Loverboy’s Becky Sanchez looks through her fingers at Peter De Romes erotic films and becomes a fan of vintage gay porn in the process

You don’t have to be in PR or marketing to know that the trend of reflecting the cultures of the past is here to stay. Whether your passion is DIY, activism, drag, hip hop, drugs, partying, or just living life within the often derived ‘era of the millennial’, you are likely to be actively participating, in some way in something that is directly referencing times gone by. I understand exactly why a huge swathe of people in London are sipping finely crafted whiskey macs in prohibition bars, photocopying political zines after their riot grrrl band practice, or trimming their beautiful facial hair whilst considering their next drag persona. The past is alluring and I applaud anyone who embraces, copies or develops these glorious bygone fashions and attitudes. Boo to hipster-haters I say. Yes the word is gross, but so what if a swathe of people all suddenly drink soy and have beards? Live and let live I say.

 

There is a point to this soapbox sermon. Peter de Rome: The Grandfather of Gay Porn. I saw this documentary this week at the ICA and was one of five women in the room. I was bit tongue-in-cheek trepidatious, as I think I’m the only dyke on the planet who doesn’t ‘do’ gay male porn and subsequently have most of my knowledge of male anatomy from biology class in the early 90s… But I gamely made myself an Adam and Yves tshirt and threw myself headfirst into the unknown world of circle jerks, faked cum shots and heady chemsex of the type that would pop most of you youngsters’ eyeballs right out of your tweaking heads. And you know what? I loved it.

 

Don’t get excited, I am not now a fully signed up member of the dykes-for-dicks brigade. I fully admit to watching a vast proportion of this documentary through tightly squeezed fingers. But as the clips of raw queer male sexuality in all its forms came over me hard and fast (if you will) my fingers began to loosen and I enjoyed letting the ‘retro’ beauty, purity and just plain kinky fun of Peter de Rome’s homemade pornos just wash over me. Rudely interrupted every five minutes by a giant penis in my face mind you, but I stopped jumping after about half an hour, so all good.

Peter de Rome’s porn flicks look like the latest release from an instagram-filtered indie label, probably starring a mate or two of yours (or have I been in East London too long?) The concept of which I love, but this is the real deal. These short films are a great example of what a lot of us are referencing right now in our lives and interests, and this is what we should celebrate, alongside our own interpretations of the past. Preserving queer culture is really important, but you know what, it can also be really fucking fun. This x-rated documentary, which is expertly edited to be at once funny, sweetly poignant, and often just really goddam sexy, proves just this.

 

The quaint, Hebden-Bridge-lesbian in me loved Peter’s attention to the erotic build-up in his skin flicks, sometimes forsaking the act entirely. The thrill-seeker in me reveled in his tales of approaching (often straight) young men, and literally charming the pants off them, on camera, within half an hour of meeting him. The lover-of-camp in me adored the juxtaposition between Peter’s impeccably polite manner and his gutter-slut vocabulary. And the lover-of-all-things-beautiful in me fell deeply for Peter’s snapshots of a carefree fantasy, carefully crafted in a time when being gay was in no way carefree.

 

Go and watch or buy this documentary. Turn your phone off and soak in the vibe of a dangerous, but more innocent world. Check out all that gorgeous facial hair. Get some fashion inspo from the quite frankly DREAMY sailor (nautical is always in you know?) But most importantly perhaps, be inspired by Peter’s lovely, true-to-himself, calming attitude to his life and works and go out there and do something that makes you happy for you. And if that just so happens to be shooting your own hipster indie porno in the style of Peter de Rome, let it be known I accept press copies for review. Send c/o Loverboy xo

DVD and VOD Release Date: March 14th 2016
Country of Origin: UK/USA
Director: Ethan Reid