Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Murphy Howard I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

Griff Lees Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

SnoopyStyle This is a gushing unbalanced Canadian documentary praising the Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.It hits on all the highlights from the beginning. It's mostly about Playboy and its influence.There are a lot of famous talking heads, some of which are kind of surprising.But the rebuttal talking heads are really limited and sticking to the well worn arguments.It covers a lot of history. But it's one sided. Maybe the filmmaker should ask for a second opinion.

tomgillespie2002 We are all very familiar with the iconic brand that is the Playboy bunny. We are also familiar with the image of Hugh Hefner: An ancient Lothario; mannequin for a smoking jacket; pipe, and gallons of young, beautiful women, adoring him, as in the "reality-TV" horror that was The Girls of the Playboy Mansion. Some are unaware of his many political activities that he was involved in, in each decade since the 1950's. His involvement with the breaking of many socially draconian taboos and laws of sex, sexuality and the representation of these: Freedom of press and speech: The civil-rights movement: The anti Vietnam protesters of the late 1960's and early '70's: The Reaganomics of the 1980's and it's religious-extremist attitude towards "pornography". Hefner, according to this film, was active (if not systematic) in all of these 'historical' events that have instigated social change, not only in America, but throughout the western world. Perhaps this statement is too strong.This documentary, directed by Brigitte Berman (who had previously made the Academy award winning film, Artie Shaw: Time is All You've Got (1986)), tells the story of Hefner, not just as a magazine producer, but as a political activist. beginning with the publication of the magazine Playboy, the film charts Hefner's rise as an advocate of literature and for political polemics, published in a monthly men's paper that also riskily showed the naked female forms. Alongside the playmate-of-the-month's and centre-fold's there contained abridged, monthly sections of books by such writers as Ray Bradbury and Ian Fleming; interviews with political activists/thinkers such as Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Malcom X. The magazine was breaking taboos set by a repressive society. Historically Hefner was also embroiled in the HUAC (House UnAmerican Activities Committee), who's McCarthyism was seen as a dent in America's freedom and an infringement of the first amendment. We also discover that Hefner supported Lenny Bruce (at a time when it was seen as career suicide to do so) through his trials for obscenities on stage.Whilst the film focuses on these more flattering aspects of Hefner's life, it does skirt around many issues thrown at him by groups against his "objectification" of women. It does not fully explore the feminist and journalistic backlash that was aimed at him. I felt the film would benefit by exploring these issues, and present a less biased (less Hefner-centric) argument in the film, and it's issues of (particularly) sex and sexuality and all its representations. The film uses some very bizarre talking heads: Gene Simmons (well I guess he's probably met him, and probably reads Playboy) and George Lucas?? Hang on a minute! (Lucas oozes about as much sexuality as a brick oozes Virgina's). Aside from a few under-explored avenues of Hefner's career, this is still a flawed but entertaining documentary. We are shown that Hefner is not myopic in his outlook. He has been politically active and has given to many worthy causes. But, as he now is (seen by millions on reality TV), we just see an old man still unable to be monogamous, and surrounding himself in fresh, young girls, which are pushed aside annually for new meat. (Am I criticising that? Pfft!).www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

FilmRap Filmmaker Brigitte Berman won an Oscar for her documentary film about iconic musician Artie Shaw. Hugh Hefner is a great jazz aficionado and founded the acclaimed Playboy Jazz Festival which is how they had occasion to meet and get to know each other. Berman decided that she wanted to make a documentary about Hefner but one, which shows the largely unknown side of the man who in most people's minds represents the Playboy lifestyle of beautiful women and lots of sex. Hefner liked the idea of such a film and gave Berman free access to his vast archives as well as participating in extensive interviews with her. Friends of Hefner such as James Caan, Tony Bennett, Dick Cavett, Joan Baez, Jessie Jackson, Jim Brown, Bill Maher, Dick Gregory and others also gave very fascinating interviews. What emerged in the two hour and 4 minute film was a picture of a hardworking man who was determined to be a success. He loved women (many women) and did not believe that he was demeaning them by making them sexual objects. More to the point of the documentary, he had a sense of fairness and acceptance that was completely color blind at a time when much of the country and certainly the entertainment industry was not. He did not allow discrimination towards blacks to occur in his Playboy Clubs and commonly showcased black entertainers on his after hours TV shows. Interviews with Jessie Jackson, Jim Brown and Dick Gregory were extremely clear on this point. Hefner also did not hesitate to have writers, who were blacklisted as communists or communist sympathizers by the nefarious Senator Joseph McCarthy, to continue to write for Playboy magazine under their own name, which was unheard of at that time.He also had blacklisted performers on this television show. This film is not only enlightening about these contributions of this man but it also is quite entertaining as it includes wonderful clips of Sammy Davis Junior performing as well as ad-libbing on the Hefner TV show. There was a young Tony Bennett performing in his relaxed style. We saw a beautiful Joan Baez singing and youthful Pete Seeger doing his thing with some injected clips of the craggy older Seeger reflecting on the significance of Hefner's support of him and his causes. James Mark Stewart provided an excellent original score for the background of most of the movie There are a few counterpoints to the Hefner's views about sexuality and the Playboy life style which are periodically presented in the film by such people as Susan Brownmiller, Pat Boone and others. They are shown as weak rebuttals, at times almost humorous. It is clear that this film is an admiring tribute to Hefner now in his 80s. Ms. Berman director, producer, writer and editor told us that Hefner was extremely pleased and touched after seeing the documentary. The filmmaker said that she wanted to show him objectively as he really was which led me to ask her if there was anything in the film that Hefner didn't like? She said no. The film comes to an end with Hefner being true to his philosophy and reinventing himself after two marriages by now having seven intimate girlfriends which he then cuts down three. There is a very revealing statement by this older guy reflecting on his life. He indicated that he understands that his outgoing life style of loving and enjoying many women has to do with the fact that his parents were very cold and rejecting. In fact as a child he says he was never hugged. Even though he has had a very successful life, it is sad to see the lingering effects of what has been missing from his childhood.

Lilcount I attended the New York premiere of this film at MOMA on Mar. 18, 2010. In attendance were Dick Cavett, Tony Bennett, Barry Melton of Cowboy Joe and the Fish, Christie Hefner among other interviewees who appeared in the film. Sadly, as one of the curators remarked, the "comps" outnumbered the general public.Director Brigitte Berman has directed over 100 short docs for Canadian TV. She met Hefner while researching her Bix Beiderbecke biopic. Hefner, she realized, was more than a mere pornographer. The Playboy founder agreed at once to give Berman unfettered access to his archives and complete artistic control of the project.A remarkable aspect of this film is the showcasing of the outstanding entertainers Hefner featured on his two syndicated TV shows. Pete Seeger and Lenny Bruce made rare TV appearances for Hefner in the late '50's while they were still blacklisted by the 3 major networks. Comedian and activist Dick Gregory got his start working in the Playboy key clubs. And Hefner was among the first producers to show integrated musical acts on TV.To her credit, Berman gives time to critics of Hefner's "Playboy Philosophy." Christian devotee Pat Boone and feminist icon Susan Brownmiller get to express their misgivings with Hefner. (Onetime Playboy bunny and feminist Gloria Steinem declined to be interviewed.) It's clear, however, whose side Ms. Berman is on.Unfortunately, not enough time is devoted to the tragic death of Dorothy Stratten. After the screening, I asked the director if she had approached Stratten's intended, Peter Bogdanovich. Ms. Berman said she had not. She explained that so much had already been aired publicly about this sad affair that it would take off and derail her film if she pursued it in depth. Still, to include it solely to "explain" Hefner's subsequent mild stroke seems inadequate.Berman said her first rough cut was over seven hours and she worked hard to trim it to about two. In my view the film is too short. There was nary a mention of Hefner's career as a film producer. (Playboy Enterprises produced Roman Polanski's "Macbeth", one of the finest Shakespearean films ever made.)But she hinted that the DVD would have plenty of extras to satisfy completists like me.This film will have a limited US release in NY and LA this summer and undoubtedly end up on PBS and other networks. Hugh Hefner, like him or not, is a major figure in 20th Century American cultural history, and this film is not to be missed. Highly recommended.