Knight at the Movies ARCHIVES
St. Porn and St. Charles:
Adored: Diary of a Porn Star, Ray
11-3-04 Knight at the Movies column
By Richard Knight, Jr.
Marco Filiberti wrote, directed and takes the lead in Adored: Diary of a Porn Star, just released on DVD
from Wolfe Video (www.wolfevideo.com). The movie, in which Filiberti plays a gay Italian superstar of porn
named Riki Kandinsky (no simple porn last name like Stryker-Ryker-Idol for this guy), will surely go down in the
annals of cinema (gay and straight) as one of the greatest vanity projects of all time. This DVD, which contains a
making of featurette, deleted scenes and an extensive photo gallery, is also the gay guilty pleasure of the year and
I’m planning on watching it at least once a week as it seems to me to be the female, narcissistic equivalent of
Streisand’s A Star Is Born, sans the mostly lousy musical numbers. Talk about wretched, fabulous excess!
Filiberti’s fantasy creation Riki is not only a blonde Adonis, but he’s hugely endowed, locked and loaded within five
seconds, and so financially successful at porn (without hustling on the side) that he lives in a high tech space age
bachelor pad and wears gear fab designer clothes. Further, his manner and sense of style speaks of class and
elegance, he’s witty, thoughtful, a good friend with a sympathetic ear, and kind to kids and dogs. So beloved is Riki
that the announcement of his premature death throws all of Italy into hysterical mourning.
So omnipresent is Filiberti’s ego that Adored should be either insufferable (like Diana Ross in The Wiz) or
hilariously camp (like Diana Ross in Mahogany). But I found this unintentional tribute to hedonism oddly
endearing. There are camp moments to be sure (those dreadful “pop” tunes, the phony porn shoots and the
movie's silly framing device) but perhaps I’m just a sucker for all things Italian (and the subtitled film is
sumptuously photographed) or anything that pays even a bit of homage to La Dolce Vita, which Adored seems to
do.
The story follows Riki (Riccardo to his long estranged family) meeting up with his brother and sister after the titled
(but poor) father’s death. Upright Federico has no idea what his brother has been up to since he’s left home and is
determined to find out about his mysterious life. So he tags along when Riki returns to Rome and within days has it
figured out. He’s shocked at first (and there’s a moment where Riki places his brother’s hand on his erect penis to
prove that he can get hard in seconds that almost pushes the film into incest territory).
Soon, however, Federico falls under the spell of Riki’s sophisticated friends, big city life of days on the porn set and
nights in the clubs, the brothers become thick as thieves and Federico is reuniting with his ex-wife. But the “old
ennui” subconsciously trails Riki. Though he’s happy to be zipping around the city in his sports car looking for
anonymous sex while listening to an aria and thinking to himself, “A pretty boy’s body emits the same kind of vibes
that I get from Mozart” he’s got to pay, like all hedonists, for his life of pleasurable excess.
When Riki finally admits that he needs loves too, he also realizes with a wistful look that the gargantuan love to
match his ego will be impossible for him to find. Naturally, there is only one possible end for such a selfless,
delicate feeling flower with such a great ass. Though we are not privileged to see his suicide (and it seems a
gigantic, momentary lapse in Filiberti’s ego), we can imagine how beautiful Riki’s death must have been.
In 1959, at the conclusion of La Dolce Vita when the young queen commented, “Maybe one day we’ll all be
homosexual…” it was the ultimate in shock value. The over the top hedonism of Adored: Diary of a Porn Star
would amend that line to read, “Maybe one day we’ll all be…Riki.” If only it were possible!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jamie Foxx enters the Oscar race at a gallop with his mesmerizing impersonation/performance in Ray, the biopic
of the late master of soul and R&B, Ray Charles. At the outset of the movie the blind Charles gets on a bus in the
deep south to go cross country by himself in order to take a job in Oregon as a piano player. But the supremely
self-reliant Charles, who has been given his confidence by his tough, loving mother doesn’t seem to have any
concerns until he goes on tour –and that’s to be paid in single dollar bills so he won’t be cheated.
How Charles rises to become one of America’s musical treasures is even more amazing than similar rags to riches
movies like What’s Love Got To Do With It?, Coal Miner’s Daughter and Sweet Dreams. One of the nicest
pleasures of these biopics is that they’re inherently greatest hits packages for the artist being depicted and Ray
doesn’t stint on the music and many of the faux concert and recording sequences are terrifically directed by Taylor
Hackford – especially “I Got A Woman.” This was the 1954 breakthrough record where Charles finally found his
own voice – a blend of gospel and R&B that was as exciting for him as it was for audiences. Up to that point, we
are told, Charles had struggled, sounding too much like Nat King Cole and others. “God gave you the gift to sound
like anybody – even yourself” he is told at one point and his joyous, seemingly spontaneous breakthrough is
excitingly shot and performed.
Foxx himself seems to have benefited from that advice and his performance, a canny blend of impersonation and
subtler shadings, is the real deal. It’s also the first time that the actor has managed to erase the memory of his
character Wanda for me. I’ve regretted his move away from comedic roles. It’s been almost 15 years since Foxx
first broke through via the hideous, hilarious, Wanda character on “In Living Color” – a visual cartoon car
accident. With Ray, Foxx has finally found a dramatic role that mirrors this freakish, comedic creation. I still want
him to do a big screen life story of Wanda but now I want it just a touch less.
Adored: Diary of a Porn Star, Ray
11-3-04 Knight at the Movies column
By Richard Knight, Jr.
Marco Filiberti wrote, directed and takes the lead in Adored: Diary of a Porn Star, just released on DVD
from Wolfe Video (www.wolfevideo.com). The movie, in which Filiberti plays a gay Italian superstar of porn
named Riki Kandinsky (no simple porn last name like Stryker-Ryker-Idol for this guy), will surely go down in the
annals of cinema (gay and straight) as one of the greatest vanity projects of all time. This DVD, which contains a
making of featurette, deleted scenes and an extensive photo gallery, is also the gay guilty pleasure of the year and
I’m planning on watching it at least once a week as it seems to me to be the female, narcissistic equivalent of
Streisand’s A Star Is Born, sans the mostly lousy musical numbers. Talk about wretched, fabulous excess!
Filiberti’s fantasy creation Riki is not only a blonde Adonis, but he’s hugely endowed, locked and loaded within five
seconds, and so financially successful at porn (without hustling on the side) that he lives in a high tech space age
bachelor pad and wears gear fab designer clothes. Further, his manner and sense of style speaks of class and
elegance, he’s witty, thoughtful, a good friend with a sympathetic ear, and kind to kids and dogs. So beloved is Riki
that the announcement of his premature death throws all of Italy into hysterical mourning.
So omnipresent is Filiberti’s ego that Adored should be either insufferable (like Diana Ross in The Wiz) or
hilariously camp (like Diana Ross in Mahogany). But I found this unintentional tribute to hedonism oddly
endearing. There are camp moments to be sure (those dreadful “pop” tunes, the phony porn shoots and the
movie's silly framing device) but perhaps I’m just a sucker for all things Italian (and the subtitled film is
sumptuously photographed) or anything that pays even a bit of homage to La Dolce Vita, which Adored seems to
do.
The story follows Riki (Riccardo to his long estranged family) meeting up with his brother and sister after the titled
(but poor) father’s death. Upright Federico has no idea what his brother has been up to since he’s left home and is
determined to find out about his mysterious life. So he tags along when Riki returns to Rome and within days has it
figured out. He’s shocked at first (and there’s a moment where Riki places his brother’s hand on his erect penis to
prove that he can get hard in seconds that almost pushes the film into incest territory).
Soon, however, Federico falls under the spell of Riki’s sophisticated friends, big city life of days on the porn set and
nights in the clubs, the brothers become thick as thieves and Federico is reuniting with his ex-wife. But the “old
ennui” subconsciously trails Riki. Though he’s happy to be zipping around the city in his sports car looking for
anonymous sex while listening to an aria and thinking to himself, “A pretty boy’s body emits the same kind of vibes
that I get from Mozart” he’s got to pay, like all hedonists, for his life of pleasurable excess.
When Riki finally admits that he needs loves too, he also realizes with a wistful look that the gargantuan love to
match his ego will be impossible for him to find. Naturally, there is only one possible end for such a selfless,
delicate feeling flower with such a great ass. Though we are not privileged to see his suicide (and it seems a
gigantic, momentary lapse in Filiberti’s ego), we can imagine how beautiful Riki’s death must have been.
In 1959, at the conclusion of La Dolce Vita when the young queen commented, “Maybe one day we’ll all be
homosexual…” it was the ultimate in shock value. The over the top hedonism of Adored: Diary of a Porn Star
would amend that line to read, “Maybe one day we’ll all be…Riki.” If only it were possible!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jamie Foxx enters the Oscar race at a gallop with his mesmerizing impersonation/performance in Ray, the biopic
of the late master of soul and R&B, Ray Charles. At the outset of the movie the blind Charles gets on a bus in the
deep south to go cross country by himself in order to take a job in Oregon as a piano player. But the supremely
self-reliant Charles, who has been given his confidence by his tough, loving mother doesn’t seem to have any
concerns until he goes on tour –and that’s to be paid in single dollar bills so he won’t be cheated.
How Charles rises to become one of America’s musical treasures is even more amazing than similar rags to riches
movies like What’s Love Got To Do With It?, Coal Miner’s Daughter and Sweet Dreams. One of the nicest
pleasures of these biopics is that they’re inherently greatest hits packages for the artist being depicted and Ray
doesn’t stint on the music and many of the faux concert and recording sequences are terrifically directed by Taylor
Hackford – especially “I Got A Woman.” This was the 1954 breakthrough record where Charles finally found his
own voice – a blend of gospel and R&B that was as exciting for him as it was for audiences. Up to that point, we
are told, Charles had struggled, sounding too much like Nat King Cole and others. “God gave you the gift to sound
like anybody – even yourself” he is told at one point and his joyous, seemingly spontaneous breakthrough is
excitingly shot and performed.
Foxx himself seems to have benefited from that advice and his performance, a canny blend of impersonation and
subtler shadings, is the real deal. It’s also the first time that the actor has managed to erase the memory of his
character Wanda for me. I’ve regretted his move away from comedic roles. It’s been almost 15 years since Foxx
first broke through via the hideous, hilarious, Wanda character on “In Living Color” – a visual cartoon car
accident. With Ray, Foxx has finally found a dramatic role that mirrors this freakish, comedic creation. I still want
him to do a big screen life story of Wanda but now I want it just a touch less.
The gay movie guilty pleasure of the year, Jamie Foxx exorcises Wanda
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