Inches Magazine
"Thor Johnson wrote most of the screenplays for Adam & Company back
when he was a part of that video production team - it clearly shows in the
script for Max Makes It Big. This is one of the most cohesive narratives
in a gayporn video since - Rod's Raiders, which Johnson also wrote.
Equally, Johnson stands on his own as a director. This predictable but enjoyable story of a young Ecuadorian emigre who becomes a top porn star on television (Oops! Did I forget to mention that this was sci-fi?) flows very evenly from start to finish.
Montoya, who has appeared in every Adam & Company production since Foreskin Fantasies, is given a lot to do in this farcical tale and carries off his duties like a trooper. He can act. His shy, subtle, sexy character is believable and likable.
His adventures are pretty standard fare with one lovely exception. Early on, Max is sent a tutor to teach him English. The tutor, played by Ricardo Lama (known as Cesar Blanco in other videos) uses the lesson to seduce Max: two hot, sexy uncut Latinos with passion radiating from every pore. And language is given the enviable task of oiling their machinery.
Max Makes It Big clearly establishes Thor Johnson as a first-rate director. His future projects will be worth your attention."
Drummer Magazine
"Altomar has assembled a crew of HOT men for its new video. Whatever your
taste, you should find something to drool over - whether you like long-haired
Appalachian types, daddies, dark-haired beauties, redheads (with red pubes), and
lithe, catlike punks (with a wonderful set of bleeding claw marks tattooed on
his chest)."
Black Magic / White Heat
Adam Film World
"Interracial story with good script, good sex and good vibes about two air
stewards in L.A. looking for Mr. Right. Chad James / Brad Leatherwood scene
sizzles."
Beaters' Digest
Drummer Magazine
"The men at Altomar Video consistently display an appealing sense of humor,
nowhere more so than in their latest, "Beaters' Digest." This tape
follows a video magazine format, the way gay sex would ideally be treated on
cable TV. The viewer tunes in "HJO" and never needs to change
channels. My favorite segment is the last, featuring Rolf Eric Bergman, last
month's December coverman, a gifted cameraman and a natural in front of the
camera. His segment is worth the price of the entire video, but what comes
before is fine also. And who could resist a title like "Beaters'
Digest?"
Absolutely Uncut
Windy City Times
"Altomar Video is a new company from the West Coast that specializes in older,
hairy and kinkier men - Altomar is making a name for itself in the business
offering something different from your standard fare.
Absolutely Uncut - starring Frenchman Lucky Luc in his first film away from
his International Studio & Associates. Absolutely Uncut is the story about
Lucky's trip to Hollywood and how he finds and makes it with a lot of men who
are of course uncut. Because Luc is meeting men with studs and rings embedded in
their foreskins, this is not a film for those who are weak in the heart. As
always - Lucky is raunchy as ever."
Manly Persuasion
Adult Video News
"A witty takeoff on infomercials. Mann's formula for improving your love
life includes: "D" for determination, "I" for imagination,
"C" for curiosity and "K" for kink. It adds up to decent sex
from a mature cast."
Hoods & Helmets
Adam Gay Video Directory
"The men used are the old standbys, but a few of them, such as Whitman,
have got to be some of the more iconoclastic models Thor has used to date.
Whitman resembles Walt Whitman or Santa Claus, depending upon your cultural
perspective, and the porn community rarely acknowledges that mature men of this
stature ever have sex. This will not be for everyone, but kudos to Thor once
again. And he does it with style and high production values to boot."
Advocate MEN Magazine
"This is a hot and somewhat audacious production, featuring a cast of
"horny urban perverts" typical of director Thor Johnson and completely
atypical of ever other West Coast gay video maker. Some would call the
performers old and scruffy. Others would say they are refreshingly realistic and
different. To the distributor's credit, the five photos on the box present an
accurate cross section of the movie's casting and can help the viewer decide for
himself.
The well-photographed scenario involves a social club whose members
exchange videos of each other and are into metal on flesh, metal in flesh, and
just plain metal. By way of example, the first scene offers a bearded and
leather-clad man named Ron Champion fucking himself with the handle of a wrench
and a length of chain. In another, a "daddy" type, Marc Mann, gets
himself shaved by a younger guy with at tattooed dick and a ring through his
foreskin. For the most part, the tone of the sex is gentle and sensual, so this
isn't an S/M video by any means. It's more of an exploration of light kink with
a cast that is, to put it mildly, extremely sincere."
Working Stiffs
Drummer Magazine
"Working Stiffs is good stuff, maybe as interesting for the boots and feet
and sox as for the bears and the sex. So, on the ten-bear scale, with added
points for feet-featuring, it rates an easy EIGHT BEARS."
Adult Video News
"The latest title from Altomar Productions will please the lovers of blue
collar older men - most of the cast is over 40 and the foreman (Roger Stewart)
looks well into his 50's. Thematic unity is provided by tracing one day in the
foreman's life, from his getting up at 7 a.m. to his return home at night. The
interracial cast works well together, and the technical quality is good
throughout."
Boots, Biceps & Bulges
Advocate MEN
"No apologies. Never make apologies when discussing gay erotica. That goes
for viewers, producers, and yes, even reviewers. When this tape arrived in the
mail, I had to think twice about whether to review it in Advocate MEN. On one
hand, it's not a sex film, as such. It's more like a documentary-style filmed
love letter to a popular erotic illustrator.
On the other hand, even though there are no naked men performing in it, it features hundreds upon hundreds of drawings of men who are very naked indeed - and who are pictured doing a variety of things to each other.
On the third hand (and there is always a third hand), Tom of Finland has been a fixture in the international gay community for something like 30 years, and this is a darn pleasant and very personal look at his life's work. That must be good for something.
If you need a fourth hand to consider, there is the undeniable fact that Tom's work is way hot. His men are simply incredible. His vision of homoerotic and male bonding is unique and inspired. And since the genitalia sported by his figures are large beyond comprehension, you could get away with saying that Tom has found a new branch of fine art: penis expressionism.
This clean, well-behaved documentary traces Tom's work from his early involvement in World War II through his growing popularity as an erotic illustrator in the 1950's and 1960's to his staggering popularity in the last decade. It includes a recent interview in which Tom, now in his 60's talks about his live and his drawings. Tom, it turns out, is a pretty crusty grandfather type and not, at a glance, the kind of man you would think could crank out these raunchy and brutal pictorials. But, hey, if he looked like G. Gordon Liddy, it wouldn't be as much fun, would it?"
Inches Magazine
"One of the titans of the masculine gay image, Tom of Finland, is brought
to the video context via Altomar's clever and sexy Tom's Men, a
combination of live-action and two-dimensional animation that thankfully,
stretches the boundaries of gayporn.
If you spent the past decades, like I did, lusting over the fantasy men Tom created in print, you'll be no less enchanted to see how those images can translate to your television. Rather than just one flat image after another, as in the uninspired Adocate Men Live! profile of Tom, Altomar has created a new subspecies based in part on live action (the faceless guy who brings home two Tom's magazines and unzips them and his jeans) and creative flat image manipulation.
The two stories illustrated are "Sex on the Train," one of the Kake adventures, and "Camping," my personal all-time favorite Pekka adventure - which includes much of Tom's rarer color work.
Each episode on this little anthology runs about 15 minutes, which seems perfect for the material - and if you want to see a particular image longer, replay the tape. At the conclusion is a nifty little piece about the Tom of Finland Foundation and a peek at still more Tom art, including some real spicy cop-and-leathermen drawings.
If you feel as I do that gayporn and video have only scraped the surface of
their marriage, you'll find this Altomar entry applaudable."
Stiff Summer Cock Tales
Adam Gay Video Directory
"A beautifully photographed celebration of maleness. Men of all ages and
body types pleasure one another while the camera watches. Multiple body
piercings - Prince Alberts, tit rings - and foreskins abound, proving that no
two cocks are ever exactly alike. There are no pretty boys mouthing phony
dialogue or posing for the camera in staged cum-shots. These are real men
-rarely seen in gay movies. The video is chock-full of memorable images: cum,
thick as vanilla pudding, pumped from a deeply tanned daddy bear's cock; a sexy
grandpa bear whose enormous uncut cock is avidly worshipped; deep. slow fucking
(Austin Black, Dragon) filmed so close that we can see every butt hair clinging
to Austin's huge black cock; a gray-bearded, mountain-man (Helden Lednutz)
fucked hard by a young man's long, cut dick (Mike Webb).
Thor Johnson is not interested in the point-and-shoot approach to porn. His shots are planned in every detail to be visually beautiful. He also recruits some very intriguing faces and body types."
Adam Gay Video Directory
"Leather Bear Thor Johnson treats us to a series of fantasies in his search
for hot leather daddies. His straightforward, everyday approach to leather,
piercings and daddy bears is quite refreshing."
Adam Gay Video Directory
"A film of great beauty, especially in the first half which
features a romantic, interracial love scene between Austin Black and Trenton
Comeaux. The second half makes a rather jarring switch to Halloween night in San
Francisco for an orgy in a tacky backroom. However, this scene is noteworthy for
the variety of men it presents - they vary greatly in physical appearance, and
range in age from about 30 to 60. The casting of unconventional-looking men adds
a richness and visual complexity to this work that we rarely see in gay XXX
videos."
Adult Video News
"This is not your average solo video. Instead it's an artistic look at the love
affair between man and his member. It begins with a narration and a montage of
pictures and art, then one-by-one the performers are introduced. As they stroke
their cocks, their dreams and fantasies come to life before them. The men are
average-looking but their performances are not average at all.
This tape covers a broad spectrum of types including bears, leather, bondage and S/M. The directing and editing are excellent."
All Man
"Solovoce (One Voice) from Altomar is a metaphysical odyssey about men who love
their dicks. They share them too of course, but the central thrust is how these
guys pursue their own particular masturbatory pleasures.
Directed and co-starring Thor Johnson, this video contains his trademark cast of all races, ages and body types. There are solos and duos and a touch of bondage with most of the action confined to oral work. Thor also incorporates some beautiful montages and startling imagery, all erotically-edged of course. The music is especially well-chosen to enhance the mood.
Highlights include a jack-off scene with furry-chested Filipino hottie Satori, who blows a creamy cum geyser sure to make you gasp. Heavy-hung Thor has a solid moment with Brad Chapman, displaying his awesome docking skills. Rolf Eric Bergman, Richard Thorn, Jon Jacobs and Dave Russell round out the cast of horny guys grabbing their meat and pumping to satisfaction.
Solovoce is an unusual piece sure to create conversation. It's definitely not your typical suck/fuck flick, and if you surrender to its seductive mood you just might be transported somewhere you haven't been before. Check it out.
This is not your average solo video."
Rural ErectionsAdult Video News
"Rarely does one get to see long-haired
hipsters and horny goateed mountain men go at it together. Older white hippies
mix with younger buff black men in a true specialized fetish video not many see.
Dixon Stalward gets a letter from buffed black buddy Rey Rodriguez talking about
renting a motel for some fun in the great outdoors, and all these 40-plus-aged
guys gather for some hot sex. They can certainly get it up, and in one case
(Todd Jaeger) can get it in (he takes an arm-sized dildo up his butt!). Then
there's mountain man Glacier and classic older porn star Rolf Eric Bergman. They
suck and fuck like the younger guys, but these guys sport long beards and manes,
like Rumplestiltskin jacking off to jazzy music."
|
"If you like daddies, interracial action and men who look like the real deal, not like super-buffed gym bunnies, check out Rural Erections from Altomar Studios. This one follows the adventures of silver fox Dixon Stalward as he accepts an invitation from Thor (the man behind Altomar) to "come on down, get nekkid and have all the horny men you can eat." |
Honcho Magazine
"Thor Johnson invites his buddies over for a very sleazy weekend of ranch-style orgiastics
with a guest book featuring all manner of interrracial and intergenerational kink. Thor's motel is
conveniently located next to a truck stop where overheated truckers come to cool off by the pool.
And many of these long-haired furry beasts really do look like truckers.
The man-gristles here are huge, featuring gunky foreskins, tattoos, attached to many a grizzled
sexagenarian. There are even fantasies about those bewhiskered mountain men and bachelor cowboys
driving their spikes through the Old West. My own favorite scene is Thor docking his black foreskin
over Rey Rodriguez's black bone. Natural mature bodies are more of a specialty item, but lovers of
hirsuite daddies should find much to drool over here."
A Satisfied Customer
"
We give Altomar, Thor, and everyone else concerned a high mark for RE. It
has a cast of most attractive, sexy, "dick stiffening men", artfully
photographed in interesting settings; we appreciate the fact that they are
"older men" with whom we can relate; the entire film emphasizes the
wonder, the joy to be had in man-to-man sex. There's a strong feeling of
happiness and masculinity thru out the film; they all appear to be "real
men", thoroughly enjoying/expressing the manliness of their sexuality. The
film helps us to feel joyous in our manhood. . . .
"
Another Satisfied Customer
"
You are to be "praised" for the incredible fantasy you've created with "R.E."
As a man of color who is on the other side of fifty, I found many aspects of
the performances that touched a core deep within ("ebony and ivory" holds a
whole new and profound meaning for me now). Thor and Rolf were particularly
appealing and realistic, especially since I have something of a link to them
(it was great speaking with you both!).
"
A Satisfied Customer
"You have a winner in Jaybear's Fur Fun; the viewer is immediately
drawn into (and held) in the action from
beginning to end of the film. I was "right there with Jaybear", feeling the
sexual ecstacy that he was feeling, and "getting it on" with the other men
in the film. You, Thor, have a real talent for picking attractive "real
men"; we especially appreciate that many of them are "older men", and you so
nicely get the message across that sex -- and sexual attractiveness -- does
not "disappear" once a guy is past the age of 30. You have a way of
connecting the sexual scenes with a good story line; your actors really have
loving fun with each other, and thoroughly enjoy what they're doing; many of
the non-Altomar films I've seen have actors who seem to be thoroughly bored
with what they are doing . . . You use imaginative photographic techniques
and good editing in your films. There is a "spiritual quality" in Jaybear's
Fur Fun; it shows to me that loving man-to-man sex truly is a joyous thoroughly fulfilling
satisfying activity.
So my praise and thanks to all of you who worked in (and on) the film. I
know there was a tremendous amount of work involved; as I say you all
produced a winner!"