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The Notorious Bettie Paige

flat-top

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I just picked up the DVD! I enjoyed it! Very simple, nicely done movie.
The leaps from black and white to color are awesome too! Gretchen Mol is totally convincing as Bettie.
Check it out!
 

Daisy Buchanan

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Wow, thanks for the good advice on this film. I've had my heart set on seeing it for a while now, and am going to try to find it somewhere tomorrow. Best Buy in my area doesn't usually get films in like this, so I'll look but won't keep my fingers crossed. I might just have to get it on line, was hoping to watch it this weekend:( Does sound great, really looking forward to seeing it. I'll let you know what I think, if I can find it in a local store.
 

Daisy Buchanan

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flat-top said:
I got the ONLY copy at my Best Buy. It was 19.99, but it's 27.99 elsewhere. Get it online if you can!
Thank you Flat-top, great advice. I am planning on dropping by Best Buy, argh, tomorrow. I will check to see if they have it in stock and at that price. If not, I'll check out Amazon and Deep Discount. They are usually competitive with their pricing.
Thanks again,
Daisy
 

nightandthecity

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Seems it is on at our local flea pit this weekend. Only just found out. I'll try and go see it tommorow night, the last night.
 

Harp

I'll Lock Up
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Chicago, IL US
Bettie

Bettie lived in my neighborhood here in downtown Chicago;
apparently she once enrolled at the Moody Bible Institute and
worked locally as a secretary for a time before returning to-
I believe-Tennessee. A film crew was hereabouts some time ago
doing a period shoot with older cars, perhaps some of the movie
was shot here in-the-hood. Hadn't planned on seeing the film,
but tempted....;)
 

Feraud

Bartender
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17,190
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Hardlucksville, NY
Just watched this movie. The story and directing were lackluster. The director chose to gloss over the tragedy and focus on the wide eyed innocence of B.P.
Gretchen Moll deserves praise for capturing what "Pinup Girl of the Universe" is all about. She brought great humor, innocence, charm, and sexiness to the role.
The transition from black and white to color was effective as a device for the story change.
 

Daisy Buchanan

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I finally did end up finding this film, and didn't have to order it on-line. If anyone is interested in buying it, I found it at Border's Bookstore and it was on sale. Marked down to $19.99, from $27.99.
I know some of you found it at Best Buy, but the ones here in my area not only didn't have it in stock, but they said that they weren't getting it. Probably some biased marketing analysis gave them information on the demographic of our area, and this proved that carrying this kind of movie wouldn't make them any money. Also probably why it was only playing at one theater that I know of in the metro Boston area. Sorry, just venting my frustration with the big electronic stores and their rows and rows of movies, yet really very small areas in these sections for the classics or new films that aren't popular with the masses. OK, I'm done.
Thanks for all of the great reviews of the film. I haven't sat down to watch it just yet. I'm planning to either tomorrow night or Monday. I am looking forward to seeing it. I hear the Gretchen Mol is great.
By the way, speaking of Gretchen, I have noticed that she has quite a vintage flair about her. In a few movies that I have seen with her in them, she has always had outfits that were either vintage or vintage inspired, and her hair and overall look is vintagey. Not sure if this is who she really is, if she has a love for the golden era and wants to emulate that through her style in films. Or, if the directors, producers and costume designers find her as beautiful as a golden era actress and they dress her in such a way to bring this out in her. As we all have spoken of before, there are so few actresses in todays time that rival the beauty and class of the glamourous golden era starlettes. Mol could have that kind of glamour. I'm looking forward to seeing her emulation of Paige. What I'm trying to say, as usual in too many words, I've often seen her as having that old Hollywood flair or vibe.
 

flat-top

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Daisy Buchanan said:
By the way, speaking of Gretchen, I have noticed that she has quite a vintage flair about her. In a few movies that I have seen with her in them, she has always had outfits that were either vintage or vintage inspired, and her hair and overall look is vintagey. Not sure if this is who she really is, if she has a love for the golden era and wants to emulate that through her style in films. Or, if the directors, producers and costume designers find her as beautiful as a golden era actress and they dress her in such a way to bring this out in her. As we all have spoken of before, there are so few actresses in todays time that rival the beauty and class of the glamourous golden era starlettes. Mol could have that kind of glamour. I'm looking forward to seeing her emulation of Paige. What I'm trying to say, as usual in too many words, I've often seen her as having that old Hollywood flair or vibe.
Gretchen is GREAT in the film "Just Looking" which takes place in Queens , NY in the 50's. She looks and plays the part of a 50's bombshell very convincingly! Vintage style definitely becomes her!
 

GOK

One Too Many
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So Daisy and Jones, what did you think of the film?

Gretchen Mol is so adorable! I didn't think the film was brilliant but it was brilliantly shot, if you know what I mean. I think there's lots that could have been added and certainly, parts of it felt rushed but on the whole, it was a very entertaining film (the nasty bits aside) and it was quite thought provoking too.

I was particularly struck by the idea that the 'smut probe' became a self fulfilling prophecy; after all, if the authorities hadn't made such a song and dance about it all, it mightn't have placed it at the forefront of public attention and in so doing, encouraged people to discover these things for themselves. [huh]

Watching it as a 21st century person with more than a passing interest in fetish, it's difficult to see how Bettie's work could be construed as deviant. Especially that footage of her dancing whist the credits rolled! To be honest, even the stuff that is around today isn't really that shocking....well, I don't think so anyway.

However, I can completely see why some people of that era were worried. I thought it was incredibly sad that the teenage boy tragedy happened (was it an autoerotic accident?) and had the utmost sympathy with his poor father. It's bad enough to lose a child but to something that is completely alien and unbelievable.....horrible to say the least. And how awful for Bettie to have been associated with it. I cannot even begin to imagine what she must have gone through.

But going back to the attitude of the era - with hindsight, I think they had a point. All the things that people in those days were worried about have come true; decline in morality, promiscuity, lack of respect, loss of family values. It's all happened.

I don't believe this small underground subculture was solely responsible but nevertheless, our grandparents' worst nightmares have been realised. Sad isn't it? And even sadder is that the responsibility for it doesn't appear to be with the people they feared would foster this change; more that their steadfast insistance of oppressing such things has helped to create the monster they sought to avoid.

That kids, is progress I suppose.
 

Daisy Buchanan

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I did finally watch this movie.

I liked it, but didn't love it. I thought Gretchen Mol was great. She played the part so well. I think it was just an even toned movie, while watching it I was waiting for something exciting to happen. But, how much of a story is there really to tell. I knew the story before I watched the film, so I really don't know why I was expecting more.

Now, that being said, I never realized how naive Betty Paige actually was. She was this "good girl" type that had no idea what her photographs were being used for. She was genuinely shocked when she finally figured it out. She was naive about everything that she did in her life and also would do anything that any man asked of her, without thinking twice about it. She really, genuinely thought that her photos would eventually lead to something bigger and better. She thought of herself as a serious actress, and actually thought she was being taken seriously. She had no idea what she was involved in. Mol did a superb job portraying this naiveness.

As for her work being construed as deviant, times were different back then, one must think of them in the context of the era. I'm sure there is much worse out there today and much easier access to it. But, back then, this was serious stuff. I don't think the underground sub-culture was all to blame either, they were only the beginning of something much larger. It's a shame that she had to go through all that she went through. But, she wasn't the brightest girl. She didn't look at things deep enough to see what they actually meant. Like I said, she was incredibly naive. I found it so sad that even after all the bull she went through with her father, and those boys who took her out to the woods and her mean husband, she still saw genuine good in the world.

All in all, although it was a bit flat, I did enjoy this movie. Gretchen Mol was great to watch.
 

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