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Venus Boyz
Venus Boyz
Actors: Diane Torr, Dréd Gerestant, Del La Grace Volcano, Queen Bee Luscious, Mistress Formika
Director: Gabrielle Baur
Genres: Indie & Art House, Documentary
NR     2004     1hr 43min

{WINNER! Best Film -- Semaine de la Critique Locarno 2001} — {WINNER! Panorama -- International Film Festival Berlin 2002} — {WINNER! Audience Award -- Copenhagen Gay&Lesbian Film Festival 2002} — {WINNER! Audience Award -- M...  more »

     
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Movie Details

Actors: Diane Torr, Dréd Gerestant, Del La Grace Volcano, Queen Bee Luscious, Mistress Formika
Director: Gabrielle Baur
Genres: Indie & Art House, Documentary
Sub-Genres: Indie & Art House, Documentary
Studio: First Run Features
Format: DVD - Color,Widescreen
DVD Release Date: 06/08/2004
Release Year: 2004
Run Time: 1hr 43min
Screens: Color,Widescreen
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 2
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Languages: English

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Member Movie Reviews

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 1/10/2024...
Nope!

Movie Reviews

It depends on what you're looking for -- this could be it.
C. Link | Boston, CA, USA | 09/15/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"The reviewer Jeffrey is a man and says that the camera moved jerkily, the movie was too slow, and some things are not explained. I am a butch woman and I loved the movie. I identified with the characters and was incredibly inspired by the characters, their performances, their ability. If genderqueer things are your things, if you are a butch woman who wants to see some butch women positively represented (for once) on the screen, then this movie is for you! You may be inspired to dream, expand your goals, and feel more confident about your potential (and the potential of other genderqueers) to achieve those goals. If you don't want to watch a movie on these issues tonight, rent something else."
Drag king documentary
Jeffery Mingo | Homewood, IL USA | 09/06/2004
(2 out of 5 stars)

"Not only is the drag king movement thriving, but it's being documented in various media. This documentary shows Judith Halberstam, author of "Female Masculinity" and Del Grace Volcano, photographer of "The Drag King Book." Here several drag king performers and butch women are interviewed. This film makes no division between kings, transsexuals, or butches.

Consistently, those interviewed say they want to blend genders or do away with the concept: they don't just want to experience "the other side." Many perform with drag queens or do avant-garde work with gay men. One transsexual referred to her body parts by both male and female terms.

There are a ton of foreign drag kings in this work. Does that mean Europe is a more accepting place or more condemning and thus kings have to fight harder over there? Does that mean American women don't have much to say about the movement? Does that mean the movement is really global? None of this gets answered.

This film moves slow. The camera has many jerky movements and the view is often blurred. Many may think of this documentary as a female version of "Paris Is Burning." However, PIB was funnier and moved faster. This just plodded along. I'm guessing the makers here lacked the funds and time that Jenny Livingstone had.

The title is never explained. They show some kings doing an excellent imitation of the Backstreet Boys, yet they only show it for a second. In the academic Drag King anthology, it is stressed that the movement isn't in just big cities like New York or London. However, in this documentary, only the big city shows and performers are brought up.

I'm happy that someone made this work. It just wasn't that great."
Worth watching if you're already interested...
A. Slaff | Virginia, USA | 02/03/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Venus Boyz, a documentary film by Gabriel Baur, is all about the exploration and expression of masculinity by women. These individuals range from women who are primarily heterosexual and simply enjoy the power and entitlement they feel while wearing men's clothing and attitudes to women born as hermaphrodites who have, after years of classification as female have opted to explore their inner leanings towards masculinity and male-ness. This range of viewpoints was a key element of why Venus Boyz is a film worth watching.

Unlike their male drag counterparts (queens), drag kings don't have as may films that celebrate and explore why women sometimes feel the need to dress like men, although there are some. Other than Brandon Teena's story, which remains in the spotlight due to his traumatic death and Hillary Swank's portrayal of him in Boys Don't Cry, the individual tales of these female cross-dressers and trans-sexuals are often unheard. Venuz Boyz gives us a range of these stories and a chance to take a glimpse into the performer's lives both on and off stage. Although their tales are sometimes accompanied by kitschy performances, I felt like it was the less showy parts of the documentary that were really able to communicate to me some of the politics, problems and positives of cross-dressing and of exploring female masculinity.

I wouldn't recommend this documentary to everyone. Certainly, you have to be willing to listen with an open mind about these women's experiences with a gender-biased world, but for those who are interested in exploring how a group of women are working individually to redefine gender, this is a worthwhile film. Even though I had a very open mind going into the film and have a background in similar topics, I had no idea that the range of women who choose to cross dress was so diverse. I was also reassured to hear that many of the "protagonists" of the film have been able to find funding and support for their artistic explorations and expressions.

There is a reason that this film has won awards and been featured at major GLBTQ film festivals, and that it is because it offers an insight into a world not found in other films. And, if you have ever wondered about your own female masculinity, this film will likely offer you comfort and familiarity."