Naked Fame

The story of a rise, a fall and the struggle to rise again.

Once upon a time, or maybe twice, there was a man who took the name Blake Harper. Now Blake was considered 'tops' in his field, one of the best there was at what he did. In the course of his work and the fame he garnered, he met an equally well-known, adept guy named Jason Branch. The two met while working, and sparks flew.

But alas, it seemed too good to last, and as it turned out, it was. As in any coupling where each person has their own career, especially when it's in the same field and one person might be enjoying a little more success than his mate, the risk of a relationship implosion is great...sometimes it can be overcome, other times, it can't be. Unfortunately, in the case of Blake and Jason, the latter was true, and with heavy hearts, they went their separate ways.

Then, a few years later, lightning struck again for Blake, this time in the form of a remarkable guy called Colton Ford. The sparks that Blake had in his last relationship? Now with Colton, it was an entire fireworks display, and Blake knew he was dead serious about keeping this relationship going. How serious? When Colton presented the idea of getting out of the business they were in and entering the world of music, not only did Blake agree, but he decided to make an exit as well, opting to pursue his own dream of becoming an actor.

If the career that these three men shared was in the world of business, culinary arts, medicine or something similar that most people would consider commonplace, that might very well be the cue for the *de rigeur* closing line--"And they lived happily ever after." But like Jason, Blake Harper and Colton Ford were stars in the world of gay porn. Under any other circumstances, two forty something men with great bodies, stunning good looks and personality to burn would have no problem easing into a new career. But go back and look at who they were again: gay porn stars. And that sums up the gist of Chris Long's documentary/cautionary tale, NAKED FAME.

Nearly warts and all, the doc presents the trials, tears and tribulations of two guys simply trying to become better men and leave behind a past that just can't be shaken, no matter how hard they try. In the progression of their journey, we meet family and friends, and discover as the film presents in a non-judgmental way, how some of those relationships help them, hinder them, or in some cases do both at the same time.

Everything you heard about the world of gay porn and the people who inhabit it is both true AND false, and NAKED FAME presents at least part of the reasons why. Which is also why it has managed to polarize so many audiences who either love it or despise it. We like our fantasies tall, dark, sexy and hung, and the less we know about their lives as mortals, the better.

Though the technical aspects are far from perfect, it does definitely achieve the demystification of the "porn star gods," and warns those who would tread the same path, that just because you're one of the "beautiful people," it doesn't mean you can't have problems every bit as daunting as Joe Blow down the street. (And if you wanna be a porn star, they can be much worse than that.) For good or ill, you will never forget the cast of characters who play the supporting roles in the 'ballad of Colton and Blake"; the ubiquitous Chi Chi La Rue, the unctuous David Forest, who brings to mind no less than Danny De Vito's sleazy character in L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, dipped in even MORE grease; and Kyle Nevins, who could be in his own separate documentary about who and what to avoid in one's quest for fame and glory.

Then of course, on the plus side there is Colton's surprisingly supportive parents, and celebrated dance divas Lonnie Gordon and Pepper Mashay, who can definitely appreciate Colton's uphill battle to release his first single, (which ultimately did happen, with better-than expected results.) The bottom line? NAKED FAME may not be the most enjoyable film you've ever seen, but for anybody who ever harbored a dream of becoming a star, porn or otherwise, and felt cheated and unfulfilled for never having reached that goal, you can now watch Colton and Blake in this film, and as clichéd as it sounds, realize at last that "There but for the grace of G*d..."

Colton Ford is a drop-dead gorgeous hunk of a man who I've always thought should be a major movie star. Instead, our 40-year-old hero chose to show all of himself in triple-X rated movies and is now a mega-famous gay porno star. This alone justifies high interest in this documentary by Chris Long as Ford attempts to shed his adult movie career and become instead a pop singer. I know, when you hear that this middle-aged man wants to become a male Madonna or Britney Spears, the tendency is to roll your eyes and think, Is He Mad? But, this is America, folks, where anything can happen. I mean, did you read about this homeless bum who is now a major celebrity because of his "golden voice." But anyway, we follow Ford and his boyfriend, equally gorgeous Blake Harper--another porno god--as they jump into the shark-infested waters of the music world and try to get exposure--of a different kind. Interspersed are some of the most suicidal and grim observations by porn filmmakers ever included on film. Chi Chi LaRue sets the tone with this cheery observation: "Sometimes I wake up in the morning and wonder if I should cut my throat before filming another sex scene." We're treated to a scalding hot appearance of Colt in a music video where he dances shirtless while singing. His physicality alone deserves the spotlight in some venue. I can see him doing a strip show in Las Vegas and bringing the house down.

One major weakness of this documentary is that director Chris Long gives us absolutely no back story about who Colton Ford is. We have no idea of what kind of kid he was growing up, how he got started in the porno business, why he chose to do sex roles. And there's absolutely no juicy footage of Ford in action. All we have is a split second of him fully clothed from some film.

But there is one curiously erotic moment included in this film that was probably unintentional. When the father of Colton Ford is interviewed, he comes across as one hot silver-haired bear of a man with a naughty twinkle in his eyes, especially when he grins and says, "Oh, yeah, I've considered doing a porno film. Haven't we all?" Well, no, but you can instantly see where Colton Ford got his hotness from. It would be ironic indeed if Pappy Ford decided to do a porno film just as his son exits the business.

For the first fifteen minutes the story of NAKED FAME is interesting: two late thirties male porn stars in a seemingly healthy relationship decide to leave the Porn industry and try for the world of singing and acting. The two very buff and preening men are Colton Ford and Blake Harper. With the aid of Kevin Aviance and Marc Berkely, Colton makes a dance track that is then marketed in New York with the hopes that Colton Ford will become an instant star - a unique disco singer touting his background as a Porn Star for PR.

The remainder of the film is grumbling and in-fighting and commentary by Porn Producer ChiChi LaRue and the film slowly sinks into repetition and doldrums. Not a bad idea for a film if there were a bit more depth revealed in each character's drive to move away form a successful career (though one greatly influenced by the youth both characters have lost) into an alternative one. It is just that a one-note song wears thin quickly. Grady Harp, November 05

If you take this movie to seriously, of course you're going to hate it. Colton Ford has no talent and the documentary is a parade of delusion, with a few moments of clarity. But that is what makes it so funny. A group of about 10 gay guys got together last night to watch it, and first of all, none of us recognized any of the so-called "porn stars" in the movie. In this day, all porn stars look like clones. Secondly, this movie is the equivalent of watching the worst auditions for "American Idol." Actually make that "The Gong Show." Except he takes his pants off in the beginning. My stomach still hurts from laughing at this movie. Worth it for that alone.

So what is one to do if you are a porno star with fading looks? I know, become a pop star! This documentary - and I use the term loosely - follows the trials and tribulations of Colton as he tries to transform himself from a gay porn star into a singer of electronic (read: dance) music. I only wish Mr Ford's voice was as muscular as his arms...sorry to say his vocals are painfully thin. There isn't much interesting going on here but Mr Ford and friends are eye candy.

See him record a song that sounds exactly like every other mindless dance tune. See him travel to New York to make "connections." See him go back to L.A. with little success. See yourself look in the mirror and ask, " Why am I wasting time watching this mess?"