Release Date:
04/14/2009
The Skinny: American Swing is a documentary about the famed '70s New York sex club Plato's Retreat, which became a haven for swinging couples to get their freak on. It recalls a simpler time when the idea of hundreds of random people having anonymous sex on giant room-sized shared mattresses was no big thing.
The Good: We've heard about the exclusive Studio 54 disco coke parties and the porn scene, but American Swing introduces us to a whole new side of 70s sleaze: Average people flocking to a club run by an average guy to have less-than-average sex experiences. It's a fascinating, and frequently repulsive, story, but one you'll find riveting.
The Bad: We hesitate to label this "bad" because, as awful as it is, it's also hilarious. You see, all the people giving their first-person testimony on camera might have been swinging singles in the 70s, but they're grandparents now. Watching 60 and 70 year-olds talk about "their first time with another woman" or spinning tales of surfacing in the club's pool to see arching ropes of jizz streaming overhead is enough to make your skin crawl if you weren't laughing so hard.
Best Extra: There's really only one option. The disc has several deleted scenes, some of which paint a slightly darker portrait of club founder Larry Levenson than the rest of the movie does.
Buy, Rent, or Ignore: Definitely a must-see rental.
The Good: We've heard about the exclusive Studio 54 disco coke parties and the porn scene, but American Swing introduces us to a whole new side of 70s sleaze: Average people flocking to a club run by an average guy to have less-than-average sex experiences. It's a fascinating, and frequently repulsive, story, but one you'll find riveting.
The Bad: We hesitate to label this "bad" because, as awful as it is, it's also hilarious. You see, all the people giving their first-person testimony on camera might have been swinging singles in the 70s, but they're grandparents now. Watching 60 and 70 year-olds talk about "their first time with another woman" or spinning tales of surfacing in the club's pool to see arching ropes of jizz streaming overhead is enough to make your skin crawl if you weren't laughing so hard.
Best Extra: There's really only one option. The disc has several deleted scenes, some of which paint a slightly darker portrait of club founder Larry Levenson than the rest of the movie does.
Buy, Rent, or Ignore: Definitely a must-see rental.