
Title:
Czeski Friends
Studio: Euros Films
Cast: Viktor, Jaren, Roland, Selden, Ollie, Tadeusz, Honza, Michal, Pedro, Peter, Eric, Aabeel, Riko, Pavel
Directors: Phil St. John and Vlad De Cull
Available at:
TLA Video
My buddy, director Phil St. John, called me last week to personally ask me to review "
Czeski Friends", his latest movie, put out by Euros Films. Phil was quite proud of the movie and got me excited about it, too. It was shot in Eastern Europe with a cast of those beautiful, squeeky-clean Ayrian stud muffins that created a whole new genre of gay porn who were barely out of diapers when the Berlin Wall came down. Phil went on and on about the gorgeous scenery and bragged that it was his "best work ever". For a guy who has been shooting gay porn for 20 years and just went home with an armload of trophies from the recent GayVN Awards, that's saying a lot.
Phil St. John is part of that rare breed of directors-for-hire who is a film maker first and pornographer second. Talking to him about his movies is more like talking to an indie film maker pitching his submission to Sundance. He takes great care in taking a few chances, creatively going the extra mile, or somehow adding a little something "extra" to his movies.
All five scenes of "
Czeski Friends" were shot outdoors in serene, Old World locations in Poland and the Czech Republic. Rather than merely rent a big house and shoot each scene in a different room, he traveled to numerous, remote locations and even enlisted the boys to schlep equipment up steep hills to find just the right spots.
The vibrant skies and bronze skin tones are reminiscent of the best Kristen Bjorn, Cazzo and Bel Ami movies shot in similar locales, which seems to have more to do with the reflection of the sun's rays in that area of the world than proper light metering. Whatever. It still took a lot of effort to get to those locations and make the guys perform.
And speaking of performances, I have some mixed feelings about some of them. In short, the best scenes are saved for last. Most of the guys you see in movies from Eastern Europe are gay-for-pay professional and semi-professional athletes that look pretty in photos, but don't generate any heat in the sack. I was particularly disappointed that my dreamboat, Tadeusz (see photos), was so lackluster and merely going through the motions. He sucked dick like a straight girl - licking only the tip and with a scowl of distain on his face. While bottoming, he looked like more like he was "enduring" rather than "enjoying" getting plowed.

Except for one of the longest-lasting money shots I've ever seen (delivered by Selden in Scene Two) the movie didn't really get started until Scene Four. "Honza's New Camera", features a three-way of guys who are more of an "alternative" type with trim, yet sculpted bodies. Honza, Pedro and Michal were all enthusiastic during sex and made me believe there are gay. But as the most classically handsome fourth member, Peter, showed up and only performed a solo on the sidelines, it's obvious he wanted nothing to do with touching other men.
Scene Five, though, borders on preposterous. Eric and Aabeel are primped and plucked metrosexual body builders struggling to cut down a spindly little birch tree with a giant two-man hand saw. After only a few short blade strokes, they're already so overheated that they must remove all their clothes! But these muscleheads are no match for the mighty birch tree! After endless sawing away at the 6 inch diameter tree, the stainless steel encrusted tree is finally felled! However, in the wrestling match that follows, neither of these Euro he-man ever gets "felled" either, in fact, a loser is decided without ever touching the ground. It's more about posing than wrestling - and its about filling up more camera time with straight guys who won't get fucked.
As I said, the best is saved for last. In Scene Six, Riko and Pavel are by far, the most passionate pair in the movie. Rail-thin, long-haired, baggy-clothed, they look the least like the bulbously buffed bodybuilders that inhabit most gay porn shot in Eastern Europe. They suck dick like fags and really have fun - until Eric, the wooden woodsman from the last scene shows up. He takes his turn plowing the bottom-boy Pavel, but he seems out of place with this coupling.
All in all, I gotta give Phil St. John credit for taking on another elaborate production. It's beautiful, but not on par with other "travelogue" gay porn from Titan, Hot House or Falcon. St. John's cinematography has moments of brilliance, especially in numerous razor-sharp extreme close-ups. However, some of those close-ups result in spots on the lens that stay for the remainer of the scene. Ooops. No matter. Just open a nice bottle of wine, and look at the pretty boys and blue skies.
Rating: B
Reviewed by: Mark Kliem