Twink

Wade Radford is a captivating presence and in this documentary-themed indie film Twink, it is impossible to take your eyes off of his performance. There isn't a second goes by when he makes you believe he is anyone other than deeply troubled former Twink porn star Kayden, real name Quinn.

The gradual revelations that come pulls you deep into his now solitary world of self-torture and deep-seated mental illness. Afflictions he attempts to deal with by self-medicating himself via drink and drugs in his run down bedsit. The erratic behaviour towards the interviewer creates a necessary tension so you're really not quite sure what he might end up doing. This just keeps you hooked all the more so that even though signals are there for the climactic final scene, I still somehow wasn't expecting it.

A superb performance from an actor I believe is very much underrated. I must also note regards the music on the film too. It was brilliant and so perfectly captured the overall edgy atmosphere.

Ultra low budget and pretty much ab-libbed all the way through. I needed to watch 3 times to take everything in. A very simple effective premise that works 100%. Wade Radford delivers what is surely a dark, gloomy, sickening and yet utterly engrossing performance. A young British talent that will surely take the independent film sector by storm. It takes something to keep the viewer gripped and the single actor performance is a testament to Wades skill and ability Saying anything more could give something away. Sit back and strap yourself in, but prepare to have your head messed with as you try to process the dark an murky mind set of the film.

Wade Radford captures the essence of a broken twink with his intense on screen presence. His captivating eye contact with the camera (his audience) draws you into his world undone. the backdrop sets the harsh reality that has become Radford's character, dim, dreary, broken and disheartening, which, in turn, represents also, this character who has been chewed up and spat out by an unrelenting, unforgiving and simply unkind industry of which he was formerly a player on the field of. The camera work is raw and simple, however, assisting to create this less than perfect environment. You feel to be in the room, looking through the eyes of a documentary maker. The absence of any other on screen character (only appearing in audio)as the voice of the documentary maker, gives into the solitude and loneliness of this once known star, having fallen. "Twink" tells a story of one young mans journey through the highs and lows of industry fame to anonymity, and sets you up for a grand finale that is both shockingly real and completely unexpected. "Twink" answers, but also asks many questions to the audience and will have you come away from this film viewing some unspoken truths of a harsh reality in an industry many would not question, seeking it solely for our own pleasure. "Twink" is a must watch and will leave you spellbound, wanting to seek out more of Wade Radford's work. A gritty, truthful, raw and real flick, that's a must watch for anyone who enjoys witty cinema making.

I couldn't wait so ordered a Region 1 from the US. I wasn't disappointed. One of the most powerful films I have watched in a long time. It was so real.

So don't delay in ordering those limited editions in the UK. You will not be disappointed.

Fantastic and totally believable.

The filming technique and Wades portrayal of this jaded porn start made you forget this was drama and I believed this really was a documentary. It stirred up every possible emotion from pity, despising and at the same time an almost erotic experience which in itself is quite shocking to feel part of the subject as erotic.

If there's a resurgence in guerilla style indie filmmaking, and I have every hope there is, I've found the leaders. They are U.K. residents Jason Impey, and Wade Radford. Not only are they leading the charge, they're also the architects of said resurgence. With four films in a matter of two years, and their fifth just completed, Impey and Radford show no signs of slowing down. I was fortunate enough to see a screener of their newest collaboration Twink, and it's simply a stunning piece of work.

Filmed in a single day, with just a camera, an actor (well two, though one is an off screen voice), and improvised dialog, and made for almost nothing, Twink belies all the notions of what indie and low budget cinema can be. It is what cinema should be.

Twink tells the story of Kaden, a former adult film actor, who abruptly left the business, and is on a downward slide. Living in a rundown (though rundown is being generous), room, with peeling wallpaper, and graffiti written across, the movie opens with a documentary filmmaker waking him up, because he's late to start their project. Thus begins 68 minutes of Wade Radford giving an absolutely stunning performance. All too often indie movies are dragged down and made insufferable by bad acting, hackneyed writing, and directors who have a streak of self importance. Twink shuns all of that, and shows two artists at work, creating and making statements on society without bashing you over the head.

Filmed as a talking head type documentary, and shot entirely in one setting (with a brief campfire bit which doesn't quite work, but more on that later), Twink could have been a crashing bore. Yet, Radford lights up the screen, not just with his boyish looks and charm, but a wicked smile, and gleaming eyes. You'll want to have your way with him, or smack him, and often at the same time. Radford does such a wonderful job portraying the rakish, downtrodden Kaden (real name Quinn-so he says); that you can almost believe you are watching a documentary. Impey's direction is perfect, and lets the camera act as a fly on the wall, being obtrusive only when necessary. There is a couple of places where the style is broken, such as a drug and alcohol fueled scene where Kaden attempts to seduce the filmmaker, and at the very end, but it works well, and, the film feels cohesive.

If there's anything I have a negative feeling about, it's a brief scene shot around a campfire. There's the clichéd shot of Kaden, face half hidden in shadow, as he talks about his youth and family, preceded by his reading a poem (which is from Wade Radford's most excellent poetry collection Tough Blows of A Sleepless Universe), which is then burned, and an endless shot of the paper burning. While it was nice to get out of the cramped dwelling Kaden is reduced to living in, it also seemed unnecessary and a bit overwrought. Still, it's a very short scene, and it is redeemed by Radford's performance.

As the movie unfolds, you see Kaden become vulnerable, then building his walls back up. It is clear, he trusts no one, and given his past, you can't blame him. The more he drinks and smokes weed, the more delirious he becomes, and that leads us to the inevitable conclusion. I won't say I was surprised by the ending, as I wasn't. However, it was still a very potent and emotional climax, and a payoff-if you can call it that-which works very, very well.

This is not an easy film to watch. Listening to Kaden's story, his fall from grace, and bitterness against the world (seemingly blind to his own willing participation), takes you on an emotional roller- coaster. Impey and Radford, as with all of their work, pull no punches. This is raw, dangerous work. It has something to say, and says it with a big middle finger to not only the adult film industry but the world of media as well.

I was not overly familiar with their work prior to Twink (though I've followed Radford on twitter for sometime), but if Twink and the trailers for their other work is anything to judge them by, watch out for these two.