Hunks and the skin-flick syndrome

MANILA, Philippines - Away from the crowds of young people who flock to independent film festivals like Cinemalaya and Cinema One (and sometimes dovetailing with these) is a thriving gay-themed indie movie subculture.

These skin flicks, which pay tribute to the beauty of the male (and occasionally female) body, are filled with what one disapproving critic called “gratuitous sex.”

De rigueur in this kind of movies are shower scenes in which everything is shown except the male organ (and sometimes this too but briefly and from the side), a phalanx of hunks in briefs or shorts, macho dancing, at least one screaming gay, a joyous epiphany in which the hero discovers his sexual identity, with the climax (double-entendre intended) being torrid, tender lovemaking between two hunks.

The scripts are hurriedly written and shooting is over in three days, production costs kept at a minimum along with talent fees. Then the movies are shown in Robinsons Galeria, other moviehouses in Metro Manila which have seen better days (and which to my surprise are still around), and in urban centers like Cebu and Davao.

There are around 200 theaters in the country which show this kind of titillating, R-18 movies, as estimated by one source. So the directors make money (despite the sparse audience in each screening), and can come up with one movie after another.

One curious fact about this “gay-abandon” films is that the men are all attractive while the women are rather plain-looking.

“Once they cast the young men they want and hopefully see their dingdongs, these gay directors don’t care how their women look or where they come from,” acidly commented one film critic.

And there seems to be an inexhaustible supply of these hunks willing to bare all (or almost all) for the sake of “art” or — more to the point — because the director demands it.

One of these is James Pinca, 20, star of the recent Private Nights directed by Vince Tan (a.k.a Neal Tan, director of the acclaimed Tarima which premiered at the Cultural Center of the Philippines).

James strikes one as a nice guy protected by his family. In fact, during the interview, he was accompanied not just by his handler but by his mother, Nery, and his brother Jacob, 19 (even better looking than him and who has a twin brother, Joseph).

Jacob also appeared in Private Nights but only in a brief shower scene.

James finished high school at Metro Manila College in Novaliches, then went to college at St. Clair Academy in Caloocan City but unfortunately had to drop out because of financial reasons.

He was supposed to be an extra in Private Nights but bagged the starring role because the actor chosen for this couldn’t make it, for some reason. And James took over.

He played a macho dancer who becomes the star attraction in a gay bar, desired by the women and the homos who frequent the place. He also becomes unwillingly involved with a colleague who is a closet queen and who — in a melodramatic ending — gives up his life (and his wealth) to him.

Thus, the character played by James can now afford to retire from the profession, and he dedicates his last performance to his slain friend.

Considering he has no previous acting experience, James acted in a very natural way and showed promise as an actor. With proper guidance (plus workshops) and the right opportunities, he can evolve — perhaps — into another Coco Martin. Let us wish him all the best in his career.