Realistically raunchy

Gay porn legend Toby Ross
is feted at Pop Montreal

CARNAL COOL: Toby Ross

by MATTHEW HAYS

Gay porn aficionados know only too well that the milieu is often bogged down in a certain conformity of looks and body type. That’s why punk porn filmmaker Bruce LaBruce has repeatedly denounced so much of porn for its inherent fascism (a notion he’s toyed with to great effect in his films). That’s also why looking at the films of porn director Toby Ross is so refreshing and invigorating. Ross is renowned primarily for his ’75 entry, Cruisin ’57, a sweet carnal knockoff of American Graffiti noteworthy for being sexually frank, but also for Ross’s use of actors with atypical good looks. There’s something very naturalistic about his films as a result—a rarity in the porn universe.

Pop Montreal’s Porn Pop event offers a rare screening of Cruisin ’57, as well as a sneak peek at Josh Dolgin’s documentary on Ross, which is currently in production. During the screening, Dolgin, aka klez-hop wunderkind Socalled—along with Stef Schneider, Allen Watsky, Mike Dubué and Final Fantasy’s Owen Pallett—will perform a live soundtrack of ’50s music. Montreal porn guru Tom Waugh will introduce the event.

“Someone introduced me to his films a couple of years ago and they blew me away,” says Dolgin. “Most porn has buff gym-bunny guys fucking the shit out of each other. The vibe of Ross’s work is so different. It’s people who don’t look like typical porn stars, they look real, and they look like they’re really into the sex.”

Dolgin says Ross seemed like perfect fodder for a documentary. “He’s been largely forgotten, which is wrong. He’s easily as influential and important as [gay porn legend] Wakefield Poole. He was very cool to hang out with, and I felt lucky, because he’s quite protective of his legend.”

Alas, Ross couldn’t come to Montreal for the tribute this week. “He’s not allowed into Canada for some reason, and I don’t know why. He’s a very enigmatic person, and tends to be rather secretive about various things.”