It’s no surprise that Pornography was shown at Outfest (because any chance they have to be provocative at the big gay festival, they’ll take), but it may be a surprise to find that two major gay porn stars starred in the odd David Lynch-like thriller. The premiere screening (even the cast was kept in the dark) played to an overflow crowd in two theaters, requiring Outfest to offer another showing July 19—to yet another sold-out crowd. The very high-spirited cast and crew hosted a party after each screening, and it was nice to see two of the best actual actors who have appeared in porn in recent years: award winners Bret Wolfe and Brad Benton (who now goes by his real name, Dylan Vox).
Vox portrays porn star Jason Steele, who co-stars in a hot new gay porn movie with Mark Anton (played by Jared Grey, who surprisingly is not a former porn star). Anton mysteriously disappears, following allegations that a snuff movie shows him being strapped down and tortured to death. Vox’s character is among the suspects.
Wolfe plays an over-the-top porn star who is getting too old to play frat boys. He insists on talking in a fake accent to create a mystique about himself. Wolfe represents humor in an otherwise dark and creepy movie. The film’s main characters, particularly a reporter who is writing about porn history, say today’s porn is terrible compared to the work of the 1970s.
Afterward the screenings, writer-director David Kittredge and his cast admitted they watched a lot of gay porn to get into their roles.
“Yeah, we watched a lot of gay porn, and there were some great scenes,” actor Matthew Montgomery said during a question-and-answer period after the first screening. “Has anyone here seen L.A. Tool & Die?” (Even in the Outfest crowd, no more than a handful of people were brave enough to raise their hands.)
The actor then described a favorite graphic bathroom scene from Joe Gage’s classic 1979 porno.
“No one writes dialogue like Joe Gage,” Kittredge said. “I was inspired by him.”
Pornography, which may be released as Pornography: A Thriller, came to Kittredge while he was writing a light comedy.
“I got sick of writing that, and then this non-linear story around the porn industry came up,” he said.
At first, a straight actor was cast as Jason Steele, but the actor’s wife talked him out of taking the role, and then the director caught Vox on the TV series The Lair before he even knew about the Brad Benton alter ego.
“I looked him up on his website, gave him a call and talked to him about it, and it was perfect casting,” Kittredge said.
Vox was honest when talking about the 16-day shoot.
“Honestly, when I first read the screenplay we got to the end and I said, ‘What the fuck?’ But [Kittredge] has a great vision, and he shot a beautiful movie, and he took us all on a strange journey.”
It seems like a lot of the cast, even the producer, didn’t quite understand the movie when they finally saw it this past weekend, but the film got exceedingly good reviews at other festivals and in L.A. Weekly.
At one point during the question-and-answer session, director-producer Sean Abley got caught up in an argument.
“I wanted you to show more dick in the film,” Abley said.
Vox sighed at the light-hearted bickering and said, “It was like this on the set the whole time.”
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Porn star and promo homo Marshall O’Boy promises to revive one of his infamous O Boy Parties. West Hollywood’s Rock & Roll Drag Bar will feature his band Aug. 1—hosted by Alaska Thunderfuck and Jer Ber Jones along with actor Alexis Arquette (one of the more famous O Boys)—and after 2 a.m., O’Boy and crew will tell “the right people” where to adjourn for the hot party. The Palms plans to feature O’Boy the first Saturday of each month, after which invited guests may check their clothes at the door and join a meeting of the brotherhood.
O’Boy admits the gang remains picky about who they let in, and they’re adamant about safe sex. Although they like “height-weight proportionate guys,” a model-like look is not required. Selection is based mostly on attitude.
“After we knock your socks off at Rock & Roll Drag Bar, we’re going to get you out of the rest of your clothes,” O’Boy told me.
You may remember that the O Boys produced a series of videos and an award-winning documentary, so it’s nice to see that they’re back in action. Find out more at MarshallOBoy.com.
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More quickies:
- Chi Chi LaRue flew off to New York after L.A.’s Gay Pride and lunched with Michael Lucas, then went shopping with RuPaul before heading home for some much-needed R-and-R with family. It’s always a hoot to read LaRue’s musings about Minnesota.
- Guys are shown cruising the streets of Soho in a new title from Eurocreme’s Simon Booth. The British lads who debut in Hung Ladz: Thick & Throbbin have names like Fred Faurtin and Thierry Schaffauser. Never mind that, though: The guys are huge—uncut with big, fat cocks.
- The union Actors Equity has very restrictive rules about nude auditions. One famous porn director who is casting a mainstream play requiring nudity said he found the regulations overbearing and ridiculous. “I know how to make the guys feel comfortable about taking their clothes off,” he told me. “I wish they’d let me do it my way.” Of course, Equity rules probably were not written by a porn director. This director was warned by a friend in the arts (and also in porn) that one Equity play was closed down because of alleged inappropriate activity between the director and one of the naked cast members. I’ll write more about the current project when I get more details.
- What a delight to bump into Freddie Bercovitz, who directs under the name of Hands Solo, at a mall where we could chat porn. Bercovitz-Solo said to look in my mailbox for an upcoming third and last installment of his rimming movie, which features the RimPerfect device he created (like a see-through toilet seat that allows close-up viewing). Can’t wait.
- COLT Studio Group has been overwhelmed with fan response and media attention for their new BUCK shOts boys. The studio is teasing some details about their new hot young models: Irrepressibly cute Jason Pitt (Beg for It) likes his sex a lot dirtier and nastier than what’s shown on screen, and Nash Lawler first had sex when he was only 14. COLT really knows how to pump up anticipation by offering extras.
- Speaking of extras, The Visitor’s DVD-extra interview with Logan McCree is fascinating. He talks about his favorite movies and influences, like David Bowie’s The Man Who Fell to Earth and Invasion from Mars. He also reveals how he shaved his whole body (armpits and chest too) for the film so he could feel more non-human. Turns out McCree actually tattooed himself to be more separate from the human race, but like the scientist-alien he plays in The Visitor, he surely knows what pleases earthlings.
- Raging Stallion made such a hit with their guys lying prostrate (supposedly dead) in last year’s To the Last Man calendar that the studio has published a hot 2010 edition. Just out, the new calendar has all the guys again, up and ready and completely nude except for their hats. It’s a beautiful Bruno Gmünder work of art.
