On the Set Report: Manhattan Sex Party

BY VINCENT LAMBERT

“Do you have what it takes to be an MSR sex pig?” reads a banner at the Lure, a leather bar in the meat-packing district of New York City. This is exactly what Los Angeles–based MSR Video has come to town to find out. There, amid the cigars, flannel and chaps, co-directors Tony Alizzi and Jack Francis work the crowd, hoping to find some fresh talent for the sex-party video they are filming one weekend in early February. “We’re looking for a certain gritty New York mentality,” Alizzi says. “New York is a melting pot,” Francis chimes in, “and that is what we want this movie to be about.”

As the Lure fills up with its usual assortment of manly men, several tentatively approach the MSR table and inquire about the shoot. The adventurous ones fill out a form asking for their vital statistics, including cock size. Then they are taken to a private area to be photographed. The following day the co-directors will interview the most promising candidates.

Three days later, on the other side of town, Alizzi and crew arrive at El Mirage, an underground sex club in the East Village. (Francis has returned to L.A. for emergency foot surgery following a fall.) It is 8am, and they begin to set up the scenery and lights. The cast of 22 guys begins to gather to shoot the main orgy sequence. Most of the models pass right by the muffins, fruit and energy bars that have been laid out for them. Well-known performers such as Max Grand, Jack Simmons, Chad Hunt, Michel Mattel, Gabriel Cortez, and Rick Allen mingle with many newcomers and first-timers (four of whom were discovered at the Lure talent search).

Still photographer Chuck sets up his equipment and begins doing glamour shots of the leads. By 11am, the filming is ready to begin. Cortez is casually draped in a sling, and Hunt is getting blown by Grand, but many of the models mill around, not quite sure what or whom to do. Alizzi surveys the two monitors (although there are three cameras) and decides to reorganize the action. He splits the guys into two decidedly A and B groups. Most of the well-known models gather in the front, while the remainder, about eight guys, are relegated to a back corner. One unexpected star of the A group turns out to be a certain masked man named Guy, who confesses that he has a “real career as a modern dancer” and cannot risk showing his face. But this doesn’t stop him from showing everything else, including his perfect body and huge cock.

The action continues for about 40 minutes when Alizzi calls for a break. The guys drink water and smoke cigarettes. Simmons clowns around, donning Guy’s black leather mask and strutting about with an oversize black dildo. But there is no time for fun—the shoot is on a tight schedule as the sex club must be open for business that night. After a few minutes, the guys are repositioned, new partners are chosen and it is back to work.

Alizzi paces, asking for “more verbal commands” from the group. They moan and offer a few “Fuck that ass!” type responses. While a Will Clark look-alike attempts his first cum shot, Carlos Morales sucks Grand and Hunt through adjacent glory holes. Meanwhile, Coral Sands, another newcomer who doesn’t want his handsome face seen (he is also legit), goes behind a curtain and gets his pierced dick sucked through a hole by Cortez.

Soon it is time for cum shots. “This is when I feel like an expectant mother,” Alizzi whispers. Following a few hours of work, several members of the B group begin leaving the set and dressing. They have only been paid for a half day, and it is already about 1:30pm. Lunch has arrived (cold-cut platters, salads and rolls), but most of the guys are too busy to eat.

By 3pm everything has been shot, and the film is wrapped. (Some location scenes of the models on subways and in taxis were filmed in Times Square the previous night.) The remaining guys dress and snack on leftovers. Checks are written, and the crew begins cleaning up. “I can’t believe we finished early and underbudget,” Alizzi says with amazement. “I was going for the feel of the classic Joe Gage movie Closed Set, and I think we got it.” He looks at the food and realizes that he hasn’t eaten anything all day. “I’m gonna make a baloney sandwich with potato chips on it,” Alizzi says. “I always used to eat that as a kid.” It’s a well-deserved treat for a hard-working porn director.

Reprinted from Adult Video News magazine (2001)

Movie Review: Fire Island Cruising

BY VINCENT LAMBERT

Director: Michael Lucas
Cast: Chad Hunt, Enrico Vega, Anthony Ferrat, Kyle Krystoff, Phillipe Siren, Michael Rock, Nico Arroyo, Mitch Ryder, Michael Lucas

The seventh release from Lucas Entertainment goes behind the sand dunes of New York’s mythic gay summer resort. Former Falcon exclusive Michael Lucas has reinvented himself as a prolific producer/director, and Fire Island Cruising is his latest offering. He also serves as narrator—linking the plotlines together with his heavily accented voice-over—and appears in a solo jerk-off scene.

In the opening, we learn that the handsome Russian native has taken a job on a boat that ferries fags out to Fire Island. While cruising the beach, Lucas happens upon superstar discovery Chad Hunt, who sports an amazing Jeff Stryker look-alike cock. Hunt invites Lucas to a poolside orgy, but Lucas leaves before the fun begins. Luckily beefy Enrico Vega, hunky Michael Rock, and several others hang out long enough to get off.

However, Lucas saves the best for last: Hunt and Anthony Ferrat’s strenuous outdoor encounter, which includes a golden shower with a beer-enema chaser (mail-order version only). Newcomer Hunt is hung huge and fucks like a dream. In fact, the entire cast is a nice mix of multiracial, tattooed, pierced, uncut hotties. These sexy boys of summer will have you thinking about getting wild on the beach regardless of the season. (Lucas Entertainment)

Reprinted from Unzipped magazine (2000)

Movie Review: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell!

BY VINCENT LAMBERT

Directors: Tony Alizzi and Jack Francis.
Cast: Cole Tucker, Jason Branch, Steve Cassidy, Thom Barron, Blake Harper, Chad Johnson, Tuck Johnson, Logan Reed, Matt Bradshaw, Anthony DeAngelo, Cameron Cruise.

MSR’s new release Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell! tackles the big issue of gays in the military from the perspective of an insider. Cole Tucker (pictured, top) plays a colonel who is called before a grand jury to determine the effectiveness of President Clinton’s inane “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. In the course of the proceedings, Tucker reveals his personal experiences and, in a dramatic high point, is ultimately outed on the stand by attorney Jason Branch.

But the thrilling courtroom theatrics are nothing compared to the stunning sex scenes that play out as Tucker testifies. In flashbacks, we see buff Tuck Johnson performing a major knob job on the major knob of Thom Barron. Then there’s the amazing tearoom trio of veteran Chad Johnson (still beautifully hairy and built to last), Matt Bradshaw (also back and a bit beefier than before) and the cock-hungry Blake Harper. But this isn’t the only hot threeway. Branch’s own dirty deeds are exposed in a surprise video that Tucker screens in the courtroom. It it, Branch does his duty with Logan Reed and Steve Cassidy. All of which leads up to an epic barroom orgy, with Tucker in full glory, puffing on his cigar and talking trash as only he can. This is an eight-man free-for-all that is the perfect capper to an exceptional film that mixes the political and the personal to great effect.

From its gripping script by Tony Alizzi to the top-notch direction by Alizzi and Jack Francis, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell! is about as good as gay porn gets. (MSR Video)

Reprinted from Adult Video News magazine (2000)

Porn Star Interview: Eric Hanson

BY VINCENT LAMBERT

It is the weekend of the GAYVN Awards in Los Angeles, and Eric Hanson is running late. He turns up at the West Hollywood studio of photographer Dean Keefer a bit behind schedule after getting lost on the way. But it’s no big deal for the easygoing, soft-spoken star of such films as French Connections, California Kings and Summer Reunion. He is in town to serve as a presenter at the awards and to shoot scenes for his first film in more than a year, Studio 2000’s The Size of It. As he digs into his breakfast (two protein bars), Hanson strips off his T-shirt and settles his 5-foot-11, 175-pound frame into a chair to be prepped for the photo shoot. For the 26-year-old Gemini, who was a Falcon exclusive for two years, the world of porn is more a hobby than anything else. And even though he has left Falcon, the studio recently issued the Eric Hanson Supercock dildo so the entire world can enjoy his ample gifts. As Hanson gossips about the awards and his adventures in L.A., his buff body and Italian good looks make it clear why he is still one of porn’s few new superstars.

So, is this your big comeback?
No, it’s not a comeback. It didn’t even seem like any time passed. It was only a year.
So, what have you been up to?
Just working. Getting caught up in my life and where I live. I didn’t even think about porn.
How did you get started in the industry in the first place?
A talent scout came to a club, the Copa, in Fort Lauderdale.
Is that where you are from? Florida?
Yeah. I was there hanging out at this club. Someone came up and said, “Hey, wanna be a model?” I was like, “Okay.” They didn’t tell me what it was for. I was with a friend of mine, and they wanted both of us. We both flew out to L.A. the next weekend.
Who was the friend?
I can’t even think of his porn name. He only did one movie.
And so they asked you to do a movie?
Yeah, and then Falcon signed me as an exclusive for a couple of years.
Did you have any qualms about doing gay porn?
I was a little nervous, but to me it was no big deal.
Were you gay? Are you gay?
I would say more bi, but now more gay.
How old were you?
I was 23.
And what was the first movie?
The Freshmen.
What do you remember about your first scene?
I remember a big black cock that was coming at me (laughs), and I ran for the hills.
And who was it attached to?
Jack Simmons. And they said, “This is what you are getting fucked by.” And if I knew then what I know now, I wouldn’t have done it. It took like three hours just to get the head in! (laughs) They don’t train you or teach you or show you what to do. You are just flown to L.A., taken to a set, and they say, “Okay, get a hard-on and have sex.” And if you’re the bottom, it’s even worse. They just tell you to bend over.
And that was your only bottoming experience onscreen?
Yeah, all that douching is just too much work. (laughs)
What is your favorite thing to do onscreen?
Um, giving head. Like in the new movie, The Size of It, my scene with Jeremy Tucker went really well.
Is he your type?
I like tall, dark and handsome—Italians, Latins—and hairy. I like very natural men. I don’t like all that clipped hair you see in South Beach. I like a guy who’s a guy. I like dominant guys, real men.
Do you have a boyfriend?
Well, I have someone special in my life. No one really knows, but we’ve been together a long time.
Really? How long have you been together?
Two days. (laughs) Hey, you’re talking gay relationships here. Two days is a long time; a whole 48 hours to put up with someone’s shit. (laughs) No, I am very happy.
So, how many movies have you done?
About six or seven.
Do you have a favorite?
I would say French Connections because of the traveling and being in Paris and the guy I worked with [Antonio Romano]. Plus, out of the whole month I was there, I only worked about three days. It was like a complete vacation. And I had never been out of the country before, so it was great.
Do you have a favorite scene partner?
Kurt Stefano was really good to work with in Summer Reunion. That was a really hot scene.
Do you remember the first time you jerked off?
Yeah, I was watching my best friend take a shower in his house. I was 15. He had one of those clear shower curtains, and I could see through a crack in the door. He was beating off in the shower, and I was beating off outside and he didn’t know.
Did you think you were gay then?
No, I was just being sexual. I didn’t even know the term “gay” or “lesbian.” I was just turned on.
Did you jerk off a lot as a teenager?
I remember jerking off three or four times a day.
Did you use any special technique? Any lubricant?
No, I did it dry ’cause I have loose foreskin. That was my natural lube.
Do you still do it?
Oh yeah, of course. When someone is not around to help out.
Does your family know about your work?
I’m close to my mom. She’s knows everything. She’s not stupid. My mom figures me out like anybody’s mother knows their son. They can read your eyes, your emotions. They know when you lie. I told her about the magazines and she said, “Go for it. Can I show my friends?” I said, “Ma!” And she said, “Well, I’ve seen it all before.” And I said, “Yeah, when I was two years old. It’s a little bigger now!” (laughs)
So, how big is it now?
It’s nine by six.
And now there is the Eric Hanson dildo.
I know. Isn’t that weird? I did [the mold] a while ago, but it is just coming out now.
Do you watch your own movies?
Never.
Do you watch any porn?
Actually, I watch straight porn. I don’t get off on gay porn.
Is there anyone special you’d like to work with?
Yeah, I want to work with Mason Jarr and Marco Rossi. They’re hot.
So, do you consider this a career?
No, I sell real estate in Florida for a living. If anyone needs a house… (laughs)
Do you get recognized a lot?
No one ever approaches me in Miami, maybe because there are so many people there who do porn. It’s strange, but I get noticed more in L.A.
Do guys who hit on you know who you are?
The guys I go after, it’s a world they’re not interested in. But I do tell them eventually.
And do they ever have a problem with it?
No. Actually, I tried to get rid of a few people that way! (laughs) But it didn’t work. I was waiting for them to grab their keys and run, and they didn’t. And I’m like, “Shit, what else can I say?” (laughs)
What would you like to do onscreen that you haven’t done already?
They wanted me to bottom again, and I wasn’t ready. I am still a top. I would bottom again with the right costar.
Is there any special fantasy you’d like to act out?
I would love to be gang-banged by an entire football team—right there on the field, right during half-time. And televised! (laughs) That would be hot. They could shoot their loads all over me—totally flood me.
Would you say you’re an exhibitionist?
No.
But you said on TV!
You said fantasy! (laughs) In real life, I am very shy.
What is the best sex you’ve ever had?
There’s a big cable company near where I live, and I got fucked in a huge satellite dish. It was hot. And the whole thing was covered with lube, and we couldn’t get out because we kept slipping. It was really funny. We kept sliding back to the center. (laughs)
What are your plans for the future?
Just to do what I am doing now. Having a happy, quiet life.
And what is a happy life for Eric Hanson?
Very simple—being in love, being comfortable, having the things I want, helping my family, supporting a local charity. That’s happiness.

Reprinted from All-Man magazine (2000)

Movie Review: Head Coach

BY VINCENT LAMBERT

Director: Brad Austin.
Cast: Jake Summers, Tuck Johnson, Erik York, Sam Burton, Lee Hassalo, Hans Ebson, Kirk Van Buren, Scott Spears, Graham.

It seems like anyone can be a porn star nowadays. Short, overweight and balding Jake Summers is the unlikely star of Head Coach, Catalina’s latest tale of sex, jockstraps and videotape. Summers plays a horny coach who fools around with his students. When they catch him in the act, the “kids” decide to videotape it and show the evidence to his also horny assistant (Erik York), who happens to lust after the coach himself. While most of the shaved and plucked cast looks old enough to be teachers at this school instead of students, supercuties Tuck Johnson and Hans Ebson almost make up for it as a couple of frustrated wrestlers. But their oral-only pairing is marred by low energy and uninspired performances. Much like the rest of this sorry crew. Only the bad elevator music is worse than the acting and casting. (Catalina)

Reprinted from Adult Video News magazine (2000)

Porn Star Interview: Bobby Blake and Flex-Deon Blake

BY VINCENT LAMBERT

When beefy Bobby Blake met his lover, Flex-Deon Blake, a couple of years ago, he had already starred in a number of films, bringing his own special brand of he-man sexuality to the screen. But after the two studs dated for a while, sexy Flex also ended up sharing his manhood with the world in movies. Clearly, this was a match made in porn heaven. Originally from Memphis, 43-year-old Bobby is 236 pounds of solid muscle. Standing tall at 6-foot-2, he delivers the word of God as a minister when he isn’t busy making fuck films. Flex, 38, hails from Miami and served a 13-year stint in the Air Force. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound hunk currently works a nine-to-five job and is also a musician. Together, they have performed in numerous films, including Black Ballers, Blatino Party 2, Black Tie Affair and their favorite, Get Hooked on This. The buffed couple spoke to us from their home in Miami.

Tell us how you guys got together.
Flex-Deon Blake: We met in L.A. at a club on Wilshire Boulevard. I was dancing as a guest male stripper, and Bobby was there hosting a party that weekend.
And when was that?
FDB: Almost two years ago.
Bobby, what do you remember about that night?
Bobby Blake: I was doing promotion for a Blatino sex party. I was on my way out the door, and I saw Flex. I thought he was a beautiful man. I believe we spoke.
Flex, did you know who he was?
FDB: I had no idea. I had heard of the Blatino parties and the guy who hosted them. I didn’t know he had done movies, though.
So who called who first?
BB: We made the connection in L.A., then I was in Washington, D.C., hosting a party and I saw him. He gave me his number, but I didn’t call. But during the party, I looked at him and said, “You know, you’re going to be my lover.”
FDB: And that drew a lot of attention. It was three months later, and I had done some homework. Now I knew he was a porn star. I got a little shy.
Bobby, what made you say that to Flex?
BB: I just knew. I just felt it inside.
FDB: But he still didn’t call! (laughs)
BB: We never exchanged calls. It wasn’t until a couple of months later that a mutual friend reintroduced us. That is when the communication began.
Now, Bobby, you had been making movies for a couple of years already.
BB: Yes, I started in 1998 and have done about 100 movies.
Was it something you had always wanted to do?
BB: Yes, it was something I wanted to experience, and in doing my first movies, like Ebony Night with Gene Lamar, I enjoyed it.
Were you always a top?
BB: Of course.
And in real life?
BB: There are some things we like to keep private. What goes on in our bedroom is private.
And Flex, you weren’t involved in porn at all?
FDB: No, I had been a stripper for several years. When I was younger, I saw porn videos and I was always attracted to it. I thought I might like to try it. Then when I met Bobby, I expressed my desires to him and he said he would help. I jumped at the opportunity.
Bobby, did you think Flex had the potential to be a porn star?
BB: Of course. I knew he had the body and the dick. I think you have to allow a person to do what he wants.
What was the first movie you did together?
FDB: It was called Black Power.
Bobby, what was it like working with your lover?
BB: It was just like working with someone else. When I am on the set, my mind is focused on what I have to do.
Flex, was it intimidating to do a scene with him?
FDB: Well, Bobby inspired me in the beginning to do porn. He has his own style, and I don’t want to copy him. We try to maintain our own personalities on and off film. I didn’t want people to get the wrong impression that I was competing with him. When we work we are attuned to our own thing. We are enjoying the moment.
BB: I am a very physical, dominant, in-control individual. I’ve been asked how I created this character, but people don’t realize that this is me. This is what turns me on. A lot of people love that—they like to be manhandled. I’ve been on sets where I scare the hell out of people, and I have to warn them. I fucked someone once until he almost passed out.
Flex, what is it that turns you on?
FDB: I like a masculine guy who is in shape, not necessarily all muscles, but someone who is not inhibited and is free.
BB: My turn-on is looking strong and powerful and evil and the most finest, and then looking a guy in the face and making him my bitch. Saying, “You are at my feet and you will do what I want you to do.” Plus, I love ass. (laughs)
So how big are you guys—in the dick department?
BB: About 10 and a half to 11 and thick.
FDB: About 10 medium, and I’ve got a Prince Albert.
When did you get that?
FDB: Oh, about two or three years ago.
And your tattoos?
FDB: About 10 years ago. I like body art.
Bobby, are you into that?
BB: When I accepted him, I accepted the whole package—piercings, tattoos and all. I was in love with the person, not the accessories. It didn’t bother me.
Is that why you now have pierced nipples and tattoos?
BB: No, not because of Flex. I always wanted to get tattooed, but I never had the nerve to do it. Flex gave me the courage to do it.
Okay, let’s get back to sex. How about jerking off? Do you guys do a lot of that?
BB: I have to, sometimes five or six times a day. I could have sex all day. (laughs) I just think about what I’ve done and I get turned-on.
FDB: I do it a lot too. Since I’ve been in the industry, I’ve cum a lot.
Do you ever watch your own movies?
BB: I glance through them to check the quality. That’s it, and never again.
FDB: I critique them at first, then every once in a while I’ll watch one, but not to get off. I don’t get off on my own movies.
Is there any fantasy you’ve yet to act out onscreen?
BB: My desire is to go into more hard-core scenes: more leather, more fisting, just being able to be myself without limitations.
FDB: I want to do some straight movies. I’d like to try that.
Bobby, how do you feel about that?
FDB: I support him in whatever he wants to do.
So where do you see this going?
BB: Well, I was saying I was going to retire, but there are some things I want to do before that. I want to reveal the best of Bobby Blake to the public. I’m also involved in the political arena, getting minorities in the industry the attention they deserve.
FDB: I want to experience all that I can in the industry. Learn about all of it. Go as far as I can go, and create an avenue for young black models. I want to be able to give something back, and there are a lot of things we can contribute as gay men. People will listen to a hero before an ordinary person. As a porn star, people listen to me more. I want to use that as a tool to educate.
And personally?
BB: I love Flex to death, and I can say I love him more than anyone I’ve been with. Of course, we’ve had ups and downs like any couple, but I am grateful he’s been there for me. I look forward to having him in my life until I die. And our two dogs, too. (laughs)
FDB: I want to have a good relationship and live life and be happy. We enjoy life together.
Do you ever feel the pressure of being role models in the black community or the gay community?
FDB: In some areas, people do look up to us, and as a black couple, a lot of guys write and say, “You don’t find too many brothers in successful relationships.” So yeah, young African-Americans look up to us. That we have careers and are doing well. We have a responsibility to bring something positive.
BB: There’s no pressure, though. I’ve always been in leadership roles as a child and as a minister. So I’m used to it.
Bobby, let’s talk about your work as a minister.
BB: Well, I was reared in the Christian Methodist Episcopal church. I’ve worked in hospitals as a chaplain with AIDS patients. I have a personal relationship with God, and that is who I answer to. I want to do more of that work.
FDB: We both believe that everyone should be proud of who God made them. Don’t let no one take that away from you. Respect yourself.
Any message you’d like to send out to your fans?
FDB: “Cum and get hooked on my dick!” (laughs) That’s what I always say.
BB: “Bow down, bitch.” They know what’s next.

Reprinted from Black Inches magazine (2000)

Movie Review: The Shaman

BY VINCENT LAMBERT

Directors: Andre Adair and Fay Dubois.
Cast: Carlos Casino, Vince Bandero, Max Grand, Mike Cesar, Xavier, J.V., Valentino Rey, Danny Pacheco, Harley, D’Angelo

As the desert winds swirl around him, the Shaman (Valentino Rey) does a freaky little dance for unseen spirits. Only moments into this arty new release from L.A. Brown Productions, we hear the sexy Shaman tell blondie Carlos Casino that he will have “five experiences in five moons,” and that only one can save him. So begins Casino’s journey of sexual exploration. And what a journey it is. First, he wanders around the house, nursing a hard-on and circling a black divan. While we don’t see anything much happening, Casino, like that kid in The Sixth Sense, sees people. But instead of dead people, he sees two gorgeous studs (Vince Bandero and Mike Cesar) sucking and fucking through dreamy gauze material. As Casino pulls on his own thick, beautifully veined cock from the sidelines, Cesar blows Bandero before being fucked by him. Bandero provides some hot sex talk in this scene, coaxing a major orgasm out of Cesar by asking, “Can I pump the cum out of you?” Anytime, Vince.

Next, Casino is lolling in the tub, thinking about superstud Max Grand, who also does a little dance in the desert with a black scarf. Before you can say “Ay, Carumba,” Grand is in the bathroom, offering a helping hand to our hero. But that’s not all he offers. Max feeds Casino his grand manmeat then returns the favor. Casino bends Grand over the tub and gives him a good pounding. Grand shows his appreciation by splashing water all over his glorious hairy chest and arms. Casino adds to the waterworks by delivering an amazing cum shot. This sizzling scene could wake the dead!

It’s too bad the same can’t be said for the following encounter, a threeway with Casino and newcomers Danny Pacheco and Harley. Casino again provides a tasty boner, but the three lack chemistry, and Harley’s plucked eyebrows are enough to turn off any potential lover.

Casino keeps having his visions, including a jerk-off sequence featuring D’Angelo (no, not the muscular R&B stud, unfortunately) and a campfire fuck between J.V. and Xavier. The Shaman even gets to blow a load on the desert sand, leaving poor Carlos high and dry with that damn black scarf!

We won’t give away the surprise ending, but know this: The Shaman is one of the most beautifully photographed porn films we have ever seen. Directors Andre Adair and Fay Dubois expertly build the erotic tension with flawless editing. The action is consistently hot, especially the first two scenes, and the cast will have Latin lovers drooling all over the place. The Shaman is an erotic adventure worth taking. (L.A. Brown Productions)

Reprinted from Latin Inches magazine (2000)