Flick Night In The City: Strapped

“What, do you imagine that I would take so much trouble and so much pleasure in writing, do you think that I would keep so persistently to my task, if I were not preparing - with a rather shaky hand - a labyrinth into which I can venture, in which I can move my discourse, opening up underground passages, forcing it to go far from itself, finding overhangs that reduce and deform its itinerary, in which I can lose myself and appear at last to eyes that I will never have to meet again. I am no doubt not the only one who writes in order to have no face. Do not ask who I am and do not ask me to remain the same: leave it to our bureaucrats and our police to see that our papers are in order. At least spare us their morality when we write.” -Michel Foucault, The Archaeology of Knowledge (1969)

After having seen the previews for some time on all my recent DVD rentals I decided to finally rent the movie “Strapped” which I thought would be some sort of soft-porn gay hustler movie as it’s title was suggesting. To my surprise the Bay Area writer/director Joseph Graham had a completely different, oddly intellectual and unsettling odyssey planned for me to take than what I was expecting. The title infered strapped for identity, for sure it was not lack of money, which our protagonist finds during one dark and stormy night of apartment hopping while seeking a way out of the labyrinthine (or was that a maze-like) apartment building of his first trick of the night. 

The boyish gay hustler (played by the strikingly handsome newcomer Ben Bonenfant) pleasurably morphs from encounter to encounter into whoever the man in front of him needs/desires him to be for them. Voyeuristically watching but never actually seeing any real "action" on screen we follow the hustler’s eclectic liaisons with -- a bearded Russian unfamiliar with gay sex (Artem Mishin); a coked-up queen who vividly remembers knowing him (Carlo D'Amore) and his sexily-intellectual coke buddy (Raphael Barker, yes from ShortBus, who’s myspace says is 60 but I don’t believe it… I want proof! or some of whatever he's having); a good-looking "straight" guy with sociopathic tendencies (Michael Klinger); an aged gay-rights activist tucked away in a vintage leaky attic apartment (expertly played by former Colt model icon Paul Gerrior aka Ledermeister those into classic Colt should Google him… this hot Daddy has turned out to be a hot Grand Daddy...WOOF!); and a lonely young writer who wants nothing more than a real intimate connection with someone (Nick Frangione).

BEAR-ssential: Joseph Graham did a great job of giving this drama a Hitchcock-esque feel throughout the film that keeps you guessing where the Foucault/Shakespeare-sprinkled penetrating dialogue and seductive performances by the whole cast will climax. This unforgettable film of introspection and revelation arrives at its gratifying ending and lingers with you for days. All this makes “Strapped” a must see. Only the inclusion of a chub character could have rounded off the familiar gay stereotypes in this film making it complete, which is the only reason I gave it 4.75 of 5 Bear Claws. 



Some "In The City" Fun Extras:
Memorable quotes and moments:

"WOW... I came without touching myself... How'd you do it?..."

"I feel free... Yeah... Yeah... (sighs) Yeah."

"What? You have school tomorrow, bitch? Oh. I get it. Gotta get your beauty sleep for teacher, huh? Like those nerds with big cocks, don't you, you whore. No, seriously. Come inside. I've missed you. Come on. Come on."

"And all Deep Troat here has to do is, you know, end this life of depraved godless buttfucking, right?"

"Oh no! My little Eddy's all growed up! I think I'm gonna cry. It's hard to see them go. No, sir! Not a dancing slut no more, not a drugged out devil, but a real, bona fide whore! Cash only, please!"

"I'm an agent of desiree... Do not ask who I am, and do not ask me to remain the same."

"I'm not gonna ask your name. Doesn't matter. Names. Probably make one up, anyway. But you are beautiful... Oh, you're too smart to be one of Leon's boys. And you don't do drugs. Naw. You're no River Phoenix. You know who you are? Brad Davis. Dying in your own arms. Have you seen 'Querelle?'"

"Random. Anonymous. I like adventures."

"No it's hot. I like it. Think I got some in my eye though, might've blinded me a little bit. Gonna have to check my insurance plan on that."

"I can smell my cock in your mouth."

"Ask me how do gay men say goodbye... I'll call you."

"Oh. Hey. Hi. I'm sorry. I know you... Don't I know you?"

"It's an apartment building, It isn’t Purgatory."

“A maze is a trap, a labyrinth goes somewhere.”

Okay this wasn't in the movie but I had to share Paul Gerrior aka Ledermeister...WOOF!
From Hot Dady to Hot GrandDaddy.

“I don’t know. I’m sure there are a few straight guys walking around here somewhere. But, this is the gayest building on the gayest street in town. Is that a problem?”

"Saint Sebastian" by Guido Reni c. 1616

"No. No, son. You're much older than those. You're body may be young but, there. You see that picture? That's how old you are. (as they look at the painting "Saint Sebastian" by Guido Reni c. 1616).

“No. I don't wanna fuck. I want to kiss you. I want to kiss you. I want to kiss you deep. For like days… Because. If you kiss me, I won’t be alone. You know? Like, alone alone. For five fucking minutes. And then you’ll leave, and you’ll go. And I can have that. I can have that kiss, I can remember that kiss. Because that kiss will be mine. ‘Cause I know that you’re gonna touch my soul. And that’s, that’s really where I really need to be touched right now. Okay? Not my cock. Not my hole”



"STRAPPED" Movie Artwork



City Spotlight On The Hotties (Part 1 - Alex Di Dio)

“Guy of the… day, week, month, year, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera” is always a fun section on many of my favorite sites. Not sure how the entry will work out because I want to keep this blog clean and not turn it into an adult theme blog. I’m not sure where to draw that thin line when it comes to posting images. But there will not be anything more risqué than on popular gossip blogs/sites. The guys featured will come from all walks of life and I’ll try to give credit for images as much as possible if I know where they came from. For the kick off I want to do “City Spotlight On The (Pocket) Hottie” and “City Spotlight On The Hottie” to kick off this segment. I’m including one for each category this week but more than likely I will only do one or the other each week.

In case it hasn’t dawn on you just yet, I really like guys of short stature. Mostly those guys under 5’8” (or Pocket Hotties), or as one of these hot little guys so greatly put it in a chat a few weeks ago, “short but well proportioned.” There have been a few extremely compact guys (some close to the 5’0”) that I’ve completely gone gaga for because they are so hot & cute. Keep in mind they are ways well proportionate. No offense to the “little people” of the world. Just compact versions that I enjoy better, and I know there are “shorty lovers” out there who feel the same way. I want to feature these guys because too often these guys are over looked in our society because they don’t measure up (no punt intended) to the social norms.

For this week’s City Spotlight On The (Pocket) Hottie we have someone I wrote about yesterday new comer Alex Di Dio, who brilliantly played Simon in BearCity. The 23 year old actor is a HOT 5’8”…WOOF! He’s just starting but I’m already a BIG FAN. As he states on his FB FanPage “Alex Di Dio is an up and coming actor from Long Island, NY. He will be kicking ass and taking names very shortly.” Since there is not much out there about him at the moment it’s hard to add a lot of image but I have found a few videos where he looks cute to boot.
Alex Di Dio Playing - Full (lyrics by Steven Rosar)


Alex Di Dio Playing - We Used To Vacation


Alex Di Dio Playing - Skinny Love                           


Alex Di Dio Playing - Fuck You


Alex Di Dio Playing - Poor Little Rich Boy


Alex Di Dio Playing - So He Won't Break by the Black Keys

From Alex’s Facebook Fan Page

From Alex's MySpace Page

 















































































































































Seriously is there a doubt this kid is a HOTTIE??

 

This one from boyculture.typepad.com, I love Alex smile in this one (and Matthew Rettenmund is a cutie too)

DVD release party at the Eagle in NYC: Alex DiDio (with Blake Evan Sherman & Brian Keane)
Source Amazon.com

DVD release party at the Eagle in NYC: Alex DiDio (with Blake Evan Sherman, Gerald McCullouch, and Brian Keane)

The main cast with director Doug Langway (in brown).

Alex Di Dio looks so cute in this sceen shoot from BearCity from RottenTomatoes.












This final image is from farmboyz's photostream on flickr (click this link to see it) and this one is a TWO-FER, because it also features tomorrow’s Hottie Gerald McCulluch also from BearCity.

Flick Night In The City: BearCity, Romance Can Be Hairy

After a ruff week back at the office I decided to make a date with myself and a few of my X-mas presents (a DVD, a bottle of vodka with pomegranate mixer and a nice pasta dinner) to make it great movie night on Friday. I’m hoping not to make it a habit of staying in on a Friday night this year but I wanted to explore the possibility of writing a movie review each week. It does not necessarily have to be a formal review but since I’m a cinema/film junkie I can talk about from many different perspectives. Don’t worry I won’t spoil the film for you but if there is any reason I feel that I need to I’ll give you the dreaded “SPOILER ALERT” right at the top of the entry so you don’t read it.

I could not have planned a better movie to start "Flick Night In The City" with than this week’s movie selection: BearCity (now out on DVD). It touches upon on many of the major themes that run through our community, not only the Bear & Chub scene but the whole gay male community. The diverse pool of characters is all well written/acted and of course one of the main characters is my beloved NYC. It’s a major character much like in “Sex & The City” visually, as much as part of the dialogue. Douglas Langway could have put a few more major city shots here and there but nothing that would be missed by anyone except a NYC junkies like me.

While getting ready for the upcoming “BearCity Weekend” (hosted of course at The Eagle NYC) this tight group of friends (think the dysfunctional boys of Queer As Folk only hairier) topics including unrequited love, open relationships, boy crushing, weight loss, self image, manscaping, not fitting in, sex, drugs and plenty of FUR talk. There was of course the expected happy ending, and one unexpectedly funny ending as well, that you want from a romantic comedy. I laughed. I cried. I talked to my TV in anger (maybe the drinks had something to do with this), but you get the picture (parum pum).

I found myself invested in the characters, relating to almost all of them in some way or another. Of course most movies are written with that purpose, or at leas the good ones. There are a few familiar faces, beginning with “McSteamyBear” Gerald (HardG) McCullouch (from CSI:Crime Scene Investigation or CSI:LasVegas aka The Original) who plays Roger the HOT DADDY Casanova of the movie and the always hilarious Stephen Guarino (from The Big Gay Sketch Show on Logo) who plays “HusBear” Brent. Brent is one half of the comedic couple, completed by the beary funny Brian Keane who plays Fred. Bert & Ernie, as their friends refer to them, are considering spicing up their love life.

In comes the NCOTB (New Chaser On The Block) Tyler played by new comer Joe Conti who is secretly infatuated with Daddies and Bears and Roger, Oh my! (sorry couldn’t help it) and decides he must embrace his inner BearDaddy Chaser. To achieve this he needs to come out of the “Bear Loving Closet” and abandon his GLEE Krew of Twinkies including former roommate Simon brilliantly played by Alex Di Dio also a new comer. [SIDETRACK: As you all know I have a thing for little guys and when I saw Simon I thought “OMG! So cute but way too flaming, what a waste!” Note that I said “brilliantly played” because while I was doing some research on the actors I came across a few things on Alex and he is not only a HOT 5’8” singing Otter… WOOF WOOF! But in real life he sports a beard which made him all the more attractive and is actually not a flaming Twink as you can see from this interview in Philly. I’m looking forward to seeing more of him on the big screen. But in the mean time I would be happy to see more of him anywhere and if you would too check out this HOT Video of him I found. I need to watch BearCity again now that I know how hot he is in real life…GRRRRRR!]

To round off the community (no punts intended) there is Michael, the Southern Belle Chub played by Gregory Gunter, who is in a relationship with HOT Latin Chubby Chaser Carlos, played by James Martinez. Carlos is the typical macho Latin man who gets hot headed when he feels his love interest is threatened in any way. One thing is for sure he loves his “gordito lindo” always spiting out great Southern wisdom throughout the movie. In his eternal wisdom he realizes that player Roger (who is eye candy delight) has feelings for someone other than the Spaniard, Fernando played by Sebastian La Cause.

Don’t worry I haven’t told you anything about the movie you can’t get from watching the trailer.

The BEAR-ssential is: This movie really is a great representation of much of the Bear/Chub community. It’s funny and real all at the same time. Did I mention that there is eye candy for everyone? Just look at the cover of NEXT Magazine. Especially Mr.HardG who I always crushed on CSI but seeing him NAKED several times in the movie with all that yummy grey WOOF!!! And of course Lil’Alex who is the hottest little guy, even in the tight little yellow shorts or that nude scene... Grrrrr. (Ok! Ok, I’m digressing again.) Point is there is a hottie for every taste in this movie. More importantly the movie is a must see for any one in or interested in the Bear/Chub Community; and support these guys by buying the DVD as I did. You will enjoy having it in your collection.