Customer Reviews

Bettie Page - Dark Angel

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This DVD is nothing but bad acting and bad recreations of Bettie Pages black and white films. The narrator Bettie has a deep southern accent but when Paige Richards talks the accent is gone. And on top of it all it's not even historically accurate. Stay away from this one if you are a Bettie Page Fan.

This DVD contains both the original "Dark Angel" Cult Film and a "How to Pose Nude" with Bunny Yeager (who we never see - just Paige Richards). I was so excited to receive this DVD and was very let down.

First of all the "Dark Angel" film is just boring -- how many stupid bondage videos do we have to watch. We get your point -- Bettie did bondage videos......

Nico B has the arrogance to say this a CULT FILM? Cult films are not made, they happen vis a vis the public's perspective of a film.

Nico B needs to do his research -- instead of wasting time on chasing down composers for that boring and redundent soundtrack, he needs to get his facts straight.

The acting is really bad -- I am a native Tennesseean and I can tell you that nobody in Tennessee has the accent of Paige Richards. Ditto the "narrator" who is not Paige Richards. They all sound like they are from the deep south and very phony. But the voice of Estes Kefauver (who was born and bred in Madisonville, Tennessee), with some sort of Teutonic accent was just over the top!

I can't believe anyone would pay to see this in a theatre. I can't believe I paid to buy this junk.

The Bunny Yeager stuff of Paige Richards is OK Let's see though, did Bettie Page have a Brazlian Wax, Pierced Ears, or Implants? I think not.

Paige Richards does look remarkably like Bettie Page in the face and figure (except for those implants).

But after a few scenes, that portion of the DVD was so boring I did not even finish it. Paige Richards is a really pretty woman, but she tries to hard when posing for Bunny -- some of those faces she makes tend to make her look as though she is passing some type of fetid gas into the air!

I wish there were a 0 Star because this waste of a film is beyond terrible!

Poor Bettie Paige. She is too good for this kind of trash. She should really confront Nico B about this wretched waste of film.

I am a cult movie follower and trust me -- this is not "Eating Raoul" or "Plan 9 From Outer Space" or even "Night of the Living Dead"

It's a waste of time to watch this junk.

I was excited when I heard about this film..I am a big Bettie fan. As a rule I buy anything Bettie but had I seen this film before I bought it..I would not have. The acting is stilted and really like a bad high school play, and the lead actress Paige Richards reminds me at times of Julia Sweeney. (IT's PAT!) ha ha

If you are like me and buy anything Bettie, buy and enjoy, but if you are looking for a great bio film on Bettie..this ain't it.

First and foremost, do not treat this piece of work as a mainstream film, and therefore judge it on those terms.

It is not a film in the traditional sense of the word, but a well-worked homage to Bettie Page and the work of Irving Klaw in general, and on these terms, it works well.

Yes, the "acting" is not great, but Paige Richards does a decent job as Bettie, considering she not a professional actor, but at least she is authentic, as Richards is a bondage / fetish model by trade and looks a lot like Bettie of the time.

The real plus points are the black and white recreations of the original Irving Klaw bondage / domination / catfight scenes.
In fact, I would challenge any mainstream director to recreate these famous scenes any better than is presented here. Well done Nico!!

Overall, a good homage to Bettie Page, shot on digital video so it looks great, and definately a worthy project.

PS : Emily Marilyn is also HOT!!

Wow, what a terrible movie. I am pretty sure that I have seen better high school performances!? The movie was pointless, had some of the worst acting I've seen and was casted terribly. I had bought this movie to add to my ever growing Bettie collection, but had I seen it first, I never would have bought it! I never would have rented it, heck I am not even sure someone could have convinced me to take a copy for free!? Anyone who has seen Bettie's short films knows that she wasn't the best actress. So, picture her films but ten times worse because someone even less experienced is trying to imitate her!!?? That's what this movie is like. One big train wreck!! I don't usually do this, (even with bad movies)but I had to fast forward through most of it cause it was so boring, this is pretty bad seeing that I am truly a huge fan of Bettie and usually go crazy for any new material!? If someone who knew nothing about Bettie saw this, they would come away thinking she was just some dumb slut!? Which (as any real Bettie fan would know) is the furthest from the truth about her? She was extremely intelligent and during the time she was a model, was the least sexually active period in her life (she says because she wasn't married)!? Also, not to be mean, but Paige Richards is no Bettie! Sure she may be skinny with dark hair and Bettie's bangs, but Bettie paid great attention to her look and would work out 5 days a week when she was a full time model. Paige (aside from being a terrible actress) although skinny, I don't feel was "fit" to play the role at all. Bunny Yeager, was a pretty, thin little red head with fair skin. I had to laugh when I saw the lady they chose to play her. She had dark skin, was clearly wearing a red wig (not even the right red) and looked completely different!!
I wasn't too keen on The Notorious Bettie Page movie either, but compared to this nonsense, Gretchen Mole (who played Bettie in "The Notorious Bettie Page") should have won an Oscar! The Notorious Bettie Page is a far better depiction and goes far more in to detail about who Bettie really was. It had real actors playing in it, was accurate to the period, followed the real story of Bettie's life and was interesting to watch. "The Notorious Bettie Page" was a pretty good film being how picky I am. As far as I am concerned no one comes close to Bettie and I have a hard time with people who try to imitate her photos or play her in movies. Gretchen did a pretty good job though. But as for this "Dark Angel" movie, whether you're a Bettie fan or not, don't waste your time or money. There's far better work done of her out there. If you want a good movie, I recommend "The Notorious Bettie Page", and for a good Bio, read: "Bettie Page The life of a pin-up Legend" by Karen Essex and James L. Swanson. It is the best book I have ever seen on Bettie, just full of photos and stories and gives you a detailed look at her life. The reason it's probably so good because Bettie helped write it herself! I feel I am a true Bettie fan and to me it's clear that the people who made this movie had no clue as to what they wanted to say..... It left me confused and that's pretty sad considering I know the history behind the film. DO NOT BUY THIS MOVIE LIKE I DID! Take my word for it! It's an insult to everything Bettie has done.

Within this well done, low budget biopic, we are treated to director Nico B's wonderful, highly detailed recreations of several of the famous Irving Klaw bondage vignettes featuring Bettie Page. So, essentially, this movie offers a series of films within a film. While the acting might be considered a bit stiff in places, the video looks great and the costuming, sets and music are dead-on. Ultra-cute fetish model Paige Richards does a respectable job as Bettie Page. Normally, I would relegate a disc like this to die-hard Bettie fans only, but in today's "retro-craze" atmosphere, others may find it appealing as well. This movie has an innocent charm all its own, very much like the woman to which it is dedicated.

This is a complete rip off for any fan of Bettie photos or Bettie history. Everything about this DVD is either bad or fake. Don't waste your time or money.

This is simply a refilming of the old 1950's Betty Page fetish loops - in black and white. No nudity. Why not just watch the originals?

The only worthwhile thing on this disk is the old Bunny Yeager film on How to Pose Nude, and the original Paige Richards material. Paige is much prettier than the original Betty Page.

I recommend The Notorious Betty Page with Gretchen Mol instead.

To be succinct... Blech. This is not a film; it doesn't even have the quality necessary to qualify as sexploitation or a Cult Classic. This is one step above a home movie. The acting and dialog are worse than in a porno, the production spotty, the editing disturbingly amateurish, and the writer fails to do even the most basic of research into Bettie Page's life story and career! In the instances when he does stumble on an actual quote of Ms. Page's, he attributes it to refer to the wrong event! It appears the writer/director centered the few scenes of actual titillation on a number of Ms. Page's actual photo shoots, but left out some of her best-loved, most powerful, and most famous images. I mean, if you're going to ignore her best work, why even make this dreck? It seems these scenes were created as a novelty, to demonstrate that the director could duplicate the original shoots. A thousand-times better to buy compilation DVDs of the real Bettie Page in the original scenes the director is attempting to copy. Bettiemaniacs, do yourself a favor, and scratch this off your list, you're not missing anything. If you must learn something about this video, search the web for images of Paige Richards, whose physical charms (unlike her inconsistent attempts at Ms. Page's accent) are arguably the video's ONLY redeeming virtue, (although I for one do not see a strong resemblance between her and Bettie Page). My recommendation, buy Mary Harron & Gretchen Mol's -Notorious Bettie Page- on DVD, or Richard Foster's unflattering but informative biography.

Right off the bat I don't understand the reviewers on Amazon rating this 2 disc combo & Paige's performance as poor. I don't buy that at all. In fact her performance is excellent. Yes it was a little over the top & she could have put a little more realism in various kinky scenes rather then dumbing it down so everyone in the house got that it wasn't real but a recreation of scenes acted out 50 years earlier. Still isn't that the director's job? This 2 disc package for the uninitiated is a different take from the Gretchen Mol biopic, do you get that? That version was watered down & frankly though it had its moments it did drag in places.This version Bettie Page Dark Angel wasn't as dark a story & played up the sexuality more & it should because that was what really cemented an unknown loyalty between us & bettie ( though I suspect she was unaware of what all the fuss was about). Aside from the story the first disc has pictorials & various bondage , domination & wrestling scenarios. Disc 2 involves & recreates a number of the classic Bunny Yeagher shoots from back in the day. Video of Bettie posed with a Leopard at the Miami Zoo is scary realistic. If you doubt Paige's dedication & spirit in this project, check out the claw marks on her leg, the way she constantly smiles & how easily she follows the direction of a less then patient Bunny. While were at it notice how Bunny ( seemingly morphing back to the 50's) calls Paige Bettie on several occassions. Sounds pretty convincing to me. The second disc besides Poolside shoots & the like has an interesting one on one session where Bunny Interviews Paige & I appreciated the effort. Both discs offer picture sets that are viewable, disc one deals with the story & various Kinky scenes where disc 2 deals with Bunny's more mainstream pics, shoots at a pool, a zoo & as a maid. You pick your favorite. As someone who has been a Bettie Page fan for over 30 years it's my opinion this collection more faithfully tells Bettie's story during her highlight years & Paige's face & body as well as attitude ( on & off set) astoundingly & accurately portray Bettie Page the woman who never took a bad picture better then anything to date. Five stars from a guy who knows the score!