This article originally ran in the November 2016 issue of AVN magazine. See the digital edition here.
Tony Dimarco’s first memories of the “Falcon man” were of the men in gay porn magazines like Honcho and Torso, their sweaty bodies, big cocks and hot asses tempting him from the page.
“When VHS became more prevalent, I found out so many great films were available that I only see in the glossy gay magazines. I was fairly young at the time, and could not afford to buy porn, but I found a place in the West Village in New York City where you could rent them. I remember scouring through the binders of rentals to find the hottest films. Over time, I kept recognizing a familiar logo of a glass falcon, which was the early logo of Falcon Studios.”
One film that had a big impact on him was The Other Side of Aspen, particularly its orgy scene at the end. “Many of the films I had seen before were good, but they did not have the sexual energy of this scene and movie. I think it still stands up today. And Al Parker ... he was my idea of the perfect man. Super good looking, great body, that beard, hair and his beautiful big cock. He was spectacular in my eyes.”
Coming from one of the most accomplished directors of the last decade, that’s high praise. No wonder Falcon Studios Group continues to make its mark as it plans to celebrate its 45th year in business with a full year of events, promotions and celebrations. The studio kicked off the festivities in mid-October. The schedule is still being planned, but at least one big event is expected to take place each month for the next 12 months.
“When I was a young gay man and I finally discovered gay porn, I found Falcon,” says Toby Morris, VP marketing. “The two releases that stick out in my mind that I was instantly attracted to and turned on by were Quarterback Sack and Branded. I would venture to guess that the majority of men who have sex with men and came of age before the internet—and who have even just a little interest in gay porn—would tell you that a Falcon movie was their first gay porn experience.”
Established in 1971 by Chuck Holmes in San Francisco, Falcon rose as the pre-eminent brand in the gay porn industry. Through the decades, it has branched off into other successful niche brands like Jocks Studios, Mustang Studios, Falcon International, Falcon Str8 Men and most recently Falcon Edge. Morris says Falcon has plans to produce a number of new titles inspired by classics and hits from the studio’s past.
“Falcon is the standard-bearer of high-quality gay porn and the leader in the industry since its inception,” says Morris. “Falcon was the home of some of the luminaries of the business and cultivated talent that went on to launch, lead or direct for other major brands, including the likes of Steven Scarborough (Hot House), Chi Chi LaRue (Rascal/Channel 1), John Rutherford (Colt), mr. Pam (NakedSword) and more. If gay porn had a family tree, Falcon would most definitely be the trunk.”
Dimarco says the studio has lasted so long because it always adapts and changes appetites over time to the tastes of the porn consumer—what gay men want to see—and also by staying true to its roots of filming beautiful men in spectacular locations having hot sex in a cinematic style.
“Falcon defined what gay porn was at the time and what gay sex could be. For many people, it was a guidebook to what they could do sexually and opened a world that was previously private and taboo, bringing gay sex out in the open to the men who craved it. Also, by bringing the ‘gay sexual subculture’ to the masses, it inadvertently defined a look for a generation of gay men that were searching for an identity,” says the senior director.
“Falcon also set forth standards and practices in filmmaking that are still used to this day—starting with the 8mm film reels, then advancing to the feature-length movie. Ironically, now by doing self-contained scenes, many studios are going back to the 8mm film reel style that Falcon pioneered. To me, Falcon was the pinnacle of the gay porn studio and what I loved the most about gay porn—the sexy beautiful men, hot bodies, big cocks and hot sweaty sex.”
Dimarco is excited about the big two-part feature that comes out in October: Wild Weekend Parts 1 and 2, which is about a group of guys coming to San Francisco during Pride. “We filmed the movie in the city were it all began for Falcon. It was great that we were able to do that. I think the film journeys back to the roots of what made Falcon a known brand, intertwining story and sex to create intriguing erotic content. I’m very proud of this film and the actors in it.”
October will also see the release of Deep Release, set at an all-male spa. It features the return of Brent Corrigan, along with other A-Team exclusives Ryan Rose, JJ Knight and Sean Zevran. November delivers a Thanksgiving blockbuster release, About Last Night. Dimarco directs a story about Knight, who is about to tie the knot. He celebrates his last night of freedom in Las Vegas with a night on the town alongside best man Corrigan. It’s a plot-driven feature that will release day and date on Comcast pay per view on November 23.
“I think what makes a ‘Falcon movie’ a Falcon movie is in how it is filmed. I have filmed for many companies and brands over the years, and for Falcon it’s somewhat simple. The films usually have the best-looking guys in the business and are filmed in beautiful locations, but beyond that it’s the quality of the lighting and the filming that makes them stand apart,” Dimarco says, adding that great care goes into making sure that the lighting looks natural and that they always find the best angles to show off what the viewer wants to see.
“Usually, the themes of the movies are lighter in tone. Some darker films were done in the past, but the current trends are to make them about lighter subject matter, keeping the sex happy, playful and fun but yet still dirty. ... I think that’s why the studio has lasted for so long, because the films that are put out are beautiful to look at and they are consistent and hot.”
