Color, 2012, 58m.
Directed by Mr. E
Starring Sophia Jade, Smoking Mary Jane, Sybil Hawthorne,
Mongolian Barbeque (DVD) (US R0 NTSC) / DD2.0

Nerdy Girls

Nerdy GirlsHey, who's up for a 3-D sexploitation avant garde art film? That would be Nerdy Girls, a plotless collection of vignettes showcasing a variety of women in scenarios poised somewhere between Matthew Barney and Joanna Angel on a shoestring budget, complete with lots of fetishistic imagery involving lingerie, boots, jewelry, lipstick, and smoking. Lots and lots of smoking, be it cigarettes or pot. Why this wasn't actually called Smoking Girls is anyone's guess. The packaging offers something of a conceptual summary (since a synopsis really isn't possible) that also seems like a bit of a directorial manifesto, comparing it to video installation art (while advance PR termed it an "erotic mystery").

Clocking in at just under an hour, the film functions as a parade of raven-haired young ladies acting out in front of the camera, usually in skimpy clothes before doffing everything for some show and tell. However, this is a far cry from a Playboy-style video thanks to the dreamy style and experimental soundtrack, not to mention fudging with the aspect ratio but usually staying full frame.

Direction is credited to erotic filmmaker/photographer Mr. E, the alter ego of director Ramzi Abed (who helmed the stylish The Devil's Muse), and it's an interesting idea to approach this as sort of a perverse coffee table book on video. Whether it's an actual demonstration of a new wave in female empowerment or a philosophical shift in the approach to eroticism is definitely debatable, Nerdy Girlsbut it's certainly a colorful stab in a different direction.Nerdy Girls

Distributed by Cinema Epoch, this DVD from specialty label Mongolian Barbeque (yes, really!) features both a standard 2-D version and an anaglyph 3-D one, with red and blue glasses included. Presumably we're a long way from a polished 3-D along these lines from ever coming out, so approach this one as a fun gimmick. The 3-D works about as well as it did back on regular TVs for years (that is, sorta kinda), though when things do really pop out of the screen, well, you'll certainly notice.

Extras are on the slim side but for the record you do get a three-minute bonus scene (along the same lines and crammed with skin), bonus trailers, a preview for this film, a music video, and an image gallery. You won't find much context for the title but, for the uninitiated, nerdy girls really are something of a significant social presence and are likely inspiring fetish erotica for another generation or two to come. Heck, there are even guides out there to help people meet one!

Reviewed on November 26, 2012.