Saturday, September 30, 2017

Favorite Pic of the Day for October 1st

Above:
Marcel by Hans Fahrmeyer
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~Check out today's Birthdays HERE:~

Down Stream


Martin Milner: Tempting


I have not seen 1960's The Private Lives of Adam and Eve, but I was intrigued after seeing a promo still from the film on Instagram. The story involves a modern couple who dream that they are Adam and Eve with some of their friends and acquaintances taking on the various characters from the Book of Genesis in fantasy sequences. Although Mickey Rooney is listed as the star, (playing the Devil) Adam, is played by actor Martin Milner.


Milner is maybe best known for his TV roles in the 60's and 70's in shows like Route 66 and Adam 12. A little googling let me know Milner wasn't really known for his 'hunky' roles, but he fills out his 'creatively designed....' loin cloth just fine in this flick. What intrigued me about the shots was how vulnerable Milner's Adam looks, clearly being tempted and devoured by the female characters he is in Paradise with.


Given the 60's was the John Wayne decade, it is rare to see images of a hot hunky guy who is not the hero of the movie. As much as I was intrigued by these promotional images, I am not sure they were enough to have me actually look for, and watch the film. If anyone has seen it, and think it's worth a look, please let me know!



Bravo


I'll never forget when I first discovered Bravo Magazine. It was the late 80's and I was about 12 or 13. We were sharing a large cottage on a lake with another family for a weekend. On one of the days we were there it was raining, hard. Everyone decided to go into town to kill time until the rain let up. I decided I didn't want to pile into the crowded car and convinced my parents to let me stay back alone. When everyone left, I started poking around the rented cabin for something interesting to do.


In one corner of the living room there was an old chest with glass doors. The shelves inside were piled with old board games, playing cards and a ton of old novels and magazines previous guests had left behind. In the pile of magazine there were a few issues of a magazine called Bravo that I had never seen before. At first I was excited, the tag of the magazine was the magazine for film and television and it looked along the lines of Tiger Beat. The magazine was in German, but that was ok, I was mostly interested in the pictures.


As I flipped through the magazine, I quickly saw that Tiger Beat it was not. In addition to articles on Rob Lowe and Michael J. Fox, the magazine had a bit more of a sexual vibe, with ads an images far too racy for an American teen magazine. The pièce de résistanc however was a section at the end of the magazine called Body check which featured a small clothed image of a teen aged guy, as well as large full frontal image. I hid every issue of that magazine in my suitcase and enjoyed them long after my vacation.


I later found an international magazine dealership in my city and continued to buy Bravo for many years. I haven't purchased an issue in years, but the last time I visited that store, Bravo was still on the stands. I later found out the magazine was quite controversial outside of Germany given that age of consent in German is much younger than in America. All of the models I included in this piece are between 18 and 20, the oldest model they seemed to feature in the section.


The body check section, also known as 'That's Me' was basically a 'get to know me' page for teens to introduce themselves to readers and the nude shots were promoting positive body image for both young men and women. There were a variety of body sizes, and a wide variety of penis sizes. Of course when I was a teen, it was all about the body, but as I got older I appreciated the magazine's, casual and positive depiction of the male form. There was no shame or embarrassment, just a sort of 'nice to meet you, and this is who I am' message that although erotic, which unlike most depictions of the nude male body in American media, was neither overly sexualized, or sensationalized.


Most of these images came from an old blog I used to love to frequent called Over Our Heads. I added a few more shots on THE OVER-FLOW HERE, or you can check out the archived Bravo posts from Over our Heads HERE:


Cover Boy: Marcel by Hans Fahrmeyer


While putting together the forward for The Naked Truth, I was struck with how many of photographer Hans Fahrmeyer's shots and models influenced my love of images of the male form. I have written before that my introduction to Han's work when I first got on-line was his work photographing the men of Vista Video.


Most video sites promote their product through images, but Hans' shots of the Vista models were works of art that caused thousands to join the site to see more of the men in those promotional images. One of my favorite Vista models, and a favorite of many others I know, was Marcel. I have seen images of Marcel from other photographers but there was something special that Hans captured that causes them to stand out.


It was no surprise that Hans chose Marcel as the cover for his photo compilation, The Naked Truth. When I think of Hans images, Marcel is one of several models that I consider synonymous his work. After seeing Marcel on the cover, I thought it was time to revisit his early work with Hans, and pull out some of my favorite shots.


Some of these images you have seen before, but I also tried to choose a few edits that have not been seen before. Marcel has an incredible ass, and beautifully captured every angle and curve. One of Hans signature shots is capturing his models with their jeans pulled down, both exposing, and beautifully highlighting their backside. Hans perfectly captures Marcel magnificent and muscled physique which is why these images remain popular and classic depictions of the male form.


These shots have me wanting to track down some of Marcel's old videos from Vista. I must find out if they are still available anywhere online... In the meantime, if you want to see more of Marcel, and more of Hans work, check out The Naked Truth on Amazon HERE:


Hans shares that he found Marcel indirectly through Phil Fusco. Phil was then working for Ron Williams who created the Vista films with Phil, Marcel and other models. I remember finding the site alive and active a few years ago, but sadly today, the link seems inactive.



Thursday, September 28, 2017

Favorite Pic of the Day for September 29th

Above:
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Happy Birthday today September 29th


Happy 23rd to British actor and musician Nicholas Galitzine!

Check out more of today's Birthdays HERE:


Looking forward to seeing Nicholas in the upcoming remake of The Watcher in the Woods.


The Complete Package: Christopher Atkins


'I remember first seeing the issue in a pile of old magazines in my neighbours basement that I was getting paid to help clean. I so wanted to steal it, but was nervous, and an opportunity never arose. I remember making up an excuse to go down into the basement a few weeks later, plan set to find the issue, but that pile of magazines was gone. Months later however, I was pleasantly surprised to find a copy at the bottom of a pile of magazine in my dentist's waiting room.'


I think my love of the male form began in the early eighties with magazines. It was seeing celebrities, like Christopher Atkins, Matt Dillon, John Stamos, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Wahlberg, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jason Bateman and so many teen idols from the eighties and nineties. Growing up in a small city, I didn't have many opportunities to see photo books or visit photo exhibitions. It was fairly easy to get my hands on teen magazines, still being in the closet, I could always say it was because of love for Heather Locklear or Alyssa Milano.


Those early images, taken by photographers for TV and movie magazines imprinted in my brain and are a huge part of the reason I started FH. I used to collect my favorite images and had dozens of scrapbooks with my favorite shots, in many ways, FH has replaced those scrapbooks I spent so many times putting together. I love seeing how the depiction of the male form has changes over the years. We may see much more skin from some of our male celebrities these days, yet overt sexuality is far less apart of thier promotion, especially if compared to young actors from decades gone by.


I decided after a decade of FH that it was time to compile and organize the images on FH: Like my Quaterate posts for photographers, I thought it was time to put all of the pieces I have done on actors and models all in one place, giving them their own scrapbook. There is not better actor to begin with than Christopher Atkins. Atkins began his career naked on film, and form most of his early career, learned his appearance was a crucial part of his draw. Atkin's posed nude several times over the last decade, mostly for Greg Gorman who shot him several times, including shooting Atkins for appearances in Playgirl. Below is the complete package of posts featuring many of my favorite images of Atkins, and his inspiring male form.


Christopher Atkins on FH:

Birthday Posts: 2008 | 2011 | 2012 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018
Men In Tights (2018)
Return to Turtle Island (2017)
Just Like An Old Time Movie
Shirtless in Short Creek (2016)
Peak-A-Ball (2015)
Last Of The Lattanzi's (2015)
Brenton Thwaites: Beyond The Lagoon... (2014)
The Pirate Movie: (2014)
Omri Katz: Horror Hunks (2013)
Celebrity Con Artists (2012)
On the Boat, A Night in Heaven (2012)
Happy Anniversary Blue Lagoon (2011)
Just Because: Christopher Atkins (2010)
In Their Youth: Greg Gorman (2010)
On the Lake (2009)
And of Course (2009)
Confessions of A Teen Idol (2009)
Wet Wild Summer (Julian McMahon Birthday Post, 2008)
Favorite Photo Shoot Which Should't Have Happened (2008)
PAUSE SCENES FROM THE 80'S: The Blue Lagoon | A Night in Heaven



Career Friendly: Joe by Carl Proctor


'I’m excessively hairy, and I’m so happy to know that hair is evidently “in” right now, because if it wasn’t I would be spending a lot of time and effort shaving the Norwegian sweater all over my body. I have also worked very hard over the years to develop a defined chest, so I think that with the combination of my hair has become my trademark.'


Hairy is definitely in, especially when it graces a gorgeous chest and body like Joe's. Carl Proctor is one of my favorite photographers, and as 2017 flies by, I couldn't believe Carl's last appearance on FH was during last years Ten celebration. Well, time to rectify that, beginning with Joe. Joe first connected with Carl the way many models and photographers do, with friend request on Model Mayhem with the comment 'Hey, I like your work.'


They began talking about possibly working together, and as he usually does, Carl was curious about what Joe was looking for in his shoot. Joe wanted his images to be fun and sexy, but also, given his career, also work career friendly. They got together just a few days later and shot for close to six hours capturing the looks and themes Joe had been hoping form.

Although the resulting images are certainly career friendly, (unless maybe you're a member of the clergy or kindergarten teacher...) the resulting images from Carl are still sizzling hot. Joe exudes a seductive vibe in his poses and his sultry gaze that give his shots a sexy edge, teetering perfectly on the line that he had set. Carl describes Joe as very enthusiastic about the shoot and the opportunity to expand and update his portfolio and looks forward to working with Joe again. Joe graciously took the time to fill me in on his work with Carl, why he enjoy's modeling, and his experiences so far.


Getting Started:

'The first time I ever modeled I was contacted by a local photographer on Myspace. He wanted to take a few photos for his portfolio and it’s hard to turn down an opportunity to showcase your blue steel side (Zoolander reference), so I agreed. After he added the photos from our shoot into his online portfolio I kept landing freelance jobs all over Dallas/Fort Worth, TX. The epiphany that made me believe I should consistently pursue modeling came to me when I decided to participate in a model open-call convention called ProScout. I heard an ad on the radio for it on the way to school one day and begged my mom to do it with me. After a weekend’s worth of auditioning I ended up getting three callbacks from reputable agencies in New York and Los Angeles. I ended up not signing with any of them because my mom convinced me to finish school first, but mentally I always placed it to the side to pursue later.'


Skin in the Game?

'The climate of our society is sadly one that still stigmatizes nude photos, and regards being the subject of a nude photoshoot as something unbecoming or indecent. I caution myself to think about those things before every photoshoot. Even though I personally do not have a moral dilemma against tastefully posing nude, the reality is that those types of shots can come back to haunt you. The internet is a quick way for your naked body to become ubiquitous or go viral, and if that happens prospective employers may decide not to hire you simply because they don’t want a risqué model representing their company. It’s a tight rope to walk sometimes, but my general rule of thumb is, “Would my mom be okay with this?” If my answer is no, I don’t do it (lol).'


Why Modeling?

'I really enjoy envisioning concepts and making them come to life in attention-grabbing or thought-provoking images. Art through photography can speak a thousand words and inspires many. I love knowing when I’m a part of that.

I think most models like it because it’s a way for you to enjoy yourself by showing off. Showing the world that you’re confident in yourself through an artistic medium is a very empowering thing. It also feels really cool to know that an image we helped produce may become a benchmark for a specific time in history, or be the representation of an era. It kind of immortalizes you in a way. For me personally, it’s a good way for me to preserve my youth so I can remember a time when I felt pretty good about my aesthetic. In addition to that, modeling can convey a message or story in a way that can’t be written in words, and you can sometimes use that to create a powerful statement that resonates with masses of people. As cheesy as it sounds, you can wield a lot of power modeling if you do it correctly.'



Working with Carl:

'Carl helped a lot with impromptu concepts once we started shooting, but most of the original concepts we used to anchor the shoot were my ideas. I sent him a folder full of images I wanted to try to emulate before we even started shooting. After looking over all the ones I found, it occurred to me that I was channeling some serious young Marlon Brando vibes because a lot of the pics involved guys smoking cigarettes in classy attire.

The other half of the photos I found were guys posing for fitness themed shoots. We decided to combine both themes together and see where it took us. The baseball bat prop was one of Carl’s improvised ideas, which ended up being one of my favorite shots. I played football, so I was more in character for the football equipment shots we did in the shoulder pads. He literally had me growl fiercely at the camera for a few of those shots lol. My intention was to create some tastefully sexy images that you might find in a Calvin Klein ad, and we were able to branch off that concept and make several more through some creative deliberation. That’s another thing I like about modeling; you never know quite what images you will end up with by the end of the shoot, and what you end up with could be better than what you originally planned on.'



Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke


TCM recently aired another viewing of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. The classic movie is played several times a year, and it usually has me pressing record on my DVR. I saw the Tennessee Williams classic for the first time only a few years ago and it inspired a tribute to the many actors who have played the role of Brick. (A Ton of Bricks)


I only watched a few minutes of my recent recording, but enough to remind me how talented, and incredibly hot Paul Newman was. I was thinking how sad it was we never got a Newman nude scene when a quick google proved me wrong. Many of you many have known of Newman's brief nude scene from 1967's Cool Hand Luke, but I had not. Not usually a lover of westerns, I was never really drawn to the film, but after reading Newman was briefly nude, I had to find a copy.


First off, if you haven't seen the movie, the scene is quick and set a night, so darkly lit. But... you do get a brief view of Newman's butt, well, one cheek is a little better lit than the other. I was however far from disappointed as given I didn't think there was any Newman nudity, it was a pleasant surprise. The entire movie was a pleasant surprise and I ended up enjoying it very much. Newman was great, and very heartbreaking as Luke, whose spirit is slowly ripped away as the story progressed.


The film is also a testosterone and sweaty and shirtless filmed 2 hours with appearances by a slew of young actors like George Kennedy, Dennis Hopper and Harry Dean Stanton. I had never thought of these actors as 'hunks', but they all looked good shirtless. Pa Walton, actor Ralph Waite also had a brief butt scene which I capped below. I believe there were only two named female characters, and both on screen only briefly. Rumor has it, director Stuart Rosenberg wanted to encourage the male bonding, and prison type feel by banning wives and girlfriends from the set.









Ralph Waite

Pa is the third member of the Walton family who drou from the camera. Check out my previous post with John Boy and Grandpa's posterior's HERE: (Too bad we didn't get a Jim Bob flash...