Bettie Page Double Feature Blu-ray -Varietease | Teaserama

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Bettie Page Double Feature [2 X Blu-ray]

Varietease | Buxom Beautease | Teaserama

Experience the golden age of burlesque in this titillating triple feature of 1950s grindhouse classics, newly restored from the original negatives. Pinup goddess Bettie Page shares the screen with striptease legend Tempest Storm in the holy grails of full-color burlesque films: Varietease (1954) and Teaserama (1955). Directed by girlie-pix impresario Irving Klaw, the dance card includes performances by strip queens Lili St. Cyr, tantalizing Trudy Wayne, and “female impersonator” Vickie Lynn, interspersed with obligatory appearances by baggy-pants comics and sunny songsters. Concluding the trilogy is Klaw’s Buxom Beautease (1956), which incorporates the short color film Striptease Revealed, and features incendiary performances by Blaze Starr and Dorian Dennis. Working in collaboration with Something Weird, the Sonney Amusement Enterprises Film Collection, and the UCLA Film & Television Archive, Kino Lorber has performed meticulous 4K restorations of these essential films, introducing them to a new generation of burlesque aficionados.

Posters

Theatrical Release: 1954 - 1956

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Review: Kino Cult #7 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	Varietease: 1:07:52.651 Teaserama: 1:06:56.262 Buxom Beautease 1:19:14.124
Video	1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc One Size: 45,753,750,428 bytes Disc Two Size: 47,711,192,751 bytes Varietease: 22,065,813,504 bytes Teaserama: 15,237,500,928 bytes Buxom Beautease: 17,907,916,800 bytes Video Bitrate: 39.42 - 26.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Teaserama Blu-ray:
Bitrate Buxom Beautease Blu-ray:
Bitrate Varietease Blu-ray:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1557 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1557 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentaries: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kino 1.33:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc One Size: 45,753,750,428 bytes Disc Two Size: 47,711,192,751 bytes Varietease: 22,065,813,504 bytes Teaserama: 15,237,500,928 bytes Buxom Beautease: 17,907,916,800 bytes Video Bitrate: 39.42 - 26.99 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Audio Commentary for Teaserama by Jo Weldon, Author of The Burlesque Handbook • Audio Commentary for Varietease by Film Historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas • Audio Commentaries for the SWV Versions of Teaserama and Varietease by David F. Friedman and Mike Vraney • Theatrical Trailers (Teaserama - 2:22 / Varietease - / Buxom Beautease - 2:12) Blu-ray Release Date: May 21st, 2024 Standard Blu-ray Case inside slipcase Chapters 9 / 10 / 12

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (May 2024): Kino Cult have transferred a Bettie Page Double Feature to Blu-ray; Varietease and Teaserama, plus a third burlesque compilation effort entitled Buxom Beautease. This is the seventh edition of Kino's sub-label that is described as; "Kino Cult is a deep dive into unapologetically weird genre cinema, blending recent arthouse discoveries with hundreds of outrageous midnight movies and grindhouse classics. These classics have been amazingly restored and have NEVER looked better!" The first six Kino Cult titles before are Lorna the Exorcist, Alien Outlaw, The Dark Power, Sinner - the Secret Diary of a Nymphomania, Underworld aka Transmutations and Drifter.

The Bettie Page Double Feature transfers are described as "4K Restorations of Teaserama and Varietease from the 16mm Original Camera Negatives" and a "4K Restoration of Buxom Beautease from the 35mm Camera Negative and 16mm Materials". There are also the slightly longer versions (Something Weird Video editions) of Varietease and Teaserama in HD. Aside from a couple of weaker moments (green vertical scratches, frame-specific marks etc. - see samples below) the vast majority of the 1080P is far superior than I would have anticipated; bright colors, decent contrast on the black and white segments and authentic <cough cough> skin tones.

NOTE: We have added 42 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono tracks (24bit) in the original English language. The only dialogue is the interspersed stand-up routines by the likes of comedians Joe E. Ross and Dave Starr. There is performance music by Ben Blossner, Irma Hollander and Metis (their only film credits) sounding authentically flat and lounge-y. Included is Ridin' Down Manhattan Way and A Parisian Honeymoon performed by Cass Franklin and Monica Lane, I'm a Bridesmaid, but Never a Bride performed by Christine Nelson, and Broken Toy performed by Bobby Shields. Kino offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers commentaries for for Teaserama by Jo Weldon, author of The Burlesque Handbook - for Varietease by film historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (1000 Women In Horror, 1895-2018) - and older commentaries for the SWV versions of Teaserama and Varietease by David F. Friedman (author of A Youth in Babylon: Confessions of a Trash-Film King) and Mike Vraney (Grindhouse Purgatory and 'Something Weird Video' founder) I haven't fully indulged but there is talk of the specific performers, their history, "Pin-up King" Irving Klaw, the longer version inserts, Bettie Page, evolution of burlesque and much more. There are also theatrical trailers for Teaserama, Varietease and Buxom Beautease. There is reversible artwork (see below) and a slipcase.

Kino's double Blu-ray package of Bettie Page with Varietease (1954,) Teaserama (1955) and Buxom Beautease (1956) without Page - is essentially compilations of classic burlesque shows; pin-up style posing, erotic quasi-dancing interrupted by ribald comedy routines, a song and dancing numbers etc. Bettie Page was Playboy Playmate (1955), and is the most famous in the shows with her jet-black hair and bangs, blue eyes, oft remembered for her bondage/fetish photos that had a resurgence of popularity in the 1980s. Teaserama was the last mainstream film where Bettie Page had a major role. In 1959, she converted to evangelical Christianity and ended up working for Billy Graham. Also notable is, former ballerina, Lili St. Cyr - a regular of 1950s tabloids (she was married six times) who reportedly had many suicide attempts. Her nickname was the "Anatomic Bomb." Also seen are female impersonator Vicki Lynn, redhead "The Queen Of Exotic Dancers" Tempest Storm (see book Tempest Storm: The Lady Is a Vamp), and others, with names like 'Twinnie Wallen', 'Lolly Dorsen', 'Blaze Star', 'Eve Adams' and 'Cherrie Knight'. It much classier than I was anticipating - these are non-nude, pretty women sauntering around in tight gowns - stripping to lingerie with frequent come-hither glances. A few of the numbers are... impressively gymnastic. Bottom line; far less-sleazy than you might think. Very watchable - beyond a historical curiosity. Absolutely recommended.