Category Archives: porn

Remembering Tony Patrioli

Friend. Mentor. Legend. Italian photographer (and executive producer of our “Journey to Italy”) Tony Patrioli left us, after a long illness. His latest photobook, RAGAZZI DEL MEDITERRANEO, published by Bruno Gmuender, is due out in November and can be pre-ordered at Amazon

“There is a time and place for everything”, writes Gmuender. “Tony Patrioli’s time were the 60s to 80s of the 20th century and his place was Italy. During his carreer as a photographer, he captured something long lost in todays society: young men from the Mediterranean sea, mostly heterosexual, who were comfortable in their bodies and willing to show the world – even in poses that can be seen as arousing and homoerotic. Tony Patrioli cultivated nude art, obviously inspired by the photography of Wilhelm von Gloeden, a 19th century German photographer who is mostly known for his pastoral nude studies of Sicilian boys. Asked why Gloeden had such an impact on him, Patrioli answers: “Because Gloeden was the only male nude photographer that was not banned in Italy at the time and because his imagination in part coincided with mine. The American bodybuilders photos seemed to me too far away from the world and from the guys I saw around me.“  Ciao, Tony

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I Love Dick

Amazon Prime Video stole the perfect porn title –and the perfect sex-driven marketing campaign: “Sex… Inside My Head… I’m Wet… Obsession… Rubs it all over her body…”. I’m taking notes

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In memory of John Travis

Director John Travis is gone (for the AVN obit, click here). From his early days at Brentwood, Falcon and Huge, to his Catalina blockbusters in the mid ’80s, to the co-founding of Studio2000 in ’92, Travis has helped shape gay porn like few others. He is… he was the golden age of porn. With lofty budgets, large crews and even bigger production values.  We stand on the shoulders of giants –even when we forget them (and it happens all too often). I learned my trade from Kristen Bjorn, Gino Colbert, George Duroy. And yes, I was lucky to work for John as a PA on a Jeff Stryker’s production (“JS Big Time”, ’95) and as a Production Manager for VCA’s blockbuster “Stryker’s Underground” (’97).

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Much of the  online ‘amateur’ wave of the 2000s stemmed as a reaction against what Travis (and Studio2000) stood for: beauty vs reality (or pseudo reality), the ‘studio system’ and its aesthetics (the ‘star system’, the formulaic scripts and the Hollywood-style cinematography/decoupage) vs. no aesthetics at all. And yet, where’s porn today? I remember each and all of Travis’ lush productions, I don’t remember, nor care for the majority of fungible online porn ‘loops’ produced these days –with little money, 0 skills, 0 ambitions and little imagination. Thank you, Jim (John’s real name). For the memories and the beautiful dreams.

Assistant for a Day | the 2016 edition

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In 2014, two lucky winners, one from the UK, the other from Italy were flown to the set in Sicily. Not just as spectators, but as firsthand participants. This Fall, we’re doing it all again: subscribe to LucasKazan before September 30th and you’ll be automatically entered into the 2016 sweepstake: two winners will be flown to Milano/Italy and will join the cast/crew for two nights in late October –all expenses paid. What goes on on the set? What really happens between takes?  Join us at LucasKazan and win a chance (2 chances) to find out…

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Las Vegas CES2016: back to the future?

HDR (High Dynamic Range), wherein better pixels can employ a broader palette of colors, was much hyped at this year’s CES. I’m just not sure that most consumers will be able to tell the difference between 1080p and HDR. Or that they’ll want to pay for that difference.

VIRTUAL REALITY. Also hyped at the CES, with long lines to test the OculusRift and the Samsung VR gear: 360 degree 3D spherical video (with lots of manufacturers, including Kodak, peddling cheap 4K spherical action cams). And non-spherical VR. Penetration will be slow: 12 millions head-mounted displays are projected sold in 2016 WORLDWIDE (3.6 million units for the Oculus. HTC Vive is forecast to sell 2.1 million units, Sony PlayStation VR 1.4 millions, Samsung Gear 5 millions… How many of these 12 million customers will be looking for GAY porn content? Not that many…)

I’ve watched a couple of straight porn VR clips. Neither was 360 (if you turn your head you’d see black) –more like… 160 degrees, really. And tested one of the Samsung VR experiences (a roller coaster). This felt like the real thing –so real, I had to close my eyes. HOWEVER, both the porn clips and the Samsung ride felt… gimmicky and reminded me of the old dome theaters at Disneyland (some 40 years ago!!!) At present, VR production –still in its infancy– is best suited for gaming and sightseeing (e.g.: a tour of the Grand Canyon). Not sure if and how porn will take advantage of it, other than in conjunction with dildonics. Pictured below, a room with a view, the world’s largest SUHD TV (170 inches!!!!) and the Sony mega-stand.  Next… the NAB Show in April. See you there!

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