S4E39: Toby Ross | Do Me Evil | Bill Eld

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The early days of making porn films were a grey zone which was very vast and unexplored. You could tell a story while making a hardcore film. In 1974 legendary filmmaker Toby Ross made his first film. Chances are… you’ve never heard of him. But he was filming gay stories when Hollywood didn’t even acknowledge we existed.

Ross was known for playful, sexy films—but there is one film in his collection that is something else entirely. Part art film, part psychodrama, part vintage porno. 

Big Bill Eld, was only in a handful of titles during the golden age of gay erotica but his unforgettable image and legacy has endured the test of time. 

On this episode we are going to celebrate the strange, bold, kinda beautiful world of Toby Ross, a prolific visual storyteller who was one of the first of his kind on the west coast making thought provoking and innovative gay porn films with full-on plots, characters, even comedy.

We will explore one of the most slept-on films in gay erotic film history Do Me Evil. This isn't your typical vintage gay adult film. It’s a fever dream, a noir, a psycho-sexual puzzle, and yes — it still has plenty of skin. 

And we are going to celebrate Bill Eld, a star whose career began as big as his well..and faded into obscurity just quick. 

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