Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0858423001254
Format: Color
Label: Liberation Ent
Manufacturer: Liberation Ent
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Liberation Ent
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2008-02-05
Running Time: 132
Studio: Liberation Ent

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Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating:

Summary: Decent, Not to be Missed!
Comment: I stumbled across this film looking for resources to support a paper for school I wrote tackling the representation of Black Gay themes in film. I didn't know what to expect when I purchased this, but I have to say that the script and acting were equally amazing.

The downfall with this series is the writers were concerned too much on the twists and turns in the script (which I must add were well thought out) rather than focusing on the whole DL phenomenon and its effects within the Black [Gay] Community. The only episode that successfully executed this was the BOO episode, which stands out among the four as being the most thorough and raw depiction of what today's DL Black man by definition stands for. The longest of the four, the ROBERT episode, may have come close but the twist to the story makes it null and void (which I will not give away). However, there are many issues about acceptance and struggle in the ROBERT episode that the BOO episode lack, which were on point and resonate today. Everything else was unfortunately nothing more than any given episode of a soap opera in comparison.

For anyone who has watched such promising yet flawed put-together series like "The Closet" and "Noah's Arc," you will be taken aback by how believable the cast is, for starters. The script is well written but drags at times, but the acting makes up for that.

I recommend watching each episode from beginning to end to fully understand the story and catch the links between characters from episode to episode. Because the WES episode starts out really slow compared to the intensity of those that follow, I skipped to the 4th episode, MARK (which turns out to be the most comical and light-hearted of the four), before watching the other two and saying, "Wait a minute?!" and doing some rewinding for myself. But again, watch from beginning to end and pay close attention to the character overlapping for some "Ahh ha" moments.

Another shortcoming, or maybe just a question that went unanswered, was the whole purpose of the narrator and his involvement with these men. The narrator is writing a book focusing on DL men and as the episodes intro, he is either writing or talking about the whole DL culture before he starts talking about each individual. In Episode 1 WES it is revealed how they meet, but I was left wondering how, if he is telling the story, does he know all of this information about Wes. Were they intimate (which you think is obvious as the story sets up the way they meet, but it never comes into play again)? Does he know someone who knows these people? Did they tell their stories to him for his book? Is he maybe even one of the individuals involved in the stories and he has just changed the names and instances?

Maybe another season will offer these answers, but for anyone looking for an extremely entertaining, thought provoking, well-scripted and acted Black film/series of a different kind, I highly recommend this DVD.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Great!
Comment: I rented this on Netflix; and after waiting almost 3 month's to view it, I was absolutely enthralled by the acting, the content, and the documentary. However you feel about the individual episodes, it is a must have item for my personal collection. And I am not a collector of DVD's. It was GREAT!!!!!

Customer Rating:

Summary: Intelligence, Talent, Beauty and Wit
Comment: I'd heard about this series when it came out but only recently rented it. I definitely endorse adding this to your collection. I was most excited to see the 1st episode but felt it was the least well-acted. Although I did enjoy hearing the lead's sexy Australian accent in the DVD extras. Who knew there were black Australians?. Our large U.S. of A is a rather isolated one. The remaining three episodes were very good. It's so refreshing to find out this work exists. Not only are we exposed to beautiful black gay characters, but this collection also amasses some of the best black writers, directors and actors out there.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Excellent Series
Comment: I thought that this a very good series, worth the purchase amount. The dvd contains four episodes following four different "types" of D.L. men: the business man, the undercover man, the thug guy, and the final episode was actually a gay couple.
The show has great sex appeal, a lot of sexy guys star in the series, and above all else, interesting storylines. This is not a show that is predictable as I first thought.
Bottom line, it's worth it. If you're thinking about buying it then just do it!

Customer Rating:

Summary: The Dl Chronicles
Comment: This was a blind purchase, in that I did not know anything about it. Having watched and enjoyed Noah's Arc, I thought this would be along the same lines.
It's not, instead it is about Bisexual Black men and their lives, each character has his own story, which is interesting,the first story is ok, but they next three get better. It shows us how difficult some men have with their sexuality, and how they deal with it. I enjoyed it and will buy season two when it comes out.6/10

More Reviews

Editorial Reviews:

Four episodes comprise the first season of the DL Chronicles, about black men "living in a gray area" between gay and straight, according to the narrator Chadwick Williams (Damian Raven). The drama is framed as if Williams, a journalist introduced in the first episode, is sharing each story to enlighten viewers to the complexities of being an out gay man in various African-American communities. The shows, titled "Wes," "Robert," "Boo," and "Mark," describe these men's sexual situations, ranging from complete cover-up to their near-comings out. Wes Thomas (Darren Schnase) is a married real estate banker whose infidelity is kept under tight wraps. Robert Hall (Terrell Tilford) falls in love with Austin (Kareem Ferguson), a local store manager, but is terrified of his daughter finding out. Boo is faced with homophobia and outright prejudice everywhere he turns, and becomes doubly anxious about AIDS. The last episode, "Mark," turns the series around, by showing an example of a man who has just decided to tell his family the truth. Overall, the series manages a careful balance of drama, including some steamy sex scenes, and educational content, to help viewers understand how hard it is for these men to fight for community acceptance. Furthermore, there are great humorous moments, such as when all the men and women who Boo has slept with flash before his eyes, to prevent the show from seeming didactic. All these characters who are keeping it on the "down low" have something to tell us about tolerance, as well as charm and wit. --Trinie Dalton