Starring - John Borske (Bloodthirsty Butchers, Gutter Trash), Alex DiSanto (Nightmare in Psycho Town, Bad Seeds), and Gerald Jacuzzo (The Man With Two Heads, Torture Dungeon)
Release Date - 2025
Genre - Documentary
Tagline - "Strictly adult entertainment"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
I've reviewed more documentaries this year than I have previously. Hell, I've probably reviewed more this year than I have the last two or three years combined. I love documentaries but I'm not really a fan of reviewing them as it entails a lot to cover. I usually try to simplify it as much as possible which does most documentaries an injustice. Anyway, I recently watched several documentaries sent over from Severin as part of their various collection sets. The first was about the films from Spain following the death of their dictator while the second was on the life and career of the legendary Christopher Lee. As I move over to the Gutter Auteur set from Severin, I find myself watching another one. This time it's the 2025 doc. The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan. Milligan is a filmmaker I was familiar with but I'd be lying if I said he was one I admired or genuinely enjoyed. I did like a few of his films but for every one of his films I liked there was a few that I didn't care for. Anyway, I went into this set excited and after watching The Degenerates, I figured it made sense to watch this one next.
This follows an in depth look at the personal life and career of Andy Milligan featuring interviews from film historians, collaborators, and personal friends. We see him growing up as an Army brat, to the stage, and filmmaking all while being openly gay before he died of AIDS.
I'll be honest and admit that I didn't know a lot about Milligan before this documentary. I knew he had fought with his cast and crew during filming and died sometime back but I had no idea he was openly gay and died as a result of AIDS. This was kind of an eye opening documentary in regards to his backstory and how that shaped his films. This also confuses me as to why I never seen him mentioned among other LGBTQ+ filmmakers. He more than deserves to be on those lists. I may not like all his work but making films as long as he did during the decades he did is commendable. The interviews in this one are insightful and not always one sided. We get a full look at his up bringing, career, and personal life through several eyes. These interviews are not sugar coated either. We get a real look at him and see how he was as a person. I really dislike films that gloss over the negatives but this one doesn't. You get to see the real Milligan. The topics discussed follow his life chronologically and, in some instances, are very informative. While some are thorough than others, it does offer a wide variety of what made Andy Milligan stand out. Finally, this one is edited and shot very well. The transitions look great and the cinematography looks amazing. I was really impressed by how well this one looks. I was familiar Josh Johnson's previous docs and knew he would do a great job but this one is easily his best looking doc. Overall, The Degenerate: The Life and Films of Andy Milligan is an informal and well put together documentary about a true cinema maverick. While I wouldn't say I'm a fan of his work, the fact he was openly gay and creating movies during a time when this could get you hurt means he was truly passionate about it. I highly recommend checking this one out especially if you have no idea who Andy Milligan was. Check it out.
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