Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

The Naked Zoo Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 26, 2020

Note: This film is available as part of He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection.

Anyone who thought Arrow Video had already released the mother lode of Florida based exploitation fare with their gigantic The Herschell Gordon Lewis Feast set from a few years ago had best be prepared to realize that the intrepid folks at this label known for catering to (cinematic) cultists of various stripes may have in fact only been offering an appetizer of sorts. It’s kind of amazing in a way to hear Herschell Gordon Lewis himself singing the praises of William Grefé in the feature length documentary They Came From the Swamp included in this new set devoted to Grefé’s work, but Lewis actually makes a point of stating that he was the interloper on territory Grefé had already staked out, and that Grefé couldn’t have been more gracious in welcoming Lewis to the far south fold, so to speak. It may be a little odd, then, that for at least some fans of exploitation cinema Herschell Gordon Lewis’ name may be better remembered than that of William Grefé, something that may seem especially unexpected given the fact that Grefé was at least occasionally able to muster A-list (or formerly A-list) talent like Rita Hayworth for some of his projects, an accomplishment that probably never would have even occurred to Lewis to attempt.

Rita Hayworth was nearing the end of her career when she made The Naked Zoo in 1970. Her "proper" diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease hadn't been delivered yet (it would take another decade, incredibly), but Hayworth's well publicized "issues" may account for the fact that while she's obviously the biggest name in this film (and probably the single biggest name that William Grefé ever worked with), she's kind of a supporting player, consigned to a few scenes as a "Mrs. Robinson" type named Mrs. Golden who is involved with a young gigolo named Terry Shaw (Stephen Oliver). The film almost seems to plying some psychological drama territory as it explores the relationships between Terry and a slew of women, including Mrs. Golden, but it never really manages to deliver any substantial goods, instead relying on some previously utilized "Grefé tropes" like drug fueled parties.

Kind of interestingly in this regard, and again perhaps pointedly suggesting that "another" film might have been made had Hayworth been up to it, what would seem to be a major plot point, namely the accidental death of Mr. Golden (Ford Rainey) after he catches Terry kissing his wife is also just kind of left by the wayside. All of this may indicate at least in part why producer Barry Mahon recut the film, adding a bit of nudity and a performance by Canned Heat, in an effort to attract customers. It evidently didn't work (the Mahon cut of the film is presented as a supplement, while the "main" presentation here is Grefé's preferred version).

The Naked Zoo Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Naked Zoo is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's hardcover insert book has a full page devoted to the transfers of each of the films, starting with some generic overview verbiage and then some brief comments on each film:

All the films included in this collection have been restored from the best available materials. Whilst every effort has been made to offer up the best possible presentations, the results inevitably vary according to the condition of the source materials, some of which were in poor shape. We hope that this does not affect your enjoyment of the films.

Sting of Death was scanned from its original 35mm negative. The audio was sourced from a 35mm optical track negative.

Death Curse of Tartu was scanned from a 16mm print. The audio was also sourced from this print. The 16mm print - presumably a TV print - was found to have been trimmed for gore, so these missing shots were sourced from a lesser copy 35mm print and reinstated.

The Hooked Generation was scanned from a 16mm internegative. The audio was sourced from a 16mm optical track negative.

The Psychedelic Priest (AKA Electric Shades of Grey ) was scanned from a 16mm Ektachrome release print. The audio was also sourced from this print.

The Naked Zoo was scanned from its original 35mm negative, which had been recut to the Barry Mahon version of the film. In order to recreate William Grefé 's original director's cut, the footage unique to that version was sourced from a badly faded and warped 35mm workprint. The audio was sourced from a 35mm double edged track print and a 35mm track negative.

Mako: Jaws of Death was scanned from two 16mm prints, which were composited for best quality sections of each. The audio was also sourced from these prints.

Whiskey Mountain was scanned from a 16mm scope print. The audio was also sourced from this print.

All materials used in these restorations were supplied William Grefé , Lisa Petrucci / Something Weird Video, Vinegar Syndrome, Ed Tucker, and AGFA (American Genre Film Archive).

While there are definite and noticeable dropoffs in quality in some (relatively brief) interstitial material added to make this so-called "Director's Cut" (see above), The Naked Zoo has one of the stronger and more consistent looking transfers in this set. The opening and closing of this version are among its weaker moments, with really bad damage, extreme fading and some warping. Otherwise, though, the palette is rather lush at times, and a lot of the reds, purples and blues resonate extremely well. Some of the (hilariously) "mod" costuming also offers good opportunities for fine detail on both patterns and textures of fabrics. Clarity is a bit variable, some of which is due to what looks like diffusion filters used to shoot Hayworth. Grain resolves naturally for the most part (some of the interstitial additions are occasionally a bit on the ragged looking side in terms of grain).

The Naked Zoo Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Naked Zoo features a DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track that has occasional slight signs of age related wear and tear, but which sounds surprisingly spry, all things considered. There are two actually pretty decent tunes in this version sung by Steve Alaimo which sound fine (the opening song has some slight problems due to the really problematic source, which is also more than evident in the video presentation). Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout, and optional English subtitles are available on the Director's Cut. Hilariously, you can hear the opening theme music actually slow down in the Barry Mahon version before the Alaimo vocals kick in, which I assume was done to make the lyric more intelligible. Also hilariously, the Canned Heat performance Mahon added to his cut features the band "unplugged", albeit still playing electric instruments, which reminded me of an old Brazilian television special featuring Sergio Mendes which had the keyboardist on a roof "playing" an unplugged Fender Rhodes, while the music on the soundtrack hilariously featured acoustic grand piano.

The Naked Zoo Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

All of the films in this set save for Whiskey Mountain are presented two per disc, and so some supplements are more generalist in nature. This disc has the following supplements:

• The Naked Zoo - Barry Mahon Version (1080p; 1:26:53) is a recut version that comes with a warning that it is not "endorsed by William Grefé, which offers both the rock group Canned Heat as well as some nudity not in the "director's version".


• Beyond the Movie: That's Sharksploitation! (1080p; 7:27) features Michael Gingold looking at films that feature sharks.


• The Aquamaid Speaks! (1080p; 9:49) is a phone interview with actress Jenifer Bishop conducted by Ed Tucker.


• Sharks, Stalkers and Sasquatch (1080p; 10:28) is another phone interview conducted by Ed Tucker, this time with screenwriter ' Robert Morgan.


• Mako Super-8 Digest Version (1080p; 15:06)


• Mako Trailer and Promo Gallery

  Original Trailer (720p; 1:35) also has the "SWV" (Something Weird Video) watermark seen in some other trailers.

  
  

  Original Promo (720p; 10:24)

  
  

  CBS Promo (720p; 00:33)

  
  

  Behind the Scenes News Segment (720p; 2:09)

• Still Galleries

  The Naked Zoo (1080p; 2:00)

  
  

  Mako: Jaws of Death (1080p; 8:10)

• Audio Commentaries for both films on this disc are provided by William Grefé.


• Introduction to The Naked Zoo: Director's Cut by William Grefé (1080p; 2:42) can be accessed under the Play Menu for that film. This is authored to move directly on to the feature after it plays.


• Introduction to Mako: Jaws of Death by William Grefé (1080p; 4:06) can be accessed under the Play Menu for that film. This is authored to move directly on to the feature after it plays.

The Naked Zoo Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Oliver is actually quite good in this film as a kind of wastrel marauding his way through female "marks", but the film could have definitely used more focus. Its kind of "shocker" aspect toward the end just comes off as unintentionally hilarious. While the interstitials used to recreate the "Director's Cut" have some really bad damage, the bulk of this transfer looks rather nice, and audio is similarly generally good. As with the other films in this set, the supplements are great, for those who are considering a purchase.