DVD Review: Hugh Hefner - Playboy, Activist & Rebel

So you think you know Hugh Hefner? Think again... There's far more to the publishing magnate than playmates, boobs and controversy, as today's DVD release of Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist & Rebel. Read on for our review... Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist & Rebel delivers a fascinating insight into one of the world€™s best-known playboys. Featuring rare footage and interviews with a veritable who€™s who of American 20th century pop culture, this multi-award winning documentary presents a brilliant and entertaining snapshot of a truly extraordinary man. Known for his flamboyant ways (he once famously admitted to dating 11 out of 12 months of the Playboy calendar) his reputation as a lothario is world famous. Less public, however, are Hugh€™s endeavours as a political activist. Here, documented for the first time on film, are his fierce battles with the government, the religious right and militant feminists€ The documentary highlights how in fighting his battles, Hefner was arrested for obscenity, branded a pornographer under Reagan€™s Meese Commission, endured a boycott of his magazine, was under FBI surveillance and found himself set up on a fabricated drug charge. He has won every legal battle he has ever thought and, of course, his legendary lifestyle has continued unabated throughout! Many people probably think they know exactly who Hugh Hefner is. For most men he's probably considered a hero who helped us develop our burgeoning teenage sexuality. For many women he probably comes across as being a bit of a perv. It's undeniable that Hefner is certainly both of these, but if this documentary proves anything, it's that he's also so much more. This comprehensive film takes an in depth look at the character behind the Playboy magazine publication, as well as Hefner himself. Director Brigitte Berman does a sterling job to chronicle the creation of the magazine, as well as Hefner's personal development to create an engaging and informative film that reveals more about both than any other film, book or website gas ever been able to. The works hard to move past the centrefold spreads of the magazine to analyse Hefner's political persuasions and his ability to use the publication to voice these. For example, the film reveals Hef's decisions to ignore the pressures of the anti-communist movement in the US during the 1950s, by including blacklisted writers' works and publishing articles about those whose reputations had been destroyed by Senator Joseph McCarthy and his communist witch hunters. Similarly, Hefner strongly supported racial equality in a time when segregation and black oppression were the norm, as well as promoting acceptance of homosexuality when it was still considered a sordid taboo. These revelations help build a portrait of a complex and extremely intelligent man, who understood that a little bit of sex would go a long way to sell a magazine that actually promotes a politically and socially aware philosophy for modern man. Berman's film transcends the boundaries of the titillating centrefolds at the heart of the Playboy brand to divulge that it is about more about exciting short stories and thought-provoking feature articles than sexy, nude women alone. Berman seamlessly blends archive, vintage footage with contemporary interviews with a host of celebrities, political figures and historians. Hefner himself discusses the magazine and his development of it, as well as the controversy and scandal that has surrounded it at various times. Other interviewees include Jenny McCarthy (Playmate of the Year, 1994), director George Lucas, Hollywood legend Tony Curtis, Jean Simmons (the notorious KISS rockstar) and Tony Bennett (the popular crooner) to name but a few. Each interviewee adds volumes to the documentary, offering a variety of opinions and insights into Hefner and the Playboy brand. In addition to the interviews, Berman incorporates a huge volume of vintage footage relating to both Hefner himself and the various products under the Playboy umbrella. Clips from the Playboy Penthouse show, various television interviews and home videos help paint the picture of Hefner as a political activist and a liberal man who actually used his brand as a mouthpiece for equality, political freedom and moralistic values. Engaging and informative clips (particularly from the Playboy Penthouse and Playboy After Dark series) reveal Hefner's inclusion of blacklisted personalities during the Communist witch-hunting McCarthy era of the mid-1950s to early 1960s, as well as his total disregard for segregation laws in particular. Berman uses these clips well to demonstrate the point she is making through the interview segments, creating a film that will keep viewers entertained and well informed. QUALITY The visual and audio quality of the film is proficient, with very little to complain about. The images vary in quality due to the nature of the source material, but for the most part are very good. The contemporary interviews are generally free from grain and other distortion, but (understandably) the majority of the vintage footage suffers from some form of distortion. However, none of these segments are even approaching unwatchable and actually look extremely good for their age. The audio quality does also vary, but again is solid for the majority of the film. The contemporary interviews remain audible throughout, with ambient sound kept to a minimum (although the moment a bird €“ we assume a pet? €“ flies behind Hefner's former assistant couldn't be anything but distracting!). The audio on the archive clips is less flawless, with many sequences suffering from heavy background static noise and occasional muffled speech. But again, these predominantly sound very good for their age and remain intelligible enough for audiences to understand their significance in the makeup of the narrative. EXTRAS There are no extras accompanying the film unfortunately. Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist & Rebel is available now on DVD.