Private Dicks: Men Exposed DVD: Review By kaismith

The filmmakers of Breasts: A Doc*mentary Meena Spadola and Thom Powers, bring yet another outstanding doc*mentary taking on another taboo but this time those associated with men and their penises. Just like the previous film, this is centered around interviews with men from all ages, backgrounds and sexual preferences while they talk candidly (most sitting naked or "rocking out with their c*cks out") about how they feel about their penises covering several topics including the infamous first erections, length, the curve, sex, impotence, circ*mcision, and cancer.

I honestly was quite surprised at just how exposing this was. I didn't expect the men to be so open and vulnerable when talking about their penises on film. Jesse Sheildlower, a slang dictionary editor is a nice addition to the film. He does us all a great service by giving the history behind the terms associated with the penis and what terms were more popular in other eras.

Interview with Filmmakers

Reluctant at first, Meena Spadola and Thom Powers talk about how they were approached by HBO to make the film. Though there were parameters that they could show full frontal but not erections because that's just too much for American audiences. The FCC would have a field day.

They explore the initial interviews and how they got over their own taboos and finally were able to ask men to take their pants off (all expect the smallest of the lot "Bruce" and the porn star Lexington Steele, apparently this is the only film his mom can watch that he is in...go ahead and let it out ... AWE!!).

Interview with Allen Abel

When the film aired on HBO the subject "Bruce" was exposed himself to the filmmakers that his real name was Allen Abel and he was a professional media hoaxer. Six years later Abel talks with director Thom Powers about his decision to be participate in the way he did in the film. You get a sense of his previous work or "hoaxes" in the media and get a few laughs as well.

Filmmaker Biographies

Text describing the filmmaker's past work.

Full Screen - 1.33:1. This film has clear picture quality (much better then its predecessor by the filmmakers Breasts: A Doc*mentary which was a bit grainy. Sliced in between interviews are old sex education films and witty cartoons adding another element of humor. I liked the introduction how they used jump cuts to set up that these men will be naked by showing the subjects clothed and then naked. Got the shock out of the way and gave my friends and myself the opportunity to pick out jaws up off the ground so that we could get to know the men and listen to their stories.

There were no specification here but the audio quality is very clear and the music accompanying the doc*mentary is just as fun as the subject with a hip, jazzy overtone.

There are four images of four different men in each corner of the cover. Each is holding black boards (resembling censor signs) over their genitals sporting different slang terms. The images are against a blue background and centered is the title. On the back are several quotes from reviewers raving about the film, a plot synopsis and bonus list.

I actually had a talk with my girlfriends after this about the "penis" (can't you just hear the dramatic crescendo -- dah dah dahhhhh). The penis is often seen as something ugly which is addressed in the film and after watching this it solidified further my notions that it has its own beauty (but maybe that's the artists in me as my friends say). Just like breasts they come in all shapes and sizes. There are so many myths and centuries of grandiose built around the penis that like the director Spadola says, "its like the all powerful Oz like in the Wizard of Oz, but when you pull the curtain back you realize its just a little man ... its just a little man".

Private Dicks: Men Exposed just like are great conversation starters for guys and gals.