Darkroom: The Review
One of the reasons that we love the Steve Cruz & Leif Gobo collaborations for Mustang is that they are always unpredictable---we never know what to expect. Actually that's not entirely true. With these collaborations we CAN expect to see these two guys do something highly creative---a fascinating premise, a brilliantly chosen cast, and cinematography that elevates each film into art house territory. Such is the case with their newest venture Darkroom. If we had to describe it in simple terms we'd call it a stylishly erotic fetish thriller. You might also think of it as a loosely-plotted sex mystery that leaves much to the imagination of the viewer. However you perceive it, it's loaded up with highly-charged sex scenes that will certainly keep you from over thinking the premise.
Since the plot of Darkroom is left up to interpretation here's our take on it. A photographer, whose identity is never really revealed, is having some super-hot guys chased down and/or kidnapped by masked, fetish-outfitted studs and taken to some likely undisclosed location, still in the midst of construction. There these kidnapped hunks are held in bondage, mildly tortured, and seemingly set free--provided that they engage in sex with a fellow victim and/or captor. While each of the nabbed guys is held against their will, several of them are so turned on that they require little convincing to go for the sex. The mysterious photographer is also there, to capture these guys in action and in between scenes you see him in his darkroom watching the pics develop and getting turned on by the results.
Darkroom opens menacingly as two hooded men clad in black chase after Johnny Gunn across fog-laden hillsides. You can tell he's already managed to escape their clutches before, evidenced by the fact that his tank top has been ripped to shreds and is barely hanging on to his hairy muscular torso. This brief opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the movie but is cut short, the outcome of the chase to be resolved later in the flick.
Tyler Saint Samuel Colt & Sean Everett
The film cuts to a large room, in some stage of construction where Samuel Colt wakes up tied to a chair, his mouth stuffed with jockstrap and across from him is Sean Everett in the same predicament. Not only is each guy bound and gagged but they are locked into metal chastity devices and held with thumb-cuffs. Enter a tall well-built man (dressed exactly like one of the chasers in the opening scene) who pushed Colt & Everett to the floor their butts up in the air, ready for the captor who whips out two metal butt-plugs. He uncuffs Samuel Colt and works over his big muscular bubble butt with one of the plugs before silently forcing him to do the same to Sean Everett. As we mentioned Colt needs little convincing to completely dominate Everett including forcefully topping him. There's no dialog here so both Samuel Colt & Sean Everett have to telegraph in their thoughts and do a fine job of it. If you're a fan of Samuel Colt the scene is a regular buff buffet. You get to see his beautifully muscular & hairy body in all kinds of positions and from several angles and we're willing to bet that his hard, meaty butt will be seared into your corneas. It's also very hot to see him in a moaning & passive bondage role, however brief, before he turns into power top. Thankfully he's not a robotic top and seems very into Sean Everett. Everett plays the wide-eyed captive very well. alternately frightened by his situation but turned on by his fellow prisoner. We've seen both these guys before and they have given it their all in previous videos so we're happy their brought it here too.
The next scene is even darker as tattooed and semi-hairy muscle boy Alessio Romero also finds himself tied to a chair under a spotlight as another hooded figure enters and slowly pours a bucket of water over him. Once he's thoroughly soaked Alessio is tortured by the threat of electrocution as the hooded man brings out a pole with a lit bulb attached and waves it all over his body, barely an inch way from his wet skin. Without warning, the torture ends and the masked stud is sucking off his freed captor. Eventually he is unmasked as newcomer Tom Wolfe. The handsome and hair-chested muscular young man gets Alessio Romero to service & worship him before dominating him completely by topping him. Once again this scene is packed with chemistry between the two stars and they make a visually attractive pair. Alessio Romero has a very appealing look and demeanor that we like to call edgy innocence. Fairly young & hairy-muscled newcomer Tom Wolfe is another great find who has a quiet intensity that's just made for this dialog-free role.
Darkroom takes another turn with the next scene that is perhaps the most romantically sexual. Draven Torres is almost naked, shivering in a near fetal position as he's cuffed and bound to a bare mattress. Along comes Roman Wright like a handsome (& naked) shining knight who kisses him & releases him so they can have a super-hot & passionate sex scene. It's an intense scene punctuated with a twist that we didn't see coming. Both Torres & Wright are new to us but once again we are impressed with Gobo & Cruz for casting guys with instant appeal and the makings of rising stars. What we especially like here is the way that these two performers form an instant bond. Maybe it's the fact that both have exotic looks that draws them together or the way they are directed. Whatever it is, it works really well.
The last scene switches back to Johnny Gunn and his pursuers as they give chase near an abandoned building before cornering him, putting a hooded mask over his head and dragging him to another "photo-shoot". In that same unfinished room with camera lights & tripods we find Tyler Saint, Tristan Jaxx, & Derrek Diamond held captive by three different kinds of intrigue bondage devices when Johnny Gunn is brought in. One by one the three other guys are released and they take their turns manhandling Gunn before it turns into an all-out orgy. All four guys have their own kind of appeal, both physical looks & performance style, that they bring to the scene. Tyler Saint always has this way of taking control of a scene with his "I mean business" look and yet he doesn't overpower his fellow performers. Tristan Jaxx has a more subtle approach--you just never know which persona he's going to bring to the table. The ever-versatile Derrek Diamond has an amazing amount of energy that you can imagine him totally crashing after a scene. Then there's Johnny Gunn who has a lot to do here as the party favor for this orgy. He too puts a lot of energy into this role that could easily have become a faceless entity. Besides it's always hot when a super-hot masculine & muscular man is turned into a bottom.
As we mentioned the videography in Darkroom is high quality in keeping with the other Cruz/Gobo flicks. Leif Gobo & Brad Austin do some wonderful things with light in the various set pieces. The lighting is most effective in the room where most of the action takes place. Unlike the title of the film the room is brightly lit so that you actually feel like you're there as another voyeur. Yet the light isn't to intense as to take away from the natural fleshtones of the performers.
We were made aware awhile ago that Steve Cruz & Leif Gobo are equal collaborators and however it works between them works marvelously. They manage to get their performers to give 100% and in the process give each scene a realistic liveliness that is so important to an adult flick. Obviously the sex scenes are the most important aspect to a porn flick and when the guys look like they're into it as they are here then the film is that much more successful. With so much going on it takes talented individuals to bring it together & make it work---and that's exactly what Leif Gobo & Steve Cruz do.
Lastly we also love the attention to the details here in Darkroom. The various bondage devices used here are actually minor co-stars. These were supplied by Stockroom and they sure looked like fun to use. The wardrobe was supplied by Slick It Up, whose owner & designer David Mason is just fantastic. When he's not designing and manufacturing some of the sexiest and most interesting lycra fetish wear he's writing his super-hot blog House of Vader.
You can see Darkroom now (and individual scenes) at FalconXXX.
Posted by JackManly at 11/21/2009 11:54 PM 
Categories: gay porn, video reviews
Tags: Sanuel Colt Mustang Steve Cruz Alessio Romero Leif Gobo
Categories: gay porn, video reviews
Tags: Sanuel Colt Mustang Steve Cruz Alessio Romero Leif Gobo
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