BijouBlog

Hi Folks! Will here. I am taking liberties with a popular song title for today's adventure. Although originally released in 1941, many covers of this romantic hit are out there. For me, it's just a throwback to the inevitable allure of beach life.

The iconic beach.

It's September of 1994. I was fresh to South Beach and freshly out of a home!! That didn't last long, as I scrambled to get the lay of the land and find a modest and affordable abode. I was working with no time cushion. My friend and travel partner from N.J. had just up and left. 

I lucked out in finding a nice simple motel with long-term rentals at the northern end of South Beach. Its layout was more like a studio apartment with plenty of room for all the stuff I had hauled down from the north. It was just a block or two from the ocean ... but, a long and healthy walk to the southern and popular end of South Beach.

Aerial view of my walk down to the Gay Beach.

A gym. This was my next box to check off of the list. We were in "Speedo Country," and nothing short of perfection would do on this beach. I was 44 and was pleased that I could still slip into my little black swimsuit without a hitch. With the help of my mile and a half walks to the gym, I really whittled off all remaining body fat. Although it was a very popular gym, I can't remember its name. What I do remember were all of the beautiful and buff members and its location at the top of Lincoln Road.

On this walk to the gym, I traversed numerous neighborhoods, most of which I assumed were gay. Frequently, curtains were drawn back and overt gestures to come on in happened on these walks. It was starting to dawn on me just how sex-crazed South Beach really was! I loved it and I fit right in making new friends straight away. The next box to be checked was finding a job.

I felt like "Lady Luck" had tapped me on the shoulder. A new resort hotel was opening just a few blocks from my motel. It was the second iteration of the famous Shore Club Hotel and Resort which originally opened in 1949. I really wasn't sure what position I was looking to fill. But, I decided to dress to the nines in a great Giorgio Armani double-breasted suit that I had acquired while working at Neiman Marcus in San Francisco.

Deco Heaven

As luck would have it, the first person to see me arrive was the food and beverage manager. Although I don't remember his name, I do remember that he bore a striking resemblance to Fred Astaire. He was also in a fashionable suit and took notice of mine. He asked me if I had any food service experience. I rattled off a litany of restaurants and mentioned that I was the head waiter at the Pines Boatel restaurant on Fire Island. He wanted to make sure that I had table side food prep experience including Caesar Salads, Crepe Suzettes and the like. I retorted back: "I just hope I don't have to wear ruffled cuff shirts with my tux, as I have been known to set them on fire!" He chuckled and said I had the job (as head waiter!).

This would have been my miracle job if the hotel's new owners hadn't overextended themselves in the redux process. The manager and I had lots of meetings to prep the waitstaff on dining room protocol. Just as things seemed to be moving along nicely, the owners ran out of money! On my third week there, I was paid in $5 bills. As my manager was counting off the fives, he told me that the owners were desperately fighting off bankruptcy. They were flat broke. My heart sank. The only bona fide shift I ever worked was slinging hamburgers, poolside, at a pre-opening party a week before the plug was pulled on the entire project. Oh well, I guess "Lady Luck's" tap on the shoulder turned into a kick in the pants! It was a good thing that I had come to town with a bit of a financial cushion. The job prospects were few and far between. So, for the time being, I decided to turn this into a long vacation and to return to New York in the Spring.

Here's what's left of the second iteration of the Shore Club!

Meanwhile, here I was in an internationally famous beach resort with some of the most handsome men on the planet. You know what they say: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" And, that I did. Within a week of arriving, I started seeing a very handsome and sexually crazed young man from South America. But, he made me feel old ... I just couldn't keep up with him. I soon found how transitory life in South Beach was. When I didn't fulfill his sex quota, he dropped me like a hot potato. "Next!" Yup, it was like a production line. And, not just with him. I found that to be the standard operating procedure with most of the guys I met there.

"Paradise Found"

But, there were some really good times, too. Most of them were "random" sex encounters - two of which are still vividly burned into my memory 32 years later! The first went something like this ... I was walking south on the beach from my apartment toward the gay section, when a gorgeous hunk with long dark brown hair signaled me to come over to him. He was standing on the patio at the edge of his beachfront property clad in just a towel. (Sounds like the plot to a porno film, eh?) Anyway, the closer I got the more astonishing he looked. He reached out and clasped my hand with a very manly shake and invited me into his bedroom - just off this patio. It was one of the most fiery sexual encounters I have ever had. I was glad that we were both versatile, as no position was neglected in this afternoon delight!

The other over the top sexual encounter happened right on the beach! I am still trying to figure out how we got away with it! Muscular, lean and tall, I recognized this sexy, bald-headed Latino man from mags and videos. Once again, I was just "beach-combing" my way south to the gay section as he swerved from his path to cross with mine. For a second, I was spellbound. But, I came to my senses when he flashed his brilliant smile. I responded in kind. I don't remember how, but seconds later we were both naked and rolling around on his beach blanket under a palm tree. We were just yards away from the surf and definitely within view of anyone walking by. Again, it was quick and intense with no specific roles taken. We kissed and said goodbye without any intentions of a rematch. Ah ... this was life at the beach. 

Of course, club life at the beach was both famous and infamous. After all, how could you have this many gay men together and have it turn out any other way? This deserves its own review. So, stay tuned!

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted careers and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model, film performer, and DJ, just to name a few. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.

Will Seagers, present day

You can read Will Seagers' previous blogs for Bijou here:

Welcome Matt/Will | What's For Dessert? | On and Off the Set of L.A. Tool & Die | Wanted, Weekend Lockup and Weekends in Hermosa Beach | Honeymoon in the Palms | Birds of a Feather | The Stereo Maven of Castro Street | The Pass Around Boy | The Ecstasy and the Agony | Fitness and Fantasy | Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun | Becoming Invisible | The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray | Pin Money | One Organ Leads to Another! | The Wheels of Steel | Feast and Famine | An Alphabet Soup of Powders and Pills | Merry Christmas (and Getting Re-Organized) | Now and Then | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Badlands | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: Moby Dick Bar | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: "Just Another Stroll Down the Castro!" | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Hamburger Mary's | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Long Live the Stud! | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Club Life..."Hit me with your Rhythm Stick!” | A "Split Ticket": SoMa/Folsom and The Haight! | Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture | A Little Secret | Recollections of the 1977 S.F. Gay Pride Parade | Life's a Beach | Flora & Fauna | Once Is Just Not Enough! | A Love of Cultures – A Knack for Languages! | For the Birds | It's About Time! | The Perfect Storm | Hello Chicago/Adieu Fire Island Pines! | Sex in the Woods! | My Life at the Gym | The Last Picture Show | Cumming Attractions! | The Peter Pan Syndrome | Valentine's Day Reflections | The “Idus Martias” and a Peacock! | Taxing I.M.H.O. | Nope...This Sure Ain't Kansas! | The French Connection | Water Baby | Pride: You Wear It Well! | Life Goes On... | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 1 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 2 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 3 | A Christmas Haiku | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | "Werk!" | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | Heart Throbs from the Past! | Traveling the Arc | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 1 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 2 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 3 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 4 | "Brick Wall" | A Gap!

By Josh Eliot

Can we find a “gay” amongst any of our friend groups who didn’t absolutely love Kathy Bates' performance in Misery? I remember it happening in real time as her Annie Wilkes character struck a chord with America and beyond. I would venture to say that even to this day, 36 years later, whenever I see Kathy Bates' name in a movie I get a certain tingle, drawing my thoughts back to seeing Misery for the first time. That’s an impression she made! As a young director coming into my own in the 1990s, I can easily admit that some of the slightly psychotic characters of the era, like Glenn Close’s Alex Forest in Fatal Attraction, Rebecca De Mornay’s Peyton Flanders in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, and Kathleen Turner in John Water’s Serial Mom really made going to the movies a lot of fun. I don’t know why I, along with half of America, tend to flock to “stalker themed” movies, knowing full well that there will be a crazy psycho causing chaos, but something inside me just loves to watch how the whole mess plays out.

It’s no secret that my love of the psycho-sexual genre played a big role in my career while making movies for Catalina Video. The trick was to make the stories work seamlessly with the sexual encounters, and have the characters be believable. There has always been a stigma associated with the acting abilities of the gay adult film actors, and I would sometimes pull my hair out trying to get them to show emotion, but the majority I worked with really pulled off their characters, especially the psychotic, off-the-wall roles. Rob Cryston in Single White Male won best actor, Andy Hunter in His Terrible Twin played a good and evil version of himself. Even a relatively unknown actor, Eric Marx, played his psychotic role in Sexual Suspect so precisely that I didn’t get in too much trouble for making the movie in the first place. In fact, it opened the door in my producer’s eyes to let me do more movies with an edge. The biggest surprise for me was with Ty Fox, who looks like a million bucks, but when it came to acting he could never really pull it off. That was until I wrote and shot him in Ty Me Up! based on the Pedro Almodovar classic Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! He played a character fresh out of the asylum who stalks and kidnaps his favorite adult film star! I was very proud of his work in that movie. Anyone who knows me is familiar with my love affair – mentally – regarding Sharon Kane, and the many movies she’s worked in for me with all kinds of quirky, and one might say psychotic, characters. Her role as Joan in Cracked comes to mind, where she plays the ax-wielding killer, based on Joan Crawford in Strait-Jacket and the Patty Duke movie You’ll Like My Mother. I may have made “off-the-wall, crazy-themed” movies a big part of my career, but I certainly wasn’t the first.

BijouWorld.com has a collection of iconic, pioneering directors who shot some really great films with a psychotic edge. Films that, in addition making a certain body part stand at attention, also make the hairs on your neck rise up. For example, Jack Wrangler’s partner in Killing Me Softly (1979) wasn’t just a rough trade top, he also dabbled in a little serial killing, but Jack put a stop to that in the end. The director of Killing Me Softly, Francis Ellie, also came out with The Death of Scorpio (1979), where the premise was somewhat different but the ending was remarkably the same! Shawn Gregory plays a scorned lover who seeks revenge on his ex and his ex’s “playthings,” one of them being the model Scorpio. Gregory invites the playthings over to pose for him, which then turns into full on sex with, let’s say, a not-so-happy ending for them. Gregory’s ex, poised to be the final victim, figures out what is going on and gets bitter Shawn Gregory to drink the poison-filled glass of sparkling wine by switching glasses. A much earlier movie from director Spencer Logan called Boynapped (1975) has a character obsessed with Michael Hardwick’s butch blond jock character, but to up the ante there’s also a couple of kidnapping psychopaths thrown into the mix. Icon straight adult performer Jamie Gillis (aka James Rugman for his boy/boy movies) and singer Dennis Parker (aka Wade Nichols for his adult film work) kidnap the blond stud and do all kinds of crazy things to him! It’s raw, wild and makes the viewer a little bit squeamish. Exactly what we look for in these mainstream or adult psycho-sexual works of art! Wade Nichols aka Dennis Parker released an album for Casablanca Records entitled Like An Eagle (1979), which was produced by the Village People's producer/creator. He had a mainstream career directly coincided with his adult film career. His outstanding good looks afforded him major roles in mostly straight adult movies like Barbara Broadcast (1977), Maraschino Cherry (1977) and Blonde Ambition (1981).

Currently celebrating its 45th Anniversary, and featuring an obsessed, stalker-ish lead character of its own, is the super big budget George Payne, Eric Ryan, Scorpio movie Centurians of Rome (1981). Eric Ryan plays the role of the obsessed, neurotic-erotic Supreme Commander with power and fury. He basically stalks the poor, and not so innocent, Scorpio and gets his psycho oversexed guard dogs to take out their frustrations on George Payne. But who wouldn’t turn into a rabid oversexed dog around George Payne? When done well, psycho-sexual can really work with the eroticism of a sex film and not against it.

Flash forward to modern day, as we look at a mainstream series that really blew me away: Baby Reindeer, written and directed by Richard Gadd. In the series, Richard’s character is the victim of a stalker named Margaret, played by actress Jessica Gunning. Gunning plays her character so well that she earned a Prime Time Emmy, Golden Globe Award, a Critic’s Choice Award, British Academy Television Award and European Actor Award. In addition, writer and lead actor Richard Gadd won a ton of awards as well for acting and writing including a Prime Time Emmy and Golden Globe Award for Best Limited Anthology Series. His acting career started modestly with a stint in Season 1, Episode 4 of Scot Squad in 2014. Ten guest and recurring roles later, he completed Baby Reindeer, which was based on his “one-man dark comedy show.” That’s right, he does comedy, as well, even receiving an Edinburgh Comedy Award for Best Comedy Show in 2016 for Monkey See Monkey Do. Well, guess what? He’s back and with a vengeance in Half Man, a six-part British television series that premiered on HBO on April 23rd and BBC One April 24th. Homoerotic as fuck, with tension that is always present, this show is frequently over-the-top shocking. Everything we could ever love in a series or movie while taking the stalker theme to where it has never gone before. Gadd brilliantly wrote and developed these characters to perfection, and I honestly have never seen an LGBTQ+ movie or series with this depth of obsession mixed with fear and eroticism . At just 37 years of age, Gadd and co-star Jamie Bell both should get nominations, as well as their younger selves played by Stuart Campbell and Mitchell Robertson. Jamie Bell won a BAFTA for his lead role in Billy Elliot (2000), which launched his career. Half Man serves up a super-dark premise with a crazier than crazy lead character that, in some ways, is totally endearing simply by the way he stares at his victim, who honestly is just as obsessed with his stalker.

Like Jessica Walter as “Evelyn” in Play Misty For Me, Gadd as Rueban and Bell as Niall are both a little batshit crazy, which makes the series extremely watchable! There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that if this series came out 20 years ago, before I retired from the adult industry, I would be writing the parody triple X version of it right now and thinking up my pitch as to how I could propose the idea to the GM at Catalina. Not that you asked for it, but I am putting Half Man on your LGBTQ+ must-watch-list. It’s a frighteningly good time!

Watch these original trailers by Josh Eliot!
Centurians of Rome 45th Anniversary Tribute Trailer
Combo Teaser: Death of Scorpio / Boynapped / Killing Me Softly
Single White Male
Sexual Suspect
Ty Me Up!
Cracked

And catch the Bijou Classics mentioned here on DVD & on our Video on Demand site:
Centurians of Rome (DVD | Streaming)
Killing Me Softly (DVD | Streaming)
Death of Scorpio (DVD | Streaming)
Boynapped (DVD | Streaming)

Bio of Josh Eliot:

At the age of 25 in 1987, Josh Eliot was hired by Catalina Video by John Travis (Brentwood Video) and Scott Masters (Nova Video). Travis trained Eliot on his style of videography and mentored him on the art of directing. Josh directed his first movie, Runaways, in 1987. By 2009 when Josh parted ways with Catalina Video, he'd produced and directed hundreds of features and won numerous awards for Best Screenplay, Videography, Editing, and Directing. He was entered into the GayVN Hall of fame in 2002.

Hi folks! Will here. Telling a life story can be a bit challenging... especially, if you are trying to keep facts in an accurate timeline. I discovered that I had a gap between the ending of my last blog and the lead-in to my move to Florida.

Before I headed to sunny South Beach, my last year in the bleak and wintry northeast had some (of what I considered) warm and fuzzy parts to it, too. I made two friends... one from the gym and one from the legendary beach at Sandy Hook, N.J.

A great (nude) beach with a spectacular backdrop!

I was at a pivotal point with my musical/sales career. My position in the company had become increasingly political. My immediate supervisor/general manager was uncomfortable with my successes that were being noticed by the company's owner.

In my last year with them, I was shuffled around the stores like a game piece. And, the moves were not to bigger and better offerings. It was under the guise that I could "improve" these less profitable showrooms. With a waning income, I made my plans to bail from the company.

It was my friend from the gym who offered me a lead to another sales job - this time to a popular Northeast retail electronics chain. This liaison not only gave me a great opportunity for a smooth job move, but we also became roommates. It was perfect timing, in that I had not renewed my apartment lease after the "endless winter."

He was "the one that got away." Although proclaiming to be straight, he gave off the most intense sexual vibes. I thought he was very cute. He was medium in height, had a very tight, muscular body and had "nice junk," to boot! I never took advantage of this situation, as I wanted to keep the home front as secure as possible. But, I sure had my fantasies.

After mentioning that I frequented the nude beach at Sandy Hook, he became very curious and asked to come along to see what it was like. I said sure! So, we drove to "The Hook." My curiosity about him was piqued when after laying out our towels et al, he sprung a lovely woody! It took everything in me not to react in kind. I often look back and wonder why I didn't jump on him right there. But, I feared if anything got complicated, I would not only lose a friend but also my (temporary) home. I had already started making my plans to move south while living and working with him.

Another curious thing was that he took me to his parents' home in Staten Island. He introduced me as his "new friend" and roommate. I thought at our respective ages, 33 and 43, there might have been some shade thrown. But, they didn't bat an eye. Maybe I should have at least "tried something" with him. Still... cooler heads prevailed... mine, unfortunately!

And, from this very same beach came the person with whom I drove to Florida. We had started flirting the year before at Sandy Hook. I mentioned my intention to move south within a year or so. Surprisingly, he said he had thought about that, too. The next thing I knew, I had another quasi-sexual relationship in the works. We never did anything. It seemed like it was being "saved" for the future.

I had set September of 1994 as the travel date for my move to Florida. My beach buddy asked if he could join me. I said sure! Little did I know how ill-fated this journey would be.

Meanwhile, my other friend (and roommate) got ready for the split up. I had thanked him profusely for letting me share his apartment. There was an air of tension mixed with sadness in his behavior. Maybe I was right all along. I sure wish I had at least tempted fate!

In the weeks leading up to my leaving his apartment, he was fixated on trading cars with me. I couldn't figure it out. He had a nice red Toyota MR-2. I had a rather plain Toyota Tercel hatchback. Go figure. I think there was something up with the registration or title. But, the transfer of titles went without a hitch. And that's the car that I piled high with my belongings for the trip down the Eastern Seaboard. In retrospect, I think he wanted something of mine to remember me by.

My ride to Florida... exact right down to the wheels!

What a trade!

My other friend and I stayed at his mother's house the night before we left for Florida. That night was as chilly as the overly air-conditioned bedroom where nothing physical happened between us. I should have paid attention to that harbinger.

We left the next morning, heading for I-95 South. He had a van that he had packed to the rafters. He was a rather slow driver. That became a point of contention. He asked why I was speeding and losing visual contact on the road. I wasn't speeding. By the time we reached our motel for the night, a fight was brewing.

I thought it was a little early for regrets. But, from then on the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Tired from all the driving, we rented a motel room at the midpoint of the trip and slept in separate beds. And, by the time we reached our Miami condo sublet, we were in separate rooms. Need I say more?

We both circulated around South Beach looking for jobs. I lucked out with (what I considered) an excellent opportunity, which I will expand upon in the next installment. My friend did not enjoy the same luck. Within two weeks, he had decided to return home to N.J. We were staying with a friend of his - meaning I was shit out of luck and homeless in Miami!

This brings me right here, where I want to be - a place to correctly start the tale of my adventures in South Beach. Stay tuned!

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted careers and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model, film performer, and DJ, just to name a few. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.

Will Seagers, present day

You can read Will Seagers' previous blogs for Bijou here:

Welcome Matt/Will | What's For Dessert? | On and Off the Set of L.A. Tool & Die | Wanted, Weekend Lockup and Weekends in Hermosa Beach | Honeymoon in the Palms | Birds of a Feather | The Stereo Maven of Castro Street | The Pass Around Boy | The Ecstasy and the Agony | Fitness and Fantasy | Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun | Becoming Invisible | The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray | Pin Money | One Organ Leads to Another! | The Wheels of Steel | Feast and Famine | An Alphabet Soup of Powders and Pills | Merry Christmas (and Getting Re-Organized) | Now and Then | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Badlands | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: Moby Dick Bar | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: "Just Another Stroll Down the Castro!" | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Hamburger Mary's | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Long Live the Stud! | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Club Life..."Hit me with your Rhythm Stick!” | A "Split Ticket": SoMa/Folsom and The Haight! | Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture | A Little Secret | Recollections of the 1977 S.F. Gay Pride Parade | Life's a Beach | Flora & Fauna | Once Is Just Not Enough! | A Love of Cultures – A Knack for Languages! | For the Birds | It's About Time! | The Perfect Storm | Hello Chicago/Adieu Fire Island Pines! | Sex in the Woods! | My Life at the Gym | The Last Picture Show | Cumming Attractions! | The Peter Pan Syndrome | Valentine's Day Reflections | The “Idus Martias” and a Peacock! | Taxing I.M.H.O. | Nope...This Sure Ain't Kansas! | The French Connection | Water Baby | Pride: You Wear It Well! | Life Goes On... | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 1 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 2 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 3 | A Christmas Haiku | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | "Werk!" | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | Heart Throbs from the Past! | Traveling the Arc | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 1 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 2 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 3 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 4 | "Brick Wall"

Hi Folks - Will here. Yep, another crazy title. But, it's the first thing that I could think of that describes what I encountered when I returned to the East Coast. I had been gone for fourteen years and it was not an easy transition coming "home!"

It took me four days driving to hit this brick wall.

The transcontinental drive did some good. On this long drive back, I just meditated. I don't even remember listening to any music! Four days is a long time to be alone and in deep thought. But, my Guardian Angel was my co-pilot and provided me with a lot to think about... the rest of my life.

Me and my trusty steed arrived 2,945 miles later.

How does anyone trade San Francisco for New Jersey? Simple answer was I had to! Back on the West Coast, I was in constant battle with some pretty scary demons - Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll... or in my case, "Disco!"

When my partner Tommy passed in 1989, so did my guardrails. Looking after him in his state of declining health was my main job on the planet. With him gone, I was quite lost. I needed a place where I could "dry out" and look for a new path in my life.

My Great Aunt (also my Godmother) offered me a place to come and sort out my thoughts. She had always been my rock when I was in a difficult spot. But, there was a (painful) hesitation in her offer this time. I was forty and pretty much flat on my ass, jobwise and financially. I told her I just needed a brief period of time to bring my mind into focus and get my life back on track. 

Within a couple of weeks of my return, I found work again as a salesman. Through a strange set of circumstances, I found a job that I really liked and that seemed to fit me very well. My sister mentioned me and my organ playing to her fiancée's brother... who worked for an organ/piano showroom.

I was excited. It felt like my transcontinental conversations with my Guardian Angel had paid off! The position required my kind of outgoing personality - one that is not afraid to strike up a conversation with a stranger. It worked! I sold organs, made friends with my clients and networked my way into managing my own showroom(s).

The brick wall I referred to in the title was the conservative nature of the Jersey Shore vs the fourteen years of Sodom and Gomorrah life that I just left in S.F. I really had to slam on the brakes in a lot of areas of my life. I was no longer in Oz! Now, being gay seemed almost clandestine. Nevertheless, I ventured out to old local haunts. They had changed a lot over the years. Even though I was still pretty good looking for forty, I couldn't seem to break the ice with any of the locals. I was dying of boredom. So, I ventured the sixty short miles north to New York City. What a relief it was to go to clubs and mingle with other gay folks.

Just when I was starting to feel comfortable with my relocation, my Great Aunt had a massive stroke. She died within a week. My second set of guardrails was no more. To add to this nightmare, my mother seemingly came out of the woodwork to claim the house where I was living (and thought I was inheriting). With a will in her hand, she generously gave me two months to find another place to live.

Shell-shocked by all of this, I moved into an apartment in Northern N.J. to be close to a new showroom location that I was managing. Workwise, I was doing okay. But, my personal life was nothing short of boring. All I needed to add to this was one of the worst winters in a decade. Every weekend was a snowstorm. My fourteen years on the West Coast had turned me into a "weather wimp!"

Looking at my lackluster social life, matching career and snow banks, I started to get the itch to move south... far south... I wanted to take one more daring leap into the unknown. The sunny surf of South Beach was beckoning. This whole new "Sodom and Gomorrah" by the sea was awaiting.

Trading one wall for another.

 

Bio of Will Seagers:

Will Seagers (also credited as Matt Harper), within his multifaceted careers and participation in numerous gay communities across the country in the '70s and '80s and beyond, worked as a print model, film performer, and DJ, just to name a few. He made iconic appearances in releases from Falcon, Hand in Hand, Joe Gage, Target (Bullet), J. Brian, Steve Scott, and more, including in lead roles in major classics like Gage's L.A. Tool & Die (1979) and Scott's Wanted (1980). He brought strong screen presence and exceptional acting to his roles and was scene partners with many fellow legends of classic porn.

Will Seagers, present day

You can read Will Seagers' previous blogs for Bijou here:

Welcome Matt/Will | What's For Dessert? | On and Off the Set of L.A. Tool & Die | Wanted, Weekend Lockup and Weekends in Hermosa Beach | Honeymoon in the Palms | Birds of a Feather | The Stereo Maven of Castro Street | The Pass Around Boy | The Ecstasy and the Agony | Fitness and Fantasy | Chasing the Boys and Chasing the Sun | Becoming Invisible | The Reverse Story of Dorian Gray | Pin Money | One Organ Leads to Another! | The Wheels of Steel | Feast and Famine | An Alphabet Soup of Powders and Pills | Merry Christmas (and Getting Re-Organized) | Now and Then | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: The Badlands | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: Moby Dick Bar | DEEP INSIDE THE CASTRO: "Just Another Stroll Down the Castro!" | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Hamburger Mary's | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Long Live the Stud! | Diving Into SoMa/Folsom: Club Life..."Hit me with your Rhythm Stick!” | A "Split Ticket": SoMa/Folsom and The Haight! | Staying Vanilla in a Flavorful Culture | A Little Secret | Recollections of the 1977 S.F. Gay Pride Parade | Life's a Beach | Flora & Fauna | Once Is Just Not Enough! | A Love of Cultures – A Knack for Languages! | For the Birds | It's About Time! | The Perfect Storm | Hello Chicago/Adieu Fire Island Pines! | Sex in the Woods! | My Life at the Gym | The Last Picture Show | Cumming Attractions! | The Peter Pan Syndrome | Valentine's Day Reflections | The “Idus Martias” and a Peacock! | Taxing I.M.H.O. | Nope...This Sure Ain't Kansas! | The French Connection | Water Baby | Pride: You Wear It Well! | Life Goes On... | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 1 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 2 | The Dance Floor and the Booth, Part 3 | A Christmas Haiku | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | "Werk!" | It's My Party & I'll BLOG If I Want To! | Heart Throbs from the Past! | Traveling the Arc | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 1 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 2 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 3 | Music Is My Way of Life, Part 4

By Josh Eliot

The movie Big Guns, shot in 1986, is synonymous with the name William Higgins and the Catalina Video brand. I remember renting Big Guns at our local video store on 18th and Castro street in San Francisco when it first came out, months before I started working for Catalina Video. I was very well aware of Mike Henson and John Davenport, so when they showed up at our San Francisco studio to work on some movies I was definitely star-struck, as I wrote in my previous blog, "Bringing In the Big Guns." I worked as videographer with John Davenport in two movies for John Travis: My Best Buddy (1988) and Powerline (1989). Mike Henson worked in My Best Buddy as well and, as fate would have it, eleven years later he performed in the opening scene of Powertool 2, which I directed alongside Chi Chi LaRue. It felt like a full circle moment to have Mike in front of the Catalina cameras again after a decade had passed. Same awesome personality, but the only difference was that he was a bit more manly. Another actor from Big Guns who I worked with in My Best Buddy, Powerline and The Young Cadets (1988) was Mike Ryan. Mike Ryan‘s debut in A Matter of Size (1984) connected him with John Travis, who in turn brought him to Catalina where he also worked in the bisexual films Innocence Lost (1987) and In Hot Pursuit (1987). In addition to the three castmates from Big Guns that I actually worked with there are many more that became “gay-household” names.

Chad Douglas and Kevin Wiles are two of them, and their scene together almost instantly hit iconic status. The set up was that of a young newspaper delivery boy and his customer signing a personal check while wearing only a house robe, where he let it all hang out. Remember that classic scene?! Chad Douglas first appeared in the movie Below The Belt by Philip St. John, followed by Tyger Tales and Too Big For His Britches for Tyger Films. After his astonishing scene in Big Guns, Falcon Studios snatched him up for Giant Splash Shots 2 (1987), Spokes 2 (1988), Spring Break (1988) and Man-Rammer: A Battle of Size (1989), which turned out to be his final movie. Even though he was under contract with Falcon, Matt Sterling was not about to miss out, so Falcon loaned Douglas to Huge Video for a role in Larger Than Life (1988). Chad Douglas was born on Feb 4th, 1957 and it is written that he passed away on October 11th, 1999 at age 42.

Chad’s co-star from Big Guns, Kevin Wiles, actually has the most movies released out of any of the cast members in this film. His first movie, Big and Thick (1984) for H.I.S. Video, undoubtedly set him on the path to be an insatiable bottom. Stiff Sentence (1985), Two Handfuls (Bijou Video, 1986) and Motel California (Catalina, 1986) were shot prior to the performance in Big Guns that really put him on the map. After Big Guns, Kevin Wiles went on to work for most of the studios of the time including Sierra Pacific, Avalon (YMAC), Falcon, First Class Male, Pleasure Productions, Metro, Le Salon, In Hand and others before leaving the industry.

Some of the biggest actors of the film only have a handful of titles to their names, like top-billed stars Jeff Quinn, John Rocklin and Jeff Boote. Jeff Quinn appeared in the December 1985 issue of Playgirl Magazine and did a total of six movies between 1985 and 1987, including a scene with Chad Douglas and Lance in Giants Splash Shots II: More Memories of Summer, where Douglas pounds his hole like there’s no tomorrow! Other credits include Inch By Inch (1985) and Bigger Than Life (1986) for Matt Sterling and Huge Video, followed by Big Guns (1986), Hot Rods: The Young and The Hung 2 (1986) and Paul Norman’s bisexual hit Innocence Lost for Catalina Video. He dropped off the map with no explanation that I could find throughout all of my research. His co-star in the movie, John Rocklin, had a similarly short career, as well, after his debut in Try To Take It (1986) for Falcon. He, like the others, worked in Giants Splash Shots II, then performed in Hard Men: No Strings Attached (1987) and William Higgins' Screentest (1988). Another Big Guns cast member with so much potential who had a short career was Jeff Boote. Appropriately named, because his booty was all that and more and his bottoming scenes in Big Guns and In Hot Pursuit were standouts. His very first performance, again, was for Matt Sterling in Big and Thick and his only other performance was in a J/O for Video 10 in the movie Backstrokes. He and Rocklin for sure could have parlayed their careers for a much longer time, as they were solid in their screen performances.

One star who was super young-looking but worked his career into longevity is a name that “everybody” knows: Kevin Williams. Even though he only made a little over a dozen movies, his name is synonymous with the industry. His early work in Screentest, Big Guns, The Switch is On and Stryker Force (1986) led to roles in Tyger Film’s Bare Tales (1987) and Bad Boys Club for Catalina (1988). He then made the move to Falcon for the movies Out of Bounds (1988) and In Your Wildest Dreams (1988). He retired from his career in the 1980s, only to pop up again with a Falcon Studios contract in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His return to the screen included movies Hot Wired 1, FULLfilled, Deliverance: Code of Conduct 2 and Betrayed.

Rocky Armano, whose sex scene was not in the original VHS cut of Big Guns but has since been restored in the 20th Anniversary Director’s Cut, was in the industry a year at the most. Simultaneous shoots for Big Guns and Hard Men No Strings Attached in 1986 introduced Rocky Armano to the world. Bulge: Mass Appeal, the very first movie I worked on (but not his scene, damn-it!) was held for some time, then released in 1987. There was a release called Hand Tools in 1990 with Rocky Armano, but it was just an old J/O that was shot for Hard Men: No Strings Attached. In Hard Men, the models would dance and strip down to a raging hard on, then the viewer could order their exclusive J/O separately for what was a low price back then of $29.95 + shipping. Those J/Os all made it into Hand Tools many years later.

By comparison, Chris Gray, from the ultra-iconic shooting range scene with John Davenport, had a super quick but impressive two-year stint in the industry. His Bigger Than Life (1986) role for Sterling led to Mansize (1986) for director Michael Zen and Bijou Classics, The Bigger They Come for Catalina, Paul Norman’s Passion Bi Fire (1986) and finally In Hot Pursuit (1987) before leaving the industry. His co-star John Davenport, as I wrote about at the beginning, had a similar career path that lasted three years, 1986-1988, and had roles in some very popular productions including Powertool, Full Grown/Full Blown, Perfect Summer, Sunstroke, Bad Boys Club and Hot Rods.

The movie Big Guns won the 1987 XRCO Award for Best Picture, which was no surprise as everyone knew Big Guns was something special from the moment it was released. Max Southern, a writer for Man Net Magazine, wrote:

Mike Henson, the star of Big Guns, also received an XRCO Award for Best Actor that same year. Born October 4th, 1963, Mike Henson became one of the most popular gay adult performers of the 1980s. He graduated from UCLA in 1994, having studied computer science. His return to the screen for Powertool 2 and Score 10 for Matt Sterling did not cause the sensation industry insiders had hoped for and his comeback was short-lived. On September 6, 2002, Mike Henson passed away from an accidental overdose of heroin at the age of 38. His mark on the industry will certainly live on. The remainder of the cast could all very well be living their best lives getting ready to collect social security, as little is known of their whereabouts. Their performances and contributions to Big Guns are as timeless as the movie itself.

Watch Josh Eliot's 40th Anniversary Trailer for Big Guns!
Plus his trailers for My Best Buddy, Young Cadets and Powertool 2

Bio of Josh Eliot:

At the age of 25 in 1987, Josh Eliot was hired by Catalina Video by John Travis (Brentwood Video) and Scott Masters (Nova Video). Travis trained Eliot on his style of videography and mentored him on the art of directing. Josh directed his first movie, Runaways, in 1987. By 2009 when Josh parted ways with Catalina Video, he'd produced and directed hundreds of features and won numerous awards for Best Screenplay, Videography, Editing, and Directing. He was entered into the GayVN Hall of fame in 2002.