Dick: The Documentary

"Dick: The Documentary" may be short - just about 45 minutes in length - but it's potent. "Dick" is certain to be one of the most captivating, fascinating films you'll ever see. Of course it is: It's about men discussing their junk.

What's to say? Only everything: How much the fellows interviewed here identify themselves as men with their manhood; their sexual histories and attitudes; their theories about their penises and why they do what they do... or don't. (A fellow named Chad has a hugely entertaining story on this theme.) And the men have stripped down to their bare naked hides in front of the camera, which in itself is a source of endless amazement - not so much because of their genitalia, which are standard enough (if varied in shape and size), but because the shots are framed in a way that cut off their heads. Unable to see the men's eyes and faces, the viewer shifts focus to their hands, which are animated and expressive. (The penises, on the other hand, are much more static and boring once the initial novelty has worn off.)

How much do men identify with their sexualities? How much of sexuality is bound up in the body - and most importantly, in the phallus, the source of so much pleasure and anxiety? What have the men interviewed for this project learned about their own bodies, and absorbed of social attitudes?

The stories are as individual as the men themselves; some are straight, others gay, and their physiologies and ages cover a gamut. This is a charming film, but more importantly it's informative and reassuring. Let's face it: Don't we all worry that Mr. Johnson down there might not be quite like all the others? This documentary's biggest reveal is that in many ways we're all the same... though, as individuals, different, often in unexpected ways. The passage in which the guys talk about their first orgasms offers accounts that evoke a range of responses, from sympathy and outrage to a primal "Yeah!" of agreement.

More than anything, there's some sexual cultural wisdom to be found here, and it's nothing to be afraid of or contemptuous toward. Asked to talk about what he's told his own son about sex, one man says, "I told him... you're gonna have sex with a lot of girls before you get married, God bless you. Don't feel guilty." That's a better sex ed talk than my old man ever had with me.

Thee are two brief extras: A theatrical trailer and a Kickstarter promo.

"Dick"
DVD
$19.95
https://indiepixfilms.com/dickdocumentary/