I've been following the Dieux du Stade phenomenon from the beginning and some years are definitely better than others. Regarding the actual calendars, 2001 and 2004 are my favorites.

This DVD is not as good as the 2004 version, but I actually prefer it to last years DVD. This may be due the athletes who participated. Although I would prefer to see more of the pro players from the Stade Francais instead of their junior league players and guest, most of the guys participating are nice to view. A good variety of physiques can be found, but the ages of the players probably average around 22 or 23. A few guys in their later 20s or early 30s can also be found, but the majority are early 20s. Unfortunately, this means they are fairly unknown and not really sports stars.

I do miss the color, but I don't miss the insipid locales used last year. I prefer using the stadium and its areas for a backdrop, but the empty backgrounds do allow you to concentrate on the bodies.

I didn't like the choice of classical music, so I turned the sound off.

Frontal nudity is a minimum, but their are plenty of pube shots and ass shots. Only a few players don't show any explicit nudity, but even the tease shots are nice.

If you like the 2006 calendar, you'll like the DVD. Even if you didn't like the calendar, you'll probably find the DVD is better.

What a let-down this time around. I waited a whole year for this?
Black and White is so not how I think of a naked body. It's fine for the calendar, but if you're showing the "making of" something, it's nice to see what really happens, so that was Disappointment #1. Disappointment #2: Everything is shot indoors in the same studio. Boring! Disappointment #3: The guys, albeit gorgeous, are mostly in one spot posing, unlike the other two "making ofs" where there was much more movement and variety of locale. Disappointment#4: Mostly solo posing took away from the camaraderie between the guys you saw in the other DVDs. This was what made everything so beautiful, even the first one, also filmed in B&W. Disappointment #5: Every scene seemed like the other. I found myself fast forwarding to get to the end. So was there anything good, you might ask? Well, it was nice to hear what the models had to say about themselves and the shoot, and, of course, the men are still gorgeous. Nice full frontal in last clip, but would have been even better in color. My advice to the makers of the DVD for next time: Go back to the 2005 format! All the fun and spontaneity of the past two is gone in the 2006 version. I pre-ordered this, but next year I won't be so hasty!

My first reaction to viewing this DVD was that "It's brilliant." I'm glad they returned to black & white photography. The color on last year's was a distraction. I ended up turning the color all the way down to watch it in B&W, which was more satisfying. Also last year they didn't seem to be enjoying themselves as much as the first year. There was something a tad grim about it.

I'm hoping those who are not into classical music are not turned off by the fact that all the background music this year is classical. As one who loves classical music, that is part of the appeal for me on this one. They used a real variety of well-known classical works from Bach to Beethoven to Grieg and others.

After my initial highly favorable reaction, I read Scott Cranin's review on the TLA website. It had already occurred to me that those guy think they are making this calendar for "the fair sex" as one put it, and I wondered if they have their heads in the sand! But it didn't occur to me until I read Cranin's review (don't know why except perhaps that I am an into art and music more than athletics) that this was a studio shot, nothing outside or really athletic happening except that the guys were often holding a ball over their crotch, with alot of solo shots and very little true nudity. I do like it, though, that they let us in on more of the conversations during the shoots, even using English subtitles here and there. I guess I'm with Cranin in that the 2004 DVD is probably the best so far, but all things considered, I like this one better than last year's.

Vincent Clerc gets my vote for the hottest guy on this year's DVD. He caught my attention in the 2004 DVD with his winning personality. At that time I thought he had a great body, but it was too beefy and not defined enough. So last year he got my vote for the most improved body: less beef, more definition. But this year he showed up with just the right amount of beef and great definition, and that winning personality comes through again. Julian Arias gets my vote for the #2 hottest guy on this year's DVD. Great body, great looks, great personality.

Rent it. Save your money. You will only want to see it once and that is enough. The models are superb but shot too close up or shot from too long a distance and obscurd by props. The accompaning classical music is high pitched and awful. It gives you little insight into the players or their personalities. The background is either a blank wall or a simple bed. The prop is usually a rugby ball. Nothing interesting. Nothing new or creative. The film should give you a fly's view of what happens on the set, but it doesn't. The photos in the calendar are the best part of the video. The models constantly refer to the women who they believe will buy this. I hope woman do like it because as a man and photographer I wish I had waited, I wouldn't buy it.

This 2006 edition is a disappointment. It doesn't look like they put much effort into it this time. The models are not posed in interesting locations, it is all done in a studio so the poses get repetetive - standing in front of a screen or wall mostly. The music will put you to sleep - it's dainty French parlor music. The models this time around are uglier and heavier for the most part (Julien Arias being a delightful exception). Overall, they are not attractive. There is no music video this time around, either. I hope they put a little more effort into making next year's more interesting. They got very lazy this year.