Elysia: Valley of the Nude Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Elysia: Valley of the Nude Blu-ray Movie Review

A field of dreams...

Exploring the world of a nudist colony, Elysia: Valley of the Nude offers a glimpse (or two!) at the lives of those who don no undergarments. The film was produced and filmed at the largest California nudist camp. The production location was approximately 10 miles away from the beloved Lake Elsinore and the “Elysian Fields” locale. The filmmakers goal was to showcase the health benefits of being entirely nude (in the sun!) and of basking in the fresh air.

The story begins with news reporter James Mack at the forefront. The international news bureau editor (Bryan Foy) deems it a good time to discuss the details of nudism with his favorite writer: showing him the latest issue (hot off the press) of a magazine all about the topic of nudism. James is sent on a special trip to a nudist colony in order to write a special report on the lives of those who live in the nude.

When James arrives at the nudist colony, the news reporter soon meets the drop-dead-sexy Prudence Kent (Constance Allen): a woman with long flowing hair, a serene slim figure, beautiful eyes, and a charming smile. Prudence shows James around the colony (while he admires her good figure). While exploring the nudist world, James also meets camp director Hobart Glassey, who explains his views on nudism to him.

"Did you smell that?"

Carl Harbaugh (A Rich Man's Plaything, The Scarlet Letter) capably directs the production with a keen sense of understanding of the nudist lifestyle. The filmmaking admires the lifestyle choices of nudists. With the help of cinematographer William Sullivan along the way, the footage showcases some truly gorgeous young women as well. Simply put: there are a lot of beautiful naked women throughout the entire film. Take note.

Elysia: Valley of the Nude is light on plot (and even has a unfortunate moment of racism during one sceme) so it is far from being a perfect film. Yet the exploration of nudism is a fascinating one. The film is more entertaining than expected and is worth a watch for anyone interested in the subject of nudism.

Elysia: Valley of the Nude Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Elysia: Valley of the Nude arrives on the format with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. Though not a pristine restoration, the transfer is decidedly sharp (other than some out-of-focus bits which seem to be source-related) and is more precise than the scan to Unashamed.

On the other hand, the film print does have thin scratches which are displayed across the screen. These scratches and specks of dirt are occasionally distracting but it is nonetheless a very watchable transfer. Black levels are average (with more of a "gray" tonality). The print occasionally shows some slight telecine wobble but it is not too distracting to the enjoyment of the picture. A imperfect but entirely sufficient transfer.

Elysia: Valley of the Nude Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray release is presented with a uncompressed PCM audio track. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand throughout the entire film. The audio track suits the material fine. This is a good lossless presentation given the age of the source material. Even so, there are some notable imperfections: for one, there is a thin layer of hiss that is present during the entire audio track. Nonetheless, the track is consistently capable of preserving the essential elements of the sound design.

Elysia: Valley of the Nude Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

For more information on the supplemental features on the disc please refer to the summary review page here.

Elysia: Valley of the Nude Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For fans of beautiful people parading about in the nude, Elysia: Valley of the Nude is definitely worth a watch. The film is an entertaining introduction to the world of camp nudists and it may even make an effective argument for becoming one. The film explores the health benefits of the body having some "fresh air" (so to speak). The Blu-ray is well worth consideration.