Mansfield 66/67

Mansfield 66/67 (2017)

*** (out of 4)

This documentary is being sold as something that takes a look at the last couple years in the life of Jayne Mansfield but the truth of the matter is that the documentary takes a look at whether or not she was a Satanist and whether Anton LaVey had put a curse on her that led to her death.

MANSFIELD 66/67 is a rather strange documentary but there's no question that it's quite entertaining in its own way. If people are expecting something taking a look at her films or various other things she was doing during this period then they might be disappointed. These items are briefly covered but the main focus of the picture is on her relationship with LaVey on what curse he might have put on her.

For the most part this is an entertaining documentary that has some nice interviews but I think it was a bit over-directed. I say that because there are some animated sequences as well as a lot of clips from movies in no way connected to Mansfield. I thought this took away from the story a bit as they didn't add anything. With that said, it's still fun to see the dark side of her final two years as the film obviously wants to help add to the myth of her dying young.

As that was when I decided to switch it off. I wanted a Jayne Mansfield documentary, not a pretentious art student project,

Even Jayne Mansfield was classier than this, which is saying a LOT. Cut out the bad dancing and music! There are a lot of free Mansfield documentaries on YouTube far better than this.

Insufferable.

Tongue-in-cheek documentary on late actress Jayne Mansfield, bombshell of the 1950s, popular for her curves, eye-popping bust and platinum blonde hair. A would-be heir to Marilyn's throne, Jayne's career was sidetracked in the early '60s after she married bodybuilder/actor Mickey Hargitay and started having children. Twentieth Century-Fox dropped her contract, she supposedly turned down the role of Ginger on "Gilligan's Island", and wound up in rank B-movies before her tragic death in 1967. Interviews with historians, writers, actors and cult figures reestablish all the rumors movie-buffs have already heard a dozen times over, including how she died, her connection to Satan worshipper Anton LeVey, her high IQ, and the number of languages she spoke. It's a colorful, movie magazine-styled gossip-fest but not likely to be of much interest outside of Mansfield's devotees. ** from ****

Pros: The story and discussion therein about Mansfield and LaVey is incredible, especially with this diverse cast of speakers, ranging from in-depth scholars to contemporaries of the period. A great story that deserves to be told.

Cons: While the actual meat of the film is great, the rest is less than stellar. The entirety of the film is interspersed with numerous vignettes, dance sequences, cartoons, and recreations of the events depicted, which range from tone-deaf to absolutely cringe-worthy. It looks cheap, it feels forced, it adds nothing of interest to the film, it's poorly timed and janky, the acting is terrible, the editing is abysmal, the subject matter is often in poor taste, and it ultimately destroys the pacing of an otherwise really entertaining story. I would much rather have more footage of Mansfield and LaVey than watch a bunch of after-school actors in wigs stumble through an improv freestyle dance in an empty studio.