Sunday, September 26, 2004
The Adams Report, September 6 - 12, 2004
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The Adams Report by J.C. Adams
September 6 - 12, 2004
A particular era of gay porn retreats further into the past with the August 25th passing of performer and director Geoffrey Karen Dior. Ms. Dior had seemed fairly indestructible despite struggles with drug addiction and an HIV diagnosis that took several harrowing turns in recent years. Geoffrey Karen Dior (whose birth name was Geoffrey Gann) was 37 years old. He died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood with his boyfriend at his bedside. The official cause of death was cirrhosis of the liver. His remains were cremated and returned to his home state of Missouri where his family held a private memorial service and burial.
Karen Dior (he added "Geoffrey" to his stage name some years later) was part of the infamous gay porn "Brat Pack" that caroused from roughly 1988 through 1994 or '95. That crew included directrix Chi Chi LaRue, drag performer Gender, Sharon Kane, Crystal Crawford, reviewer Mickey Skee, models Christian Murphy and Joey Stefano, O Boys founders Marshall O Boy and Alan Gassman, plus a constantly rotating supporting cast. They made movies together and partied together and generally tore it up. With Karen Dior's death, it seems clear that era has finally passed.
Joey Stefano died from an accidental drug overdose in 1994; same deal for Christian Murphy in 2001. As for the others, Gender has disappeared into anonymity. Alan Gassman lives and works quietly in New York City. Crystal Crawford, Sharon Kane and Mickey Skee are still around, but only Ms. LaRue and Mr. O Boy are still actively working on the scene.
I guess you could say the Brat Pack era had a certain carefree, live-fast-and-die-young mentality to it. Porn these days is more mercenary. There are few parties for the sake of having fun. The industry rarely comes together to celebrate anything. And the breakneck pace at which technology is evolving will force the lifers who still run this business to adapt or go under with a ruthless efficiency that neither the advent of videotape in the early '80s or DVD technology in the mid-'90s could have possibly foreshadowed.
I heard about Ms. Dior's death on a film set Monday, August 30th. Videographer Ed Maxxx told me s/he had passed away the previous Wednesday (August 25th), but it took several days for word to get around.
I spoke a few days ago with Dior's close friend Marshall O Boy, who expressed deep appreciation that various online memorials for Karen Dior had sprung up around the 'Net. Soon after Dior's passing, he got KarenDior.net up and running as a resource, and told me early plans are afoot for a memorial fundraiser October 10th in Los Angeles. Other details can be found at Oboys.org.
The last word I'd had of Karen Dior came last year, from performers Jason Nikas and Blake Andrews, who had contentiously broken away from a partnership with Dior after a string of poorly received videos under the Macho Man label. It does no dishonor to Karen Dior to note that he had burned his share of bridges in this industry. You cannot survive long in this industry without butting heads with someone sooner or later. Nevertheless, his friends and more than a few enemies rallied around Dior about five years ago when he was at death's door, suffering terribly from one HIV-related complication after another.
As a director (usually under the pseudonym "Rick Van") Dior was prolific. He was unabashed about the fact that most of his 100 or so titles were considered B-list. "I make porn, not art," he told me years ago, 1995 or '96, at a backyard party at Mickey Skee's house. "Did you jack off? Then I did my job."
You can place Karen Dior/Rick Van into the wave of performer-directors who endeavored to become personalities equal to the famous models in their films. Chi Chi LaRue, of course, is the patron goddess of this movement. You can include Ms. Dior with Paul Baressi, Gino Colbert, Crystal Crawford, Chip Daniels, Marcelo Reeves, Johnny Rey, Blade Thompson, all of whom worked frequently through the mid-1990s with varying degrees of success. Several of course are still around (Baressi, Colbert, with LaRue and perhaps Daniels the most skilled at combining business savvy with their public image). Other directors from this period — your Kristen Bjorns, Bruce Cams, John Rutherfords, John Travises — deliberately chose to subsume their public personas in favor of the films and models.
Indeed, Karen Dior as a performer and director came along at a peculiar and particular moment in time for the gay porn industry (1988 through roughly 1995), and left his mark on it.
Karen Dior managed to cross over into mainstream entertainment with a featured cameo on "Veronica's Closet" in 1995 and in 1997 on an episode of "Xena: Warrior Princess," as well as commercials for Fox Sports Net and Braun razors. He produced a memoir, "Sleeping Under the Stars," which spilled the beans about his various assignations with porn celebrities, and appears on the "Porn to Rock" CD in a duet with Stacy Q (yes, Stacy "Two of Hearts" Q from the '80s). Go to KarenDior.net for more details.
DEPT. OF SELF-PROMOTION
In the current issue of "Adult Video News" (Sept. 2004) I've got a brief Q&A with newcomer Corbin Michaels. And my interview with Chi Chi LaRue can still be found in the Features section of OutinAmerica.com (where you can find this column in the subscription-only Uncut section).
Two additional reviews are in for my directorial debut, CATCH ME (All Worlds Video). Both Arizona's "X-Factor" and "Adult Video News" had positive words for the flick, joining New York's "HX" magazine and ManNet.com. Available now on Allworldsvideo.com, CATCH ME will be released to stores on VHS/DVD September 24th. It stars Chris Bolt, Jasper Collins, Ben Damon, Deacon Frost, Jonathan Gabriel and Wade Mohawk. Check it out! And stay tuned for news of my follow-up to CATCH ME...
Porn Star Birthdays from September 6 through September 12: Brian Hancock, Dave Nelson, Sean Tarantini (September 6); Trent Everett, Brad Rioux, Tommy Roy (September 7); Ryan Block, Chris Canyon, Ricky Cash, Axel Garret, Perry James, Suny Tessier, Cutter West, Kurt Wolfe, Tyler Zane (September 8); Tony Belmonte, Alan Braun, Alec Danes, Tony Lexus, Sidney Sampaio, Luke Savage (September 9); Coby Kincaid (September 10); Adrian, Andy Anderson, Dean Edwards, Francois Kagylo, Arpad Miklos, Bobby Morelli, Logan Sajnal, Blade Thompson (September 11); Cade Devilin, Fabrice Felder, Jens Hammer (September 12).
J.C. Adams has covered the gay adult entertainment industry since 1995, and has served as the editor of "Inside Porn Magazine" and "Unzipped Monthly." In addition to the "Adams Report" weekly gossip and news column, his work has appeared in "Adult Video News," "Gay Chicago," "Genre," "HX" and many other print and online publications. You can reach him at JCAdamsXXX@aol.com
500 Turtles Productions © 2002 - 2004
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The Adams Report by J.C. Adams
September 6 - 12, 2004
A particular era of gay porn retreats further into the past with the August 25th passing of performer and director Geoffrey Karen Dior. Ms. Dior had seemed fairly indestructible despite struggles with drug addiction and an HIV diagnosis that took several harrowing turns in recent years. Geoffrey Karen Dior (whose birth name was Geoffrey Gann) was 37 years old. He died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in West Hollywood with his boyfriend at his bedside. The official cause of death was cirrhosis of the liver. His remains were cremated and returned to his home state of Missouri where his family held a private memorial service and burial.
Karen Dior (he added "Geoffrey" to his stage name some years later) was part of the infamous gay porn "Brat Pack" that caroused from roughly 1988 through 1994 or '95. That crew included directrix Chi Chi LaRue, drag performer Gender, Sharon Kane, Crystal Crawford, reviewer Mickey Skee, models Christian Murphy and Joey Stefano, O Boys founders Marshall O Boy and Alan Gassman, plus a constantly rotating supporting cast. They made movies together and partied together and generally tore it up. With Karen Dior's death, it seems clear that era has finally passed.
Joey Stefano died from an accidental drug overdose in 1994; same deal for Christian Murphy in 2001. As for the others, Gender has disappeared into anonymity. Alan Gassman lives and works quietly in New York City. Crystal Crawford, Sharon Kane and Mickey Skee are still around, but only Ms. LaRue and Mr. O Boy are still actively working on the scene.
I guess you could say the Brat Pack era had a certain carefree, live-fast-and-die-young mentality to it. Porn these days is more mercenary. There are few parties for the sake of having fun. The industry rarely comes together to celebrate anything. And the breakneck pace at which technology is evolving will force the lifers who still run this business to adapt or go under with a ruthless efficiency that neither the advent of videotape in the early '80s or DVD technology in the mid-'90s could have possibly foreshadowed.
I heard about Ms. Dior's death on a film set Monday, August 30th. Videographer Ed Maxxx told me s/he had passed away the previous Wednesday (August 25th), but it took several days for word to get around.
I spoke a few days ago with Dior's close friend Marshall O Boy, who expressed deep appreciation that various online memorials for Karen Dior had sprung up around the 'Net. Soon after Dior's passing, he got KarenDior.net up and running as a resource, and told me early plans are afoot for a memorial fundraiser October 10th in Los Angeles. Other details can be found at Oboys.org.
The last word I'd had of Karen Dior came last year, from performers Jason Nikas and Blake Andrews, who had contentiously broken away from a partnership with Dior after a string of poorly received videos under the Macho Man label. It does no dishonor to Karen Dior to note that he had burned his share of bridges in this industry. You cannot survive long in this industry without butting heads with someone sooner or later. Nevertheless, his friends and more than a few enemies rallied around Dior about five years ago when he was at death's door, suffering terribly from one HIV-related complication after another.
As a director (usually under the pseudonym "Rick Van") Dior was prolific. He was unabashed about the fact that most of his 100 or so titles were considered B-list. "I make porn, not art," he told me years ago, 1995 or '96, at a backyard party at Mickey Skee's house. "Did you jack off? Then I did my job."
You can place Karen Dior/Rick Van into the wave of performer-directors who endeavored to become personalities equal to the famous models in their films. Chi Chi LaRue, of course, is the patron goddess of this movement. You can include Ms. Dior with Paul Baressi, Gino Colbert, Crystal Crawford, Chip Daniels, Marcelo Reeves, Johnny Rey, Blade Thompson, all of whom worked frequently through the mid-1990s with varying degrees of success. Several of course are still around (Baressi, Colbert, with LaRue and perhaps Daniels the most skilled at combining business savvy with their public image). Other directors from this period — your Kristen Bjorns, Bruce Cams, John Rutherfords, John Travises — deliberately chose to subsume their public personas in favor of the films and models.
Indeed, Karen Dior as a performer and director came along at a peculiar and particular moment in time for the gay porn industry (1988 through roughly 1995), and left his mark on it.
Karen Dior managed to cross over into mainstream entertainment with a featured cameo on "Veronica's Closet" in 1995 and in 1997 on an episode of "Xena: Warrior Princess," as well as commercials for Fox Sports Net and Braun razors. He produced a memoir, "Sleeping Under the Stars," which spilled the beans about his various assignations with porn celebrities, and appears on the "Porn to Rock" CD in a duet with Stacy Q (yes, Stacy "Two of Hearts" Q from the '80s). Go to KarenDior.net for more details.
DEPT. OF SELF-PROMOTION
In the current issue of "Adult Video News" (Sept. 2004) I've got a brief Q&A with newcomer Corbin Michaels. And my interview with Chi Chi LaRue can still be found in the Features section of OutinAmerica.com (where you can find this column in the subscription-only Uncut section).
Two additional reviews are in for my directorial debut, CATCH ME (All Worlds Video). Both Arizona's "X-Factor" and "Adult Video News" had positive words for the flick, joining New York's "HX" magazine and ManNet.com. Available now on Allworldsvideo.com, CATCH ME will be released to stores on VHS/DVD September 24th. It stars Chris Bolt, Jasper Collins, Ben Damon, Deacon Frost, Jonathan Gabriel and Wade Mohawk. Check it out! And stay tuned for news of my follow-up to CATCH ME...
Porn Star Birthdays from September 6 through September 12: Brian Hancock, Dave Nelson, Sean Tarantini (September 6); Trent Everett, Brad Rioux, Tommy Roy (September 7); Ryan Block, Chris Canyon, Ricky Cash, Axel Garret, Perry James, Suny Tessier, Cutter West, Kurt Wolfe, Tyler Zane (September 8); Tony Belmonte, Alan Braun, Alec Danes, Tony Lexus, Sidney Sampaio, Luke Savage (September 9); Coby Kincaid (September 10); Adrian, Andy Anderson, Dean Edwards, Francois Kagylo, Arpad Miklos, Bobby Morelli, Logan Sajnal, Blade Thompson (September 11); Cade Devilin, Fabrice Felder, Jens Hammer (September 12).
J.C. Adams has covered the gay adult entertainment industry since 1995, and has served as the editor of "Inside Porn Magazine" and "Unzipped Monthly." In addition to the "Adams Report" weekly gossip and news column, his work has appeared in "Adult Video News," "Gay Chicago," "Genre," "HX" and many other print and online publications. You can reach him at JCAdamsXXX@aol.com
500 Turtles Productions © 2002 - 2004
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Sunday, September 19, 2004
The Adams Report, August 30 - September 5, 2004
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The Adams Report by J.C. Adams
August 30 - September 5, 2004
It's still pretty quiet in GayPornLand as summer winds down. This week's column is another smorgasbord of items as I plow through the drifts of press releases gathering dust on my desk. A highlight of the week was a leisurely Italian dinner in West Hollywood with directors Jerry Douglas and John Rutherford. Both gentlemen have been locked into an editing suite in West Hollywood with Andrew Addams as they tinker with the final cut of BUCKLEROOS (from the Buckshots subsidiary line of Colt Studio).
As we sat down to dinner Mr. Rutherford revealed he'd caught my latest appearance on "The Derek and Romaine Show" (August 18th) on Sirius OutQ Satellite Radio. That was pretty cool; the e-mails coming into the "Adams Report" home office as well are increasing after each of my subsequent appearances. "Derek and Romaine" is more popular than I'd realized; if you subscribe to satellite radio, check them out on channel 149.
You don't get any more connected than John Rutherford or Jerry Douglas, so of course our dinner with filled with scoops and gossip. But every third sentence one of them would wave a fork (Mr. Rutherford) or a cigarette (Mr. Douglas) in my direction and exclaim, "This is off the record!" Guys, cut me some slack! I've got a column to write! Nevertheless, I'll have a lot more on Colt, Buckshots and BUCKLEROOS next week.
As this column went to press, it was announced that Jenna Jameson's memoir (co-written with Neil Strauss), "How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale," cracked the "New York Times" bestseller list (at number nine!) for the week ending August 21st. You go, Ms. Jenna!
Last week I neglected to mention where gorgeous young cutie Sammy Case can be found on video/DVD. He appears in SOLOBOYS VIDEO #9 and SEDUCING SAMMY, which can be purchased at Soloboys.com. There's also that gang-bang video from a major studio (in which the gang is banging Sammy, naturally) which likely will be released soon.
One of my favorite guys, Michael Brandon, is diligent about keeping me abreast of his particular brand of fun. "I just came home from shooting my new movie on location," he wrote recently. "The movie is called PARTY IN THE REAR! [It's] a pool party fuckfest, a Monster Bang release. It's all about dedication to my line! 'Big cocks and the holes they fill.'"
It's nice to see how Michael Brandon has overcome his shyness, eh? During PARTY IN THE REAR! the actual partiers sat around the pool observing the action, and says Mr. Brandon, "watching their fellow bottoms get their ass[es] pounded by myself and the other tops. Wait till you see the opening credits [which] start off with a bang, true Michael Brandon style!"
Costars include Ivan Andros, Mario Cruz ("playing piggy bottom for Monster"), Rick Gonzales topping both Cory Koons and Joshua Adams, and finally Sean Storm. "Monster finally gets a piece of power bottom Sean Storm," Mr. Brandon exulted. "The power top takes on the power bottom! I fucked that man silly!"
Mr. Storm apparently told Raging Stallion director Chris Ward that Brandon's plow was "the most intense fuck I have ever gotten," with Brandon adding that "we have turned babyfaced Sean into a man. The fans are going to fall in love with him all over again."
PARTY IN THE REAR! is Mr. Storm's second film for Raging Stallion/Monster Bang, following GAY DREAMS II: NIGHTS OF SAN FRANCISCO. The first GAY DREAMS this year won a pair of Best Threesome trophies (from the GAYVNs and a "Gay Chicago" Grabby) for the Peter Raeg/Shane Rollins/Michael Vincenzo power-slam. Go to RagingStallion.com for more details.
One final note: Michael Brandon will be launching his "newly designed" Monster dildo at the upcoming Los Angeles Gay Erotic Expo (September 11-12). He's online at XXXMichaelBrandon.com.
I wrote last year about a documentary called LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF. It's been making the festival rounds ever since. In the film director Thom Andersen examines Los Angeles as it is portrayed in various films set in the City of Angels. Naturally I wondered if Fred Halsted's seminal 1972 flick L.A. PLAYS ITSELF was a part of the new documentary and whether it influenced the title. Yes and no, apparently.
But director Andersen, a professor at California Institute of the Arts, is aware of the Halsted film. Last year's "Daily Variety" review of LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF took note of the swipe from Halsted's film. And a recent issue of "Entertainment Weekly" (August 20/27 with Johnny Depp on the cover) has a positive review of the film. "Andersen intercuts clips from sci-fi schlock and '40s noir," reads the review, "'Repo Man' and 'Rebel Without a Cause,' gay porn and 'Die Hard.' He then shows you the locations as they now appear... Gliding from the physical to the metaphysical, Andersen reveals how films like 'Chinatown' [and, by extension, Halsted's porn classic] effectively remade the reality of Los Angeles, replacing history with myth in a way that now anchors the city more than that history itself does."
If you want to learn more, Mr. Andersen gave an illuminating interview in the Summer 2004 issue of the film journal "Reverse Shot." They're online at Reverseshot.com
And for Fred Halsted fans, author Patrick Moore (a friend of mine) devotes an entire chapter to the icon in his recent book, "Beyond Shame: Reclaiming the Abandoned History of Radical Gay Sexuality" (Beacon Press). Check out www.beacon.org for more information.
Did you know copies of Fred Halsted's L.A. PLAYS ITSELF and the short film SEX GARAGE are part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City? They are, indeed.
Porn Star Birthdays from August 30 through September 5: Cory Hunter, Rafael Michaels, Craig Stevens (August 30); Pete Erichson, Dustin Nour, Gage Powers, Storm (August 31); Rob Harris, Akos Matyas, Wade Peters, Jordan Ryan, Franco Sylvano, Cody Tyler (September 1); Curt Baldwin, Jon Galt, Casey Williams (September 2); Jake Rodgers, Bo Stallion (September 3); Jayden Christopher, Tiago Nunes (September 4); Kirk Alan, Nino Bacci, Joszef Kovacs, Zak Pierce, Jake Reddy, Mathew Thomas, Mark Wolff (September 5).
J.C. Adams has covered the gay adult entertainment industry since 1995, and has served as the editor of "Inside Porn Magazine" and "Unzipped Monthly." In addition to the "Adams Report" weekly gossip and news column, his work has appeared in "Adult Video News," "Gay Chicago," "Genre," "HX" and many other print and online publications. You can reach him at JCAdamsXXX@aol.com
500 Turtles Productions © 2002 - 2004
# # #
The Adams Report by J.C. Adams
August 30 - September 5, 2004
It's still pretty quiet in GayPornLand as summer winds down. This week's column is another smorgasbord of items as I plow through the drifts of press releases gathering dust on my desk. A highlight of the week was a leisurely Italian dinner in West Hollywood with directors Jerry Douglas and John Rutherford. Both gentlemen have been locked into an editing suite in West Hollywood with Andrew Addams as they tinker with the final cut of BUCKLEROOS (from the Buckshots subsidiary line of Colt Studio).
As we sat down to dinner Mr. Rutherford revealed he'd caught my latest appearance on "The Derek and Romaine Show" (August 18th) on Sirius OutQ Satellite Radio. That was pretty cool; the e-mails coming into the "Adams Report" home office as well are increasing after each of my subsequent appearances. "Derek and Romaine" is more popular than I'd realized; if you subscribe to satellite radio, check them out on channel 149.
You don't get any more connected than John Rutherford or Jerry Douglas, so of course our dinner with filled with scoops and gossip. But every third sentence one of them would wave a fork (Mr. Rutherford) or a cigarette (Mr. Douglas) in my direction and exclaim, "This is off the record!" Guys, cut me some slack! I've got a column to write! Nevertheless, I'll have a lot more on Colt, Buckshots and BUCKLEROOS next week.
As this column went to press, it was announced that Jenna Jameson's memoir (co-written with Neil Strauss), "How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale," cracked the "New York Times" bestseller list (at number nine!) for the week ending August 21st. You go, Ms. Jenna!
Last week I neglected to mention where gorgeous young cutie Sammy Case can be found on video/DVD. He appears in SOLOBOYS VIDEO #9 and SEDUCING SAMMY, which can be purchased at Soloboys.com. There's also that gang-bang video from a major studio (in which the gang is banging Sammy, naturally) which likely will be released soon.
One of my favorite guys, Michael Brandon, is diligent about keeping me abreast of his particular brand of fun. "I just came home from shooting my new movie on location," he wrote recently. "The movie is called PARTY IN THE REAR! [It's] a pool party fuckfest, a Monster Bang release. It's all about dedication to my line! 'Big cocks and the holes they fill.'"
It's nice to see how Michael Brandon has overcome his shyness, eh? During PARTY IN THE REAR! the actual partiers sat around the pool observing the action, and says Mr. Brandon, "watching their fellow bottoms get their ass[es] pounded by myself and the other tops. Wait till you see the opening credits [which] start off with a bang, true Michael Brandon style!"
Costars include Ivan Andros, Mario Cruz ("playing piggy bottom for Monster"), Rick Gonzales topping both Cory Koons and Joshua Adams, and finally Sean Storm. "Monster finally gets a piece of power bottom Sean Storm," Mr. Brandon exulted. "The power top takes on the power bottom! I fucked that man silly!"
Mr. Storm apparently told Raging Stallion director Chris Ward that Brandon's plow was "the most intense fuck I have ever gotten," with Brandon adding that "we have turned babyfaced Sean into a man. The fans are going to fall in love with him all over again."
PARTY IN THE REAR! is Mr. Storm's second film for Raging Stallion/Monster Bang, following GAY DREAMS II: NIGHTS OF SAN FRANCISCO. The first GAY DREAMS this year won a pair of Best Threesome trophies (from the GAYVNs and a "Gay Chicago" Grabby) for the Peter Raeg/Shane Rollins/Michael Vincenzo power-slam. Go to RagingStallion.com for more details.
One final note: Michael Brandon will be launching his "newly designed" Monster dildo at the upcoming Los Angeles Gay Erotic Expo (September 11-12). He's online at XXXMichaelBrandon.com.
I wrote last year about a documentary called LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF. It's been making the festival rounds ever since. In the film director Thom Andersen examines Los Angeles as it is portrayed in various films set in the City of Angels. Naturally I wondered if Fred Halsted's seminal 1972 flick L.A. PLAYS ITSELF was a part of the new documentary and whether it influenced the title. Yes and no, apparently.
But director Andersen, a professor at California Institute of the Arts, is aware of the Halsted film. Last year's "Daily Variety" review of LOS ANGELES PLAYS ITSELF took note of the swipe from Halsted's film. And a recent issue of "Entertainment Weekly" (August 20/27 with Johnny Depp on the cover) has a positive review of the film. "Andersen intercuts clips from sci-fi schlock and '40s noir," reads the review, "'Repo Man' and 'Rebel Without a Cause,' gay porn and 'Die Hard.' He then shows you the locations as they now appear... Gliding from the physical to the metaphysical, Andersen reveals how films like 'Chinatown' [and, by extension, Halsted's porn classic] effectively remade the reality of Los Angeles, replacing history with myth in a way that now anchors the city more than that history itself does."
If you want to learn more, Mr. Andersen gave an illuminating interview in the Summer 2004 issue of the film journal "Reverse Shot." They're online at Reverseshot.com
And for Fred Halsted fans, author Patrick Moore (a friend of mine) devotes an entire chapter to the icon in his recent book, "Beyond Shame: Reclaiming the Abandoned History of Radical Gay Sexuality" (Beacon Press). Check out www.beacon.org for more information.
Did you know copies of Fred Halsted's L.A. PLAYS ITSELF and the short film SEX GARAGE are part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City? They are, indeed.
Porn Star Birthdays from August 30 through September 5: Cory Hunter, Rafael Michaels, Craig Stevens (August 30); Pete Erichson, Dustin Nour, Gage Powers, Storm (August 31); Rob Harris, Akos Matyas, Wade Peters, Jordan Ryan, Franco Sylvano, Cody Tyler (September 1); Curt Baldwin, Jon Galt, Casey Williams (September 2); Jake Rodgers, Bo Stallion (September 3); Jayden Christopher, Tiago Nunes (September 4); Kirk Alan, Nino Bacci, Joszef Kovacs, Zak Pierce, Jake Reddy, Mathew Thomas, Mark Wolff (September 5).
J.C. Adams has covered the gay adult entertainment industry since 1995, and has served as the editor of "Inside Porn Magazine" and "Unzipped Monthly." In addition to the "Adams Report" weekly gossip and news column, his work has appeared in "Adult Video News," "Gay Chicago," "Genre," "HX" and many other print and online publications. You can reach him at JCAdamsXXX@aol.com
500 Turtles Productions © 2002 - 2004
# # #
Sunday, September 12, 2004
The Adams Report, August 23 - 29, 2004
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The Adams Report by J.C. Adams
August 23 - 29, 2004
Wrapping up the latest happenings in Gay Porn:
* California Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) this week called for the adult industry to "self-regulate" condom use and regular STD testing, or face the wrath of the minions of Hell. Okay, I fudged that last part. But Mr. Koretz' letter went out to every single adult company, gay and straight. In the stories that followed (including a report I caught on National Public Radio!) virtually no one mentioned the simple fact that the gay adult industry has self-regulated for fifteen-freaking-years.
All right, props to all you heterosexuals out there. Love you to bits. But I know it can take awhile for straight people out there to clue in to certain ideas. The fact is that gay porn began self-regulating the use of condoms in 1988 or '89, and when Falcon Studios switched to condoms-only in 1992 or '93 most of the industry had already followed suit. That includes gay porn shot in far-flung locales like Brazil, Quebec and Prague, and imported to the United States.
For over a decade the vast majority of gay porn companies have self-regulated the use of condoms. Despite the growing popularity of bareback films, the vast majority of gay porn produced today is strictly condoms-only and will remain that way. There has not been a single documented case of a performer contracting HIV on a gay porn set. The gay industry has continued to function; the sky has not fallen.
* "Naked Fame," the documentary from director Christopher Long chronicling Colton Ford and Blake Harper’s attempts to cross into mainstream entertainment, will play at the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival, which runs August 26th through September 6th. "Naked Fame" screens on September 1st and 5th. Find more details at Agliff.org.
Also screening is the Italian melodrama "Adored: Diary of a Porn Star" from director/star Marco Filiberti, and the thirty-minute short film "My Porn Star" from writer/director Mariano DeMarco. And if you want to read more about "Naked Fame," a recent positive review of can be found at OutinAmerica.com.
* Performer Aaron Tanner's sexy New York City shindigs are increasingly popular. He's got the open-air Drenched ongoing at The Eagle bar, as well as Pitch Black monthly at SBNY/Splash. "This once-a-month extravaganza right now is taking advantage of SNBY's construction zone downstairs," Mr. Tanner enthused in a recent promotional e-mail, "with massages, tattoos, piercing, a leather mart and porn stars from FetishHunks.com! Add to all that a special blend of 'Aaron Tanner Fun' in the form of a wild and crazy play maze and you get perhaps the best Sunday in NYC since the good ol' days! Upstairs the hottest go-go studs from all around the city, combined with a selection of my favorite porn stars, will be on hand to shake things up for you!"
Go to Aarontanner.com for all the details. And to refresh your memory, Mr. Tanner has appeared in Chi Chi LaRue's "Shock" two-parter (Falcon Studios, 2000); Raging Stallion's "Fist Pack 1," "Sex Pack 9: Fire in the Hole," "Sex Pack 10: This End Up" and "The Dirty Director" (both 2002); and Titan Media's "Woodsmen" (2001).
* Director Blue Blake has relaunched his Web site. Go to BlueBlake.com to drink in the new look. He's got BRUTE: A WRESTLING FAN'S DREAM now in release starring newcomers Andreas, Marco Bossi, Tony Cage and Jay Poison, with Big Blue regulars Ben Campezi, Jason Hawke, Jeremy Jordan and Jim Slade.
* Gossip Alert: Little porno birds are talking about another studio, one of the biggies, putting together plans to break from their longtime distributor and fly solo. Stay tuned for the announcement.
* Zaye Entertainment is the newest company to enter the gay market. Hetero filmmaker Richie Zaye recently wrapped DAMIAN FORD IN HAWAII. Mr. Ford co-directs with Mr. Zaye. Costars include Kent Larson, Marco Paris, Rob Romoni and newcomer Casper Sloan. Zaye Entertainment is splurging on a lavish two-disc, extras-loaded package set for a September release.
* Joining Zaye Entertainment are newcomers Blue Lights Group and Sunshine Films. Blue Lights Group is an Eastern European company that aims to produce gay "gonzo" films featuring new faces. The first title is REAL GUYS...THEIR STORIES, distributed by Paladin Video. Sunshine Films is a distribution outlet that purchased most of the now-defunct Odyssey Group Video catalog (including their gay Men of Odyssey titles). Back in April, Sunshine told AVN.com they intended to release one new gay title a month beginning in July under the Odyssey label, but I haven’t confirmed if that’s happened or not.
* The Charles M. Holmes Foundation just closed a deal to sell Falcon Studios and all of its subsidiary lines (Jocks, Mustang, Falcon International, et. al.) to 3 Media Corporation, a new company run by three of Falcon's own board members: Terry Mahaffey, Todd Montgomery and Steve Johnson. Why the sale? Chuck Holmes, Falcon's legendary founder, died nearly four years ago on September 9th, 2000. The Charles M. Holmes Foundation was officially formed two years later, and is run by Terry Bean, a businessman who happens to be one of the most powerful men in Oregon State politics; Terry Bean is also one of the founders of the Human Rights Campaign, one of the founders of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, and was the executor of Chuck Holmes' estate. Mr. Holmes' will deeded Falcon Studios to his foundation, whose mission is to improve the lives of gay men and women through various causes.
One of their largest donations was a cool million bucks to the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center, which named its building after Chuck Holmes. They also donated another million to the Human Rights Campaign to enable them to build their new headquarters in Washington D.C., and made a grant to the U.S. Holocaust Museum to fund their work on gay victims of the Holocaust.
Additionally the Charles M. Holmes Foundation has donated various sums of money to gubernatorial and Senate races. But when it became clear the money came from a gay porn studio, some of it was returned, including a $15,000 donation to gubernatorial candidate Ted Kulongowski.
Clearly, there was a conflict. This sale by the Charles M. Foundation of Falcon Studios to 3 Media Corporation allows the Foundation the degree of separation it needs to continue to "focus on charitable giving," per a company press release. And Falcon now enjoys, per the release, "more flexibility to focus on strategy, operations and growth planning."
MmmMMMmmm...growth planning and charitable giving. I'm all hot and horny just thinking about it...
Porn Star Birthdays from August 23 through August 29: Tony Vaughan, Adam Wolfe (August 23); Johnny Davis, Ivan De Morais, Justin Pounders, Kenny Stewart, Christian Taylor, Brett Wilde (August 24); Jason Ball, Adriano Marquez, Dirk Stahl, Haus Weston (August 25); Richard Bangs, Tony Cameron, Sonny Diaz, Gennaro Grimaldi, Rafael, Justin Stewart (August 26); Daniel James, Jay Paxton, Joey Piccard, Tony Ryan, Rod Stetson, Brandon Taylor, Sandor Vesanyi (August 27); Jason Adonis, Jesse Cooper, Johnny Paul, Nick Steel, Jaymez Sterling, Ken Taylor (August 28); John Atkins, Joey Candy, Max Holden (August 29).
J.C. Adams has covered the gay adult video industry since 1995, and has served as the editor of "Inside Porn Magazine" and "Unzipped Monthly." In addition to the "Adams Report" weekly gossip and news column, his work has appeared in "Adult Video News," "Gay Chicago," "Genre," "HX" and many other print and online publications. You can reach him at JCAdamsXXX@aol.com
500 Turtles Productions © 2002 - 2004
The Adams Report by J.C. Adams
August 23 - 29, 2004
Wrapping up the latest happenings in Gay Porn:
* California Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood) this week called for the adult industry to "self-regulate" condom use and regular STD testing, or face the wrath of the minions of Hell. Okay, I fudged that last part. But Mr. Koretz' letter went out to every single adult company, gay and straight. In the stories that followed (including a report I caught on National Public Radio!) virtually no one mentioned the simple fact that the gay adult industry has self-regulated for fifteen-freaking-years.
All right, props to all you heterosexuals out there. Love you to bits. But I know it can take awhile for straight people out there to clue in to certain ideas. The fact is that gay porn began self-regulating the use of condoms in 1988 or '89, and when Falcon Studios switched to condoms-only in 1992 or '93 most of the industry had already followed suit. That includes gay porn shot in far-flung locales like Brazil, Quebec and Prague, and imported to the United States.
For over a decade the vast majority of gay porn companies have self-regulated the use of condoms. Despite the growing popularity of bareback films, the vast majority of gay porn produced today is strictly condoms-only and will remain that way. There has not been a single documented case of a performer contracting HIV on a gay porn set. The gay industry has continued to function; the sky has not fallen.
* "Naked Fame," the documentary from director Christopher Long chronicling Colton Ford and Blake Harper’s attempts to cross into mainstream entertainment, will play at the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival, which runs August 26th through September 6th. "Naked Fame" screens on September 1st and 5th. Find more details at Agliff.org.
Also screening is the Italian melodrama "Adored: Diary of a Porn Star" from director/star Marco Filiberti, and the thirty-minute short film "My Porn Star" from writer/director Mariano DeMarco. And if you want to read more about "Naked Fame," a recent positive review of can be found at OutinAmerica.com.
* Performer Aaron Tanner's sexy New York City shindigs are increasingly popular. He's got the open-air Drenched ongoing at The Eagle bar, as well as Pitch Black monthly at SBNY/Splash. "This once-a-month extravaganza right now is taking advantage of SNBY's construction zone downstairs," Mr. Tanner enthused in a recent promotional e-mail, "with massages, tattoos, piercing, a leather mart and porn stars from FetishHunks.com! Add to all that a special blend of 'Aaron Tanner Fun' in the form of a wild and crazy play maze and you get perhaps the best Sunday in NYC since the good ol' days! Upstairs the hottest go-go studs from all around the city, combined with a selection of my favorite porn stars, will be on hand to shake things up for you!"
Go to Aarontanner.com for all the details. And to refresh your memory, Mr. Tanner has appeared in Chi Chi LaRue's "Shock" two-parter (Falcon Studios, 2000); Raging Stallion's "Fist Pack 1," "Sex Pack 9: Fire in the Hole," "Sex Pack 10: This End Up" and "The Dirty Director" (both 2002); and Titan Media's "Woodsmen" (2001).
* Director Blue Blake has relaunched his Web site. Go to BlueBlake.com to drink in the new look. He's got BRUTE: A WRESTLING FAN'S DREAM now in release starring newcomers Andreas, Marco Bossi, Tony Cage and Jay Poison, with Big Blue regulars Ben Campezi, Jason Hawke, Jeremy Jordan and Jim Slade.
* Gossip Alert: Little porno birds are talking about another studio, one of the biggies, putting together plans to break from their longtime distributor and fly solo. Stay tuned for the announcement.
* Zaye Entertainment is the newest company to enter the gay market. Hetero filmmaker Richie Zaye recently wrapped DAMIAN FORD IN HAWAII. Mr. Ford co-directs with Mr. Zaye. Costars include Kent Larson, Marco Paris, Rob Romoni and newcomer Casper Sloan. Zaye Entertainment is splurging on a lavish two-disc, extras-loaded package set for a September release.
* Joining Zaye Entertainment are newcomers Blue Lights Group and Sunshine Films. Blue Lights Group is an Eastern European company that aims to produce gay "gonzo" films featuring new faces. The first title is REAL GUYS...THEIR STORIES, distributed by Paladin Video. Sunshine Films is a distribution outlet that purchased most of the now-defunct Odyssey Group Video catalog (including their gay Men of Odyssey titles). Back in April, Sunshine told AVN.com they intended to release one new gay title a month beginning in July under the Odyssey label, but I haven’t confirmed if that’s happened or not.
* The Charles M. Holmes Foundation just closed a deal to sell Falcon Studios and all of its subsidiary lines (Jocks, Mustang, Falcon International, et. al.) to 3 Media Corporation, a new company run by three of Falcon's own board members: Terry Mahaffey, Todd Montgomery and Steve Johnson. Why the sale? Chuck Holmes, Falcon's legendary founder, died nearly four years ago on September 9th, 2000. The Charles M. Holmes Foundation was officially formed two years later, and is run by Terry Bean, a businessman who happens to be one of the most powerful men in Oregon State politics; Terry Bean is also one of the founders of the Human Rights Campaign, one of the founders of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, and was the executor of Chuck Holmes' estate. Mr. Holmes' will deeded Falcon Studios to his foundation, whose mission is to improve the lives of gay men and women through various causes.
One of their largest donations was a cool million bucks to the San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Community Center, which named its building after Chuck Holmes. They also donated another million to the Human Rights Campaign to enable them to build their new headquarters in Washington D.C., and made a grant to the U.S. Holocaust Museum to fund their work on gay victims of the Holocaust.
Additionally the Charles M. Holmes Foundation has donated various sums of money to gubernatorial and Senate races. But when it became clear the money came from a gay porn studio, some of it was returned, including a $15,000 donation to gubernatorial candidate Ted Kulongowski.
Clearly, there was a conflict. This sale by the Charles M. Foundation of Falcon Studios to 3 Media Corporation allows the Foundation the degree of separation it needs to continue to "focus on charitable giving," per a company press release. And Falcon now enjoys, per the release, "more flexibility to focus on strategy, operations and growth planning."
MmmMMMmmm...growth planning and charitable giving. I'm all hot and horny just thinking about it...
Porn Star Birthdays from August 23 through August 29: Tony Vaughan, Adam Wolfe (August 23); Johnny Davis, Ivan De Morais, Justin Pounders, Kenny Stewart, Christian Taylor, Brett Wilde (August 24); Jason Ball, Adriano Marquez, Dirk Stahl, Haus Weston (August 25); Richard Bangs, Tony Cameron, Sonny Diaz, Gennaro Grimaldi, Rafael, Justin Stewart (August 26); Daniel James, Jay Paxton, Joey Piccard, Tony Ryan, Rod Stetson, Brandon Taylor, Sandor Vesanyi (August 27); Jason Adonis, Jesse Cooper, Johnny Paul, Nick Steel, Jaymez Sterling, Ken Taylor (August 28); John Atkins, Joey Candy, Max Holden (August 29).
J.C. Adams has covered the gay adult video industry since 1995, and has served as the editor of "Inside Porn Magazine" and "Unzipped Monthly." In addition to the "Adams Report" weekly gossip and news column, his work has appeared in "Adult Video News," "Gay Chicago," "Genre," "HX" and many other print and online publications. You can reach him at JCAdamsXXX@aol.com
500 Turtles Productions © 2002 - 2004
Sunday, September 05, 2004
The Adams Report, August 16 - 22, 2004
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The Adams Report by J.C. Adams
August 16 - 22, 2004
Have you noticed Sammy Case? If you like 'em on the lower-end of college-age, you know who I'm talking about. Newcomer Sammy Case first appeared on the April/May 2004 cover of "All Boy" magazine, but it was the pup's subsequent September 2004 cover that blew things up in a major way for him.
The May cover has him showing off his abs in a traditional porn star pose; he's wearing jeans, unbuttoned to reveal red boxers. However, four months later, his September 2004 cover has Sammy laying back on a pillow, hands folded behind his head, innocently batting his limpid eyes up at the camera from beneath a full head of blond curls. This time he's naked, with a hint of bush peeking up from the bottom of the picture. His smooth and skinny torso, pink with health, boasts not an ounce of fat; you can count every rib. To have shot this picture, you'd have to have been standing over him in bed. It is such an immediately iconic image, lots of guys have spent the last few months wishing they were the one standing over Sammy Case in that bed.
Naturally, Sammy Case was quickly captured on video. He first appeared in SOLOBOYS VIDEO #9, a collection of solo J.O. scenes, obviously. Costars include Harold Angel, the unfortunately named Sky Blew, Dakota, A.J. Gunn, Adon Hart and Adam Paige.
SOLOBOYS VIDEO #9 was quickly followed up with SEDUCING SAMMY, in which the gorgeous youngster appears in a duo scene with Danny Boy. Costars in that epic include Harold Angel, Chris Damon, A.J. Gunn, Bobby Starks, Taz and Taylor Valez.
The "All Boy" people (who also publish "Badpuppy" magazine) have called Sammy Case the most popular model in their history. Plus, the owner of a major porn studio spotted one of Mr. Case’s magazine covers and was so taken he snapped Case up for a gangbang video. Yowza! Hot stuff, right?
Hold the phone. This week I tried to line up an interview with Sammy Case, and was told he had "disappeared." Oy. This means one of two things: Either he was locked up by a new boyfriend who jealously doesn't want him to appear naked in public anymore (even though that's how he likely found the kid). Or young Master Case simply could have retreated from the sudden blast of media heat. This happens all the time, and if that's what happened with Sammy Case, I wish him the best. In the meantime, fans of the gorgeous young man can enjoy his two videos and handful of photo layouts. And stay tuned for details on that big-studio gangbang.
If it's summer, then it's time for the mainstream gay magazines to twitter and giggle over their annual "SEX!" issues. Look for "The Advocate" (August 17 issue) with Antonio Sabato Jr. on the cover, which contains an interview with our own Michael Lucas, conducted by Tony winner Harvey Fierstein.
Whoa, wait a minute! A porn star/director in the notoriously stodgy "Advocate"? Yeah, with Mr. Fierstein involved, fame talks. The brief two-page interview discusses Mr. Lucas and his safer-sex campaign. Check it out, and kudos to Mr. Lucas for cramming through a safer-sex message from a skin star into a mag like the "Advocate."
"Sexual desire is incredibly strong, and people lose their heads," Mr. Lucas says in the interview. "It's very important not to, and to be in control. Just put a condom on. This is why I never ask anybody, 'Are you positive or are you negative?' It ruins the moment, it's not important, it doesn't matter, it interferes with the privacy of another person, and then it gives you nothing, absolutely zero."
Mr. Fierstein explains to Mr. Lucas that "this has been our message for 22 years! For 22 years we've had the same message — why do you think [yours] is different?"
Lucas explains that his message isn't actually different; "it's just coming from a different person who's actually lived a very, very sexually active life. I had sex five times a day, lots of sex, for years and years, and I didn't get AIDS. It's not a stroke of luck — the only reason I didn't get it is because I use protection. That's all." (Fierstein also pokes fun at Michael Lucas' trademark pouty-lipped photography pose.)
Thank you to the tens of "Adams Report" readers who wrote in to add their comments to my quasi-rant about the softcore "Time" magazine cover featuring Olympic swimming phenom Michael Phelps (who had won his first gold medal as I wrote this column). Now that the Olympics are in full swing you can indulge in Phelps/Olympic quasi-porn just about everywhere you look. The current "Vanity Fair" has some gorgeous black-and-white portraits of Phelps (nearly nude, natch) and other Olympians photographed by Bruce Weber. Softcore black-and-white photographs of handsome young men snapped by Bruce Weber? That's a stretch.
Plus, HotOlympians.com is featuring a different sexy (male) athlete every day of the games. Only one? Have you seen the Aussie swim team?!
Moving on, there was some tittering on the Internet recently when a bunch of music fans ordered the new Strokes CD and allegedly had gay porn delivered instead. I did some checking and what those unsuspecting music fans actually got was "Group Therapy," which some gossip reports tagged as hardcore porn.
It's actually one of those moderately cheesy (gay) softcore flicks, a recent direct-to-DVD release from director Thomas R. Smyth and distributor Ariztical Entertainment (the same distributors behind 1997's "Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story" starring a Speedo-clad Mario Lopez, and 1996's awesomely bad "Butch Camp" with a cameo by the great Judy Tenuta). And anyway, do ya really think a bunch of hardcore Strokes fans would have been offended by some gay porn?
VH1 continues to abandon all pretense of being a music channel with the latest episode of their "When _ Ruled the Earth" series titled "Rated X." It's mainly about the explosion of pornography in the 1970s featuring Ron Jeremy, John Holmes, "Behind the Green Door" and "Deep Throat," Marilyn Chambers, Sharon Mitchell, Vanessa Del Rio and all the usual suspects. Is gay porn mentioned? Nah, of course not.
Look, I get that hetero XXX is more popular than the gay stuff, and there are more straight guys consuming porn than gays. But you title a documentary "Rated X" that purports to cover the "Golden Years" of pornography in the 1970s and no mention of Casey Donovan and BOYS IN THE SAND? No sound bites from alive-and-kicking BOYS director Wakefield Poole? No mention of THE BACK ROW or BIJOU? No Fred Halsted? Fer chrissakes, nothing at all about Joe Gage and his infamous Road Trilogy?!
Find out more about the straight porn episode of "When _ Ruled the Earth" at VH1.com. Send 'em a note and ask for a gay sequel.
Porn Star Birthdays from August 16 through August 22: Kody Fields, Sergei Pawlikowskij (August 16); Tamas Gregor, Jeff Michaels, Tyler Morgan, Jason Nikas, Ken Ryker (August 17); Steve Cannon, Paul Carrigan, Steve Pierce, Billy Sax, Todd Shore (August 18); Jim Buck, Derek Downs, Gabriel Stone, Jon-Michael Stuart, Marc West (August 19); Steve Cassidy, Danny, Javon, Kurt Young (August 20); Luis Magalhaes, Matheus Marques, Ty Russell, Solomon, Erik Stellar, Jeff Stryker (August 21); Sean Banning, Infinity, Marcos, Timothy Taylor (August 22).
J.C. Adams has covered the gay adult video industry since 1995, and has served as the editor of "Inside Porn Magazine" and "Unzipped Monthly." In addition to the "Adams Report" weekly gossip and news column, his work has appeared in "Adult Video News," "Gay Chicago," "Genre," "HX" and many other print and online publications. You can reach him at JCAdamsXXX@aol.com
500 Turtles Productions © 2002 - 2004
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The Adams Report by J.C. Adams
August 16 - 22, 2004
Have you noticed Sammy Case? If you like 'em on the lower-end of college-age, you know who I'm talking about. Newcomer Sammy Case first appeared on the April/May 2004 cover of "All Boy" magazine, but it was the pup's subsequent September 2004 cover that blew things up in a major way for him.
The May cover has him showing off his abs in a traditional porn star pose; he's wearing jeans, unbuttoned to reveal red boxers. However, four months later, his September 2004 cover has Sammy laying back on a pillow, hands folded behind his head, innocently batting his limpid eyes up at the camera from beneath a full head of blond curls. This time he's naked, with a hint of bush peeking up from the bottom of the picture. His smooth and skinny torso, pink with health, boasts not an ounce of fat; you can count every rib. To have shot this picture, you'd have to have been standing over him in bed. It is such an immediately iconic image, lots of guys have spent the last few months wishing they were the one standing over Sammy Case in that bed.
Naturally, Sammy Case was quickly captured on video. He first appeared in SOLOBOYS VIDEO #9, a collection of solo J.O. scenes, obviously. Costars include Harold Angel, the unfortunately named Sky Blew, Dakota, A.J. Gunn, Adon Hart and Adam Paige.
SOLOBOYS VIDEO #9 was quickly followed up with SEDUCING SAMMY, in which the gorgeous youngster appears in a duo scene with Danny Boy. Costars in that epic include Harold Angel, Chris Damon, A.J. Gunn, Bobby Starks, Taz and Taylor Valez.
The "All Boy" people (who also publish "Badpuppy" magazine) have called Sammy Case the most popular model in their history. Plus, the owner of a major porn studio spotted one of Mr. Case’s magazine covers and was so taken he snapped Case up for a gangbang video. Yowza! Hot stuff, right?
Hold the phone. This week I tried to line up an interview with Sammy Case, and was told he had "disappeared." Oy. This means one of two things: Either he was locked up by a new boyfriend who jealously doesn't want him to appear naked in public anymore (even though that's how he likely found the kid). Or young Master Case simply could have retreated from the sudden blast of media heat. This happens all the time, and if that's what happened with Sammy Case, I wish him the best. In the meantime, fans of the gorgeous young man can enjoy his two videos and handful of photo layouts. And stay tuned for details on that big-studio gangbang.
If it's summer, then it's time for the mainstream gay magazines to twitter and giggle over their annual "SEX!" issues. Look for "The Advocate" (August 17 issue) with Antonio Sabato Jr. on the cover, which contains an interview with our own Michael Lucas, conducted by Tony winner Harvey Fierstein.
Whoa, wait a minute! A porn star/director in the notoriously stodgy "Advocate"? Yeah, with Mr. Fierstein involved, fame talks. The brief two-page interview discusses Mr. Lucas and his safer-sex campaign. Check it out, and kudos to Mr. Lucas for cramming through a safer-sex message from a skin star into a mag like the "Advocate."
"Sexual desire is incredibly strong, and people lose their heads," Mr. Lucas says in the interview. "It's very important not to, and to be in control. Just put a condom on. This is why I never ask anybody, 'Are you positive or are you negative?' It ruins the moment, it's not important, it doesn't matter, it interferes with the privacy of another person, and then it gives you nothing, absolutely zero."
Mr. Fierstein explains to Mr. Lucas that "this has been our message for 22 years! For 22 years we've had the same message — why do you think [yours] is different?"
Lucas explains that his message isn't actually different; "it's just coming from a different person who's actually lived a very, very sexually active life. I had sex five times a day, lots of sex, for years and years, and I didn't get AIDS. It's not a stroke of luck — the only reason I didn't get it is because I use protection. That's all." (Fierstein also pokes fun at Michael Lucas' trademark pouty-lipped photography pose.)
Thank you to the tens of "Adams Report" readers who wrote in to add their comments to my quasi-rant about the softcore "Time" magazine cover featuring Olympic swimming phenom Michael Phelps (who had won his first gold medal as I wrote this column). Now that the Olympics are in full swing you can indulge in Phelps/Olympic quasi-porn just about everywhere you look. The current "Vanity Fair" has some gorgeous black-and-white portraits of Phelps (nearly nude, natch) and other Olympians photographed by Bruce Weber. Softcore black-and-white photographs of handsome young men snapped by Bruce Weber? That's a stretch.
Plus, HotOlympians.com is featuring a different sexy (male) athlete every day of the games. Only one? Have you seen the Aussie swim team?!
Moving on, there was some tittering on the Internet recently when a bunch of music fans ordered the new Strokes CD and allegedly had gay porn delivered instead. I did some checking and what those unsuspecting music fans actually got was "Group Therapy," which some gossip reports tagged as hardcore porn.
It's actually one of those moderately cheesy (gay) softcore flicks, a recent direct-to-DVD release from director Thomas R. Smyth and distributor Ariztical Entertainment (the same distributors behind 1997's "Breaking the Surface: The Greg Louganis Story" starring a Speedo-clad Mario Lopez, and 1996's awesomely bad "Butch Camp" with a cameo by the great Judy Tenuta). And anyway, do ya really think a bunch of hardcore Strokes fans would have been offended by some gay porn?
VH1 continues to abandon all pretense of being a music channel with the latest episode of their "When _ Ruled the Earth" series titled "Rated X." It's mainly about the explosion of pornography in the 1970s featuring Ron Jeremy, John Holmes, "Behind the Green Door" and "Deep Throat," Marilyn Chambers, Sharon Mitchell, Vanessa Del Rio and all the usual suspects. Is gay porn mentioned? Nah, of course not.
Look, I get that hetero XXX is more popular than the gay stuff, and there are more straight guys consuming porn than gays. But you title a documentary "Rated X" that purports to cover the "Golden Years" of pornography in the 1970s and no mention of Casey Donovan and BOYS IN THE SAND? No sound bites from alive-and-kicking BOYS director Wakefield Poole? No mention of THE BACK ROW or BIJOU? No Fred Halsted? Fer chrissakes, nothing at all about Joe Gage and his infamous Road Trilogy?!
Find out more about the straight porn episode of "When _ Ruled the Earth" at VH1.com. Send 'em a note and ask for a gay sequel.
Porn Star Birthdays from August 16 through August 22: Kody Fields, Sergei Pawlikowskij (August 16); Tamas Gregor, Jeff Michaels, Tyler Morgan, Jason Nikas, Ken Ryker (August 17); Steve Cannon, Paul Carrigan, Steve Pierce, Billy Sax, Todd Shore (August 18); Jim Buck, Derek Downs, Gabriel Stone, Jon-Michael Stuart, Marc West (August 19); Steve Cassidy, Danny, Javon, Kurt Young (August 20); Luis Magalhaes, Matheus Marques, Ty Russell, Solomon, Erik Stellar, Jeff Stryker (August 21); Sean Banning, Infinity, Marcos, Timothy Taylor (August 22).
J.C. Adams has covered the gay adult video industry since 1995, and has served as the editor of "Inside Porn Magazine" and "Unzipped Monthly." In addition to the "Adams Report" weekly gossip and news column, his work has appeared in "Adult Video News," "Gay Chicago," "Genre," "HX" and many other print and online publications. You can reach him at JCAdamsXXX@aol.com
500 Turtles Productions © 2002 - 2004
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