This week Randy Blue released Alley Cats, which we can best describe as a mash-up of old Hollywood crime noir, Ed Wood, and modern male erotica.  Overall, it's a big deal because it's extra long (a little more than an hour) and features a cast of some Randy Blue favorites who have to exercise their acting talents as well as their performing talents. For the most part it all works. Alley Cats is good satirical fun that features the usual highly charged sexual excitement you'll find in the best of the Randy Blue videos. Given the budget limitations and the fact that it's really the site's first foray into extensive storytelling it can be called a success. 

  The plot of Alley Cats is simple and yet humorously far-fetched, even for an adult film. iN 1950'S L. A. a reporter (played by an almost unrecognizable James Hawk) in arrives at a local Hollywood jail to get background information on the so-called "Alley Cat Murder" and to interview the suspect Johnny Malibu played by Reese Rideout. On hand is another suspect, a prison guard, and the hard-boiled Detective Lazlo (Chris Rockway)who's in charge of the case. In flashback Johnny tells the detective about his sexual encounters with several men, including the victim (Derrek Diamond), in the alley behind a nightclub and professes his innocence to the subsequent murder. The detective loses his cool as does the suspect, a heated confrontation ensues, and before you know it the sexual tension erupts into an interrogation room orgy. As for how it all turns out, you have to see the video in its entirety.

              
                                 The Victim                                       James Hawk as himself and.......as the reporter

  Alley Cats has a lot more going for it than this basic plot and the abundance of sex scenes. It's also told in as nifty way in both black & white and color with flashbacks, a score, and a ambitious attempt to create a period piece with some nice touches along the way. The film opens in black & white with a brutal stabbing murder told in silhouette followed by grainy credits that you'd see in an old Hollywood film. Randy Blue has also slipped in a "vintage" recreation of his studio logo. And like we said there are some nice touches like the spinning newspaper headlines giving you plot exposition and the reporter's voice over narration complete with hard-boiled sarcastic quips. More interesting is the segue between black & white and color. The flashbacks are told in color as are the sex scenes but it's a gradual dissolve from one to the other. 

 As for the script, you really have to suspend disbelief as much as you have to with most scripted adult films. But it at least makes a effort to recreate the cornball dialog and narration that you'd find in many of those old B-movies. It's a difficult thing to do and the subtlety of this effort may be lost on those viewers who aren't familiar with the film genre to which Randy Blue is paying tribute.

                    
                    Johnny confronts Lazlo                                   Sean Everett                              Buck uses a big black baton
  
Randy Blue requires a bit more from the cast of Alley Cats than what is normally required in online video productions. Obviously the guys have to exercise their acting muscles with some degree of believability comparable to their performances in regular Randy Blue sex romps. It's the balancing act that pornstars have faced for years since the introduction of plots into studio productions. Reese Rideout has the most responsibility here since he's onscreen virtually all of the time (in every sex scene too) and thus has to do the most. We can see why Randy Blue cast him in the role of Johnny Malibu (yes, it is a ridiculous name). We've never had a problem with him getting into his sex scenes and he is in great shape for the role. But as "Johnny" he has to show a tough guy attitude mixed with sympathetic vulnerability. He juggles it all with great earnestness and his delivery is about as convincing as you can get.

 The rest of the cast looks great and the sex scenes are hot but doesn't fare as well in the acting category. We love Chris Rockway (d'uh!) and he can pull off a tough guy look but he looks and acts too modern for this period piece--especially since he's playing an old school cop. That said he does bottom again and with some unbridled enthusiasm (fair warning---he gets loud!) and since his main scene is an orgy he does just about everything else too. Randy Blue brings back favorite James Hawk as a key character, reporter Jack Gordon. As we mentioned Hawk has a completely different retro look---slicked back short hair and glasses--for his role. At the same time he's always had a bit of a shy sweet persona in past videos and it's a hard perception to shake. Tyler Johnson looks good as Buck, the prison guard and is almost intimidating in size and demeanor. Recent Randy Blue addition Sean Everett plays Bill Shire, the convict who is involved in the case. He isn't given much to do but he does make the most out of his role as wordless as it is. Derrek Diamond as Mickey Crenshaw has even less to do since he is the victim and his scene is purely sexual. 
        
                          
                              Chris Rockway as Detective Lazlo                                 Sean Everett as Bill Shire

 As we mentioned Alley Cats is over an hour and contains three sex scenes. The first two feature Reese Rideout with Sean Everett and Derek Diamond respectively while the third is the very involved orgy sequence. In addition there is a "behind-the-scenes" section at the end that with off screen shenanigans, flubs, outttakes, and more. This won't get you off but it does give a rare peek into the Randy Blue operation.

 When all is said and done Alley Cats could be seen as a ground-breaking achievement and a milestone as well as a signpost towards future Randy Blue videos and online video sites in general. We welcome this effort if for no other reason than to see needed variety in a genre that always benefits from new approaches. We can only guess what's next. A sword-and-sandal sex video? A "beach blanket" surf & sex movie? If anyone can pull it off we know Randy Blue will be the first to try.