Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies Drinking Game (2020)
Do a Shot: every time they move to a new decade.
Take a Drink: every time the Hays Code is mentioned
Do a Shot: for any mention that an actor wanted to get nude (e.g. Marilyn Monroe)
Take a Drink: because Thomas Edison was a douche.
Something’s Got to Give (1962)
By: Movie Snurb (Two Beers) –
The history of nudity in films has been around much longer than people think. It’s had a complicated history, first being allowed, then not, then the Hays code silenced a lot, then finally the industry not having a lot of restrictions on the matter after the creation of the MPAA Rating system, which was not meant to censor a film but rather warn others as to its contents. This documentary takes a look at the history of nudity and how it has evolved in the over 100 years of film history. It begins with the creation of film and the Hollywood system and then goes into the censorship of nudity, then the liberation from the Hays code, and then finally nudity in the Me Too era.
A Toast
I really loved how the story was told, beginning at the creation of film. There was a lot about the creation of film and then the creation of the Hollywood system that I did not know, and it was interesting. It perfectly lays the foundation for the subject matter to be told in context. The first 20 or 30 minutes are not about nudity in film but rather the creation of Hollywood and it is needed to establish the system and how oppressive it could be and how it became that way. The people they get to appear in the documentary, including filmmakers, critics, and historians, are all quite knowledgeable and provide interesting and important information about the subject. Also, as a Spoolie I loved seeing Amy Nicholson show up.
Psycho (1960)
The editing and format in which the filmmakers tell this story is clear and concise. It’s told in a chronological matter starting at the creation of the camera and formation of Hollywood and ending in the present day. Every subsequent part builds on the previous decade/time period and would only work if they told this story chronologically. I suppose it would make sense starting in the present day and working backwards as well. Watching the doc in the way they edited it gives context to every decade in film, finishing on how filming scenes with nudity has become more respectful of the actors. Filmmakers now use closed sets, and there are reps for the actors to ensure everyone is comfortable on set.
Beer Two
My one issue with the documentary, which is very informative and interesting, is it seems to brush over the bad practices that studios used to do in the 80s and 90s. They mention one instance of an actor in a brief moment where the film discussed required 3 nude scenes. However, to show how much better the environment has gotten, I don’t think they did enough to show how toxic the system was even recently. Maybe that is because it is happening in real time in the public’s eyes with Weinstein and every subsequent creep that has been taken down. There needed to be more comparison and contrasting with those times and the current times.
Intolerance (1916)
Verdict
Even with my minor complaint, this is a great watch for any film buff, historian, or a crossover of the two. It’s interesting, informative, and fun to watch.
