This documentary is basically a love letter to a super specific and mostly forgotten slice of queer history—the world of all-male magazines between 1955 and 1973. It’s a really interesting guide that shows how these images changed over the years, eventually moving from still photos into the world of film. Before 1966, these gay magazines were all about musclemen in jockstraps posing like Greek Gods. But then, everything flipped. In this "golden window" from 1966 to 1973, the pages started featuring young guys between 18 and 22 who had boyish faces and totally normal bodies. They weren't gym rats; they were just ordinary kids, often drifters or runaways, who modeled for unknown photographers for just a few bucks. They’d show up in a magazine for a minute and then just disappear. After 1973, the "hardcore revolution" happened, and these softcore magazines became old news almost overnight. Just like that, the whole era was gone. The movie mixes together old photos,...
Tunde Johnson is a 18 year old black teenage, who is in a secret relationship with class hunk Soren. Interestingly his best friendMarley is also having an affair with him, which Tunde knows but can't do anything about. One night tuned comes out his rich parents, who are thankfully supportive of him. All this while a new report is talking about recent brutal black killings by police. In a joyous mood, he leaves to attend a party, but gets pulled over by two white cops who verbally harass him and eventually gun him down. Tunde wakes up with gasping breath and this scenario repeats multiple time with some variations and modifications and in all of them he gets killed by cops. Multiple scenarios are played out where his relationship with his boyfriend is challenged, he comes out to his girlfriend, he tells Soren's father, he drowns himself; but at no point does he try to change the course. He keeps dying every single time and the time loop repeats. The narrator keeps reading the obituary of Tunde Johnson, until in the end , he suspected that Tunde survived.
The film is a lot of things. Black gay teen, outsider, love triangle, coming out, police brutality. By repeating the scenarios at least 6-7 times, the film reaffirms its intent to elevate the emotional, social and political situation of a young American born into struggle. But in the process by half time, it just gets too much overstuffed and too repetitive. There is notch character arc given to Soren, who in most scenarios is the reason for Tunde to eventually get killed. Was there a specific reason? The only good thing about the film is the lead actor's wonderful performance. You feel for him and connect with him. But I felt in the process, the film makers were not able to do justice to either the black queerness or the police brutality. Also, whey was Tunde popping so many pills? Was there some significance of it that I missed? The film goes from being a psychological thriller to magical realism to generic teen narrative, but I feel in the process forgets about the point that it is trying to make. (5/10)
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