Product Details

• Actors: Princess Farhana (Pleasant Gehman), Margaret Cho, Rachel Brice, Zoe Jakes, John Compton
• Directors: Steve Balderson
• Format: NTSC
• Region: All Regions
• Number of discs: 1
• Studio: Dikenga Films
• DVD Release Date: March 25, 2008
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0014JW194
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #161,889 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Expertly navigates a minefield, April 1, 2008

By 

S. Damerval "Thesaurus Lex" (Alaska) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Underbelly (DVD)

Ah, "Underbelly." that scandalous bellydance film for which the teasers show Princess Farhana taking her clothes off, a la burlesque. Oh, the horror, the shame...! How COULD she?!

But having read some of Princess Farhana's writing on the subjects of Bellydance and Burlesque, I felt I knew better. I pre-ordered the DVD mostly because I wanted it, but also because I trusted her to have done this right and I wanted to remind people that they should not judge a movie by its trailers.

And Director Steve Balderson and Princess Farhana definitely did not disappoint me.

This film has been done with incredible respect for everyone involved, with yet just the right amount of irreverence to keep you laughing while you take in its message. Dancers of all shapes, sizes, ages, and sexes are represented in interviews, photos, and dances, and it's a breath of fresh air to seeing women on film who are out there and so proud of their curves and who they are.

"Underbelly" embraces reality and explores the evolution of bellydance, even as it talks about departure from traditions and how the original Oriental Dance forms are in danger of being lost due to the appearance of fusion styles. It's honest, and the burlesque scenes towards the end make a lot of sense in the context of the film. They certainly don't do anything to "cheapen" bellydance, and they do help distinguish. The two art forms -- at least in the U.S. -- do have a lot of history in common and, like it or not, so do the performers.

This film is a fabulous reminder of why we dance or, if we don't, why we should. Ultimately, it's about who we are and what we are and being okay with that. Would that more films delivered such a positive message so effectively.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Princess indeed!, October 7, 2010

By 

Annie Raks "leitzke" (Carbondale, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Underbelly (DVD)

"Underbelly" is flashy, trashy fun. I found the short section on burlesque a little silly, but bottom line, Princess Farhana is an amazing Middle Eastern dancer. Both her technique AND her life story are inspirational. It's worth buying the DVD just to see her performances.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars belly dance, October 23, 2011

By 

Leaf Ashley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Underbelly (DVD)

Loved this dvd, very informative! If you are belly dancer, you must watch this! Princess Farhana is a beautiful dancer, and the history of how she got there was amazing journey to witness.