LOS ANGELES—It was at the 2015 Hookie Awards in New York where NakedSword director mr. Pam recalls meeting Viktor Belmont for the first time—an introduction that both somehow knew would prove meaningful.
“The next night a bunch of us went over to Black Party and he came with us…I remember flirting with Viktor, and he was all about the guys, all about the dick,” mr. Pam says with a laugh.
They kept in touch, and their paths would soon cross again when she was hired to do some nightlife photography at Midnight Sun, a popular gay bar in San Francisco where Belmont was dancing.
“He was so much fun to photograph—just knows his angles, and he’s not afraid of the camera. He was in a jockstrap showing off his stuff, it was really hot. I was like, ‘God damn, you’re amazing! I’d love to shoot you sometime!’”
That sometime is now. When NakedSword realized an upcoming release was perfect for Halloween season, “it really opened up concepts and casts and to do something a little less traditional. So I got with my best friend Leo Forte—who is also an excellent writer and camera guy. He’s in love with American Horror Story, so we started going over some creepy concepts—ghosts, sex with loved ones who have passed away, cemeteries and all this stuff. And all of a sudden, Viktor came to mind.”
The result is Devil’s Deal & Other Sordid Tales, which released in mid-October and also stars Justin Brody, Casey Jacks, Gabriel Alanzo, Jonah Fontana, Leo Luckett, Pheonix Fellington, River Elliott and Ruckus XXX.
“mr. Pam has been there for me since day one,” says Belmont. “When we first met, she immediately showed me warmth. She told me how she wanted to cast me in something. This was years ago. I then, out of the blue, got an email from her about a shoot that she thought I'd be great for. She kept her word, and we both knew the gravity of the situation. I was a gay man, I shot previous porn before, I'm a very easy performer to work with and I fit the bill for casting. I also happen to be trans.”
And while it might seem surprising in this day and age, by accounts it seems to mark the first time in 12 years that a trans performer has appeared in a big production from a major gay studio—following in the footsteps of Buck Angel, who was featured in Titan’s Cirque Noir in 2005.
“I generally like to do movies that reflect what I’m seeing in the gay community. About 10 to 15 years ago, I was dating more women, and a lot of the butches started to transition from F2M, and it was awesome and hot—but then they all kind of started dating each other,” laughs mr. Pam.
“Fast forward to now, and I feel like I have two personalities—I have my dyke side, and then my gay boy faggot side. And all of a sudden, my gay boys are talking about trans guys. Trans guys are more in the clubs, they’re go-go dancing, they’re on Grindr, and my best friends are hooking up with trans guys. I’m like, whoa! My worlds are suddenly combining, and my gay guy friends are totally into it. It was just adorable to hear the language that’s coming out, like, ‘Oh, I just fucked him in his bonus hole,’ because gay guys don’t like to say ‘pussy.’”
The director thought of Justin Brody as a potential scene mate, and asked him what he thought.
“He said, ‘I actually just started following Viktor on Twitter, I think he’s super hot. I’ve never been with a trans guy before, but I’m totally open to it, I would love to do that.’ I then asked Viktor if he was comfortable with Justin—and if he could take that big dick—and he’s like, ‘Definitely!’ They were both totally into it.”
The director says they wrote a fun script and started shooting in the Dolores Park cemetery. Brody conducts a séance, and all of a sudden Belmont pulls him out of the cemetery into another world with challenges of sensual desires.
“The shoot was a joy. mr. Pam, Leo and Stratten all were so good at making me feel comfortable. Their energy was so fun, and the cadence of production was amazing. And of course, how could I forget my scene partner? Justin Brody is a dream. Sweet, sensitive, sensual. I popped his trans boy cherry and showed him exactly what I could bring to the table. I think you'll find our chemistry pretty electric,” Belmont shares.
“Justin was quiet when I first met him. Tall, lean, scruffy face and bright eyes. His hands were strong and his voice was soft. I could tell we came from a similar place. We chatted as Leo did our makeup and mr. Pam ran down our shot list.”
Belmont recalls the introduction perfectly as if it were its own film, one enhanced by their surroundings.
“San Francisco has this beautiful afternoon light that streams through old, warped windows of Bay Area two bedrooms. It makes someone look almost angelic. I could hear the hustle and bustle of Castro Street as he inked in signatures on tax forms and release papers. He was bathing in sunlight. I knew I was staring. He didn't seem to mind, and I think I saw a smile crawl onto his handsome face as we made small talk. From that moment on, I wanted to feel every inch of his skin and devour him whole. Working with Justin left me reeling. I still think about his kiss, and my breath catches in my chest when I scroll past his posts on Instagram.”
mr. Pam says Belmont embraced the dark tone of the project.
“Viktor actually is really rough in the scene. He kind of beats him up at the beginning. I’m like, ‘Okay, can we stop for a minute? Justin, are you okay?’” she laughs. “The phrase ‘topping from the bottom’ definitely came into play with that scene. It was awesome. It was a beautiful day and a hot scene. Viktor is one of those really talented sex performers that you don’t come across that often.”
The director says the best porn is always marked by an amazing energy with performers who are really into each other, “and natural, pure fucking—which this scene really was. Sometimes it’s really frustrating when there’s a scene where the guys are cast because they’re beautiful, but they’re not sexual. They’re not into each other, the whole scene is a bitch to shoot, and then that gets more views than something like this one, which was just very natural. I had a great time, and I was so turned on—which sometimes I’m not.”
If it was up to mr. Pam, she would cast more trans performers more often—and she hopes this film is the start of a bigger movement. She credits NakedSword CEO Tim Valenti with letting her run with the project.
“I definitely think it’s giving more visibility to the niche sites like Bonus Hole Boys and Jock Pussy. They’re getting a lot more mainstream play. And NakedSword, we have a really wide variety of content, which I love. I would definitely hope to shoot Viktor again, and I just found out about Luke Hudson, and there’s also another guy, Billy Castro, who’s been around in our community forever and is a big F2M porn star. I would definitely like to open it up, or maybe even do an entire movie with trans guys.”
For Belmont, it would be an opportunity to embrace.
“I'd love to shoot more!” he says. “I want nothing more than to be given the opportunity to work. I love what I do.”
