I wanted to but couldn't!

Don't listen to the negative reviews

brilliant actors, brilliant editing

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

I knew about this documentary a few years ago but I never had a chance to watch it until last night! I absolutely loved it! Of course, I loved Truth or Dare when it came out back in the 90's. So how could I not love this? I guess to understand my love for this movie so much, you have to understand what Madonna was back in the early 90's. She was groundbreaking and innovating back then. It was unheard of for such a mainstream performer to practically worship the gay scene and put it in the public's face the way Madonna did...along with these dancers. As a young gay men at that time it meant so much to me to see this happening right in front of my eyes and I began my own journey, realizing, that it was okay to be gay. And I owe that to the guys in this movie. I wish could tell them what they did for me back then.One touching aspect of the film is Oliver, the only heterosexual dancer in the group who stated that he was extremely homophobic before the tour experience but he came away from that with the feeling that gay men can be his brothers too! Very nice. I'll be forever thankful to whoever thought this documentary up. It was great to see these guys again after all these years.These dancers were truthful as to what that experience meant to them but they also are clear that they have moved on with their lives.

This doc is a bit lazy (it does not go into much detail on the cultural relevance of Madonna at her peak of 1989 - 1991) but will appeal to those of us who were in our teens to mid-20s at that time. From the BA tour to the release of TOD, Madonna was the center of the universe. Her PR at the time said she was giving the dancers an opportunity and it was up to them to exploit it after the tour. (This was never mentioned in the film but is my recollection.) Sadly, none have achieved what would be considered success in the material sense: most seem to live hand to mouth. If they had more maturity and some good guidance at the time, they may have developed careers of note - perhaps even judging DWTS and choreographing big names but mostly spiraled down and those that sued Madge? Well, let's just say she holds a grudge. This doc is a little sad, yet their impact at the time on some was significant. Ultimately, this will appeal more to those of us born in the 60s - mid-70s and does not have wide appeal. Yes, Madonna exploited them but in her world view she also gave them an opportunity.

Bravo! Yet another failed attempt at being relevant. Why any reputable filmmaker would choose this subject matter over something of greater social import is beyond comprehension. Nothing more than a band of has-beens that have somehow managed to ride Madonna's coattails for nearly thirty years. Their cries of being exploited echoed decades later by yet another series of false tears; a last- ditch effort to tug at the entertainer's heart strings. How embarrassing.Madonna should have just named her tour Blond; the "ambition" only resulted in a misnomer. Four months of fame and a lifetime of frivolity. A wasted opportunity to do something productive for themselves and their families. Faded photographs and tattered newspaper clippings offer a fleeting escape from reality. Most have held onto this brief moment in time without realizing that their time was up long ago. An epic failure where they enjoy each other's company in an abyss of disappointment.Claims of being family are cheapened by the multiple lawsuits filed against their "mother", yet they yearn to be nestled in her bosom again. Their hypocrisy overshadowed only by their gluttony. How deplorable – the unfounded attempts at acquiring fortune off of someone else's hard work. Nothing more than the baseless accusations of disgruntled employees who were paid as agreed while enjoying numerous perks and benefits. You danced. You got a check. End of tour. Move on.Nothing was quite as tragic as the story recounted by one dancer's mother. Cameras are ushered through what seemed to be a maze for cattle. To the right is an aptly named "junk room" where the dancer lives with his boyfriend who peers around the doorway to say 'hello'. It's as if he is hanging from a bunk bed. A couple feet later and you find yourself in a living room the size of a walk-in closet. Here is where this mother shares her grief.She describes a postcard of sorts that had the image of a home on it. She says that her son was going to buy her that home, but that the home never came. She sobs and repeats how hurt she was to the point you believe the tape is looped. The home never came, she states. Of all the dancers, this is the one whose downward spiral seems to never end. Older than fifty and living with his boyfriend in his mother's apartment? A celebrated dancer who was on tour with one of the world's foremost entertainers? Sad.And yet the media has the audacity to classify these men as inspirations. As leaders in the LGBT community. Herein lies the issue with our culture and lifestyle – a misguided respect for those who are undeserving of our recognition. Drug addicted egomaniacs that have no place among the true pillars of our landscape. By venerating these individuals, you do a disservice to younger generations. You discount the worth of what others have accomplished.Strike a Pose will certainly Strike a Chord with those of us who know what really happened.

Many documentaries try to depict a hart-warming story of success, this one is all about the harsh realities of failure. And not just the failure of someone-who-never-got-a-chance, but the failure of a group of people who used to have-it-all. The background: in 1990 Madonna takes on a bunch of starving young dancers, handpicked from the then thriving underground gay art community which was all about 'attitude'. They are featured prominently in her tour and in the corresponding documentary.This should be their ticket to stardom and riches, but it isn't, at least not for very long. A few short years later they are embroiled in lawsuits against Madonna, and struggling with debilitating drug- addictions. Is it their fault for being naive and letting Madonna build them up as 'sexy and arrogant' and burn all their bridges? Madonna's fault for exploiting them to make herself look young and edgy and underground? The movie doesn't take a clear stand and that's okay, the truth is probably in the middle anyway.The view the movie gives of their present life isn't pretty: moved back in with his mother (who openly blames him for letting it all slip through his fingers), tries to carve out an existence as a dance-teacher, the occasional 'i used to dance with Madonna' show for small uninterested audiences. They try to desperately hold onto their glimmer of fame when the rest of the world has long moved on. Bragging about all the 'you changed my life, made me okay with being gay' letters they supposedly still receive.A large part of the movie is a reunion dinner. The movies makes no attempt to hide that this is staged (they don't seem to like each other very much, they just play along with the 'family' idea when it might help their career). There is even a new truth or dare game in which they all play their designated part: a dude comes out of the closet with his HIV, the straight kid tells us how he used to despise gays and their diseases, they angle for a new endorsement from Madonna, etc.