Naked Fame

Christopher Long's 'overlong' documentary of the ups, downs and 'in betweens' of Colton Ford has it's poignant, comedic and dramatic moments, but eventually starts to fizzle as it loses it's initial mojo. I respect and admire Colton and was a big fan of his work, but his obsession with LaLa land and some of its assorted liars and degenerates undermined his career and consequently this film. Regrettably, it doesn't honor Colton. It makes him just another struggling soul on the streets of LA which he seems hopelessly unable to escape. This documentary is 20 years old and still aired on 'Here TV' for some reason. Time actually makes it even more irrelevant. Colton deserved better but had an inability to seriously leave his comfort zone professionally and personally. I truly hope he's found peace in 2024 that eluded him in 2004. I love you Colton and wish you only the best. Hope your awesome dad is still with us.

The story of a rise, a fall and the struggle to rise again.

Once upon a time, or maybe twice, there was a man who took the name Blake Harper. Now Blake was considered 'tops' in his field, one of the best there was at what he did. In the course of his work and the fame he garnered, he met an equally well-known, adept guy named Jason Branch. The two met while working, and sparks flew.

But alas, it seemed too good to last, and as it turned out, it was. As in any coupling where each person has their own career, especially when it's in the same field and one person might be enjoying a little more success than his mate, the risk of a relationship implosion is great...sometimes it can be overcome, other times, it can't be. Unfortunately, in the case of Blake and Jason, the latter was true, and with heavy hearts, they went their separate ways.

Then, a few years later, lightning struck again for Blake, this time in the form of a remarkable guy called Colton Ford. The sparks that Blake had in his last relationship? Now with Colton, it was an entire fireworks display, and Blake knew he was dead serious about keeping this relationship going. How serious? When Colton presented the idea of getting out of the business they were in and entering the world of music, not only did Blake agree, but he decided to make an exit as well, opting to pursue his own dream of becoming an actor.

If the career that these three men shared was in the world of business, culinary arts, medicine or something similar that most people would consider commonplace, that might very well be the cue for the *de rigeur* closing line--"And they lived happily ever after." But like Jason, Blake Harper and Colton Ford were stars in the world of gay porn. Under any other circumstances, two forty something men with great bodies, stunning good looks and personality to burn would have no problem easing into a new career. But go back and look at who they were again: gay porn stars. And that sums up the gist of Chris Long's documentary/cautionary tale, NAKED FAME.

Nearly warts and all, the doc presents the trials, tears and tribulations of two guys simply trying to become better men and leave behind a past that just can't be shaken, no matter how hard they try. In the progression of their journey, we meet family and friends, and discover as the film presents in a non-judgmental way, how some of those relationships help them, hinder them, or in some cases do both at the same time.

Everything you heard about the world of gay porn and the people who inhabit it is both true AND false, and NAKED FAME presents at least part of the reasons why. Which is also why it has managed to polarize so many audiences who either love it or despise it. We like our fantasies tall, dark, sexy and hung, and the less we know about their lives as mortals, the better.

Though the technical aspects are far from perfect, it does definitely achieve the demystification of the "porn star gods," and warns those who would tread the same path, that just because you're one of the "beautiful people," it doesn't mean you can't have problems every bit as daunting as Joe Blow down the street. (And if you wanna be a porn star, they can be much worse than that.) For good or ill, you will never forget the cast of characters who play the supporting roles in the 'ballad of Colton and Blake"; the ubiquitous Chi Chi La Rue, the unctuous David Forest, who brings to mind no less than Danny De Vito's sleazy character in L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, dipped in even MORE grease; and Kyle Nevins, who could be in his own separate documentary about who and what to avoid in one's quest for fame and glory.

Then of course, on the plus side there is Colton's surprisingly supportive parents, and celebrated dance divas Lonnie Gordon and Pepper Mashay, who can definitely appreciate Colton's uphill battle to release his first single, (which ultimately did happen, with better-than expected results.) The bottom line? NAKED FAME may not be the most enjoyable film you've ever seen, but for anybody who ever harbored a dream of becoming a star, porn or otherwise, and felt cheated and unfulfilled for never having reached that goal, you can now watch Colton and Blake in this film, and as clichéd as it sounds, realize at last that "There but for the grace of G*d..."

Forget any angst-ridden documentary! This film is really an out and out comedy about a 40-yer-old porn star whose goal in life is to sing junky circuit party songs. The only problem? Colton Ford can't sing! And the film cuts away whenever he appears to be ready to burst into song. Yet Ford and equally vapid boyfriend Blake Harper whine and primp and run around in their tank tops, determined to make dreams come true. Even funnier is "manager" Kyle who appears to have the I.Q. of a turnip and whose collagen-injected lips look like a bee stung him. How can grown men be so self-delusional? Bwa ha ha! As for the documentary, the filmmakers don't appear to have any POV and the film is poorly structured and wildly uneven. Very little background information is provided about the three leads. Such an inclusion might have made the three seem like something other than aging West Hollywood stereotypes.

Give Colton (Glen) and Blake (Peter) a break....at least they had the guts to put themselves out there and give this documentary project a try. This little story, if you choose to view it this way, may be a bit of a morality tale...although for a limited (mainly gay?) audience. The lesson might be....don't let your babies grow up to be porn-stars???

I found the documentary interesting, maybe because I know nothing of the music business and how a club song is created and marketed, so that was new to me; now that I've seen it, it looked awful, and boring. Also, I admit to romanticising some porn actors (Blake / Peter was one for me) and the gay porn industry despite all the stories about what an awful business it is. So the chance to have the awfulness confirmed and to see the other side of the gay porn rainbow after the sex celebrity merry-go-round slows down was intriguing. It was revealing and more than a little sad.

This documentary catches Glen and Peter at the point in their lives where they're trying to turn away from the youth and looks they've depended on for the first 35 years of their lives to pay the rent. It must be terrifying to be hitting 40 and dealing with the fact life just ain't happening like it was when you were the hottest thing in gay porn. What are you going to do for the rest of your life when the foundation of your first 20 years has gone the way of all flesh?

Of the 3 primary characters, Glen, Peter and Kyle, Glen/Colton comes across as self-possessed and narcissistic most of the time. Not a particularly likable character personality-wise....and, sadly, I don't really care that he doesn't appear to have much of a chance at making it in the club music scene. Colton's story is not yet done; the story after the story is what does he do when he finally accepts he has no career as a singer?

Peter, oddly enough,comes across as the most likable character in the documentary. He is sympathetic, sweet, and his devotion to partner to Glen/Colton is obvious. I wonder how many people would be so self-sacrificing (in this case by taking up a 'day job' - horrors!) to support Glen's long shot at an uncertain music career? As the documentary closes, I was pondering the unevenness of the relationship between Glen and Peter and it's chances for longevity....or survival. I wonder if they are still together even one year after Naked Fame was released?

The truly frightening - even disturbing - character in all of this is songwriter (?) manager Kyle....his appearance alone was upsetting; (as one previous review said - he does look like the freakish Joyce Wildenstein plastic surgery monster featured in all the tabloids.) And the lip hair sticking out from his chin through most of the film was just plain bizarre. Kyle stands out not only for his truly bizarre appearance, but his truly despicable personality and behavior....it is clear that this is the real person behind that baked on mask in the film. And it is impossible to like or care about any aspect of him. Perhaps Kyles adds interest to the documentary because he is so extreme, so unlikable, and because it is obvious that the monster inside and out is who he really is.

So, all in all, this little documentary is an interesting take on a couple of gay porn celebrities faced with what to do with their lives after youth is done,the music stops, and responsibility for the rest of their lives is fast approaching. The sad fact may be that these guys most likely have the best years of their lives behind them....the future is looking kinda bleak. I wonder if they'll stay public enough for us to know 5 or 10 years from now....

If you take this movie to seriously, of course you're going to hate it. Colton Ford has no talent and the documentary is a parade of delusion, with a few moments of clarity. But that is what makes it so funny. A group of about 10 gay guys got together last night to watch it, and first of all, none of us recognized any of the so-called "porn stars" in the movie. In this day, all porn stars look like clones. Secondly, this movie is the equivalent of watching the worst auditions for "American Idol." Actually make that "The Gong Show." Except he takes his pants off in the beginning. My stomach still hurts from laughing at this movie. Worth it for that alone.