I Just Watched: Steve Scott’s SCREENPLAY (1984)

As the winter holidays approach, I can’t help but get nostalgic as I find myself re-watching movies from the past that I desperately want to see again. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen All About Eve (1950), What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), Francis (1982), for Jessica Lange’s performance alone, and even Carrie (1976), to name a few. There’s something about watching a movie that you love that transports you back to the time when you first viewed it. I’m starting a new recurring blog called “I Just Watched.” At first it was going to be a one-off, but then I started thinking about all of the movies I love and want to re-watch, as well as the movies I remember seeing advertised but never got a chance to see.

In addition to all the great remastered DVDs for sale through BijouWorld, Bijou's VOD website streams more content than you could ever watch in a lifetime! They have an amazing library of movies, and when I breezed through the movies, I found myself drawn to those from director Steve Scott. During the 2+ decades I worked at Catalina Video, I found myself as a young director influenced by my mentor John Travis. In hindsight, I wish I would have also looked upon the work of directors from previous generations to inspire me, as well. It’s not like I didn’t have access; the Bijou Video Catalog (Bijou's print catalog in the '80s/'90s) was always a staple in the Catalina offices, and I would frequently breeze through it to get information on new releases, check out the new and seasoned models on the scene and read the write ups on all the movies. Recently, I just so happened to find a copy of the Fall/Winter ’88-’89 catalog for sale online, so I quickly purchased it. Director Steve Scott was featured in, what one might call, the “full color centerfold” of this edition, and was the subject of a special dedication:

“This catalog is in memory of STEVE SCOTT, a great filmmaker and friend and STANLEY SARGOY, a great friend. At peace and with God.”

This passage confirmed to me that choosing a Steve Scott film for the first viewing in this series is more than appropriate. Steve Scott’s movie Screenplay, currently celebrating its 40th anniversary, won the Best Gay Film Award in 1984 from the Gay Critics Association, and even though I’d never seen it, I will treat myself by streaming it now.

The opening titles incorporate the same design as was used on the original VHS box cover, which I thought was cool. It then fades into a stagnate shot of Lee Ryder walking down a desert road towards the camera, free balling in a pair of gray sweat short-shorts. It appears as though it was shot in Joshua Tree National Park. Harmonica music is playing as he sits roadside to take a rest, as the camera peeks in to see his large endowment hanging out of both sides of his shorts, balls one side, schlong the other. The music stops when the movie cuts to Robert Vega and Danny Combs having sex in a movie studio’s grip truck, parked somewhere out in the desert. In fact, there will be no further music until the closing credits, which really helps to make this movie feel very realistic. It has the look of a major motion picture in regard to lighting, camera work and style. The harsh desert light and shadows are always perfectly blended for a fantastic viewing experience, and the restoration is second to none. Lee Ryder walks up on the pair and befriends Vega, who is a production assistant on the Western-themed porno movie that is being shot. Vega also doubles as a limousine driver for the lead actor in the movie, Cody Jackson, played perfectly by Eric Ryan. We now realize that the production team and actors are staying at The New Lost World Resort, which the movie also acknowledges was shot there.

***Side Note*** The Lost World Resort was originally homesteaded as a guest ranch in 1925. After major additions, it became the White Sun Ranch in the 1940’s, whose visitors over the years included Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. In 1981, it officially became a gay resort and was renamed “The New Lost World Country Club and Resort.” Many guests described it as run-down with cloudy pools. The resort had several news-worthy events: a guest setting himself on fire, another male guest found drowned in one of the pools and a fire that broke out in the parking lot, engulfing ten cars. The resort closed its doors in 1986 and, after getting condemned by the city, it was sold to a developer in 1988. I became slightly obsessed with it, so I tracked down the exact location through LGBTQ+ Desert Archives and took a drive to find it. In the photo below, I stand in the exact spot Lee Ryder was, just outside the gates, forty years later. The property is now a gated community called the White Sun Estates. ***

The movie treats us to some amazing rural and picturesque shots of the Rancho Mirage area near Palm Springs in the early 1980’s. The film cuts to Eric Ryan’s room at the resort as the wardrobe stylist played by Jon King enters to show the actor his costumes. Ryan takes no time in getting King on his knees worshiping his fat cock and eventually switches places. Both are rock hard throughout and director Steve Scott shoots some perfectly framed shots, including King puckering his butthole just before Ryan inserts into him. The two have some great chemistry as Ryan lays on top of King who is on his stomach and really drives it home, eventually shooting his load smack dab on that puckering butthole.

We then join Lee Ryder and Robert Vega, who is on his knees working Ryder’s giant piece. When Vega pops his own uncut dick out of his 501’s while sucking off Ryder, the pre-cum is already dripping and director Scott covers that nicely. Ryder unloads on Vega’s tongue, Vega blows a super-sized load and then licks up every drop of Ryder’s cum.

They then go to pick up Cody Jackson from the set, and it is at this point where Lee Ryder meets Eric Ryan (Cody Jackson). The two are smitten from the word go, and Ryan arranges with his PA to have Lee Ryder sent to his suite. Ryder, still in those gray sexy short-shorts, is looking so fine that Eric Ryan is literally pulling his dick out of them seconds after he enters the room. You can tell that Eric Ryan was totally into Ryder, because when he is sucking him he looks totally mesmerized by his dick. Yet again, rock hard madness ensues in this scorching scene where Eric Ryan gets plowed by Lee Ryder and again with just the real sound and no music you can see that Ryan is having a hard time taking the giant piece. You can hear Eric whispering to Lee to take it easy; Lee tells him to just relax then picks up the speed of the fucking before he shoots on Eric’s bubble butt. Some great camerawork with Eric still on his stomach blowing his load, yet the camera has just enough space to get in there and catch it beautifully. Eric invites Lee to stay with him and the drifter agrees.

The next day, the two are having breakfast at Sebastian’s, the Lost World Resort’s restaurant. Here, we see a packed room with many other actors and crew members enjoying breakfast. Included in that room are crew members Champ Larue and super-duper cutie-pie Michael Carr. They both are eating breakfast when they notice Eric Ryan jerking off Lee Ryder under the table next to them, a scene that is very sexy and well shot.

Next, we are treated to Larue and Carr in their room later that evening. Carr is naked on his stomach, sound asleep, while Larue is drinking beer in the bed next to him. Larue starts jacking off while slowly walking over and hovering over different parts of Carr’s hot body, inches away from his balls, then sniffing his pits and eventually blowing his load once Carr, still sleeping, rolls over, exposing his dick. This scene is very cool and so interestingly shot; I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it. My only disappointment is that hot little fucker Michael Carr does not have sex in this one. I guess I’ll have to watch him in Tony’s Initiation.

Back in Hollywood, the producer/partner of Eric Ryan gets a phone call from PA Vega letting him know that Ryan is getting pretty serious with the hot and horny young drifter. Before we know it, the pissed off partner, played by Michael Braun, arrives at the resort and has a bit of a tit for tat with Ryan. Braun, questionably one of the best blowjob performers of that time, tries to reason with Ryan by working his magic on him with his mouth. Ryan prematurely ejaculates and pisses off Braun, but impresses the audience with a really thick and creamy load.

To release his anger, Braun leaves the room and heads out to the courtyard, jumping in the pool. It doesn’t take long before he notices resort guest Brian Palmer stripping down in front of the window of his poolside suite. As the two lock eyes and start masturbating, we are treated to some cool underwater shots of Braun’s dick that shoots streams of seamen floating in the water while fat-dicked, handsome blond Palmer leaves his load of cream dripping down the picture window.

Braun has a brainstorm and arranges for wardrobe manager Jon King to get naked with the pesky drifter in order to show Eric Ryan that he is just being played. In what turns out to be the hottest scene in the movie, the chemistry that follows between Lee Ryder and Jon King is just sick! Jon King is hungry as hell once he gets Ryder's long fat mega bone in his mouth, and Lee is all about it! Again, cocks so hard it looks like they hurt. Jon sits on Ryder’s dick and is obviously in pain, yet ride up and down he does. Doggystyle is even more of a treat, and Ryder is rock hard and loving the fact he is inflicting this hot sexy pain upon Jon. At one point, you even hear Jon say, “Oh Lee,” which makes it feel even more real between them! Lee pulls out and blows his biggest and best load in the whole movie. Did I mention that during that terrific sex scene, Michael Braun escorts Eric Ryan up to their window, with a partially opened curtain, to witness it?

Harmonica music begins to play again, signaling the end of the movie, which I’ll leave as a mystery for you, because I’m sure you’ll want to stream it or buy it. This one is the real deal, with a cast I grew up with and fantasized about (Eric Ryan) in the 80’s, showcased in a great film. Will Cody Jackson, played by Eric Ryan dump the drifter Lee Ryder after seeing him boning wardrobe stylist Jon King? Or will the film’s star Eric Ryan blow off his boyfriend Michael Braun and choose to leave with the drifter? This Steve Scott movie is defiantly worthy of it’s Best Picture Award and your time. I’m no film critic, but I do know a hot fucking movie when I see one, and that movie is Screenplay!

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.