Beefcake

Tries to have it both ways -- as a kitschy ode to bodybuilding culture and as a tragic story of a man who was persecuted for his dreams.

There's an undeniable energy, originality and -- most hearteningly -- optimism here that makes Beefcake well worth your time, shortcomings and all.

A fascinating double-edged portrait of 1950s Los Angeles.

An illuminating and engrossing look at the life and times of pioneer Los Angeles physique photographer Bob Mizer

A heady, impressionistic mixture of biography, fantasy and social history in which it isn't always clear which is which.

Ultimately this is a sharp-focus issue movie, decrying intolerance as it explores the effects of labeling, the complexity of fetishizing, and the differences between business and crime.

Dull, tacky docudrama