Coming in from a bright Sunday into the dark Bijou sex club, my eyes take a long time adjusting. My mind is on finding an appropriate space to talk to people attending this event, the beginning of a Sunday salon series hosted by Daniel Nardicio. This week is a screening of Caligula, one of the best worst movies of all time.
Still blind, I have no idea who has suddenly grabbed me while I'm still scouting out locations to interview people for Gawker. Tons of spots are found for B-roll. The bar where Dimitri Santiago is posing for a life drawing 'class'. The booths of course. The crowd watching the movie. Turns out my grabber is Daniel himself who is amazed that I have jumped a foot in the air post-grab.
He introduces me to a few folks. A "pass-around party bottom". Sean Van Zant from rentboy.com. The Tangle, who had filmed Daniel's pilot. Others. Then I settle near the pool table, waiting for my video guy to arrive.
Suddenly, I switch into "obnoxious guy in sex club with iPhone" mode, having to answer texts and emails relative to the event. Over ten times, I step into a hallway to give instructions or clarify time.
Returning to my 'safe place' by the pool table, the scene where Caligula is testing the virginity of an engaged couple is on the screen. I've been joined by this guy Jono that has no idea that he's completely my type (see pic above or video). To the point that it makes me nervous. (Or maybe it's Caligula prepping to fist some poor guy. Or maybe the fact that the fistee isn't arching his back.) Jono's even dressed in what I have decided for myself to be perfect attire for the evening, a zip-up hoodie with no shirt beneath.
When videographer Alex arrives, we tour around. He shoots some good B-roll. I then grab Daniel to have a chat in a better-lit space. A locker area is lit in a way that, both being 40, we reject. Eventually, I convince Daniel to sit on the bathroom floor with a trash can behind us and a plunger in between his legs. And as we begin to have a discussion about what is dirty in New York these days, passersby chime in and magic happens.
We have this great little conversation with people joining us on the floor. In the bathroom. Of a sex club. And it's all on video.
