Before he put together Folsom Prison, TitanMen's latest in a long line of successful fetish-themed films, Brian Mills watched several prison porn movies to help inspire his vision, including his own hit Slammer. But don't expect just another guys-behind-bars entry.
"In this movie, I really wanted to get away from the traditional jail cell setting," Mills says. "I wanted to show other situations with other places that happen in prison. We had an interrogation room, a shower room, a private library, we had solitary confinement.... I think I have been particularly good at making fetish movies that don't fall into cliché categories."
Folsom Prison (released in late May during IML weekend in Chicago) and an as-yet-unnamed film (scheduled for September in conjunction with San Francisco's Folsom Street Fair) continue the studio's tradition of releasing two fetish-focused films a year. TitanMen has cornered the market on quality fetish material, racking up awards like clockwork: This year, Folsom Leather picked up the GAYVN Award for Best Leather Video, while Fear won Best Specialty Release (Extreme) - a category the studio also won last year with Folsom Filth. Throw in the awards that the five-part Fallen Angel series has racked up, and it's safe to say that Mills & Co. know exactly what they're doing.
Folsom Prison is a six-scene, three-hour extravaganza that includes hardcore fetish play (fisting, electric torture, watersports, bondage) featuring Tony Buff, Diesel Washington, Rick van Sant and Alex Baresi - and the new novelty line of TitanMen Tools. The film also boasts aggressive action between real-life master/sub couple Buff and Derek da Silva. "We spent probably an hour shooting a beating sequence that takes place in a prison shower room, and I think it's really hot," Mills says, adding with a laugh, "We also had some fun with a stainless steel coffee thermos."
Mills praises Washington's performance, a memorable scene in the prison's hole: "I get most of the inspirations for my fetish content from the performers.... Diesel actually designed his own scene. He started talking to me a month before he got out here - he wanted to do something that was a little out of the ordinary for his character. He always comes off as incredibly aggressive, and he certainly does in this as well. But his motivation here for being aggressive is a little bit different from some of the movies he's done."
But more important than getting people off, the film further cements the studio's commitment to bringing alternative, fetish-based material into the limelight - in a safe environment. TitanMen has led the industry in smashing the stereotype that fetish play is risky sex in dark, dank environments practiced by a small segment of society. It has been very vocal in its support of safety: Fetish doesn't have to mean behavior like barebacking and cum play. "We have a commitment to safer sex portrayal, and what we're doing is leading by example. Safer sex can be hotter sex, as a great alternative to barebacking," Mills says.
"People have a lot of misconceptions about certain kinds of fetish sex and whether or not it's considered safe. We've done a lot of research, getting information from the Center for Disease Control. A lot of people are freaked out by watersports because they think that it's not sanitary. But urine, when it leaves the body, is basically sterile. Watersports is a safe alternative." He adds, "... a lot of people may be turned on by fetish stuff, but they're not in a situation where they can participate - maybe they don't have someone to play with, or they are physically incapable, or they are not willing to give themselves the permission. They can have a lot of fun watching other people do it in a TitanMen feature!"
Broadening the definition of the word "fetish" has been another goal of the studio. Fetish play can mean something as simple as uniforms and costumes - TitanMen's successful military-themed films attest to the popularity of that niche.
"For this year's fetish releases we've really tried to make our content appeal to a wider audience. At one time, when somebody said ‘fetish,' they pretty much were talking about leather, bondage, what I call ‘dungeon sex.' When I say fetish, I mean anything outside of the standard kiss-lick-rim-suck-fuck scenarios," Mills comments. "There's a lot of fetish play that people who are into more ‘standard' sex don't understand because they don't see hard-ons or orgasms or cumshots. A lot of fetish players will tell you that in many ways, fetish sex is not about getting off, it's about going somewhere mentally. But...don't worry, every one of my fetish scenes also includes multiple cumshots!"
And while Mills notes that the fantasy around fetish staples like bondage and discipline dictates roles of dominance and submission, it's important to realize that the models are always performing consensually.
"Even though somebody may be screaming his head off, that's exactly what they wanted to be doing," he says. "A lot of people are not playing with obvious sexual excitement, they're playing with psychological excitement. There's a kind of intimacy that arises for a lot of people around scenarios that require them to have a very high level of trust in their partner."
And it doesn't have to be done in the dark. Mills, already in the GAYVN Hall of Fame, has attained more success with each film - not just for his ability to create an atmosphere that fosters steamy sex, but also for his ability to film in innovative ways. Currently in his 15th year in the industry, he has officially cemented himself as a top-tier director - and is now TitanMen's premier filmmaker, with Bruce Cam's Breakers serving as a swan song to the studio head's adult directorial efforts.
"Brian is a master with camera and lighting, not just at directing," says Cam. "I'm proud to say that Brian's production skills combined with his ability to direct hot, nasty sex are making TitanMen features better than ever. It was very easy for me to walk away from the director's chair knowing that our features are in such talented hands. Brian also has an uncanny ability at staging steamy, fetish sex outdoors.... A clean, well-lit place for great sex has always been one of our goals for TitanMen features; Brian is doing it better than no other - just take a look at Fear!"
And Mills keeps at it: Funhouse, being released in October 2008 - featuring Tony Buff, Alex Baresi and Francois Sagat - is in the same vein as the studio's highly successful Cirque Noir. "I'm trying to step away from traditional imagery. When you say you're making a fantasy rubber movie, a lot of people are going to imagine black rubber, black latex in a dungeon-type setting. Not the case; we're actually doing rubber fetish in a circus-themed setting. By the time we're done with it, it will be one of the most colorful movies ever made," Mills says, adding with a laugh, "People who are afraid of clowns will probably hate it."
If history and awards are any indication, that's doubtful: The industry and fans seem ready for Mills to send in the sexy, scary clowns.
CONTACT: TitanMen.com; [email protected]. Wholesale: [email protected]. Titan Media, PO Box 411345, San Francisco, CA 94141-1345; (800) 360-7204.
All models were at least 18 years old at the time of their performance. 18 U.S.C. 2257 Record-Keeping Requirements Compliance Statement.
