chest and walks out. E grabs some of them and starts hitting himself
with them, as his frenzy continues.
Cut to some general exterior shots of Manhattan traffic, and a shot of
"Big Love Bunny" Billy (B) in a park, looking at his watch. Then "Little
Love Bunny" Phyllis (P) joins him, and they play around a bit in the
a shot of P literally tackling B in her apartment, pulling off his
away a couple of times, but P keep pursuing and tackling him again, both
of them laughing, knocking over furniture and a stack of books. P keeps
underneath her short, tight skirt as she kneels over his head. B
wriggles out and P pursues, her skirt up around her waist, revealing
she keeps hauling away at his pants, pushing him onto his back atop a
dining room table.
P gazes down at B, and he looks up at her, smiling and relenting. With a
at her and says, "OK, honey -- you want it? You got it!" They switch
positions, she lies back on the table, pulls up her skirt and he enters
her. There follow a number of shots of them screwing, with emphasis on
Bunny wants her bottle..." Cut to a shot of P standing over B as she
says, "...now!" B is back on the table as P bends down and finishes him
off with her mouth, sucking in every last drop. They exchange tender
smiles as she gently caresses his cock and the background music ends.
Not until then does the original cut to Gilly and the guy-on-the-street
at the phone booth. The total time cut out for the two scenes -- 6:58.
OK, granted, I expected the scene with Ernie and the S&M/B&D stuff to be
cut, even if it was played for laughs. There was a moment or two when G
was really starting to feel some pain, and they really did hit each
kinds of edits to these classics, especially if they have appeared and
OK, so what the hell is wrong with the second scene, the one between
Billy and Phyllis?? I know -- I can just hear some whiny, putrid VCA
very funny, highly erotic scene -- one that deserves to remain in the
film and has no reason to be cut out!
I have another theory about why it was cut that may also be true, and
may also explain some of the following trims, as well. If you cut the
fit the film onto a T-75 VHS cassette. The original version probably
needed a T-90. So it just might be that when VCA originally decided (oh,
saw a chance for a larger profit margin by being able to use less-
expensive T-75s. A little snip here, a little snip there ("Who cares if
dub! Better watch it, VCA -- smells like you might be coming down with a
case of the dreaded Vivid disease!
"Case" in point: The next edit occurs at 44:45 into the DVD, during the
black and white, "silent movie" sequence. After a series of low angle
long-shots as Gilly (G) and Taylor (T) dance, there is a sudden cut to a
closer two-shot and the music jumps. 1:31 of various shots of G and T
dancing have hit the (dance) floor. After the edit, he "dips" her, the
stylized ballroom dancing been added to the "no-no" list? I think not!
A short time later, at 45:42, there is a similar edit, just after G & T
the window, there is a jump cut to him kissing her in front of a
different window, and music suddenly starts in mid-phrase. 52 seconds
have gone out the window this time. In the original, the scene continues
away to the next window, the dance music begins again. T follows her,
and they kiss again, more passionately. Once more, G moves away to the
next window and T follows. Again, they kiss. This is where the DVD cuts
back in -- just before the phone rings and the scene changes to color.
Same as before, I suspect another touch of Vivid-itis!
The last edit happens just before the last sex scene in the film, and
just about destroys the set-up for it. It occurs at 62:05 into the DVD,
as Gilly (G) and Billy (B) are in bed, just after she hands him a glass
of wine. He turns to her, and the picture suddenly cuts to a shot of the
TV, with the actor on it in the middle of a line. 1:28 (and an important
piece of character development!) have been chopped out, during which the
following happens:
The shot of B & G continues, as B says, "...and a joint?" As G reaches
back to get him one, cut to the TV screen (which B turned on before
getting into bed). It shows a close-up of a Young Woman in an oxygen
tent. A Young Man enters the room, looking at the Young Woman tenderly.
the Garbo version?" (This is an in-joke, since the footage on the TV
softcore films he made in Italy some years earlier.) Cut back to the TV
showing a close-up of the Young Man as he says, "Marguerite, I know why
you left Porter and me that day. I know why you said and did all the
things that you tried so hard to make me believe." Cut to a close-up of
the Young Woman in the oxygen tent as the Young Man continues, saying,
"You should have told me the truth." In the middle of the line, cut to a
tight two-shot of B & G, who turn to look at each other, reacting to
what the Young Man on the TV has just said. Cut back to the TV and a
close-up of the Young Woman, who says, weakly, "I meant well -- but that
the TV.
Cut to a wider shot of B & G. G is resting a legal pad on her knees, and
holds a pen or pencil. B glances at the pad and asks her, "Who are we
going to have tomorrow?" She answers, "An explorer." He says, "Oh,
guide him, to ever successfully reach the top... of Anita Ekberg." They
smile at each other painfully at the bad joke, then turn away. B looks
away and sighs, despondently. Cut to the TV and a close-up of the Young
Woman, as B is heard, saying, "Phyllis is leaving the show." Cut back to
"No... We still get the folks to work." B continues, dispiritedly, with
the mantra, "And we get them home." G turns to look at B, puts her hand
on his arm, and slowly says, "We even appeal..." B begins automatically
to finish the phrase, "...to those ...(who roam)" and then stops,
says, "I feel lousy." Cut to a tighter two-shot, favoring G, as she
leans toward B, saying, "Poor baby." Cut to the TV as the Young Man
again!" This is the line in the middle of which the DVD rejoins the
film. The final "kiss and make up" sex scene and the end of the film
follow, with no further edits.
recognizable as a joint in the picture -- it could easily be seen as a
All VCA had to do was cut the line! Instead, they completely screwed up
the end of the film, trashing an important part of the plot and
emotional information about the characters (remember when that still
mattered? -- in a Henry Paris classic, it sure-as-hell still does!). To
you well again" line at the edit point, making it all but
unintelligible, thereby making it useless within even the edited scene!
A note about the extras before a final rant: While VCA labels them as
"Original Box Art/Cover Shoot" and "Original Press Slick," these are not
the original versions of same. They may be the first ones VCA put out,
but they are not the Original Originals, which did not feature some
half-topless, stoned-looking model on a stool in front of a piece of
seamless, wearing headphones, and with a microphone pointed at her mid-
torso (presumably the better to pick up her stomach growling when she
got the munchies!).
As many know, I have been among the first and the loudest to applaud
DVD, while at the same time deploring the editing of these same classics
a sloppy, ham-handed fashion, I never would have purchased this title!
But then, I never would have been able to warn others out there who care
about these classic titles and want to see them WELL-preserved! This
one, most definitely, is not -- and, as I mentioned above, the fault is
was well transferred from as good a print as could have been expected.
Either they chose to ignore that fact, conveniently using the newer,
edited-version master -- or, even worse, they had to use the newer,
edited-version master because they either lost, mistreated or allowed to
be destroyed their original, unedited master. In any event, shame on
very well have irreparably damaged what is universally regarded as one
of the all-time classics!
|
|