About That Joe Manganiello Male Stripper Doc
Take any preconceived notions of the art of male stripping and stick ’em where the sun doesn’t shine (first and only pun, we promise). Brothers Joe and Nick Manganiello have teamed up to pull back the curtain on what Joe calls a “mysterious subculture.” Many might recall the actor’s last foray into the world of naked men, playing “Big Dick Richie” in Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike, a film that grossed over $165 million worldwide, compared to its paltry $7 budget. In response to the film’s success, while plenty of backs and backsides were patted, one pervading compliment/complaint was the desire for more of the guys. “People were unanimously interested in knowing more about our characters, who they were, where they lived, how they grew up, who they dated, etc,” said Joe, the oldest of the two.
In the hopes of quenching the public’s thirst for more male stripping, the brothers packed up some equipment, gathered a small crew, and headed to Dallas. La Bare, their new documentary that recently premiered at Slamdance, zeroes in on a Dallas nightclub of the same name, that originally opened its doors in ’77-’78. “We set out to give audiences a privileged, behind the curtains look at one of the most mysterious and misunderstood professions that has ever existed and what we uncovered was something that transcended anything we could have ever hoped for,” said Joe.
With Joe directing and Nick producing, the film introduces us to a wide range of characters including Channing (not Tatum), Ace Boogie, JW Bush, Shades, Pablo, and many, many more. We chatted briefly with Nick about the film and his first experience at Slamdance.
Essential Homme: This is your first big project under the newly formed production company 3:59, what’s the dynamic like between brothers who are also partners in business?
Nick Manganiello: It’s been great working with Joe. He’s smart, works hard, and understands the business side of entertainment. We have very similar taste and our working relationship is complimentary. There’s nothing better than working with family, so long as you get along, of course.
EH: What do you hope people take away from this film?
NM: ‘It wasn’t what I expected,’ is the common thread from people that have seen it. It’s a Trojan horse; you’re definitely getting a look inside the world of male stripping, but who these guys are, where they come from, where they’re going, takes the film in a lot of different directions.
EH: What’s the whole Slamdance experience been like for you?
NM: It’s our first time in Park City, our first time in a film festival, first company project we’ve sold. It’s been an unforgettable experience. Park City is beautiful and everyone that helped get us here from Slamdance has been a pleasure to work with.
La Bare will open in select US cities this summer. Can’t get enough? That makes sense. Check out the exclusive trailer here.
Images courtesy of Nicholas Manganiello.
