Daddy and the Muscle Academy is a 1991 Finnish documentary film directed and written by Ilppo Pohjola. The documentary is focused on the life and works of Tom of Finland, the pseudonym of Finnish gay erotic artist Touko Laaksonen.
| Daddy and the Muscle Academy | |
|---|---|
 U.S. theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ilppo Pohjola |
| Written by | Ilppo Pohjola |
| Produced by | Kari Paljakka Alvaro Pardo |
| Cinematography | Kjell Lagerroos |
| Edited by | Jorma Höri |
| Music by | Elliott Sharp |
Production companies | Filmitakomo Yleisradio |
| Distributed by | Kristallisilmä |
Release date |
|
Running time | 58 minutes |
| Country | Finland |
| Languages | Finnish, English |
Synopsis
editDaddy and the Muscle Academy focuses on the life and artwork of Tom of Finland, the pseudonym of artist Touko Laaksonen, whose homoerotic illustrations of masculine men produced in the mid 20th century significantly influenced gay culture. The documentary was produced in the years immediately preceding Laaksonen's death in 1991, and features interviews with the artist as well as a retrospective of his illustrations. Individuals who have been influenced by Laaksonen's artwork, notably Etienne, Nayland Blake, Durk Dehner, and Bob Mizer, also appear as interview subjects.[1]
Production and release
editDaddy and the Muscle Academy was written and directed by Ilppo Pohjola, produced by Kari Paljakka and Alvaro Pardo, shot by Kjell Lagerroos, and edited by Jorma Höri. The film was produced by Filmitakomo and Yleisradio, and distributed by Kristallisilmä.[1] The film's soundtrack was produced by composer Elliott Sharp; Sharp remarked that Pohjola gave him "a few vague guidelines and suggestions" but left him "great latitude" to compose the soundtrack, which consisted primarily of electronically processed guitar.[2]
The film premiered in 1991 at the Helsinki International Film Festival. It has been broadcast multiple times on Finnish television, most recently in 2019 on Yle Teema & Fem, with censorship cuts of circa three minutes.[3][4] The film was restored in 2017[1][5] and released, with unedited interview segments, by Kino Lorber on Blu-ray.[6]
Reception
editWriting for The Spool, critic B. L. Panther cites Daddy and the Muscle Academy as an example of New Queer Cinema through its "provocative secular-sexual imagery", non-linear narrative, and celebration of "a queer culture with a history", writing that the film gives a "clear sense of how gay men would use, send, lend, and share these magazines to see gay male erotica, which, in a profound way, made them feel seen themselves".[7]
At the Jussi Awards in 1992, the crew of Daddy and the Muscle Academy was awarded a Special Award.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Tom of Finland – Daddy and the Muscle Academy". Crystal Eye. Retrieved September 8, 2021.
- ^ Sharp, Elliott (2019). IrRational Music. MIT Press. ISBN 978-1-949597-15-8.
- ^ Itäkannas, Lauri (March 31, 2017). "Daddy and the Muscle Academy". Yle (in Finnish). Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ Daddy and the Muscle Academy at Elonet.
- ^ Daddy and the Muscle Academy (Blu-ray). DVDCompare.net.
- ^ "Daddy and the Muscle Academy". Kino Lorber. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ Panther, B.L. (June 28, 2021). "KinoKultur: Daddy & the Muscle Academy shines a light on Tom of Finland". The Spool. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ "Jussi-voittajat". Filmiaura ry (in Finnish). Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
External links
edit- Daddy and the Muscle Academy at IMDb
- Film trailer at Vimeo
- Lahti, Martti. "Politics of the Flesh: Ilppo Pohjola's Films and Images of the Body".