The Brig

A man walks through San Francisco, daydreaming about possible trysts with guys who catch his fancy, while reminiscing about past lovers. A classic of gay porn by 80s art star Norman Yonemoto, featuring legendary model-performer Mickey Squires.

From the mid-1970s to the 90s, Norman Yonemoto and his brother Bruce were among the biggest stars of the Los Angeles art scene with their videos and installation works that often dig deep into the city’s history. Norman, though, had a side hustle: he made gay porn, often together with his partner, cameraman and occasional director, Nick Elliot.

The Brig, authored under the name James Sato, was Yonemoto’s last work in this sphere of production. Shot in San Francisco, the then porn capital, the film follows a man around town daydreaming about possible trysts with guys that find his fancy, while reminiscing about past lovers. The narrative is loose, the filmmaking casual, the models extremely hot. In a high point, Mickey Squire enters proceedings towards the end, radiating macho grace with cool abandon. As with most porn of the period, The Brig feels gentle for all its honcho bravado, with the actors looking as if they were actually enjoying themselves – not to mention the focused, professional, occasionally starkly inventive filmmaking.

– Olaf Möller