Beefcake

I was a male physique model in the 60s in LA and this film brought back so many memories of the time. In those days you weren't totally exposed. Yes, I made centerfold! However, in my frontal shots my hand was casually at the right place although my backside was completely in view. I was an actor, new in town and to earn extra cash I modeled for Young Physique Magazine. I never met Bob Mizer although I certainly heard of AMG then. One of the scenes of this film I enjoyed was interviewing such guys as Joe Dallesandro [of Warhol's FLESH and TRASH]. He still has his looks and sense of humor. Almost making fun of himself. I also enjoyed seeing Jim Lassiter, whom I knew, and Russ Warner. The role of Mizer, played by Daniel MacIvor was well played making him human and at times a bit overbearing. Also liked the acting of Josh Peace [Neil] and Jack Griffin . They both seemed natural and not uncomfortable with the nudity. But that mother of Mizer was too much. I still have some of the films of those times, including one with Jim Lassiter. The combination of the documentary look and today's look worked. Hat's off to Thom Fitzgerald the writer/director of this flick. I remember when I had stripped all my clothes off, having a certain feeling of control as others watched me strut my wares. You find yourself in a quiet place of feeling your body being in a state all by itself. It was quite thrilling. The shoot was done on a rooftop in Hollywood. I also remember thinking at the time, of those who were watching the shoot from their neighborhood windows. You could clearly see apartment buildings surounding us. I hope they were saying, "Another star is born".

Beefcake is a fascinating docu-drama about a unique chapter in the history of the Gay liberation movement in the United States. It's a pity this film hasn't received a wider distribution here (if any at all). The MPAA guidelines, no doubt, would require quite a bit of editing to get it under the NC17 barrier. But nudity in the film, however, far from creating a salicious aura, actually conveys a sense of innocence and freshness to most of the dramatic scenes.

The interview materials, in need of some tighter editing, did drag at times, though they were, for the most part, interesting and informative. This is more than made up for in the dramatic scenes. The actors convey both the excitement of this emerging masculine/Gay "scene" and the tragedy of the legal persecution suffered by the people who promoted it.

By all means, see this movie if you get a chance. It's well acted (Josh Peace is a stand out), well directed and a fitting chronicle of one part of pre-Stonewall history.

This film is about the struggle of gay porn in the 50's USA, in the disguise of "physique magazines". It is based on a book of the same name.

This film cleverly mixes archive footage with new footage shot for the film. The film flows seamlessly between the past and the present. The interviews with the physique models are very insightful. I am particularly impressed by these interviews, and the effort to hunt these men down.

There is a lot of male nudity in the film, and yet it feels fresh and healthy, without a erotic or pornographic feel to it. I also liked the acting, Bob Mizer is portrayed very well in the film. The pleads for understanding and tolerance in the film is also very effective.

The sexual controversy is toned down a lot in the film as compared to the book. In addition, the book has more history in it, while the film strips all of these away. That's my only complaint.

As one of the models states in the interview, if these events are not written down, they will be lost forever. I am hence very glad that this piece of history is transcribed (albeit dramatised) from the book into a film.

The makers of this film set a bit of a challenge for themselves. How to make an interesting movie about the world of magazine photography. The subject in this case is one that hasn't been comprehensively covered before: male physique photography. Generally speaking, in 30s the emphasis was on art, in the 40s on fitness, in the 50s on sensuality, and in the 60s on sexuality. The film explores all aspects of this industry by focusing on a few of the top photographers and their models. Surprisingly, not all participants had the same ideas or experiences about their work, nor the same recollections. In fact, these folk seemed to rather enjoy their work, which did emphasize a healthy, fit body. The relationships of the models emerges as congenial and brotherly, and the photographic activity as engaging. As in any "entertainment type industry" there were some over-the-top kibitzing, which in some cases digressed into rather kinky goings on. Still, the makers of this film manage to remain light hearted about most of it, while allowing some top models and fitness stars to share their memories in short commentary episodes.

For those who were not into this area, they could simply not buy the magazines nor be concerned about the whole matter. For those who found this an area of interest, they were free to make their own choices. What caused problems were conflict with the law, which itself may be controversial. These clashes are also presented here in enactments. It was interesting to see Joe D'Allesandro, well remembered from some of Andy Warhol's films, being interviewed--and what a candid, down to earth personality he is.

The fellows, though, come across as having a good time. While it may not be the most ambitious of professions, modeling at least keeps one off the streets -- that is, almost everyone.

This film is a huge departure from Thom Fitzgerald's first film The Hanging Garden. Beefcake is a loosely woven docu-drama of photgrapher Bob Mizer's Athletic Model Guild. The style of the film will look very familiar to anyone who's seen the NFB's "Forbidden Love" where interviews with those who knew Bob are blended with a storyline about a court case involving an alleged prostitution ring. Good use is also made of archival footage from AMG and others. The interviews are quite well done- Joe D'Allesandro and Jack LaLanne in particular but the new footage seemed a little 2 dimensional and predictable.