>The procrastinator’s almost-too-late gift-giving guide to kinky cinema

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Dec 192008
 

>Maybe it’s our masochistic streak, but we always find ourselves waiting until it’s really almost too late before we kick into gift-giving mode during the holiday season. Ahhhh the sweet torture…the rush of adrenalin, the sense of impending danger as we fear we’ve really done it this time…followed by the relief of just barely squeaking it out in time!

For those of you who also indulge in this ritualistic practice of self-abuse, a few choice tidbits of cinematic kink for your giving pleasure, all available with a little extra penance paid in the form of two-day (next-day?!) shipping via Amazon.

But hurry! Or not, if you really enjoy your punishments:

Preaching to the Perverted
As we mentioned earlier, there’s a new Guinevere Turner-hosted edition of this sexy saga, the tale of a fresh-faced (and suit-wearing!) moral crusader who attempts to infiltrate the lair of fetish goddess Tanya Cheex (aka Guinevere Turner!). (Winner, Audience Choice Award for Best Narrative Feature, CineKink ’03)

Silken Sleeves
Just in time for the new year, director Maria Beatty celebrates the four seasons of kink in the form of bondage diva Midori lavishing all kinds of attention on the helpless and beautiful Maya. Fall, winter, spring…mmm, summer! (Winner, Audience Choice Award for Best Experimental Feature, CineKink ’08)

Swingtown: The First Season
Oh, the swinging seventies! We’re still waiting for news that this engagingly sex-positive ABC(!) series will be back for another round–yep, we’re masochists–but in the meantime, here’s the first, glorious season all in one place.

The Notorious Bettie Page
We were all sad to learn of the passing of Bettie Page. This homage, directed by Mary Harron and starring Gretchen Mol, is a moving and tender portrait of the infamous pin-up star and the people who both created and consumed the imagery for which she’s known best. (Winner, CineKink Tribute, CineKink ’06)

Film Festival Secrets: A Handbook for Independent Filmmakers
You wouldn’t step into a dungeon without knowing how not to flog somebody in the kidneys–well, at least you shouldn’t. Similarly, don’t set forth on the path of the film festival circuit without having some clue of what you’re doing. Here’s that and more, all jammed into one handy, travel-ready tome.

So, there’s a good start! We’re going to keep this brief since, well, we’ve still got some shopping of our own to do, but more rummaging can be found in our CineKink @ Amazon section–with past festival selections available here!

Don’t mind the mess–we’re still moving things around. And get shopping!

>Remembering Bettie

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Dec 122008
 

>”I want to be remembered,” she said, “as I was when I was young and in my golden times. . . . I want to be remembered as the woman who changed people’s perspectives concerning nudity in its natural form.”

We’re sad to note that Bettie Page has passed away, reportedly never regaining consciousness after the heart attack she suffered late last week.

Quoted as above in today’s LA Times obituary, Bettie reportedly refused to allow herself to be photographed in her later years, so the iconic images she created in the 1950s are what we have to remember her by. A brief slideshow of just a few of these–including her Christmas-themed appearance as one of the first Playboy Playmates–accompanies a memoriam which her business agent has posted to her Bettie’s website. And with an “estimated 20,000 4-by-5-inch black-and-white glossy photographs taken by amateur shutterbugs from 1949 to 1957,” the internet is blessed with an abundance of tributes and remembrances (see uncredited photo, below).

Photobucket

Another homage, the film The Notorious Bettie Page, winner of the 2006 CineKink Tribute award, is a moving and tender portrait of the infamous pin-up star and the people who both created and consumed the imagery for which she’s best known. Below, its director and star, Mary Harron and Gretchen Mol, discuss the inspiration and legacy of Bettie Page and the impact she’s had on our perception of sexuality: