Whatever Happened To The Gender Benders? (2005 Documentary Boy George Culture Club, Marc Almond of Soft Cell, Steve Strange Visage, Marilyn and Martin Kemp and Steve Norman of Spandau Ballet)

Description

Channel 4 Whatever Happened To The Gender Benders? 10/10/2005: The secret history of the new romantic rebellion that changed the face of world culture, before spiraling into a vortex of drug addiction and death. Includes rare footage of the New Romantics. Also includes footage of Steve Strange in the recording studio  and Boy George live in concert. Features interviews with Boy George of Culture Club, Martin Kemp and Steve Norman from Spandau Ballet, Marc Almond of Soft Cell, Marilyn, Rusty Egan Blitz Club DJ, Steve Strange of Visage, Philip Salon Gender Bender, Blitz Club Regulars Steven Linnard, Rosemary Turner and Pinkietessa, Broadcaster Robert Elms, Journalist Rick Sky and Squatters Chris Sullivan and Princess Julia.

What was good about it?
• Lots of great footage of the New Romantics taking themselves awfully seriously, even if many of them looked like clowns or drag acts plucked from working men’s clubs
• Footage of people smoking on the Underground. Oh those were the days.
• The bitchiness and jealousy, especially between Boy George and Marilyn
• The rather tender and intelligent observations by Martin Kemp and Marc Almond on the drug problems experienced by Steve Strange and Boy George
• Steve Strange has still retained much of his beauty (although he needs to go a bit easier on the bronze slap) and seems to be in a much better mental state these days – the ravages of that £1500-a-week heroin habit seem to have receded now he’s moved back to Wales.
• The beehivish hairstyle worn by Steve Strange’s mother
• Robert Elms providing a level-headed analysis of the impact of “250 kids who changed the way we lived and looked and played and partied for ever.”