Bettie Page Reveals All (2013)

Such a frustrating disappointment

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Bette Page Reveals All (2012) *** (out of 4) Very detailed look at the life and career of the iconic pin-up Bettie Page. The documentary uses an audio interview with Page to tell her story, which starts from her childhood days and goes all through her career and her eventually downfall due to a mental disorder. It's hard to believe that in this day and age there's someone out there who hasn't seen Bettie Page. After all, she broke down all sorts of walls when it comes to women's sexuality and it's easy to forget that she was the "it" thing long before Playboy.This documentary does an extremely good job at telling her story and making sure the viewer knows just about everything there is to know about the legend. Some of the most fascinating stories come from her early, pre-fame days where she struggled a lot of sexual abuse from not only her father but by a group of men in New York. We also hear about her first marriage, which turned out to haunt her later in life more than her nude work. Of course, the thing Page is known for the most was her sexuality and there's no question that the film leaves nothing to the imagination. It might be an over-statement but I'm pretty sure just about every nude picture Page has done is on display here so those who enjoy her work will certainly have a lot to look at.There are several talking heads giving their thoughts on the icon (including Hugh Hefner) but the highlight is certainly hearing from Page herself. Getting a first-hand account of everything that was going on is certainly the best thing about this documentary.

...just as its subject was and always will be, "Bettie Page Reveals All!" presents a lovingly illustrated biography of the quintessential American pin-up, Bettie Mae Page, the Queen of Curves. Its strengths lie in being structured around the last audio interviews with Bettie; its weaknesses lie in the paucity of new information, at least for the hardcore Bettie fan, who will have already devoured the several biographies available. The only thing new I learned was that Bettie didn't much care for Mary Harron's "The Notorious Bettie Page." Still, it's as complete a videography as the general audience might expect, well worth the time spent with it. Long live Bettie Page!

As a fan of pinup girls I knew of Bettie Page as the ultimate starlet. Page is a legend, but I did not know the story behind the doll face. Directed by Mark Mori, Bettie Page Reveals All is a fascinating movie on the life of Bettie Page. Not only does it show case never before shared secrets, it is narrated by the Page herself. You learn of the ups and downs that she faced and how she resurfaced after many years living far from the spotlight. This movie is fun, sassy, and a good story of a legendary beauty from Tennessee Bettie Page. Even if you never heard of Bettie Page, I am sure that you have seen her influence in pop culture. The lady with dark bangs and milky skin with the hour glass figure is an American Icon. The movie also touches on some of the unexpected consequences of the conservative 50s and how Page became a renegade in her art. by Dr. Wilson Trivino

To those for whom Bettie Page is an iconic image without a voice, it will come as a pleasant surprise to hear her narrate this posthumous biographical documentary. Director Mark Mori interviewed Ms. Page roughly a decade before her death in 2008, and supplements the audio with interviews from boyfriends, one ex-husband, and numerous co- workers, primarily photographer Bunny Yeager and film producer/entrepreneur Paula Klaw, who with her brother Irving made the fetish and bondage films which made Bettie Page "notorious."There are a few tidbits revealed here that were omitted from the unauthorized biopic "The Notorious Bettie Page," a title which Ms. Page did not appreciate. Bettie was unwanted by her mother and abused by her father; she spent a year in an orphanage; she threatened to kill one of her husbands, Harry Lear; and she spent ten years in a California mental institution, diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic.After her release in 1988, her fortunes took a turn for the better when she met Hugh Hefner, who recommended an agent, who in turn was able to secure licensing fees for Ms. Page's image. Bettie Page spent the last 15 or so years of her life in comfort, basking in her new-found status as a feminist icon.This is an entertaining doc. No dissenting voices are heard, and there are no real surprises, but it was nice to discover there was a brain and a delightful Tennessee twang behind that gorgeous body.Recommended for mature audiences, as there is frequent nudity.