Studio 2000 is one of the biggest companies on the gay side of the porn industry, supporting its handful of major blockbusters (like Jerry Douglas’ DREAM TEAM) with a number of “quota quickies” such as this that still retain a level of integrity in terms of production and audience respect. Derek Kent (a/k/a Ross Cannon), whose most ambitious work was the two-part A BODY TO DIE FOR, directs effectively if somewhat anonymously (his photography is several notches above the norm though so it breaks even) so it’s up to the cast to grab and hold on to the viewer’s attention.

Former and, as of late, current straight stud Frank Towers (who went by the name of “Mark Slade” when working the all male angle) stars as a hunky businessman type – in contrast to older films, details about who he is and what he does tend to be rather sketchy – who freaks out over the mysterious phone calls he receives late at night from some guy who appears to watch his every move. Fortunately, he’s got cute Jack Ryan (from Jim Steel’s DOUBLE CROSS) stashed away in the bedroom to alleviate the anxiety with a totally passionate roll in the sheets. Next evening, he calls over his best friend Rick Hammersmith (who made his debut in John Travis’ TRUST ME the previous year) for company with the mystery caller inciting both men to strip before abruptly severing the connection. Like most gay professionals, Towers fantasizes about his co-workers, in this case boyishly handsome Tommy Lord (they shared a sex scene in Kent’s CUFFED) working over client Dean Temple in the movie’s scorcher. Another fantasy about two guys he spied on at the gym (Steve Harper and none too interesting “Studio 2000 Exclusive” Clay Maverick) merely marks time before Towers gets together with Hammersmith for the logical conclusion as the latter reveals he has had the hots for our hero all along and hired an out of work actor he once dated to make the calls so he could show up for comfort and carnality. It must be some sad sign of the times that this lame final twist was singled out by many genre reviewers as being both clever and audacious when it’s neither one or the other.

Plot and dialog are as rudimentary as they come in present day porno but sets and stars look really good thanks to fine lighting. Towers was always wooden, even in his straight ventures (his turn as Tyce Buné’s no good bro’ in Greg Steelberg’s underrated IMPACT probably the best of a sorry lot), and can’t even look convincingly spooked by his stalker here. Lord and Ryan provide sympathetic presences but are given very little to work with dramatically, while Hammersmith shows some thespian promise in a pivotal role. Ultimately, what puts this movie on the map is the generally solid level of sex scenes with hunky hard bodies putting their generous endowments into each other’s various orifices, but is it such a bad thing to expect a little more from one’s erotic entertainment ?

Dries Vermeulen
(dries.vermeulen@hotmail.be)

Cast & Crew

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