East End Boys

    New gay porn titles from Eastern European studios are constantly being released. Although this part of the world wasn’t associated with gay porn until fairly recently, it’s quickly grown to become one of the gay porn world’s busiest hubs of activity. In fact, the explosion of porn from this region seems to be turning Eastern Europe into a sort of San Fernando Valley East. With so much going on there, it seemed like it was time to take a look at where it all began and to spotlight some of the studios that are now making Eastern Europe  such a gay porn hotspot.
    You can’t talk about Eastern European porn without mentioning Bel Ami. This sixteen-year-old studio is one of the main reasons why porn from this part of the world is now so popular. What gay porn fan can forget the first time he laid eyes on Lukas Ridgeston or Johan Paulik? Even if they weren’t your type, you still had to stop and acknowledge their beauty. Today, Bel Ami continues to dominate the Eastern European market and is now working with a whole new generation of young models. With names like Dolph Lambert, Josh Elliot, Luke Hamill, Sascha Chakin, Brandon Manilow, Paul Valery, Florian Nemec, Ariel Vanean and Heath Gyllenhaal, today’s new stars at Bel Ami are so stunning that they often become well-known after appearing in just one scene.
    Bel Ami was one of the first porn companies to take its content online ten years ago, and today they continue to work hard to stay at the cutting edge. Recently, Bel Ami announced a new alliance with popular American porn site Corbin Fisher. What this means for fans is that they’ll now get to enjoy a unique blend of East and West when both sites begin releasing updates featuring the other’s videos. Unlike some more limited collaborations where companies just share material, Bel Ami and Corbin Fisher will also be swapping models as well. Remember how occasionally Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel would crossover into one another’s shows? It’s kind of like that – only better! This new foreign exchange program will ultimately culminate in a full-length movie entitled Five Americans in Prague.
    As Bel Ami became more and more successful, they eventually launched a companion line called AYOR Studios. Although the two might seem very similar at first glance, they are each quite unique. AYOR’s films are generally a bit less polished than those of Bel Ami. It’s one of the reasons why the studio is so refreshing. There’s also a sort of whimsy to the settings that you don’t generally find in Bel Ami productions. They guys and films are justy as hot, but there’s a greater variety in the look that the guys embody. Their movies are also different in that they actually show their models interacting in the real world for long periods of time. This additional exposition helps to set up the action that will later unfold.
    Another big player in the Eastern European camp is Lucas Kazan. The creator of Lucas Kazan Productions is originally from Italy, but some of the models he has used have come from Eastern Europe. Kazan’s movies are known for their international flavor, mixing men from different countries together to create a unique look, with an overall appeal that is not found elsewhere. One thing that helped shape Lucas’ perspective in porn was his experience in the mainstream media as a critic and successful producer. Even though he has admitted in the past that porn had just been a hobby, his style definitely took shape with the help of Kristen Bjorn who took Lucas under his wing. It’s no surprise that films like Kazan’s 2008 release Italians and Other Strangers have gone on to win several Best Foreign Picture GayVN awards. Those who are familiar with both Bel Ami and Kazan will appreciate the attention to detail that both studios who when choosing locations. The beautiful locales definitely compliment the beautiful talent that each of the studio’s films feature. Where the two differ in in terms of the types of guys that they tend to fature. Kazan is mostly known for using more masculine types whereas Bel Ami opts for a younger, twinkier look.
    One person who has bounced around quite a bit is William Higgins. Higgins first began his career in Los Angeles during the pre-condom era. In fact, many today recall his films with a sense of nostalgia that can only come from an era when porn was not as easy to come by. Interested in exploration, Higgins set off on a journey that would take him to exotic places all around the world. Somewhere along the way, he settled down, opened his own business, and moved to Prague. It wasn’t until he was coaxed to do another film that he stepped back into the arena of filmmaking, which has led to two of the most controversial titles around. The first is Double Czech featuring the Bartok twins, and his latest release Double Czech 2009, which features another set of fraternal twins who have sex with each other. When Higgins is not coaxing brothers to sleep with each other, he’s busy updating his website with new content from his latest shoots.
    Other studios have taken notice of the popularity of the Eastern European models and studios and have ventured overseas to put their own spin on this popular genre, including Michael Lucas. Lucas made Inside Prague, Inside Prague Part 2, and Cruising Budapest II: Ben Andrews.
    Collin O’Neal is another director has ventured to Eastern Europe and hit the jackpot with his title World Of Men: Serbia, which is one of the more memorable in his international series. Falcon Studios has also gotten into the action by creating Falcon International, which goes to exotic locals in search of new models. Czech Tales, Czech Tales 2, Hungarian Hunks, Hungarian Hook-Up, and Indecent Proposals all feature Eastern European men who fir nicely into the studio’s established American aesthetic.
    Many people believe that the reason why so many studios are filming in Eastern Europe is because the culture there is generally liberal when it comes to sex. In fact, we’ve heard that many of the models from these studios are actually straight. Unlike their U.S. counterparts (who face real issues if they ever want to break into mainstream entertainment or serve in the military), some of these people have actually used the porn industry as a springboard into their country’s own entertainment mainstream. The Czech version of the show Big Brother featured Tommy Hansen, who performed in several popular Bel Ami movies. Tommy has since gone on to a lucrative career in mainstream media.
    Although straight models are nothing new to the industry, their laid back attitude makes them great to work with. Because studios like Bel Ami are very exclusive, there has actually been an overabundance of hot models willing to do potn. As a result, more and more studios have been swooping into the region in order to harvest this valuable natural resource. One of these companies is Eurocreme, which is based in London but produces and distributes various lines including the popular DreamBoy, Rude Boiz, and Hung Ladz series. One of the companies that they are associated with is Bloc Studio, which features gorgeous twinks from Eastern Europe in films like Summer Sex Camp, Factory Fuckfest, and Sleazy Riders.
    As the demand for Eastern European porn increased, some studios started producing bareback films. Since Bel Ami only produced safe sex films, this was a largely unexplored niche. One studio that has been successfully making bareback films is Raw Films. Movies like Raw Luck, Bare Hotel, and Bare Adventures have capitalized on using boys who embody the Bel Ami look, but who are willing to have unprotected sex on camera. Raw, in fact, was a trailblazer and has succeeded in creating a look that is all its own.
    Sparta Video is another studio that has created a popular barebacking series, Bare Back Packers. Each film has the same basic structure and uses twinks to jock-ish looking guys who aren’t afraid to get nasty.
    What’s interesting about these companies is that they are always very consistent in the products that they produce. Those who are searching for something a little edgier will probably enjoy the films made by No Cover Productions. One of the things that have made this company rise so quickly is that they produce the type of films that could be likened to Hot Desert Knights or SX Video, showcasing the type of unsafe sex that has grown hugely popular here in the states.
    One of the unique qualities that can be noted about Czech porn is that the movies are made with a keen focus on their purpose – to get people off. If there is a storyline, it’s usually very thin and moves quickly to the meat of the action. Even Bel Ami doesn’t try too hard to produce epic movies like Michael Lucas’ La Dolce Vita or Raging Stallion’s To the Last Man.
    Another place where Eastern European porn has been growing stronger is online. Although many companies don’t actually advertise themselves as such, it becomes quite clear that they (or at least their models) are from the region when they start speaking in Czech. Sites like Bare Adventures, Cum Into My Ass, Chillout Boys, Czech Boys, Harry Forman, EU Twinks, Eurocreme, and Twinks of Europe are just a few of the dozens of sites that concentrate on guys from this region.
    One of the most unique sites featuring Eastern European guys is the official Visconti Triplets site. As you might have easily guessed, this site features three gorgeous Hungarian-born brothers who have no issues about being naked together and having sex with other guys while they are all in the same room. In fact, Joey (the oldest by about twelve minutes) has said that he finds working with his brothers comforting and credits them with being the only reason that he has done porn in the first place.
    Although there is plenty of porn that focuses on a specific part of the world or on a specific culture, no other genre has captured the popular gay imagination quite as much as Eastern Europe. Perhaps it’s the region’s history or maybe its distance that makes it seem like such a magical, faraway land. We each have our own reasons for being attracted to particular models or groups of people, but it’s clear that this part of the world has captured many hearts and will probably continue to do so for a very long time.
JOHAN PAULIK
    There are lots of popular models from Eastern Europe, but one guy who has had great longevity is Johan Paulik. When he first burst onto the scene, his piercing blue eyes had fans mesmerized. Johan retired from performing, but his career was one that won’t soon be forgotten. His popularity was really put into motion thanks to films like An American in Prague, Lukas’ Stories, and Frisky Summer.
    To this day Johan and George Duroy still admit to being puzzled about why he became so popular in the first place. He’s not the most beautiful model to have come out of the studio, but somehow his face became synonymous with Bel Ami. He’s graced dozens of magazines covers and to this day still remains one of the most recognizable gay porn stars of our time. Whatever the case may be, Johan has definitely left his mark on the industry. In the year 2000 he was inducted into the GayVN Awards Hall of Fame, permanently making his mark on a giant industry that sees many beautiful faces coming and going every year.
    Today, Johan still works for Bel Ami in new capacities. He edits his own site called Johan’s Journal – a place where he posts clips and talks about all the behind-the-scenes gossip from the films he now directs. Even though you won’t see him in front of the camera, you can catch a glimpse of his work in movies like Johan’s Journal: Sun Kissed, and Johan’s Journal 2: Eye Candy. As an integral part of the Bel Ami family, Johan is sure to continue making a valuable contribution for many years.