The Gay Girls Riding Club was a group of likeminded individuals that produced several films that were a huge hit in the underground gay and drag clubs of the 1960s. Their founder and director of said films, Ray Harrison AKA Connie B. De Mille, perfectly captures a snapshot of the vivacious and gloriously irreverent LA-based gay film scene. This collection of drag spoof films begins with Always on Sunday (1962), a goof on the hit comedy Never on Sunday (1960). In this parody, some ladies are on the prowl for hunky gentlemen in Greece. They go to a bar where a group of bored and hot young men are just dying for some action. And then everything goes completely crazy as a spirited brawl breaks out over who will end up with who.

Next up is What Really Happened to Baby Jane? (1963), a sendup of the classic Joan Crawford/Bette Davis thriller. I highly recommend watching the original 1962 film before you dive into this one as it added a lot to my appreciation of the brilliant parody. Everyone involved in this production is giving it their all. This one dude has a Victor Buono impression that is totally on point and actor Warren Fremming’s Davis impersonation will knock your stockings off. The following film is The Roman Springs on Mrs. Stone (1963), a spoof of a 1961 film I didn’t know existed that starred Vivien Leigh and Warren Beatty. This one is more akin to the zaniness of Always on Sunday with a party that degenerates into total insanity before the plot gets in the way near the end. Keep your eyes peeled for an aging socialite in a gorilla mask. You can’t miss her.

Much to my dismay, the next film Spy on the Fly (1967) is a James Bond parody wherein Agent 0069 is sent on a mission to do something, I think. There are several funny bits including an awesome swimming pool full of acid gag, but this one is my least favorite thing in this collection by a very wide margin. Lastly, All About Alice (1972) is the drag version of All About Eve (1950) and it really shows off Harrison’s development as a filmmaker as this is easily the best one in this collection. Fremming’s wild impression of Bette Davis is back with a vengeance and my mind was blown, among other things. There’s also a dangly dong on display, just in case you thought you could escape the dick in a collection of gay films. Guess what? You can’t! Why even try?

If you are desperately craving a hot injection of pure, uncut camp, then this collection of outsider art is for you. I had a great time with these insane films even though the spy parody was the entertainment speed-bump I didn’t want to hit at such an unsafe speed. This might not be the case for most viewers. I just hate spy movie parodies. I appreciate that Spy on the Fly is one of the more ambitious films on the disc, but it’s 43 minutes of sped up goofs, gags, and chase scenes that I could’ve done without. Nearly all of the films are shot in black and white and are silent (save for music, some sound effects, and occasional narration). Only All About Alice has live sound and sports some lovely color film. After the parade of chromatic goodness, that color was a real treat, let me tells ya.

AGFA and Vinegar Syndrome team up once again to bring some joyous strangeness to Blu-ray. All of the films are presented with their scratches and scars intact but are all very sharp and easy on the eyes. The audio commentary on What Really Happened to Baby Jane? is absolutely essential for film trivia nerds. Queer film historian Evan Purchell and AGFA’s Bret Berg share what little is known about the Gay Girls Riding Club and the films presented in this collection. My favorite factoid was that the crew of Baby Jane had access to actual props from the film they were parodying! All of the context that Purchell and Berg bring to the table are greatly appreciated by yours truly. The only other extra on the disc are some outtakes from All About Alice.