AniInterview
Sorry, this movie sucks
KnotStronger
This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
Rosie Searle
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Tom-207
Bob Mizer photographed handsome young men for "physical culture" magazines that appealed to gay men when little other literature for them existed. The narrative part of the film about Mizer's life and activities seems two-dimensional in its production and dramatic values--perhaps intentional stylistically. It shows Mizer in his photography studio with his models, whom he found as they literally stepped off the bus from across the country--young men who were new to Los Angeles. In fact, most of the film was shot in a studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia: Canadian sources provided some of the funding.The documentary footage provides interviews with people from the larger California health and fitness culture, like Jack La Lanne, the pioneer health and exercise guru. Born in 1914, he was still active at the time of the film. Along with others, like Joe D'Allesandro, a model and actor (discovered first by Mizer and brought to greater fame by Andy Warhol), the interviews offer an interesting counterpoint to the narrative that seems stronger than the dramatic part of the film. The different segments are linked by a mixed chorus of singers using a style popular in fifties commercials.On a professional level, Mizer was a meticulous artist who took great care with his photography, creating a new genre. Perhaps later films will explore this in depth.
isaak-1
entertaining film. peace's naivete and macivor's enthusiasm never waiver as the story unfolds. a visually engaging film! interesting use of archival photos and real life interviews with several of the actual players in the story. do not leave before the end credits are completely finished.
JoeNCox
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.
JEFFnYYZ
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.
