It is probably a fair assessment that one has to be in the right mood to fully appreciate what works such as Jerald Intrator's The Sexperts (1965) aim to deliver. Branded as "exploitation cinema" these predominantly low-budget productions catered to the tastes of those who wanted to see it all. Or, by modern standards, almost all.

The plot here isn't particularly innovative, in fact, it is rather dull. Liz Adams (Lana Lynn) moves to the Big Apple where she is going to be a star. She befriends the attractive Connie Mason (Rusty Allen) and immediately embarks on a string of auditions. Unfortunately, Liz's luck does not quite follow her dreams and more often than not she is disappointed by the lack of progress with her career aspirations. During a night out in Greenwich Village the soon-to-be star indulges in a sea of pleasure.

Shot in glorious black and white with a few puzzling inserts of Eastman Color The Sexperts is more of a curious find than it is a provocative piece of nudie action. Produced by the legendary William Mishkin (The Filthy Five) this skin flick unsurprisingly resorts to what modern low-budget adult films still favor: banal story, a certain amount of provocative action, average camera work at best. Only the "action" here might be quite a head-scratcher for those of you who grew up with a local adult shop precisely where the neighborhood now gets its mandatory Starbucks fix.

So, let's make it clear: there isn't any sex in this film. There is plenty of talk about it but nothing that would force you to shake your head in disbelief. In fact, about the raciest thing that might get your heart pumping is the unexpected cameo by the notorious Madame Olga (Audrey Campbell). Truth be told however if you are on a hunt to see why and for what reason she became a legend then you are looking at the wrong film and most definitely browsing the wrong year. Madame Olga's antics are better documented elsewhere.

As to the artistic merits of The Sexperts other than certain sentimental value(s) some may uncover here I am unsure how much of a case one could come up with to defend its "message". The story is, contrary to the inflated expectations, uneventful, the acting slightly above mediocre, and the controversial elements practically non-existent. With other words a nudie-film with little to no nudity at all.

How Does the DVD Look?

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 the film looks stunningly good. In fact, for a low-budget production this print comes very close to being solid. Contrast is impressive, detail is notably good, and damage is practically non-existent. There is a minor dose of edge enhancement which some will surely notice but I was not put off by it at all. Regarding the color inserts, obviously, they look rather dated and not as fresh as the rest of the print. My only guess here is that a lot of it has to do with the fact that after all this was a low-budget production and certain discrepancies with the original elements are simply inherited.

How Does the DVD Sound?

Presented with a DD Mono track the film sounds equally impressive. The dialog is crystal clear, very easy to follow, and without any disturbing audio drop-outs/hissings. My only concern here is that optional English subtitles are not provided.

Extras:

What the main feature fails to deliver the extras department surely makes up for! With an entire second disc of extras and a ton of juicy supplements I believe it is fair to conclude that the producers at Retro-Seduction Cinema clearly knew what they were going after. So, on disc one there are three curious TV commercials with Madam Olga where she advertises waterproofing, floor-wax, and upholstery. In addition there is a gallery of trailers for other Retro-Seduction Cinema product. On disc two is where most of the really entertaining extras are. Titled Naughty Nudes '65 a selection of eleven bits provide precisely what the main feature on disc one does not. All of them arrive with rather provocative titles and the content surely will appeal to those who bought this disc with one and only one thing in mind.

Final Words:

Curiosity forced me to pick this Retro-Seduction Cinema disc and all things considered I think it is fair to conclude that the company delivers! While the film(s) they promote is most definitely not my cup of tea I can certainly appreciate the effort that has gone into putting this wonderfully designed package together. With this in mind, if you are aware of the type of films the above mentioned distrib is known for then The Sexperts should entertain you quite a bit. Particularly in the extras department. Recommended.