Pat Rocco Dared

Pat Rocco was an early gay pioneer who made erotic (but not pornographic) films, often with his subjects ending up naked, kissing and caressing. He also put his talents to use in documenting the early gay liberation movement, including parades and speeches by Harvey Milk. Here, Charlie David "interviews" him - or lets Rocco take us down memory lane, as we are shown clips of Rocco's films. There are interviews with other analysts, and documentation of Rocco's other charitable work.

I liked the clips, both as illustration of what he had done, and as a way of avoiding the talking head syndrome. As Rocco was before my time, I am happy to get to know him and his work.

I had been curious about this since I saw it available for streaming and when offered the opportunity to review it for Gay Romance Reviews, I jumped at the chance. I enjoyed it so much, I purchased it. There were lots of things I enjoyed but three things made me purchase it to watch again. First, the personality of Pat Rocco and his enthusiasm for making movies was infectious and a joy to watch. Second, it was wonderful to know that during those times, he was making films where gay characters were in love and happy rather than as they were depicted in so much fiction of the time as having to die, be the villains or have other awful things happen to them. Finally, I lived in LA during several of the years depicted in the films and the biographical parts about Rocco's life and it was surprisingly moving to relive those times through the shots in this film. A joy to watch all the way around.

What an entertaining and informative documentary. I did not know films like what Pat Rocco created existed, especially in the sixties! They are X-rated, yes, but they seemed more tasteful, artsy, than the more hard core X-rated. Pat Rocco was a revolutionary. Not only creating gay-positive art, but also fighting for gay rights, starting charities and shelters for gay teens. He was a cornerstone for gay rights. A trail blazer, he paved the way for others who wanted to create gay-positive films, photography, art. A real pioneer. I want to see these films brought to life. What a hard working and special guy.

Pat Rocco was an artist, a visionary, an advocate. And after watching Charlie David's documentary "Pat Rocco Dared", it's clear to me, Mr. Rocco was also one heck of a fine person.

Wow, what a ton of natural charm! The documentary is filled with scenes of Pat Rocco serenading Mr. David with "Cheer Up Charlie", laughing over memories of his friends and coworkers, and sharing some of his most memorable film clips.

It's a treat to get an inside look at where Charlie David drew some of his inspiration. "Pat Rocco Dared" is a beautifully presented, informative, and personal tribute to a very important person in our history.

I enjoyed so much this well deserved tribute to a courageous artist that made a great statement of freedom, love and art with his films. Charlie David made a wonderful job in this documentary that showed us Pat Rocco's story in such beautiful interviews, images and sequences. In my opinion, Pat Rocco was able to make his vision and his dream a reality that contributed hugely to the liberties we have now, and this documentary is an accurate reflection of his legacy and all the barriers he needed to demolish to succeed. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to learn about our past, to improve our future. A great movie!