If you're one of the more enlightened aficionados of gay male adult films, you no doubt appreciate a movie that isn't just two hot guys fucking over and over. As the adult industry grows, the movies themselves are taking on more scope and depth, while still delivering the erotic thrills that keep audiences cumming and coming back. The Shaman is definitely in that vein, with a definite feel, style and detail that surpasses the standard porn video and offers an artistic and erotic outing that should please fans of both traditional and modern film making.
While the story may leave a little bit to be desired, and a lot to be interpreted, the film is a simply beautifully shot collection of scenes and themes, sewed together by a tour-de-force performance from star Carlos Casino. Formerly featured in films such as Latin Heat Inn Exile and the solo Horse Dicks 2 as Dave Casino, the Latin stud has a new dyed-blond hair color to match the new name. But whatever you call him, he's a hunky young man with a tall, lean frame and a long, thick, amazingly skilled cock. What may be even more important, he's a surprisingly good actor, delivering a moody, atmospheric performance that makes him a strong contender for a Grabby nomination, if not mainstream film roles.
The film, with its mystic overtones, begins with Casino wandering in a barren desert before finding a mysterious Shaman, very nicely played by Valentino Rey, in a wind-battered cabin. "You will have five experiences in as many moons," the Shaman tells Casino." One of these experiences has the power to save you, Carlos."
That's an intriguing opening for a porn picture, and the movie holds up to that sense of mystery. If you're looking for meaningless fuck scenes to play in the background while you're banging your squeeze du jour, you might want to keep looking. But if you want erotic thrills, beautiful photography and a story that can spark intelligent conversation, curl up and watch. One warning though while I won't give away the ending, it's definitely an erection-threatening moment. The writing-directing-producing team of Andre Adair and Fay DuBois deserves extra credit for their production work, as well as producing the first film in recent years that'll really make you think with the big head.
Casino is involved in all five sexual scenes in the movie, either as a performer, voyeur or object of affection. Each of the scenes is hot in its own way, though the scenes with Casino putting his full talents to use are certainly highlights of the film.
The first scene makes you wait for Casino, as he strokes himself and spies on hot top Vince Bandero getting hot head from hunky Mike Cesar. With a fair amount of sex talk and lots of slurping and sucking, the scene's soundtrack heightens the enjoyable action. That continues when Bandero nails Cesar's hot ass, first from behind and then on top, pumping fast and hard.
Casino really heats up the screen in the second action scene as he strokes himself in a bathtub full of water, before hot Max Grand shows up to lend a hand. Following some hot soul kissing, Casino gets out of the water and on his knees to swallow Grand's grande cock. Grand and Casino make a great team, with Grand's muscular, lightly hairy body a perfect complement to Casino's smooth frame. This sizzling scene has it all, include Grand swallowing Casino's massive meat nicely and then taking it all up his ass. The fucking is incredibly hot, with Casino nailing Grand fast and hard while Grand writhes in pleasure, occasionally punctuating the action with a triumphant grunt and splash of water.
If The Shaman suffers, it's that the next three action scenes fail to capture that same heat and intensity. Scene three, a three-way with Casino, Harley and gorgeous bottom boy Danny Pacheco, comes close though. The three go through a variety of combinations before Casino nails Pacheco expertly, capping the action with a huge cum shot across Pacheco's tattooed back before Harley blows a river of man juice onto Pacheco's pretty face.
Scene four is the only true letdown in the movie, and that only for those who don't crave solo action. Hot stud D'Angelo looks and sounds good as he strokes himself to climax, but it still breaks the intensity. He's certainly a performer to watch, though, and some mutual action with Casino and D'Angelo would certainly have been nice.
Casino's also underutilized in the last as he's joined at a campfire at night by Xavier and J.V. but only watches as they play with each other. Again, hot action but missed opportunity, though J.V. does fuck well and his cum shot is noteworthy.
After that hot release, the scene jumps back to Rey as the Shaman, who's been seen intermittently stroking his hot tool. It pays off with another rewarding cum shot, before the film wraps its mysteriously story in that don't-tell-your-friends moment. While the story's rather bizarre theme is certain to be accepted by some and rejected by others, the film's overall look is certainly above reproach. And it's just about impossible to downplay the contribution Casino brings to The Shaman, a performance so strong and successful it's going to be hard to follow.
The Shaman may not be for everyone's taste and is certainly not ideal for date night, but with images that are hard to forget, men that are even harder, photography that's stunning and a mood that palpable, it's a definite winner.
- Timothy Allen