Inevitable Love Review

Reviewed by Joe Shaver  on  5/24/2002

This film is a historical curiosity in that it is one of the first (if not THE first) gay porn films to stress safe sex. The A.I.D.S. epidemic was at its most terrifying, and the producers of this film wanted to show its audience that sex could be fun while safe. Well, it’s certainly “safe”, these guys won’t even suck a cock unless it’s sealed up tight in an opaque condom. But it’s not much “fun”.

The plot concerns two wrestling buddies who do an awful lot of crotch grabbing in their matches, and they sleep in the same bed but have never recognized the sexual nature of their relationship. High school is over and Gary (Pat Allen) is going into the army while Hal (William L. Kane) is going to grad school. They keep in touch through letters. One day in the gym, Hal gets Jon King to spot him. Jon shows Hal his cock and proceeds to kiss him while fucking him between the legs (“frigging”, I think English public schoolboys call it.). Jon comes on Hal’s leg. It’s a case of “cum on my leg and I’ll follow you anywhere” but Jon tells the awakened Hal, I have a boyfriend.

Meanwhile, two of his army buddies are giving Gary lessons on how to put on a condom. This leads to one of the buddies sitting on Gary’s condom-clad dick. When Gary passes out from booze, one of the buddies rapes him (wearing a condom, of course). Gary must like it because he cums a lot. Such behavior gets Gary a dishonorable discharge. He now needs money and resorts to hustling, letting a John blow him in the john (while wearing a condom, of course.)

Back to Hal who is cajoled into a game of strip poker by two other grad students which ends in a jackoff session. “Gee, it’s great to find other gay guys!” he exclaims so they take him to a bookstore where he meets Ken Diamond, a gay activist and author.

Gary (remember Gary?) is picked up by Casey Donovan—the first gay porn star. When Gary won’t kiss, Casey tells him that he is a vice officer, but that he won’t take him in if “ you’re nice to me”. Casey gets his kiss and more. This is just Casey’s ploy to keep from paying his tricks.

Hal now (remember Hal?) has shacked up with Ken. They do lots of fun things. Ken tickles Hal. Ken puts whipped cream on Hal’s toes and sucks it off. Ken puts whipped cream on Hal’s balls and licks it off. Yet Hal complains that their affair is lacking something. They split.

Gary now has a job in a garage in the same town. He would like to contact Gary, but he feels Gary would repulse him now that he’s gay. Gary and his three garage workers do a circle jerk (one of the standard recommended safe sex activities). Then the three go off to “beat up some queers”. They run into Hal who is on a late night walk thinking about his ole rasslin’ buddy. As he is attacked, Gary comes to the rescue. Hal agrees to forget Gary’s sordid past and inevitable love triumphs.

As you can see, the plot’s a predictable romantic one with no surprises. Another of my problems with this film was that I had seen these actors before in pre-condom films, so it was sort of like looking at Michelangelo’s David now clad in a raincoat. Understandably it also was going overboard in safe play. (Of course this was its whole raison d’etre.) Still this was to the plague what “Reefer Madness” was to marijuana. Luckily, subsequent directors discovered one could still play safe (and we should!) and still make an erotic film.

I also couldn’t help being reminded that a number of these actors later died from A.I.D.S. making it, for them, a case of too much too late.

If you are a serious collector of the history of gay porn or a fan of Casey Donovan, Pat Allen or Jamie Wingo, this is a must. But for those looking for something to make it necessary to spank the monkey, you won’t find it here.