Review

It is vitally important that we learn the history of our community, and that we understand our gay heritage. And if we can do it while watching naked men suck and fuck the hell out of each other, so much the better! For example, in the '50s and '60s gay porn consisted of seemingly innocent "muscle" magazines that were sold on newsstands. Models were photographed in rather ridiculous poses wearing just a silly pouch covering their crotch. Sometimes they would also wear hats or hold props to create a "tableau." Today they look silly, but 50 years ago for closeted gay men they were the hottest thing around. Hell, they were the only thing around! As you looked at the photos, you would jerk off while wondering, "What happened after they took the picture?"

In 1994 we got an answer, thanks to Professor Chi Chi LaRue and Posing Strap, a brilliant history lesson that somehow got lost in high school. Now VCA has released it on DVD. While the extras are rather inconsequential, the movie itself is spectacular.

This is an absolute gem of a video. It is one of the best examples of gay porn that combines genuine artistry with serious sex. The cast is wonderful, a mix of veterans and newcomers in all sorts of body types and attitudes. The story by Gender is pitch-perfect, the production values great, the original soundtrack by porn star Chris Green and Peter X is fabulously evocative, and Tab Lloyd provides some of the best gay sex film editing.

Posing Strap opens in Los Angeles 1994 at an art gallery showing vintage photos. (Director LaRue has a quick cameo - you could say he puts the “cock” back into “Hitchcock”.) Zak Spears plays an older man who admits to an eager WeHo boytoy (Chris Green) that he had been assistant to the photographer (Mark West).

Flashback to 1959 and a photo studio. Mark is standing behind an amazing mint-condition 1950s professional camera taking pictures of body-builder Lance Bronson (Note: In the otherwise boring director’s commentary, Chi Chi reveals that Lance is now star of an “American Gladiator” rip-off). After shooting Lance in his posing strap, Mark tells him to strip and get hard “for the European market”. (See? This really is history, guys!) Of course, Lance needs help, and Zak is only too willing to volunteer.

In Posing Strap Zak Spears is at his peak of animal magnetism, and he services Lance with gusto, giving him a first-rate blowjob, followed by expert rim action. All the while we hear Mark snapping pictures with his camera (it appears in every scene, almost becoming a cast member). At one point Zak is stretched out on the floor in all his hirsute glory while Lance squats down on his face. There’s no anal action, and the scene ends with them shooting loads on each other, with the video camera (expertly handled by Dave Kinick) on the floor - another nice historical touch, since that was the preferred angle for early porn films. Many a 70s cum shot was ruined by jizm landing on the camera lens.

In their office, Mark confesses to Zak that he’s fallen for a model - an undiscovered actor (Randy Mixer) - and had actually let himself jerk off with the guy; normally "professional ethics" prohibit him from ever having sex with a model. With some guilt he describes the scene. There’s no actual physical interaction, but it’s incredibly satisfying, as the sexual heat generated by these two studs radiates from the screen.

And you can be sure more is coming!

We next see our two pre-pornographers driving a brilliant red authentic Edsel - straight men would cream in their pants over that car - on their way to a hysterical photo shoot involving Blue Blake (one of his first roles) as a cowboy and hot little Latin dynamo Jimmy Toro as first an Indian then a Mexican with a tiny sombrero for a posing strap. Spears doesn’t wait to be asked, and we get a three-way that’s an every-which-way. First, they all suck each other, and then Blake and Jimmy take turns rimming and fingering Zak, who responds by fucking them both.

We return to the photo studio for the most intense pairing of Posing Strap, involving Blake and fellow Brit muscleman Dave Logan. Here the secret words are reciprocity and ferocity, as both men attack each other’s cocks and assholes. The anal flipflop will leave you soaked, limp and very sticky!

For a complete change of pace, Mark is back outside doing a photo shoot with newcomer Matt Dietz and veteran Johnny Rey. Dietz is strikingly beautiful, and plays a classic piece of straight trade who fucks Rey’s face and ass with virtually no emotion. Rey is the trooper here, who takes it lying down - and like a man! The sexual energy is totally different from before, and it works like a charm.

For the finale, Mark and Randy admit their love and start kissing in a genuinely romantic sex scene. They strip and sit naked facing each other, so they can take turns sucking the other. Mark then straddles a chair and bends over for a passionate mid-air fuck by Randy. If you haven’t shot your load yet, you will now!

The film ends back in the present as Zak admits to Chris that the two men eventually broke up, and Randy became a famous actor. Chris is shocked when Zak tells him Randy’s true identity. Yep, Randy was actually Ronald Reagan!

That last punch line is the cherry on top of a fantastic banana split straight (?) out of a 50’s malt shop. This is a must-have for both the connoisseur of quality porn and those who want to get their rocks off. It charmingly recreates part of our gay past while being gloriously graphically hardcore.

Posing Strap is Chi Chi LaRue at his most creative and is perfection!

 -- Jameson Rodgers

Additional notes:
"Perfection" unfortunately does not apply to the DVD extra features. The director’s commentary is perfunctory and disjointed - Chi Chi sounds like he did it with a hangover. The photo gallery has only 20 images, and the cast section consists only of a cast list and a quick director’s bio. The only really good part is the catalog section, with previews of other HIS Video and VCA films. Posing Strap on DVD is luxurious, but the frills are weak. For more information on the real world of the posing strap, check out the terrific and sexy documentary Beefcake, featuring former models Joe Dallesandro and Jack LaLanne. (Yeah, that Jack LaLanne!)

 -- Jameson Rodgers