A fairly new player in the DVD distribution game, Cult Epics has demonstrated an eagerness to showcase some quirky and ambitious art-house projects and underground oddities. They have also bolstered their popularity among cult media fans as premier DVD distributor for the only known surviving film loops by ‘50s bondage photographer Irving Klaw, featuring his star performer... a sweet little bundle of fun named Bettie Mae Page. Perhaps you’ve heard the name before. If not, where hell have you been?

No doubt inspired by the media explosion generated by the long-awaited release of Mary Harron’s THE NOTORIOUS BETTIE PAGE, Cult Epics has dipped in again with a new 2-disc special edition of their 2004 title, BETTIE PAGE: DARK ANGEL, which itself seemed timed to capitalize on the fevered anticipation of Harron’s more mainstream version. Helmed by underground auteur Nico B (founder of Cult Epics and director of the infamous short film PIG) and starring modern-day bondage & glamour model Paige Richards, this low-budget project (shot on digital video for around $50,000) tackles almost exactly the same subject matter, but lacks the cultural perspective of Harron’s film, existing mainly as a vehicle for faithful recreations of Klaw’s lost film loops. Despite its limitations, however, it’s still an entertaining effort, with evident affection for the pinup icon’s innocent charm and timeless appeal.

Page’s adult life is loosely recounted in rigidly episodic blocks, dashing quickly through her early modeling gigs for Bunny Yeager in Florida and heading straightaway to New York to pursue dreams of stardom. Once in the Big Apple, Bettie attracts the attention of Irving Klaw (played by the amusingly-named Dukey Flyswatter) and his sister Paula (Jaimie Henkin), who hire her as a model and performer in Irving’s daring new series of photographic works. Inspired by detective magazine covers and popular movie stills depicting bound and gagged female victims (many of which appear beneath the film's opening credits), these photo and loop series generally involved lingerie-clad women (no nudity was ever involved) restraining one another in a variety of bondage contraptions (most of which were designed by Klaw himself) and dishing out feather-light spankings. Whips and crops were used as props, but butts were never reddened. (Insert rim-shot here.) Catering to this particular fetish made Bettie one of the most popular models in New York, and eventually around the world.

From here on out, the bulk of the film focuses on recreating in meticulous detail the lost 16mm loops from these series – definitely the most controversial period of Page’s career, and her chief claim to fame – basing them on the few surviving stills available. Though he will never be confused as a visionary with a camera, Klaw nevertheless pioneered a unique and singularly naughty vision, shared by only a few underground artists in the late ‘50s (John Willie, creator of the “Gwendoline” comic strip, is probably the only other notable figure from the period), when even innocently playful tie-up scenarios were considered the worst kind of exploitation.

Distributed by the Klaws’ mail-order business “Movie Star News” (which was enormously popular at its peak), these photos and loops landed their creators in court under the critical eye of Tennessee senator Estes Kefauver (Oto Brezina, who sports a very un-Tennessean German accent!) and propelled both the photographers and their most popular subject into the heart of a media circus. Klaw managed to dodge jail time by destroying the bulk of his negatives (most surviving prints are circulated by private collectors today), and with them his career. Bettie was able to escape the legal conflagration relatively unscathed, probably due to her sweet-natured charm and innocent demeanor. After all, she never presented the image of a victim being exploited; she was, by her own admission, engaging in silly dress-up games, and having a ball doing it.

Nevertheless, the collapse of the Klaw enterprise and public outcry ultimately provoked Page to distance herself from modeling, to which she never returned. Feelings of guilt – no doubt ignited by the intense obscenity hearings and resulting media uproar – drove her back to a loveless marriage in Florida, and eventually toward the solace of that old-time religion, which recalled the comfort and security of her childhood. She never really renounced her modeling career (she remains proud of it to this day, bless her cute little heart), but for whatever reason, decided that it was best left to history.

Less of an intimate biography than a “Great Bettie Moments” montage (along the lines of the recent E! True Hollywood Story), this film is not particularly valuable as a character study, although one could argue that Harron’s high-profile version doesn’t function as one either. However, the main factor that separates the two films – and which unfortunately holds this one back – is cultural perspective, or lack thereof. In B’s film, little is done to examine much of the world outside Bettie’s doorstep, or explore what set her apart from the dime-a-dozen cuties of the camera-club scene; instead, we see her life as a sparsely-populated bubble, scarcely expanding beyond the confines of the various camera lenses which tried to capture her. There is a brief sidebar involving Bettie’s invitation to screen test for Howard Hughes (depicted here as a sleazy voyeur who ogles her through a dressing-room peephole before ejecting her from the premises), and no attention is paid to her notable splash as a Playboy centerfold in 1955.

These limitations are largely due to the film’s low budget, which results in a highly stage-bound and artificial environment. We’re constantly reminded that this is essentially a series of staged vignettes – often lovingly detailed, but ultimately cold, hollow and artificial. It doesn’t help that the rather blasé voice-over narration linking the episodes is provided by another actress attempting (and often failing) to employ Page’s warm Tennessee drawl, while Richards herself doesn’t even bother to maintain a Southern accent; the result makes the content feel amateurish. And I won’t even bother addressing the conundrum of Richards’ obvious chestamalogical enhancements.

Speaking of enhancements, this special edition builds even further on Cult Epics’ original release with a pile of new features – all of which expand the Bettie Page experience, but provide precious little new background on Bettie-as-cultural-phenomenon. On the first disc are the same extras as the earlier release: starting off with an entertaining prologue of clips from other Cult Epics releases, we also get lengthy outtakes and extended versions of many of the bondage shoot reenactments from the film (many involving untying the models from their various entanglements) as well as some alternate video footage of the same scenes. There is also a brief featurette on the making of the film score, which has an affectionate ‘50s burlesque vibe and showcases some nifty numbers, and we get a theatrical trailer for this film (I doubt it received even a limited theatrical release) and Tinto Brass's FRIVOLOUS LOLA.

The main feature of disc 2 is the documentary “How to Pose Nude by Bunny Yeager.” An obvious coup here is the participation of the legendary pinup photographer, but her involvement is relegated behind the camera. Yeager essentially poses Richards in a series of spicy photo shoots composed to match some of Bettie's more famous glamour spreads (including that one with the leopard). Since we hear but do not see Yeager in action, we are given her perspective on modeling and photography only through the eyes of her camera – a suitable approach, but it focuses most of the attention on Richards, whom we’ve already seen more than enough of at this point. Don’t get me wrong – she’s cute as a button, funny and charming (and often naked, which helps) and has a cuddly girl-next-door appeal (fake boobs notwithstanding), but I’d hoped to learn more about Bunny in a documentary bearing her name, since much of the Yeager “cheesecake” phase of Bettie’s life is given short shrift in the feature film in favor of the more risqué Klaw era. But no matter... it’s basically a full hour of a cute young woman posing in the nude, so I couldn’t really find much to complain about.

Rounding out the second disc are more photo galleries (including comparisons between the old shoots and the new), a short tease-style loop called “The Maid,” and a more straightforward interview with Richards, as well as an odd segment in which she describes her idea of the perfect date.

Technical quality is consistently high across both discs, with excellent attention to detail on the feature, and the fullscreen image features a striking color palette reminiscent of pastel-tinted ‘50s color pinup covers and postcards. The black & white Klaw recreations are intentionally stagy and overlit, in keeping with the clinically ordinary shooting style of the originals, but despite being shot on film, they resemble digital video with a rendered film-grain effect. Audio is a mixed bag: the cool Striptease-meets-Rockabilly musical score resonates perfectly, but the voice-over narration seems a bit over-cranked, making it even more out of place. The dialogue – which is out of sync on more than one occasion – also has a canned, late-era porno vibe to it... maybe that’s apropos.

As far as loving homage to a cult legend is concerned, the makers of BETTIE PAGE: DARK ANGEL are ultimately preaching to the choir – a choir of which I consider myself a proud member, thanks very much – and anyone unaware of the history behind Page’s indelible iconic image (apart from Goth clubs, biker tattoos, velvet paintings or Rockabilly album covers) will not be much enlightened. Still, it’s a fun romp for those of us enamored of all things Bettie – or just those who like to see chicks in vintage underwear, stiletto heels and opera gloves whacking each other’s fannies. Of course, I don’t know anything about that. Well, maybe a little. But it’s purely an esoteric interest. Mostly.

I’ll stop writing now before I get myself in more trouble.