Exposed: Beyond Burlesque

A nude man sitting on the neck of a bottle and another pretending to staple his scrotum to his thigh (please, God, tell me he’s pretending) – these are all par for the course in this fun and celebratory doc about the sharp end of the current US burlesque scene. Director Beth B hangs out backstage, on stage and at home with a handful of performers, including Rose Wood (who we meet on both sides of his breast op) and Brit star Mat Fraser, who is interviewed in bed with his work and life partner Julie Atlas Muz. The interviewees talk frankly about their motivations and the relationships between their art and lives, but most valuable is the footage of their performances. If you’ve never been to a burlesque show, now you know what you’re missing. The dedication and warmth of the performers are infectious.