AllMovie

The Finnish documentary Daddy and the Muscle Academy is the story of gay artist Tom of Finland. The viewer is treated to hundreds of vividly rendered portraits of male models, ranging from (according to the videocassette liner notes) "Drummer Daddies to fellow artists". Tom's sketches and paintings are grouped by subject matter, with emphasis on various forms of fetishism. The film includes interviews with the artist's models, associates and intimates, not to mention a dramatized journey into "Tom's soul". By its very nature, Daddy and the Muscle Academy can boast only limited audience appeal, though both gay and non-gay artists might appreciate Tom of Finland's painstakingly detailed technique.