All Man: The International Male Story

I grew up in Georgia. Every day when I was in highschool in the early 90s, I would run to the mailbox, because I never knew if an International Male or Undergear catalog would be there. It was thrilling and scary, trying to get the mail before my mom or dad. Who knew what they'd do if they found out? Senior year, we had to sell back our books. When I handed one to a teacher, she opened the cover to inspect it and an Undergear catalog fell out! She calmly put it back and handed me my money. Thank God it was after we already graduated, because I took it, left school, and never looked back. International Male was one reason I wanted to go to college in Miami. Whilw there, I got an internship at a modeling agency in South Beach, where I got to meet and work with some International Male models. (I was getting college credit for this!). After graduating, moved to Los Angeles. I remember driving through West Hollywood and seeing the International Male store, which gave me comfort that I was in the right place. Without getting that catalog in my little Georgia suburb in high school, I'm not sure I would have left and moved to Miami, Los Angeles, and later New York City. This documentary brought back so many memories and made me realize how it really did change people's lives for the better.

We watched tonight the 2022 documentary All Male: The International Male Story.

It was, somewhat unexpectedly, very well laid out and told.

Gene Burkard, the founder, built his business from the lowest of means and resources. He gradually hired a team who became his extended family.

Back in the 70s, non-traditional, offbeat fashions for men were practically nonexistent.

But the International Male fashions, through their catalogs astutely and uncannily tapped into a marketable commodity.

It was thought to be a catalog exclusively geared toward gay men, but Burkard didn't intend that. And straight men also responded positively to the masculine clothes, layouts, and models, who were influential in how they looked - fit and buff. Yet the catalog's main clients were gay, and the staff took great care in their inventory and customer relations.

It was the precursor for men's funkier, more overtly sexual fashions, leading to Calvin Klein ad campaigns, Abercrombie and Fitch, and others.

Yet, most of International Male's staff were gay. We learn that the majority of them were tragically felled by AIDS. The remaining staff, a few of them women, are quite touching in their reminiscences.

A slice of cultural trends over the decades of the 20th century are covered, with terrific newsreels. Interviews with a few of their models are included, many still looking great as older men.

Bought out by Hanover at some point, the catalog folded in the mid-2000s. Retail spaces and other companies that had trendy designs rendered it obsolete.

But the point of this documentary was just how influential and groundbreaking the company was.

I bought several things from International Male. The clothes were of high quality, and lasted for years.

Well worth a look.

Who would have thought that a mailorder catalog could become a culture-changing vehicle? So it was with International Male magazine, a veiled catalog of provocative men's clothing featuring models who epitomized the essence of virility and masculinity. From modest, seat-of-the-pants beginnings in the 1970s, founder Gene Burkard grew the publication not only as an outlet for mailorder clothing sales, but also as source of quiet but undeniable empowerment for young gay men, prompting many closeted individuals to boldly step forward as their true selves and enabling them to embolden their emerging culture. At the same time, IM's reach extended into American culture at large, encouraging men of all backgrounds - including straight guys - to embrace clothing styles that they may have once never given a second look, making it possible for them to become comfortably fashion-conscious to a greater degree, a social shift that has persisted to this day. The widespread and often-underappreciated impact of this operation has thus been a major influence among American men in numerous ways, a phenomenon now celebrated in this fun, informative documentary from directors Bryan Darling and Jesse Finley Reed. In interviews with Burkard, many of IM's models and staff, and a number of gay community and fashion industry insiders, along with ample clips from the pages of the catalog, viewers are treated to an in-depth look at the impact and history of the publication, as well as how it reflected and helped shape an evolving culture. There's considerable eye candy here, too, making for an often-suggestive but eminently tasteful watch. For those interested in learning more about the reach of this influential publication, place your order now.

Men who saw the International Male catalog during their formative years will enjoy this documentary about the birth and growth of the over-the-top (and below the waist) clothing company. Those who are too young to remember International Male may have a difficult time believing it existed.

Two first-time filmmakers interviewed the founder of International Male (just in time) as well as many of the models and former employees. I would love to know the backstory of how this film was made.

This very light topic does not warrant a lot of screen time. Clocking in at nearly and hour and a half, I was ready for it to wrap up long before it did. The best parts were when the folks who were there were allowed to tell their stories, often to the B-roll of excellent vintage photos. Unfortunately, the filmmakers fell into the trap of adding contemporary and (sort of) well-known people, to try to make the movie seem current or something. This was not needed and the movie drags each time it takes us away from the catalogs and model shoots to folks like Carson Kressley (the most obnoxious cast member from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" which seems more dated now than International Male) and social media "influencers."

I get the impression that the filmmakers took their subject a little too seriously. It's too bad, because with stricter editing, this could be a "must see" film for its target audience.