Interesting
"Interesting set of films here."
Details
Sold Out / OOP
For the first couple years of his feature filmmaking career, director Alex deRenzy focused almost entirely on directing documentaries. His distinct style of cinema verite crossed with informal interviews resulted in a unique series of films exploring world cultures, as seen through underground and transgressive sex and drug lifestyles. Presented here are three of his least seen yet most impressive documentary works, all newly restored from original 16mm vault elements.
INNOCENTS ABROAD:
A look at the sex trade throughout western Europe in the wake of the sexual revolution, INNOCENTS ABROAD allows deRenzy's camera to investigate live sex shows, prostitution, and more, while contrasting the Europe of old with the progressive attitudes of the early 70s.
WEED:
This ambitious examination of marijuana takes deRenzy on an international journey as he meets dealers, users, and the various lawmen out to stop them. A sometimes funny, sometimes unsettling, but constantly engrossing examination of the then burgeoning 'war on drugs', WEED is a testament to deRenzy's most versatile documentary techniques and is presented fully uncut and authorized for the first time on DVD.
SEXUAL ENCOUNTER GROUP:
In his 'direct cinema' chronicle of an encounter group, unfolding in near real time, deRenzy examines the structure and methods of organized group sex and body realization.
Directed by: Alex deRenzy
1970-1971 / 294 minutes / Color / 1.33:1
- Region free DVD 2-Disc set
- All films scanned and restored in 2k from original 16mm vault elements
Overall rating: 4.138889 / 5 from 36 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
This 2-disc set features three restored documentary films by Alex deRenzy, exploring counterculture topics from the early 70s. Customers praise the quality of the restoration and the fascinating insights into underground and transgressive lifestyles.
Summary topics
- Film Quality: 15%
- Documentary Content: 12%
- Historical Time Capsule: 12%
Review topics: ["quality","looks","style","buy","deal","packaging","price","documentary","film","capsule","docs","release","derenzy","stuff","video","show","feature"].
Review highlights
- "It's a nice little time capsule at the end of the hippy era, it's "far out" and "a real trip"." —
- "Very good classic film, and superb restoration" —
- "Interesting set of films here." —
Reviews
Fantastic docs!
"Excellent grouping of docs about counterculture topics. I got it for a good deal and felt like it was so worth it. You won't see this footage anywhere else."
de Renzy roots
"Though the quality isn't five stars for all three films - this collection certainly earns the rating. De Renzy's early documentaries add such depth to his hardcore films to come, that only enamor me further into considering him one of the best to do it. For anyone fascinated by 70s counterculture you really can't get much better than these three invaluable slices of life."
VS-144
"Alex de Renzy documentary style extraordinaire! Fantastic release!"
Get It!
"From the maker of BABYFACE comes this trio of oddities. I would recommend picking this release up, it's great to see different weirdo stuff from this era."
Three Films by Alex de Renzy
"The films on this 2 disc DVD are “Innocents Abroad”, “Sexual Encounter Group” on disc 1 and “Weed” on disc 2. The first film is a documentary running 95 minutes from 1971 concerning the sex trade and prostitution with the greater part of the film showing a live strip show shot in Europe, the second film runs just over 80 minutes from 1970 that is a documentary about a sex therapy group that is very similar to the one depicted in the opening scenes to the then recent film release of “Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice”, with its free love and sexual liberation attitudes which were the in-vogue thing at this time. Unfortunately the final reels are missing its soundtrack so just when everyone is about to become very intimate with one another you cannot hear what they are saying, a music track has been substituted for the missing dialogue, but on second thoughts I don’t suspect we are missing out on anyone saying anything significant!. The third film and best of all is from 1971 and runs almost 2 hours, is a detailed documentary on all aspects of the growing, smuggling and selling of Marijuana and the attempts to legalise it, with lots of interviews with people involved on both sides of the law. The film is shot in many countries around the world to depict how the drug relates to differing societies. The DVD though not restored to Blu-ray standards is quite watchable with the caveat of the missing sound mentioned for “Sexual Encounter Group”"
Great early DeRenzy
"These early DeRenzy docs aren't quite as out there as some of his later features, but you can still feel his signature style"
Just okay.
"Love the double features"
Great price
"Great price"
Love these docs
"I know the documentary stuff is less popular around here but it's some of my favorite. More of this please!"