#FIRSTLOOK: “CURSE OF THE CHIPPENDALES”

THE CHIPPENDALES were a groundbreaking male erotic dance troupe who brought-out droves of women to their racy shows from the ’80s to the ’90s. At their peak, they brought-in $35 million a year in ticket sales. Prime Video‘s four-part Docu-Series explores beneath the muscles and choreography, the drama behind the scenes that led to murder.

Writer and Director Jessica Vile recounts the history of this dance troupe, the brainchild of Steve Banerjee who was responsible for the business model behind its international success, taking it from a night at a club he owned, to a massive success, which eventually saw competing copycats emerge. We see the tensions that mounted between Banerjee and the charismatic partner Nick De Noia, who was the face of the brand who began taking the troupe on tour with his own direction.

Through first-hand accounts we get an intimate detailing of events from former dancers including Michael Rapp, who was the top dancer for the Chippendales at one point. We see how his fame affected his own personal life and relationship with his family, and such is the tone of the Series. While there are throngs of women having a wild time at these shows, seeping beneath the surface was a lot of jealousy, rage and unhappiness, which Vile seems to capture well.

As the Series progresses, the final episode promises great intensity, taking us into a play-by-play how Banerjee, on a cross-continental operation, finally gets captured by the FBI with the help of a witness who was involved in the conspiracy to murder De Noia. While some involved with the rise of the Chippendales saw one side of Banerjee, we get an intriguing portrait of a mysterious socio-path who would not go down in defeat at all costs.

A feature film is in-development about this story, so this is just a taste of more to come. You can see THE CURSE OF CHIPPENDALES December 24, 2021 only on Prime Video.