By John Christakos

“Savage”
Directed by Ben Leon
Starring Roman Ragazzi, Steve Cruz, Ricky Sinz, Matthieu Paris
Raging Stallion Studios
2008

It’s bottoms up in the latest leather-flavored offering from Raging Stallion Studios, as the catchers outclass the pitchers in every way in this five-scene, all-action effort from wunderkind director Ben Leon.

Cover model Roman Ragazzi is in fine form as usual. Ragazzi’s appeal lies in those granite Neanderthal looks that belie what a hellacious bottom he actually is. Ragazzi is paired with shaggy muscle boy Brodie Sinclair. Their scene together is solid, but Sinclair lacks animation, and it is left to Ragazzi to coach the dude into a more aggressive technique.

The real scene-stealing bottom however is Steve Cruz. With his furry torso, handlebar mustache and crazed, glassy glare, fuzz-muffin Cruz is right out of central casting for the role of 1970s leather pig. He’s decently matched in his first outing with bald, hairless Frenchman Fred Faurtin, as the stony-visaged top delivers everything Cruz begs for and more.

Alas, Cruz’s second partner, the sculptural Victor Steele, is hopelessly outpaced. Minutes into the intercourse, Cruz is literally hollering at Steele to pound faster, harder, more-more-more, all the while flashing those Chuck Manson eyes for the camera. The situation tips into hilarity toward the end, with poor sweat-soaked, panting Steele looking as if he might collapse from exhaustion right there in the saddle.

Lighting is solid throughout and the camera stays in motion, capturing the action at off-kilter angles that complement rather than fight with the fast pacing. Editing-wise however, there is a little too much use of throwaway tricks like red flashes.

No question, “Savage” is a satisfying feature, but both Ragazzi and Cruz deserve more potent and powerful costars next time out.

“The Night Before”
Directed by Arch Brown
Starring Michael Cade, Coke Hennessy, Nick Kastroff, Jamal Jones
Hand In Hand Films (rights now owned by Bijou Video)
1973

This touching and experimental 1970s feature examines the combustive dynamics of lust and jealousy between new male lovers.

The film is a study of a particular syndrome director Arch Brown refers to as “lover’s paranoia”, the chronic, debilitating insecurity a man feels when he falls for a new lover too hard, too fast.

String-beany blond Hank (Coke Hennessy) meets mustached photographer Paul (Michael Cade) when he stumbles on a photo shoot in a New York City park. Attraction sparks, and the photographer invites Hank back to his pad to thumb through an album of his nudes (how Seventies). Shy Hank is hesitant but more than game.

Their relationship progresses, but chastely: They go out to dinner, they visit an art gallery; they neck a bit on the couch, they adopt a kitten! Finally the guys have it off, in a tender, soft-lit, leisurely paced scene, after which they fall asleep.

Once in dreamland, Hank’s paranoia uncoils and the film goes surreal. Hank watches helplessly as Paul goes down on a mysterious man behind a curtain. Paul mounts a third guy while Hank suddenly finds himself in a basement with an African American man’s tool in his mouth.

The crazy-quilt montage picks up speed: Paul screws the kitten seller, Paul and Hank stand together in a water tower, painting one another’s bodies, two dancers on a poster come to life and gyrate passionately. The chaos culminates in a no-holds-barred orgy where Hank is violated by multiple men, toys and the odd piece of fruit.

Technical execution of the trippy dream segments is a little ragged in spots, but the whole sequence is more than imaginative enough to keep you watching for what comes next. As The Advocate reviewer wrote at the time of its release, “(the film) proves that a little Cocteau, a dash of Fellini and sex do mix well.”