The Naughty Fifties

The release of the film The Notorious Bettie Page was an ideal opportunity to rekindle an interest in vintage Irving Klaw shorts that have been largely tough to find on tape, let alone in complete form on DVD. Along with their prior Page offerings, Cult Epics has released the Irving Klaw Classics box, which culls material from 8mm sources, and groups them into four themed volumes: The Bettie Page Films, The Wrestling Films, The Fetish Films, and The Dance Films. We've reviewed the set, and noted what's new, and what's appeared in prior sets, such as Bettie Page: Pin-Up Queen.

Also from Cult Epics is All Ladies Do It / Cosi fan tutte (1992), the last title in the label's first Tinto Brass boxed set. Along with an excellent transfer, the DVD comes with a director interview, stills, and once again demonstrates there's no limit to the use of macro lenses when you're a bum-obsessed lunatic. All Ladies Do It isn't set during the fifties, but it showcases the frilly things and primary colours that are part of Brass' surreal, erotic wonderland.

Visitors might notice the main page has been tweaked, so there's more room for the wave of reviews that'll follow straight through this holiday season. Lotsa documentaries, classics, and weirdness - because we like that stuff.

And if you visit Music from the Movies, you'll be able to read my lengthy assessment of Tony Palmer's epic composer biographies on DVD: Testimony (1988), starring Ben Kingsley as the long-suffering Dimitri Shostakovich; and Wagner (1983), with Richard Burton in his final role... for almost eight hours.


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