tlavideo.com

SacramentoStephen wrote on 10/16/2004:

Of the Mix there are smatterings of delight and fun film-making as in Touched, Gaydar and Masturbation. The other brief films stymie any element of entertainment value and could, in my estimation, be excised from the DVD entirely. This is a buy for the three mentioned and a sad commentary of the editorial team who compiled this DVD. The bulk of the film festivals seem to mirror what I saw in this DVD... some brilliance and much that is pathetic direction, acting or screenwriting.

NYCBoy wrote on 09/22/2004:

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.