When my screener of Acting Out arrived in the mail, I was completely unsure of what to think, except "Hey, there's the Mr. Skin logo... guaranteed nudity!" But unlike the other Mr. Skin endorsed titles, like Witchcraft 666 (which is still sitting in my "to watch" pile due to the sheer tripe it appears to be), I was excited to pop in this flick, just because it was directed by Ralph Rosenblum, the editor of Annie Hall and The Producers (and if you haven't seen either of those films, turn off your computer and run to the nearest video store). So, with only thoughts of nudity and a very talented editor in my mind, I popped in the DVD.

The basic premise of this 70s documentary is that the producers would allow real people to act out their sexual fantasies to see what reactions they would have. Utilizing real people who answered an ad in a magazine and actors, some of which come from a pornography background, we see different people and couples telling their fantasies and then get the chance to act them out. While some are enthralled by the experience, others find themselves either disturbed or disturbing to the actors and crew.

Do remember, this was a good 30 years before the dawn of reality television and even in the age of voyeurism, I can't imagine a film like this being made in any time other than the 60s or 70s and turning out as fascinating as Acting Out. This film is one of those unsung gems you hear about in the Troma library and comes highly recommended. Sometimes, the film is hilarious, other times, it's disturbing, and overall, it's one of the most interested documentary films I've ever seen. Some people may see it as pure 70s exploitation for the raincoat district theatres, which well... it may be, but it's not something that I'd consider particularly arousing, due to it's experimental documentary style. Of course, there is plenty of great nudity to be found, which is obvious from the Mr. Skin logo on the box.

I'd go more in-depth with this review, but quite frankly, I feel you'd be better off just seeing the film, as opposed to reading a play-by-play description. I will mention that the film does delve into some homoerotic fantasies, which may alienate the less open-minded audience members. But to be honest, it's nothing that will have you questioning your orientation and they provide some of the most humorous segments of the film, including one homosexual man's frustration due to the fact that they cast heterosexual actors for his fantasy of torturing a group of pioneers by stripping them naked and giving them an orgasm using only a feather.

Overall, Acting Out proves to be an incredibly interesting look at sexuality in the 1970s and is well worth checking out. The DVD release is lacking in extras, with the only real movie-related extra being interviews with Mr. Skin about the film and his state as the world's expert on celebrity nudity. A commentary would have been especially nice, considering the fact that I'm sure there were some kind of interesting stories going on behind the scenes, especially when you consider what made it onscreen. However, despite a lackluster DVD release, Acting Out still comes highly recommended.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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