Mens Mix Vol 1 DVD (Unrated) +Movie Reviews

A Great Compilation!

JC | New York | 09/23/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Generally speaking, compilation tapes or DVD's usually have a few good shorts on them and the rest are either mediocre or unbareable to say the least. Well, along comes "Men's Mix One", and it breaks the mold. There are a total of seven films on the DVD and I enjoyed each and every one. The longest running comes in at 25min. and is entitled "Touch" and is the story of a middle aged man who upon an unexpected encounter at a gay bar befriends a young man that leads to surprising consequences. "Burls", boys plus girls, is an excellent little film about a young boys sexual awakening, encounters with drag queens, older men, and locker rooms. It's a wonderful story and features narration by Mark Hammill (Star Wars). A short documentary about "Louie's", a barbershop that opened in 1947 in the Castro community of San Francisco is insightful and touches on a view from the past. An Argentinean film is included called, "10 Pesos", which follows the path of some currency that begins in a gay bar, touches a cop, a rich woman who uses it to do coke, and a variety of people from all walks of life. Matias Risi has written and directed a clever film even without any dialogue. "Safe Journey" tells the tale of a street kid, who after being beaten and robbed finds comfort and solace after he enters the home of a man who has lost his loved one and is going blind. The two form a unique bond that is both compassionate and touching in this film that won the audience award for drama in PlanteOut's Short Movie Awards. "Gaydar" is the funniest of the bunch and features cameo's by Charles Nelson Reilly (Match Game) and Jim J. Bullock (Circuit) and tells the tale of an office hunk named Jack (Bryan Dattilo) whom his coworkers are trying to figure out if he's gay or not. The two vying for his attention are Randy (Terry Ray), who is superb with his "over the top" performance, and his co-worker Frankalina (Jennifer Echols). When Randy buys a "gaydar" gun at a garage sale that can pinpoint gays or straights, he can't wait till the next day to try it out on Jack. Is he gay? You'll have to see for yourself. Finally we have "Masturbation: Putting the Fun in Self-Loving", another funny film that spoofs the old health educational films of the 1950's. Dr. Sigmond Winston teaches Billy some wacky techniques ranging from how to do it between the mattresses, using a cucumber, to making your own vagina. Funny stuff and features some cute boys demonstrating them all. If you're a fan of short, independent films, look no further, "Men's Mix One" is the first and I hope one of many, great compilations."

Touched

Maui | Portland, OR, USA | 11/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to admit I watched this movie to see what happens to the cute guy on the cover. What I found as I dug through the clips was that some of them were rather funny and campy (Gaydar for example) But Touched REALLY was good. It was a tale of the guy on the cover as he goes into a gay bar and picks this guy up. When they get to the older gentlemans place, the boy confesses a good deal to him about the troubles in his life, and there is quite a plot twist. VERY moving and emotional stuff. Buy it for Touched, stay for Gaydar."

An interesting and off-beat collection, worth a look.

ardar88 | Falls Church, VA USA | 09/23/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a collection of seven gay-themed short films. As with any collection, the quality varies widely. It is worth renting, if only for the hilarious short "Gaydar." The premise is simple, a ray gun that indicates who is gay. The writing, direction and performances in this film are all top notch. It is the rare short that makes you wish it were a full-length movie. Check it out!"

Mix 1 Gay Shorts

Samuel L. Kipu | Hercuels, California | 09/26/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It was really entertaining. I would rather have rent it then purchase, but worth seeing."

Wide range of shorts

D. Palaganas | Rockville, MD United States | 10/04/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this DVD for "Gaydar", having seen it at a film festival. It is the best short of the collection... over-the-top campy humor. The entire cast, from the main character to Frankalina to the feral cat, all put in great performances. (5 stars)

"Burl's" is a short but sweet film about a boy who discovers his sexuality and how he wryly manages to negotiate his parents' attempts to change it. Not groundbreaking cinema here, but entertaining enough. (4 stars)

"Touched" I feel was overrated by some of the other reviewers. I found it very poorly acted, with an implausible script (though the filmmakers claim it was based on a true story). It was a bit too sappy and overwrought for my tastes. (2 star)

"10 Pesos" was a pleasant surprise. It was very slick and creative, demonstrating a wide range of society and what various people will do for money. The gay theme is only tangential here, but the movie is done well enough that you don't mind. (4 stars)

"Safe Journey" is about two men with different backgrounds and dissimilar challenges in life coming together for mutual support. An unlikely pairing, tastefully presented. (3 stars)

"Shaving the Castro" is an almost too-short documentary about a barbershop in the Castro. While what was presented was very good, I think the filmmakers could have done more with the film with a little more digging. They had a very good concept here - the building and continuation of a community - but I wanted to see more! (3 stars)

I really wanted to like "Masturbation: Putting the Fun in Self-Loving", but something was off here. It seemed like the filmmakers were split between making this a true spoof of a 50's educational film, and making it a more modern comedy. On the surface, it used the 50's ed film genre, but the actors - especially Dr. Winston and Billy - didn't really look like 50's characters, but more like 90's actors in a black and white movie. The humor was also more outrageous and direct, when I would have expected more subtle innuendo as you would normally get in a satire. Dr. Winston's brief scene during the credits also did not elicit that "surprise" laughter that you usually expect with an end credit scene. Another film that spoofs 50's educational films with subtle sexual humor, but does it in a MUCH better way, is "Billy's Daddy is a Fudge Packer"... check out for that one if you ever see it on a DVD collection. (2 stars)"

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	Men's Mix Vol 1 Genres: Drama, Gay & Lesbian UR 2004 1hr 28min This DVD includes the following short films: Gaydar, BurlÆs, Safe Journey, Masturbation, 10 Pesos, Touched, and Shaving the Castro.
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