Christopher Rage meets SKINFLICKS
Interview and article by BLADE (aka Neel Bate) for SkinFlicks Magazine
This young man is a whole lot more than meets the eye... and that in itself — what meets the eye — is what could be called a real treat for sore ones. Sitting across a table from Christopher at Barrymore's, just west of Broadway in the Big Apple's theater district (one of those dim, oak-lined restaurant-bars where show people hang out) I am struck again by the clout of the guy's magnetism, making me wish I hadn't missed him at one of his on-stage performances at Male World, or before at The Show Palace, both of which he managed and directed in addition to making those very potent appearances himself.
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Vintage porn artist BLADE sees CHRISTOPHER RAGE as the guy we'd most like to sit alonside at the movie theater. That's our seat — SkinFlicks readers — he's saved for us, on his left. Enjoy the films! |
Rage first made me aware of him some seasons ago when I saw him here and there about town... at a play preview, gallery opening, or just at a bar or restaurant - never exactly the same twice... a look identifiable more for its heat ...jeans, leather, fatigues, survival, but male for sure -at times bearded, then with his handsome head and all, freshly shaved. Though not a body builder, somehow always having the hottest body there, when we were first introduced I recognized him by his name as a friend of another, heart-breakingly beautiful guy who'd mentioned him. Even at the first glance I could see what these two had seen in each other; in fact, the idea of the two of them together in the sack blew all my fuses. While a very complex personality, Christopher is friendly, easy to meet.
Half the people at the bar at Barrymore's waved or nodded a "Hello!" to him as we made our way to a quiet table in a corner. He has a way of looking (from moment to moment) as unspoiled and vulnerable as the proverbial boy next door...then as kinky and decadent as a Berliner in the 30's, yes, HOT, making you feel special, just having a drink with him. When some buddy at the bar called him over, he excused himself to go chat a minute. The back view of him striding across the room showed — even more somehow than a camera's ever shown — how his legs look so great because of the way he moves them... ass to swoon over.
Christopher Rage — probably more than anyone else who's in porn-film — is into it all the way. There's all this (that does not meet the eye) mind of his... capable of creating theme, story-line, dialogue etc. with the ability to produce — making all major decisions — to cast the actors — he knows and has worked with most of them and the technicians — to direct and do the camera work on the scenes he's not in. He can do his own cutting, sound, voice-over, special music, (that's Rage singing the signature song of SLEAZE) can act in them and to top it all off, do the promotion and advertising!
| BLADE- | When did it first hit you that you have this talent to turn a guy on.. (I mean in other than a one-on-one basis) this ability to get a whole theater full of guys excited? |
| RAGE- | Guess I sensed it long ago, when I first studied to be an actor. But it was a kick- demonstrating to myself I had it -the first time, yes, and it's still a kick, a BIG kick each new time... whether it's me (my mind and my body) doing it, or just my mind bringing my ideas to life ..giving guys a hard-on. |
| BLADE- | Knowing what I do of your background, I'm still hazy as to whether you started in porn as an actor or a technician. |
| RAGE- | I dived into it more or less all the way from the first. One of my first jobs was the script for DRIVE, a Jack Deveau flick, in which a character- a drag queen -was written.. with a particular actor (talented impressionist, Lynn Carter) in mind to play it. Through a conflict in booking, Carter couldn't take the role and I ended up acting the part myself. That was 1974. |
| BLADE- | You're so male.. wasn't it a bitch for somebody like you, who usually plays horny, butch types, playing a drag queen? Didn't you worry about it maybe ruining your image? |
| RAGE- | I don't have, don't want, any sort of image other than as a good actor... but you're right, it wasn't easy to do. I'd never been in drag before, and haven't since. But look at Dustin Hoffman's new movie. If he's not worried about his image, why should I worry about mine? |
| BLADE- | If budget were no object, what kind of story, what cast do you see in your ideal, ultimately HOT porn—film? |
| RAGE- | It would be a story full of surprises, a cast of unknowns who are great actors.. things to shock and grab the audience like bi—sexual touches, even a hint of bestiality ..to knock their socks off when they least expect it: Things to make you remember a movie long after you first saw it, a real ball—breaker! |
| BLADE- | You wouldn't use any of the established favorites, Wrangler or Parker or Donovan? |
| RAGE- | Don't misunderstand me; these guys are all pros and it's great to work with them, but for my ultimate film, I'd want faces and responses nobody'd ever seen before ..to make it really believable. |
| BLADE- | Do you carefully plan and work out every move in advance, say for a picture like SLEAZE, or do you leave it loose? |
| RAGE- | It was all plotted out ahead, but when you put two dudes together in a scene, you have to let them feel their own way a bit.. add a third fellow and it can be a whole new story! Yes, there has to be a certain amount of freedom for them to let things go.. let it happen! But since film's expensive and you don't dare waste it, it has to be a compromise. |
| BLADE- | Do you think there are limits to excitement? I mean, just as today's porn fans look at the movies of 5 years ago and yawn, will tomorrow's fan of 5 years from now "Ho hum!" over today's movies? |
| RAGE- | No, I think a hot movie of 5, 10, even 20 years ago— if it's really HOT is still that way. The writers, directors and actors will keep coming up with fresh ideas.. hotter sex and better ways of showing it! |
He believes in tradition; I have first hand evidence of that. Christopher Rage helped me contact various magazines across the country when I needed publicity for my book, THE BARN '48 AND MORE DIRTY PICTURES BY BLADE, that consists of artwork and vignettes of stories that were written before he was born! Rage believes that a porn movie (though it ought first of all, to be HOT) can help to do a lot towards tearing down stereotypical attitudes- that a man needn't be in his early twenties in order to be attractive.. that he can be 40, even 50 and still burn up the film; believes in using black men more often.. using guys who'd lose a beauty contest every time, yet who- even ugly -can get an audience in a lather -believes that a good sex-movie like a good sex-life, can afford to be universal!
He has lots of exciting new plans for further pictures, but is not quite ready to begin talking about them. When he is ready, rest assured I'll be there to find out about them for the readers of Skinflicks Magazine!
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| Promotional poster for the defunct BROADWAY BATHS in Manhattan circa 1982. See the original image here. |
Something I neglected to mention is Christopher's genius in still photography. Much of it has gone into publicity and ads for his many friends in the theater.. on, off and off-off-Broadway in the pop music and cabaret fields where it's been praised for its effectiveness, and the stills he takes for other porn-movie directors and producers such as Arch Brown — his fellow cameraman on SLEAZE — Jack Deveau and Bruce King are famed as the hottest. One superb shot he took of Ron Garrett lying back in a sling with one leg in the air was snapped up by the Broadway Baths for use as their poster. We'll be seeing and hearing a lot more of the dynamic Christopher Rage.
