Cinema Au Naturel the definitive book on nudist film a previously hard to find volume was re-released by Korero Press in 2021. Cinema Au Naturel: A History of Nudist Film from author and naturist historian Mark Storey was first released in 2003. Storey, a community college professor, is on the editorial staff of Nude & Natural magazine – the quarterly journal of The Naturist Society – as well as on the board of directors of both the Naturist Action Committee and the Naturist Education Foundation.
A book blurb on the Naturist Education Foundation web site describes the book
Cinema Au Naturel: A History of Nudist Film, by Mark Storey, is a 288-page softcover edition including over 40 black & white illustrations and eight pages of color photographs. Cinema Au Naturel analyzes and critiques nudist exploitation films from the 1930s through the 1960s, as well as the contemporary naturist videos from the 1980s through today.
The new edition is a welcome addition to any naturist movie buff’s library. The up to date content includes references to recent films like 2019 de Patrick. A Film Quarterly reviewer describes Story’s accurate examinations of in fighting among nudists as to the value of nudist film making and concerns about being exploited by unscrupulous adult film makers.
This is also addressed by Brian Hoffman in his book Naked: A Cultural History of American Nudism which points out the downside to the connection. The tension has only been amplified in the digital age.
As the official blurb for the reissued edition states the volume covers a wide range of naturist film history. It is a through examination of the genre. If you have an interest nudist films this volume should definitely be in your library. A full review will be posted at a later date.
The quirky world of nudist film is revealed at last. Cinema Au Naturel brings to life many long-forgotten films such as Elysia: Valley of the Nude, The Monster at Camp Sunshine, and Take Off Your Clothes and Live. In his account of the history of nudist film, Mark Storey introduces readers to the best and the worst of these cinematic portrayals of clothes-free life. From the 1930s through today, filmmakers have exploited, documented, and argued for nudism. Cinema Au Naturel is the first book devoted to these tantalizing films, and shows them worthy of both lighthearted and serious consideration.
