Calling all cinephiles with a taste for the daring and different! Are you ready to jump into the wild world of gay cinema where boundaries are shattered and conventions are thrown out the window? Well, grab your popcorn (and maybe a fainting couch!), because we're about to embark on a journey through six shocking and outrageous gay movies that will leave you speechless!
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Hi, it's Steve from The Gay Dolls.
00:02Buckle up and be prepared for six shocking and outrageous gay films.
00:06Calling all you cinephiles with a taste for daring are different.
00:09Are you ready to jump into a wild world of gay cinema where boundaries are shattered
00:13and conventions are thrown out the window?
00:16Well grab your popcorn and maybe a fainting couch because we're about to embark on a journey
00:20through six shocking and outrageous gay movies that will leave you speechless.
00:24From the groundbreaking social commentary of A Different Story, made in 1978, to the
00:28raw intimacy of Staircase, made in 1969, we'll delve into films that push the envelope
00:34and spark controversy.
00:35We'll also explore the captivating and sometimes unsettling transformation of, say, I Am Michael
00:402015, examining faith, sexuality and the complexities of identity.
00:46But be warned, these films aren't for the faint-hearted.
00:48We'll encounter campy humour, shocking twists and themes that might challenge your comfort
00:52zone.
00:53But hey, isn't that what great cinema is all about?
00:56Breaking conversations, pushing boundaries and leaving lasting impressions.
01:00So settle in and get ready to be surprised, maybe even a little scandalised as we delve
01:04into this outrageous and unforgettable world of six groundbreaking gay movies.
01:08So let's get started.
01:09P.S.
01:10Don't forget to hit the subscribe button, like and leave a comment below telling me
01:13any outrageous gay movies you think could be on our next list.
01:17How we'll go through this, I'll just go through the film, I'll just give you a bit of synopsis
01:20of each film, some of the key points, a little bit of maybe some gossip, and end up with
01:25some reviews and then just a final comment from myself.
01:28So, here we go.
01:30Now number six today is Staircase, made in 1969, starring Richard Burton and Rex Harrison,
01:35and directed by Richard Donan, who, by the way, is not gay.
01:39The 1969 film Staircase is a character-driven drama focusing on an ageing gay couple living
01:45in London, Harry, played by Richard Burton, and Charlie, played by Rex Harrison.
01:49The film takes its place primarily within their flat above their barber shop, showcasing
01:53their complex and volatile relationship.
01:56It's a British comedy-drama film adapted of a two-character play, also called Staircase
02:01by Charles Dyer, also not gay.
02:03So, some key points here.
02:05It's set in London in 1969, and the character is Harry, who's a barber, bald and prone to
02:11anxiety.
02:12Charlie is a former actor, flamboyant, facing legal troubles.
02:16The plot, navigating their past and future together, the couple grapples with ageing,
02:20social pressures and personal anxieties.
02:23Harry faces health conditions, while Charlie awaits trial for a public indecency charges
02:28relating to dressing in drag.
02:30They also contend with the impending visit of Charlie's estranged daughter, adding another
02:34layer of tension.
02:35The themes throughout this film are ageing, love, relationships, social expectations,
02:40sexuality and self-acceptance.
02:42The style of the film is intimate, dialogue-driven and dramatic.
02:46You can see it was a play.
02:48Some reviews criticised the film for its limited scope and potentially regressive views on
02:53homosexuality.
02:54However, it remains a significant entry into gay cinema history, offering a glimpse into
02:59experiences and challenges faced by gay men in that era.
03:03One interesting point about this film is the director, Richard Donen, who, as I said earlier,
03:08is not gay.
03:09And look, I'm not hung up on this, everyone has to be gay that's involved in a gay film.
03:13I think straight people can play roles in a gay film, and that's what actors are for.
03:17But of course, these days there's a lot of comment about this.
03:20But with this director, I'm not sure why he would have chose to direct this film.
03:25This is the man who made On the Town, Royal Wedding, Singing in the Rain, Seven Brides
03:30for Seven Brothers, Damn Yankees and all of these wonderful films, and I just find it
03:34a bit strange that he would have directed this particular one.
03:38The performances of Rex Harrison and Richard Burton, I actually felt it was over the top.
03:44I thought it sort of made Mr Humphreys in Are You Being Served almost a little bit straight.
03:49I just thought this was just so over the top, and I sort of wonder what audiences would
03:54have thought of gay people after watching this film.
03:57So very strange.
03:59And also, another thing, I guess where would this film have been shown?
04:02I can hardly imagine this being a wide release.
04:04Anyway, a couple of reviews now just to end up on Staircase.
04:09Vincent Canby from the New York Times wrote, although Burton and Harrison are interesting
04:13actors, whose styles command attention even when the material does not.
04:18Staircase is essentially a shunt movie.
04:20Unlike Harry and Charlie, who eventually come to edgy terms with the emptiness of their
04:25lives, I couldn't quite come to terms with the emptiness of this movie.
04:29Variety wrote that Harrison and Burton had dead, risky roles and had triumphed, but noted
04:35the film comes uncomfortably close to being depressing.
04:38Robert Ebert gave the film one star out of four, calling it an unpleasant exercise in
04:43bad taste.
04:44Donan gives us no warmth, humour or even a dregs of understanding.
04:48He exploits the improbable team of Rex Harrison and Richard Burton as a sideshow attraction.
04:54Funnily enough, the music for this film was composed by Dudley Moore, and a slight change
04:59to the marketing plan, so instead of marketing it as a comedy drama as it was, the studio
05:04then treated it like a camp comedy.
05:06So a very confusing marketing plan.
05:09I just can't imagine Mr and Mrs Suburbs going to see this at the mall and walking out having
05:15a good time.
05:16It's a disturbing kind of film.
05:18I know even my mother hated this film, I remember we watched it one time, it was on like a lunch
05:23time on TV, and halfway through the film she said, turn this off, I can't stand them arguing
05:28anymore.
05:29And I have to say, it's a long slog, I did watch it later on, and it's a funny film,
05:35I'd be interested to see if anyone's seen it or what you think of it.
05:38Surprisingly enough, it's available on YouTube for free, but I will leave all of those links
05:42down below.
05:43Now at number 5 is Can't Stop The Music, 1980.
05:47I mean, what a hoot this film is.
05:50It's a pseudo-biographical musical comedy loosely based on the formation of the disco
05:54group called The Village People.
05:56While featuring the group and their music, it takes significant liberties with their
05:59individual stories and combines them into a fictionalised narrative.
06:03Here's a quick breakdown of this film.
06:06The plot sicks aspiring performers with different personalities and flamboyant costumes, inspired
06:11by the Village People's iconic uniforms, meet in New York City and chase their dreams of
06:15the dance floor stardom.
06:17The series of mishaps and commercial adventures they overcome obstacles, find love and eventually
06:22join forces to create a disco sensation.
06:25Each character represents a specific persona associated with the Village People through
06:29their backstories and personality as I said is a fictionalised version.
06:33Examples, Steve Guttenberg plays a disco cowboy, Valium Peran plays a construction worker etc.
06:39The style of this film is so over the top, campy and filled with extravagant dance numbers
06:44and disco music.
06:46Think brightly coloured costumes, outrageous sets and energetic choreography.
06:51Of course the sad thing about this film is that when it came out, I think the disco era
06:54was over, it was quite a shock too because Stingwood had made Grease, and of course Grease
06:59was such a huge success set in the 50s, and then this one came out set in the 80s with
07:04the disco, and of course disco was over and the Village People, even though it's still
07:08loved today, this particular film is, I'm not sure what they were thinking here, it's
07:13just so crazy, surely when they sat down and watched this after they'd made it, watched
07:17the final cut and thought, no this is just too over the top.
07:21But you know, it was released and there you go.
07:24But the reception of course, upon the release the film received very mixed reviews, understandably
07:29so, some praising it for its campy humour and catchy music, while others criticised
07:33its plot and acting, however it does hold a cult following among some viewers for its
07:38nostalgic charm and over the top disco vibes.
07:41One thing to say of course is that the Village People were huge during the disco period,
07:46if you remember that YMCA and In The Navy, Go West, all of those great songs that were
07:51just huge huge hits, so I guess when they signed up for this the producers probably
07:56thought yep, we've got a massive hit because these guys are so popular.
07:59Despite featuring the Village People and their music, the film does not accurately portray
08:03their actual history or struggles, the film received criticism for its stereotypical and
08:07potential offensive portrayal of certain characters and situations, I think we're talking gay
08:12here.
08:13Some reviews though, the New York Times gave this film a scratchy kind of review, calling
08:17it thoroughly homogenised.
08:20Variety magazine felt likewise, writing, The Village People, along with ex-Olympian decathlon
08:25champion Bruce Janet, now Caitlyn, have a long way to go in their acting stakes.
08:30I agree.
08:31Gene Seascale and Robert Ebert selected the film as one of the dogs of the year in 1980's
08:35episode of Sneak Previews, and I can certainly understand why.
08:39This film is just, I don't know, it's really over the top, I mean you really sort of need
08:42to smoke something or get into some heavy red wine to enjoy this one, it's so much craziness
08:47going on.
08:48And the Bruce Janet character, I mean it's kind of funny to see him playing this role
08:51in this film and then what the story is now with Caitlyn Jenner, it's quite a funny sort
08:56of journey here.
08:57I think you'll enjoy this one, it's a lot of fun, and as I said it's kind of outrageous,
09:02more than shocking, but just so crazy.
09:05And some pretty cute guys in the gymnasium scenes, particularly that pool scene where
09:08they're all jumping in the pool, what a hoot for 1980.
09:11Now our number 4 movie is I Am Michael Wade in 2015, it's a journey of faith, identity
09:17and directed by Justin Kelly.
09:19I Am Michael is a biographical drama based on the real life story of Michael Glass, a
09:24prominent gay activist who undergoes significant personal transformation.
09:29With this film I always sort of think now, I look back and think this is like Boy Erased
09:33from 2018, I really found this film unnerving, but I will just go on here and come to my
09:40comments at the end.
09:41So some key points here, it's based on a New York Times Magazine article called My Ex-Gay
09:46It stars James Franco as Michael and Zachary Quinto as his boyfriend Bennett.
09:51The film explores Michael's journey from being a passionate advocate for gay rights to becoming
09:55involved in an ex-gay movement and subsequently becoming a Christian pastor.
10:00It portrays his internal struggles, evolving beliefs and the impact of choices on himself
10:05and those around him.
10:07So the themes of this film is faith, sexuality, identity, conversion therapy, self-acceptance
10:11and personal growth.
10:13The film is very character driven, introspective and very thought provoking.
10:19The film presents a complex and controversial subject matter with Michael's actions and
10:23choices sparking debate and criticism.
10:25It avoids easy answers and portrays the nuance of his journey.
10:29While based on real events, the film takes creative liberties to present a dramatic narrative.
10:34The ex-gay movement depicted in the film is often criticised by gay advocate groups and
10:39major mental health organisations as ineffective and potentially harmful.
10:44So in this film we're exploring the intersection of faith and sexuality, understanding the
10:48concept of ex-gay narratives and examining personal journeys of transformation and self-discovery.
10:55I Am Michael may be a thought provoking film for you to consider, however it's important
10:59to approach it with an open mind and critical thinking, recognising the sensitive subject
11:03matter and the different perspectives it portrays.
11:06This film, as I said, it really annoyed me, this film, I just, I really disliked this,
11:13you know, that you could just switch gay on, switch gay off and how people would say, you
11:18know, like the old age, you know, you made this choice to be gay, you know, nobody makes
11:22this choice, everyone knows, I'm sure my audience knows, you know, you're gay, that's it, end
11:26of story, bisexual, it's a truck stop to gay, I mean basically it's about preferences here.
11:33So I sort of wonder with this film, it just, I found that how can you go from one totally
11:38extreme to another and, you know, Christianity, you know, I'm sure Christianity is accepting
11:44of all people, I'm not too sure why as a gay person you would feel that you need to prove
11:51your heterosexuality when in actual fact you're gay and let's face it, we all know that a
11:56lot of this ends with, you know, sad people, destroyed families, when the husband turns
12:03back to being gay or perhaps, you know, takes their own life, you know, it's a tragic story
12:09and I just felt this film, I just felt it really unnerving, so this is back into my
12:14outrageous and shocking films.
12:17Some of the reviews here though, Peter DeRouge of The Variety wrote, an unusual nuance for
12:22James Franco carrying this complex portrayal of a man who came out and fought to encourage
12:28other gay youth before converting to conservative Christianity and concluding that the film
12:33was too dry and kept the title character too distant found in his attempt to be impartial.
12:39Boyd Van Hoyle wrote in The Hollywood Reporter, thankfully the screenplay doesn't portray
12:46the story in simple terms of good or evil but doesn't mean there's quite enough nuance
12:51or insight to constantly elevate the material above the level of a well-made TV ready biopic.
12:57IndieWise Eric Cohen gave the film a B plus grade.
13:02Now once, as I said, this is not a film that I particularly enjoyed but I put it on this
13:06list because I thought, you know, I'd be interested to see what you guys all thought of this film.
13:11Like I said, to me I just found it annoying, I don't know that I would ever want to watch
13:15it again but interested to see what you think of this one before we move on.
13:19Don't forget to leave some comments down below about any of these films or any other
13:23films that you think should be on the list, and let's face it, there's probably hundreds
13:26of them, but we'll move through the list and move on to the next one.
13:29Number three is A Different Story Made in 1978.
13:33The line was, it's a twist on love and marriage directed by Paul Aaron.
13:37A Different Story is a 1978 American film that explores the themes of love, sexuality
13:43and societal expectations through unconventional relationships between two individuals navigating
13:49their identities.
13:50So here's a quick overview.
13:52The plot, Albert, a gay man facing eviction, finds temporary refuge with Stella, a lesbian.
13:58To avoid deportation, Albert proposes marriage of convenience to Stella, which she eventually
14:03accepts.
14:04As they live together, their initial arrangement unexpectedly develops into a deeper connection,
14:08challenging their perceptions of love and identity.
14:12Two characters here are Albert, an unemployed gay man struggling to find direction and acceptance,
14:17Stella, a successful real estate agent navigating her own romantic frustrations.
14:21The style in the film is dramatic with some comedic elements featuring realistic portrayals
14:26of the characters and their internal struggles, and the theme of course is marriage, love,
14:31gay identity, personal growth and defying social norms.
14:35The film depicts the relationship between Albert and Stella as evolving from friendship
14:39to romance, but it was made in 1978 and may not align with contemporary understandings
14:44of sexuality and relationships.
14:47The film has received mixed reviews over the years with some praise for its progressive
14:51themes and performances, while others criticising its stereotyping and handling of certain aspects
14:57of the characters' gay identities.
14:59I do suggest here that if you're interested, you might like unique stories exploring non-traditional
15:04marriage, examining social expectations around love and sexuality, witnessing characters
15:09navigate self-discovery and evolving identities.
15:12A different story might be a film worth checking out, however it's essential to approach it
15:17with historical content and the awareness of the potential of the dated portrayals.
15:22With this film, I did try and find out some information about the director Paul Aron,
15:27I can't find anything on this guy on his personal life as to whether he was gay or straight.
15:32I would have to think this film was made by a straight person, because once again we've
15:37got these characters who just overnight say, well, we're not gay anymore, we're going to
15:43fall in love and have babies and live happily ever after in a heterosexual life, which I
15:47find pretty frustrating in this film.
15:49Perry King of course, gorgeous, if you remember him in that full frontal and man dingo, wow,
15:53what a scene.
15:54Although not a bad film, I just sort of felt it was like a TV matinee movie made to please
15:59women that yes, gay men will turn into these straight guys as long as they're put in the
16:04right situation.
16:05I guess that's probably what every one of our mothers thought at the time.
16:09There was a couple of reviews for this one I've got for you, Janet Madsen of the New
16:12York Times laundered Meg Foster's aggressive vitality, but ultimately found the movie seriously
16:18flawed.
16:19Mr Aron's interpretation knows no bounds, especially when it comes to blasting an insignificant
16:24score, ending scenes as uninteresting moments and making the film's chronological order
16:30completely obscure.
16:31Gene Siskel of the Chicago Trib gave the film two stars out of four, calling it patronising
16:36because the film pretends to be like its characters' sexual preferences, but it really snickers
16:41at them.
16:42Arthur D. Murphy of Variety called it a first-class production whose only but serious flaw is
16:48Henry Olek's script that begins with a brilliant cleverness but then dissolves by a fade-out
16:53into a formula of banality.
16:56While in the Seattle Gay News, Bill Albert wrote that it's a real surprise that a different
17:01story is as rotten as a film as it is.
17:03The cheap bit of exploitation insults more than it instructs by combining a pointless
17:07and underdeveloped plot with an unending selection of homosexual stereotypes I thought were long
17:13since consigned to the trash heap.
17:16Particularly offensive is the unbelievable and undocumented contention that homosexuality
17:22is some sort of adolescent aberration that a drunken roll in the hay will cure.
17:27Scott Meek wrote in the Monthly Film Bulletin, despite the initial liberal facade with which
17:32it presents the central couple's homosexuality, the script remains problematic in the attitudes
17:38towards homosexuality and heterosexuality, both of which can be seen as an unsatisfactory
17:43element in the character's relationship.
17:45Ultimately, the difference of the story looks like an attempt to all things, sexuality as
17:50it were, to all people, and such likely to please very few.
17:54So true, this film, if you haven't seen this one, you'd have to actually watch it, but
17:57look, it's sort of one of those scenes you're sitting there thinking, this is so unbelievable,
18:00like, who wrote this crap?
18:02But I guess their performance is good, you know, the guys tried their absolute best with
18:07what they've got I guess, but this film, I mean, I don't know, maybe it's not shocking,
18:12but it's certainly outrageous.
18:15Number 2 is Myra Breckinridge, made in 1970.
18:19It was a controversial comedy film based on the novel by the same name by Gore Fidel,
18:23and directed by Michael Sahn.
18:25It's known for its campy humor, sexually explicit content, and exploration of gender identity
18:30and social norms.
18:31Here's a bit of a breakdown on this one.
18:34So the plot, Myra Breckinridge, a struggling actor, undergoes gender reassignment surgery
18:38to become Myra Breckinridge, however, Myra is far from the conventional picture of femininity.
18:44She's aggressive, sexually assertive, and determined to get revenge on her estranged
18:48uncle, Buck Loner, a wealthy acting school owner to claim her inheritance.
18:52So she poses as Myra's widow and causes chaos with her outrageous behavior.
18:58So the major characters on this one, Myra Breckinridge was played by Raquel Welch, a
19:02titular character, flamboyant and manipulative X-Man seeking revenge.
19:07Myra Breckinridge, played by Rex Reed, Myra's pre-surgery persona, portrays a less assertive
19:12but a successful character.
19:14Buck Loner, played by John Huston, the wealthy uncle, initially oblivious to Myra's true
19:19identity, and Letitia Van Allen, played wonderfully by Mae West, a sex-obsessed Hollywood agent
19:26who takes Myra under her wing.
19:27So basically, the themes of this film were gender identity and fluidity, sexual and social
19:32expectations, satire at camp, humor, revenge, and manipulation.
19:42The film was highly controversial upon its release for its depletion of sex and gender,
19:47with some finding it offensive, others praising its satire and dark humor.
19:51The portrayal of transgender characters might not reflect modern understanding of the gender
19:55identity and could be very insensitive to today's crowd.
19:58The film is often known for its campy style and over-the-top performances.
20:02I mean, I think Mae West probably wins the over-the-top performance, and I loved her
20:06performance in this.
20:08The rest of the film, as I said about Myra in a previous list, is...
20:12After watching this film, you sort of tend to think, you know, what the hell did I just
20:17This is so outrageous.
20:19Some of the scenes in this film, I mean, you can imagine them being totally shocking for
20:23a 1970, so a lot of fun with this one.
20:27The film sort of explores gender identity and social expectations in a provocative way,
20:32absolutely.
20:33Camp humor, over-the-top performances, totally.
20:35Be aware of the film's potential offensive and tainted content, when compared to Staircase,
20:41yeah.
20:42Myra Breckenridge might be a film to be considered, but approached with caution and an open mind,
20:45acknowledging its historical content and potentially problematic aspects.
20:49Gosh, I feel like we're going to watch Gone with the Wind, are they warning us?
20:53Some reviews here are for Myra.
20:55Upon its release, the film drew fiercely negative reviews, as I said, and was a box office flop.
21:00Times Magazine stated, Myra Breckenridge is about as funny as a child.
21:04It's an insult to intelligence, an affront to sensibility, and an abomination to the
21:08eye.
21:09The critic added, the film was so tasteless it represents some sort of nada in the history
21:13of American cinema.
21:14Whoa.
21:15The film's article gave the film half of one star out of four, writing, Screenwriters
21:20David Giller and Michael Tharn have mangled Gore Vidal's sexy and clever novel, Myra
21:24Breckenridge, in adapting it for the screen.
21:27Couture's nudity, Oak Fish's direction have replaced wit and mystery.
21:31Herb Kelly wrote in the Miami News, I now nominate Myra Breckenridge as the worst movie
21:36ever made.
21:37Nothing can touch it for its tasteless and boredom.
21:39Well, of course, these kind of reviews, looking back now, like, you know, 50 years later,
21:45these are the sort of things that make you want to watch this film, like, it's like
21:47The Valley of the Dolls, or one of those really campy Peyton Place, or A Summer Place, one
21:52of those sort of films.
21:53This one, like I said, is certainly an experience if you haven't seen it.
21:56I did mention, too, on the last list, I know some people wrote in the comments about Myra
22:01Breckenridge, about not being able to see it, or the availability.
22:04It is actually free on archive.org, and it's a really good stream.
22:08It's about a four gigabyte file, so the streaming is beautiful, but I will put that link down
22:13below.
22:15My last film on the list, our number one, it's not particularly a gay film, but I just
22:20wanted to give you an example of something that was shocking and controversial in the
22:251970s and a gay experience in the film, and the film this time, number one, is Deliverance,
22:32made in 1972.
22:34The quote line was A Descent Into Darkness, directed by John Borman.
22:39Deliverance was a 1972 American drama thriller film that explores the themes of masculinity,
22:44survival, and the potential dangers lurking beneath the surface of civilization.
22:48Now, the film Deliverance was based on a 1970 novel by James Dickey, who was previously
22:55a poet, and this was his first book.
22:58In 1998, the editors of Modern Library selected Deliverance as number 42 on their list of
23:05100 best 20th century novels.
23:07In 2005, the novel was included on Time magazine's list of 100 best English language novels written
23:14since 1923.
23:16So this was a bestseller, so as you can imagine, when it turned into the film, one could assume
23:22this was going to be a hit.
23:24A lot of people had already knew what was going to happen in this film, so, but of course
23:30there's a massive population that go and see films that don't actually read the book before,
23:34or you know, a lot of people recommend and say, don't read the book, just go and see
23:38the film because you'll always be let down.
23:40So, a lot of things about this particular film, but we'll get more into the shocking
23:45story of Deliverance soon.
23:47So just a basic plot outline, four Atlanta businessmen embark on a canoe trip down a
23:52remote river in Georgia before it's dammed, seeking adventure and a connection with nature.
23:58Their journey takes a terrifying turn when they encounter hostile locals and face unexpected
24:03dangers in the wilderness.
24:05Their fight for survival forces them to confront their own inner demons and challenge their
24:09perceived notions of manhood.
24:11Now our main characters in this film is Louis Medoc, played by Burt Reynolds, the confident
24:17and experienced leader of the group who finds insecurities beneath his bravado.
24:21Now this of course for Burt Reynolds was I think around the same time as he did the centerfold
24:25for Playgirl, so he was a huge star and idolized by men and women, so he was just beautiful.
24:34Another character here is Ed Gentry, played by John Voight, also John Voight would have
24:38been around the time of Midnight Cowboy, so also hot for male and female.
24:43More hesitant and level-headed than Louis, but he harbors anxieties about the trip.
24:47Bobby Tripp, played by Ned Beattie, the group's jokester, quick to anger and lack of self-awareness.
24:54Drew Ballinger, played by Ronnie Cox, the quiet and introspective musician drawn to
24:58the natural beauty of the wilderness.
25:01The themes for this film really were masculinity and its fragility, nature is both beautiful
25:07and threatening, the potential for violence and its impact, the fight for survival and
25:11moral consequences.
25:13Now the violence scene that actually changes the whole direction of Deliverance, because
25:17you know we're dueling banjos at the beginning, and then we're in the canoe and we're paddling
25:21and all having fun and camping.
25:23Ed and Bobby encounter a pair of mountain men, they're in two separate canoes, one's
25:28carrying a shotgun and missing two front teeth, following an argument Bobby is forced by the
25:32men to undress, and the unarmed man robs him, demanding he squeal like a pig, while
25:37Ed is tied to the tree and held at gunpoint.
25:40Louis sneaks up and kills the rapist using his bow and arrow.
25:45I think you can imagine what the censorship would have been like for this film having
25:48something like this happening.
25:50The squeal like a pig sequence of course is the famous sequence from Deliverance, several
25:54people have been credited with the phrase squeal like a pig, the now famous line spoken
25:59during the graphic scene.
26:01Ned Beattie said he thought of it while he and actor Bill McKinney, who played the rapist,
26:06were improvising the scene.
26:07James Dickey's son Christopher wrote in his memoir about the film production, The Summer
26:12of Deliverance, that because Borman had rewritten so much dialogue for the scene that one of
26:17the crewmen suggested that Beattie's character should squeal like a pig.
26:21Borman in a DVD commentary he made for the film said the line was used because the studio
26:26wanted the male scene to be filmed in two ways, one for a cinematic release and one
26:31that would be acceptable for television.
26:33As Borman did not want to do that, he decided that the phrase squeal like a pig suggested
26:37by liaison Frank Rickman was a good replacement for the original dialogue in the script.
26:42Reynolds later recalled the scene was so uncomfortable cameramen avoid watching.
26:47Reynolds opted to interrupt the filming, Reynolds said, I asked John Borman, the director, why
26:51did you let it go so long, he said, I wanted it to take it as far as I could with the audience.
26:55I figured you'd run in, we'd get it done and move out.
27:00So of course this film with this scene and then progresses on, you know, I mean, I know
27:05I've done a spoiler for you anyway, but if you haven't seen the film, which I'm sure
27:09all of my audience would have seen the film, maybe not recently, so it's perhaps time to
27:12see it again on the Blu-ray version.
27:15It is spectacular.
27:16It's so beautiful.
27:17I'm not sure if there's a 4K version yet, but it is spectacular.
27:21While considered a classic by many, the film has attracted criticism for its graphic content
27:26and disturbing themes.
27:27And basically it's saying that thrillers that explore the dark side of human nature, stories
27:32about survival in unforgiving environments, movies that challenge traditional ideas of
27:36masculinity.
27:37Deliverance may be a film worth watching, but, once again, be aware of potential disturbing
27:42content and approach it with an open mind and critical thinking.
27:46Some of the reviews here, Gene Ziskell of the Chicago Trib gave the film 4 out of 4
27:51and wrote, it's a gripping horror story that at times may force you to look away from the
27:55screen, but it's so beautifully filmed that your eyes will eagerly return.
28:00Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times called it an engrossing adventure, demonstrated
28:04a labour of love carried by Voight and Reynolds.
28:08Gary Unler of the Washington Post wrote that the film was certainly a distinctive, gripping
28:11piece of work, with a deliberately brooding, ominous tone and visual style that will put
28:16you in a grave, fearful frame of mind almost in spite of yourself.
28:21Not all reviews were positive, Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film a mixed
28:252.5 stars out of a possible 4.
28:28He declared the film was admittedly effective on the level of Simple Adventure and had good
28:32performances particularly from Voight and Reynolds, however Ebert also wrote that Deliverance
28:37totally fails in its attempts to make some kind of significant statement about its action.
28:42It's possible to consider civilised men in a confrontation with the wilderness without
28:46throwing in rapes, cowboy and Indian stunts and pure sensationalism.
28:50I mean I don't know if I agree with that, I mean I just think it's a great film, it
28:54was based on a great book.
28:55So it kind of hits this list because let's face it, it was shocking and it wasn't controversial
29:00for 1972, a graphic rape, where I lived it was a restricted film that you had to be 18
29:07and over to see this, I know they did have censorship issues in the USA and the United
29:12Kingdom with this one.
29:14One interesting point about Deliverance, it was actually nominated for Best Film, it was
29:19in 1972, what a year, Cabaret, Deliverance, The Immigrants, The Godfather and Sounder.
29:26And of course The Godfather won Best Picture.
29:29So I would just like to say that if you haven't seen this, I will leave links down below for
29:34how to see Deliverance, I know you will enjoy this film.
29:37Well that's a wrap on our controversial and shocking list for this time, we've looked
29:42at 6 films that define expectations, they certainly ignite conversations and maybe even
29:47leave you a little bit speechless, from the disco fever of Can't Stop The Music to the
29:50unsettling complexities of Deliverance, each movie took us on a journey into a world of
29:55great gay cinema.
29:56Remember these films are just the springboard and we'll keep digging for more great ones
30:00to talk about, keep questioning and keep discovering the vast and diverse landscape of gay stories
30:04on the screen.
30:06Before you head out, leave a comment below, tell me what film shocked you the most, which
30:09left you thinking, which one you thought was outrageous and which one do you think deserves
30:13a really big shout out.
30:15Hit the subscribe button for more discussions and movie content, and don't forget to like
30:20as this helps out the videos on the YouTube algorithm.
30:23Share the vlog with your friends who love good movies, even if it comes with a side
30:26shock of controversy.
30:27I hope you enjoyed this list, I will leave links below on how to see these films, and
30:32I'll see you next time, this is Steve from The Gay Dolls, bye for now!