S4E14: Roger Earl / Born To Raise Hell / Val Martin

Demystifying Gay Porn

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Roger Earl was a documentarian who managed to capture intense BDSM and kink sessions in some of the truest forms of erotic cinema verité, often polarizing and definitely shocking viewers. Earl’s Born to Raise Hell was made at the same time as the other gay landmark films. However, this film’s focus is primarily on gay male sadomasochistic practices and mostly devoid of any traces of tenderness or romance. Val Martin was a fixture in the middle of the golden era of gay porn, starring in various films that teetered on S&M. In the BDSM subsection, Val Martin was a god.

In this episode, we will celebrate Roger Earl, a documentarian of BDSM and gay erotic films who strategically planned in preproduction to ensure realism the minute he yelled "Action." We will discuss his film, Born to Raise Hell, that echoes the experimental filmmaking techniques of the 60’s underground and It’s presentation of a sexual subculture where the experimentation lies. And finally we will honor Val Martin, the underground gay porn icon that helped bring out the inner kink in many gay men during the early days of the porn industry.

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