Naked Acts Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Naked Acts Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 13, 2025

Lydia Love (Patricia DeArcy) was a once popular Blaxploitation star known for her sultry performances in sexually provocative films. That was years ago, though, and in the nineties setting of the film, Love is now the manager of a video (as in VHS) store, where there's a whole little "Black Films" section that features a number of titles featuring Love. When Love's adult daughter Cece AKA Cecily (Jake-Ann Jones) shows up at her mom's "emporium" to announce that she, too, may be entering an acting life (though not in what Cece considers the lo-fi stuff her Mom made years ago), it's pretty much immediately apparent that relations between the two are strained, to say the very least, and a couple of revelations about each of them soon leads to Love viciously slapping Cece. All of this introductory content may seem perfectly in tune with what some may assume is the general "mien" of a "typical" independent drama, except that Naked Acts actually becomes at least intermittently (and it must be added, intentionally) comic as things progress, something that's all the more remarkable given the fact that key themes in the film include having to come to terms with sexual abuse suffered as a minor, debilitating weight gain (and subsequent loss), and body image.

If the underlying tale here is one of Cecily "reclaiming" her identity, including control of her own body, the same might reasonably be said about writer and director Bridgett M. Davis, who is on hand in several supplements on this disc, some archival and one newer, all of which at least allude to Davis having to claim her identity as a Black female filmmaker in an era when very few existed (or at least worked regularly). It might be cheekily suggested that Davis also had to exert control over her own body, or more appropriately body of work, as she was unable to find a distributor for Naked Acts when she finished the film in 1996, and after a single (though evidently crazily successful) one month run at a dilapidated house in New York, Naked Acts pretty much disappeared, leading to Davis placing the original elements with the Black Film Center & Archive at Indiana University.

The sole new supplement is an interview with Maya Cade, who was instrumental in the "rediscovery" and re-release of the film, and in a way for this very Blu-ray presentation from Milestone and Kino Lorber. If some of this "meta" material adds significant interest to the production, Naked Acts itself, while obviously a "small" film without any real marquee stars, still delivers a rather effective depiction of a Black woman deciding she can decide for herself how to present herself, either on screen or in "real life". The performances, while perhaps a bit wobbly and/or forced at times, offer some visceral emotion.

In doing quite a bit of background reading on the film in preparation for writing this review, I found this interview with Bridgett Davis that some may find of interest. It's especially notable how Davis mentions Daughters of the Dust as a rare example of a second film from a nineties Black female filmmaker. Some readers may also find some interest in my interview with Amy Linton, editor of Daughters of the Dust.

Naked Acts Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Naked Acts is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Milestone Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Both the back cover of this release as well as some prefatory text cards state this was digitally restored and remastered in 4K by Lightbox Film Center from the 16mm A/B rolls. This is a really appealing looking transfer that delivers a suitably organic looking grain field without ever really compromising detail levels, though with an understanding that the smaller format may inherently limit fine detail levels at times. Textures on the sometimes odd (by Davis' own admission) costuming and prop designs are typically precise looking. But it's the vivid palette that may make the strongest impression on viewers. Everything from the either magenta (according to Davis) or fuchsia (according to Jones) wig Cece wears early in the film, to some of the bright colors on outfits, as well as a somewhat cobalt blue graded love scene late in the film all pop with considerable authority.

Naked Acts Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Naked Acts features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 audio, which is also described as having been remastered in the above mentioned prefatory text cards. That said, my sense is there were some inherent limitations in the original soundtrack production that could not be completely ameliorated here. There's some very slight but still noticeable breakup and/or distortion at higher amplitudes, even when, for example, some speakers suddenly up their energy. Some of the really lovely source cues and underscore can also show very minor but still discernable signs of distortion. Some of Cecilia Smith's musical contributions are especially winning. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly with the exception of the above mentioned issues, and even then nothing is seriously compromised. Optional English subtitles are available.

Naked Acts Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Archival Audio Commentary by Director Bridgett M. Davis and Star Jake-Ann Jones is accessible under the Audio Menu.


• Archival Interview Footage with Director Bridgett M. Davis (1990s) (SD; 58:50) offers a variety of really interesting television interviews with Davis.


• Creative Detours (SD; 12:44) is a 1992 short by Davis.


• Film Scholar Maya Cade Interviews Director Bridgett M. Davis (SD; 1:17:13) is an online interview from 2024.


• Last Wish (SD; 15:32) is a 1992 short by Davis.


• Naked Acts at BAM Premiere (SD; 38:53) is from the Brooklyn Academy of Music screening in 2024.


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:18)

Naked Acts Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Naked Acts certainly deserves wider recognition, and this new Blu-ray may offer the film a chance to find a new and appreciative audience. It may also help spark interest in Davis, perhaps even granting her the long delayed opportunity to make a second feature. Technical merits are generally solid (video more than audio), and the supplements are very enjoyable and informative. Recommended.