Naked Over the Fence Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Naked Over the Fence Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 25, 2022

Frans Weisz's "Naked Over the Fence" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cult Epics. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by biographer Harry Hosman; archival interview with Frans Weisz; documentary footage; and more. In Dutch, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

It took me nearly thirty minutes to realize what Frans Weisz was trying to accomplish with his film Naked Over the Fence. Its idiosyncratic sense of humor confused me a bit because it made certain developments, which I will mention below, difficult to immediately place in a proper context. It was clear to me that Weisz had not conceived Naked Over the Fence to function as a straightforward comedy, but I was unsure what the purpose of the colorful mayhem at the center of it was. Then suddenly everything made perfect sense to me.

I would like to mention two other, better-known films so that you avoid the uncertainty I experienced. In case you are wondering whether Weisz might have intended for the uncertainty to be experienced, I think it is pretty easy to determine that the answer is no. This happens to be the exact reason why I wish to mention the other two films to you. They are French and were completed in the early 1980s, so both could not have been the blueprints for Naked Over the Fence, which makes what Weisz did in it even more interesting. The first film is Jacques Rivette’s Le Pont du Nord (1981). In it, two strange characters -- a claustrophobic ex-con and a slightly loopy girl who is obsessed with statues but fears giant posters that feature eyes -- meet on the streets of Paris and then have some pretty bizarre adventures. The second film is Andrzej Zulawski's L'amour Braque (Mad Love). This film is also set in Paris and was conceived as a cinematic homage to Fyodor Dostoevsky's classic novel The Idiot, but is something entirely different. My best description of it would be a mad, multi-layered therapeutic séance staged by Zulawski to confront various demons, but it could be a lot of other things, too. Both films are very fluid and feature plenty of surreal discussions and whacky action, and they don’t tell good, memorable stories. However, they are worth seeing because both are remarkably effective as time capsules.

Like Le Pont du Nord and L'amour Braque, Naked Over the Fence seems focused on a series of chaotic events, but it is another very effective time capsule. It is also set in a major European city, Amsterdam, whose appearance and unique charms become a lot more important than its story. Keep this in mind when you sit down to view it and you will never experience the uncertainty that I did.

The story of Naked Over the Fence has a couple of loose ends that seem to pull it in different directions at the same time. A portion of it is about the frivolous singer Lilly Marischka (Sylvia Kristel) who is eager to do an erotic art film with karate specialist Ed Svaan (Jon Bluming), her latest boyfriend. Another portion of it is about pinball arcade owner Rick Lemming (Rijk de Gooyer), a daydreamer who knows the karate specialist and finds his willingness to strip naked before a film camera seriously puzzling. And there is another portion of the story that is about a murder that may or may not be related to the production of the erotic film.

In the first thirty or so minutes, it feels like Weisz is trying to pick the right direction for the story and with it a proper identity for Naked Over the Fence. As a result, all of the activities before his camera look very fluid. But the more time you spend observing these activities, the clearer it will become to you that the entire story is actually a ruse. How so? Because the main character in Naked Over the Fence is Amsterdam with its curvy canals, colorful streets, and enthusiasm for life. There is one rather long sequence where the karate specialist and some shady guys engage in a chase with old-fashioned trams throughout Amsterdam where this becomes so obvious that after it the murder mystery no longer feels relevant.

Films like Naked Over the Fence (as well as Le Pont du Nord and L'amour Braque) are risky projects because they invent their own rules and then break them at will. They are difficult to critique. The ones that I enjoy the most are portals to famous places that no longer exist and boast a very heavy atmosphere. Approximately forty-eight hours ago, Naked Over the Fence caught me off-guard and then transported me to Amsterdam from the 1970s, a city I was never lucky to visit. It was one of the best such trips I have been on in quite some time.

Naked Over the Fence Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.37:1 encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Naked Over the Fence arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Cult Epics.

I don't know what the original aspect ratio of Naked Over the Fence is because I don't have a previous experience with it, but the recent 4K master that was prepared for it was done in 1.37:1. My guess is that 1.66:1 is probably how the film was screened theatrically, but I have to admit that quite a bit of the footage in it looks very nicely composed in 1.37:1. Regardless, the master is very healthy and without any traces of problematic digital corrections. There are a few indoor areas where very minor fading can be spotted, but delineation, clarity, and depth are typically pretty impressive. Colors are stable. I think that a few primaries are just a tiny bit too warm, but the overall balance seems appropriate. Image stability is excellent. I noticed a few nicks and small blemishes, but there are no distracting large cuts, debris, warped or torn frames to report. All in all, I must say that Naked Over the Fence looks rather impressive in high-definition. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Naked Over the Fence Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Dutch LPCM 2.0 and Dutch DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I chose the Dutch LPCM 2.0 track and viewed the entire film with it. Excluding a couple of areas with very small unevenness, clarity and sharpness were very good. However, even with the music that is frequently heard throughout the film and the tram action, the original soundtrack does not produce any memorable dynamic contrasts. There are no technical anomalies to report in our review.

Naked Over the Fence Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by Frans Weisz biographer Harry Hosman. I listened to the commentary in its entirety and after I viewed Naked Over the Fence and found myself agreeing with virtually all of the comments Mr. Hosman made about the atmosphere and vitality of Amsterdam from the 1970s that are preserved in the film. Predictably, there are plenty of comments about the dilemmas each character faces throughout the film and Sylvia Kristel's performance in particular.

• Behind the Scenes with Sylvia Kristel - during the shooting of Naked Over the Fence, producer Rob de Mee hired a crew to document the process on 16mm film, resulting in two hours of raw footage, never edited, including these fifteen minutes of content with Sylvia Kristel rehearsing her music scene. (15 min).

• Radio Interview with Frans Weisz - in this archival audio interview, director Frans Weisz recalls the production of Naked Over the Fence and some of the disagreements he had with one of its screenwriters, the unusual casting of Sylvia Kristel, and the massive success of its previous film The Burglar. In Dutch, with optional English subtitles (8 min).

• B-Movie Orchestra + Interview with Ruud Bos - in this program, composer Ruud Bos, who scored Naked Over the Fence and The Burglar, performs original film music with B-Movie Orchestra and discusses his career. In Dutch, with optional English subtitles (12 min).

• Promotional Gallery - a collection of promotional materials for Naked Over the Fence. Presented with music (2 min).

• Sylvia Kristel Trailers - a collection of promotional trailers for:
  
  1. Naked Over the Fence
  2. Frank & Eva
  3. Julia
  4. Pastorale 1943
  5. Mysteries
  6. Playing with Fire

• CD DISC - separate CD disc with original film music by Ruud Bos. 16 tracks. Total play time: 43.33 seconds.

• Cover - reversible cover with original Dutch poster art for Naked Over the Fence.

Naked Over the Fence Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Do not approach Frans Weisz's Naked Over the Fence expecting to discover an unknown gem that puts the spotlight on Sylvia Kristel. This film is a very unusual time capsule whose big star is actually the beautiful city of Amsterdam. I think that it works quite well, but it definitely invents its own rules and then breaks them at will with a cheeky sense of humor. Cult Epics' new Blu-ray release is sourced from a solid recent 4K master that was prepared in Holland and has a good selection of bonus features. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.