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Original Pride: The Satyrs Motorcycle Club

Wed 31 May 2006 In: Movies

Review: Original Pride - The Satyrs Motorcycle Club Dir: Scott Bloom USA, 2005, Beta SP, 56mins This is a touching little doco about some old gay bikers saying over and over again how wonderful their old gay bikers club is. They do mention that naughty three letter word s-e-x a couple of times, rather coyly, and one of them seems to say he was raped as his initiation into the club, but mainly they talk interminably about their 'runs' and beer busts and what a fabulous time they have every year at Badger Flat, a place way up in the hills outside LA, . We do get to see them setting up their Badger Flat campsite and we see (briefly) some of their bike contests, but it's all presented in a rather 'nice', cosmeticised way. Yes, they did get to meet the Hells Angels and after beating them in a drinking contest and then shoving a bottle of poppers under Sonny Barger's nose, they all became life-long mates, although they never seem to have run into one another (no pun intended) after that ... And they do have something in common with the modern young trannies from Trannyshack - one of them dresses up as Kate Smith each year at Badger Flat and lip synchs to the 'Star Spangled Banner'. But no, no one pulls a star spangled banner out of Kate's butthole, well not on camera in this here movie. The really important thing about this group - and we're told this over and over again, too - is that they've been in existence since 1954. Now what other gay group can claim as much? Most queer groups, social, political or otherwise can barely exist five minutes let alone 50 years. So, yes, theirs is quite a milestone and the movie ends with a polite birthday do (no poppers, no Hells Angels) in some large anonymous hotel ballroom. And as they say, over and over again, once upon a time, why even five years ago, such a do in such a place could never have happened. So, yes we've all come a long way and these darling old hairy gay bikers have done their bit to help that happen. Happy 50th to them! John Curry - 31st May 2006    

Credit: John Curry

First published: Wednesday, 31st May 2006 - 12:00pm

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