ABOVE: “ALL MAN: The International Male Story,” photo via Facebook.
There’s good news for those who fondly remember those days of waiting for each new edition of “International Male” to be delivered – the filmmakers developing a documentary about the iconic mail-order catalog are giving us a sneak peek at what they have in store in a brand new teaser trailer.
Word of the planned movie project, titled “ALL MAN: The International Male Story,” spread via social media after multiple news outlets (including the Blade) reported that its creators had mounted a fundraising campaign on the Film Collaborative website.
Promising to tell the story behind the glossy fashion catalogue that “transformed the ‘All-American Boy,’” the filmmakers offer the following synopsis:
“More than outrageous fashions, hunky models, and scandalous undies, ‘ALL MAN’ is a journey across three decades of the International Male catalog’s lasting impact on fashion, masculinity, and gay rights.”
The movie’s directors, Bryan Darling and Jesse Finley Reed, mix never-before-seen photographs and videos, interviews with fans and celebrities, creative re-enactments of the infamous photo shoots, and more, to pay homage to the catalog that had (at its peak) revenues of $120 million and a circulation of over 3 million, and successfully appealed to both gay and straight audiences while giving them permission to take fashion risks and enjoy a more carefree expression of sexuality – without threatening their masculinity and sexual appeal.
According to the film’s Facebook page, Jake Shears is set to appear in it, along with Carson Kressley, Brian Buzzini, David Knight, Steve Lyon and Robert Goold. Peter Jones is set to produce.
There’s no release date scheduled yet, so for now we have to settle for the brief trailer that Darling and Reed dropped on Monday.
You can watch it below.
