Male sexuality, via the penis, gets a look-see in Brian Fender's new DICK: THE DOCUMENTARY

More than five years in the making (the filmmaker evidently began work on this documentary back in 2008 when he took an ad out on CraigsList, asking if there were men out there willing to show and talk about their sexual apparatus), DICK: THE DOCUMENTARY arrives tomorrow on VOD and DVD (pre-order, anyway) in a not-quite-hour-long parade of male members, in the flesh, accompanied by verbal explanations from the bearers of what their penis means to them, how they first became aware of it and what it could do, as well as how it has affected their lives -- for good or not so. And if you don't already know that bigger is probably better, you certainly will once you've seen and heard from these guys.

Our fellows were promised by their director -- filmmaker Brian Fender (shown at right) -- anonymity both visually (although the penis is on full parade, nothing above the neck is ever visible) and ID-wise (the names have been changed to protect the, well, innocent). Each man shows, up, strips and stands in front of the camera, cock front and center, as he answers question from the filmmaker and then, sometimes, begins to elaborate on his own. After spending an initial time with each, Fender begins inter-cutting back and forth between his men, building up a kind of testament to what the penis really means. After all the symbolism and penile stand-ins that we've experienced in our culture -- from skyscrapers and automobiles to bananas and zucchinis -- it's rather a pleasure to have the real thing in front of us to view and talk about and finally, maybe, begin to understand.

Mr. Fender and his producer/sidekick Chiemi Karasawa (shown at left) have chosen a nice variety here, too. The men range in age from 20s through the 70s and they're straight, gay and bi, while their dicks run the gamut -- small, large, thick, thin, circumcised,  uncut, white, black, Latin (but no Asian cock that I could see, which seems a pity the movie wasn't a tad more inclusive).

Conversational topics range from that first ejaculation (usually quite a surprise) to the part religion plays in the use, abuse and care of the cock, and whether or not size matters. Clearly, it does. The biggest dick of them all tell us, "For a time I resented my penis because I never knew if it was me or my big cock that the person really cared about." Still, and as expected, this guy eventually came around to accepting and delighting in his huge member.

Not so the fellow with the smallest dick on display here. That has been a problems his entire life, and it's one that shows little signs of abating with old age.

We hear about that first sexual experience, of pedophiles and horny teen-agers, of styles of lovemaking, how to keep the uncut dick clean and odor-free, and how best to masturbate. (Turns out that when you're circumcised, it helps immensely if the doctor or mohel didn't cut off too much flesh. These professionals should know by now to leave enough skin to properly play with.)

The downside is not neglected, either. We hear about erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer and its effect on the libido and penis. We even learn the ins and outs of penile implants. One fit fellow, straight all his earlier life, explains how has now enjoys having sex with men. "Its good," he says, "because they don't expect anything afterward."

The movie's piece de resistance, however, has got to be the section midway along, when we simply see, in profile, a nice-sized dick slowly harden up until it reaches full erection. No explanation necessary. Why men so prize (and worry and wonder about) their cocks, and how and why the penis is seen to be that "tower of power" is on full display here.

Dick: the Doc is a film that ought to be shown to all youngsters during adolescence, to give them the full explanation of things that their father probably won't (none of the men shown here got a proper sex education from Dad). Fender and Karasawa have done a real service for us guys, de-mythologizing the penis while celebrating it, too. Theirs is a smart and -- depending on your sexual preferences and POV -- a pretty hot doc. You can view it exclusively online beginning tomorrow, September 12. For more information go to IndiePix Films by clicking here.