Directed by the very talented Csaba Borbély, "Frathouse Bash" is another one of those Americanized flicks made in Eastern Europe that have the look, feel, and definitely the models (all with Anglicized names), that say major American studio all over them. The men, all Hungarian, one is led to believe, well, they seem to speak the same language, are uniformly stunning. The situation is somewhat plausible but equally absurd: fratboys -- in Hungary? -- gather to celebrate a birthday in a house that looks like it comes straight out of "Town & Country" magazine with a menu prepared by gourmet chefs.

After the boys have gorged themselves on gourmet treats in the backyard, five of them go off to the living room to give a gift to the birthday boy, who is the absolute star of the show -- Tony Magera, a totally ripped boy-toy who is so masculine that you simply have to be careful in using praise -- adorable, not cute, would do, but he's so much more than that. He actually has a very strong resemblance to the American porn cutie Danny Rhymes, but he is much wilder. After a lot of silly talk, his couch mate, veteran blond Alexandru Cuza, finally gets the point across and they start to kiss and grope as two others, tall raven-haired Daniel Paxton and fireplug jock Jean Guttenberg begin to carry on in an easy chair. Watching the action is the lean-and-hungry looker Ralph Rohner. The scene descends into a perfunctory exhibition of cocksucking, with Daniel bringing off Jean fairly quickly, and Ralph joining the other two to get his load off almost as fast. The two who have spilled seed leave, and the other three proceed to suck and fuck each other in a sequence of odd and fairly uncomfortable looking positions which eventually result in three explosions of cum. All through this scene, however, it is absolutely clear that the center of attention is Tony -- and you will simply not be able to keep your eyes off him.

The second scene has three guys lined up like pigs at a trough (Ted Lauter, Adrian Bradshaw and Sergio Foster) offering their fat dicks to a supplicant (Soto Donovan), whom they take turns fucking while the other two play licky-tongue.

We then get something really interesting -- the major stars Roberto Giorgio and Leslie Manzel have an inane conversation about cars with the ultra-macho matinee-idol Jack Laurel as the three look for the other fratboys in the house. Not finding them, they decide to fuck. This scene is notable for three things: Despite cramped quarters (on the stairs), these guys seem to be interested in sucking and fucking because they look like they are enjoying it; Leslie, who has a history of being a sullen top (especially under the name Istvan), warms up here and actually takes cock up the ass with a smile on his face; and Jack, who has also been a very dependable top, opens up here with abandon so that he looks to be a major bottom for the future. Wow and double-wow -- the scene ends with Roberto bringing Leslie to climax and vice-versa, which brings a very satisfying romp to a pulsating conclusion.

After everyone has left, a latecomer arrives to wish Tony happy birthday. This is Eddie Schulz, who made his debut as the somewhat wooden strictly trade Steve Bosco in Bel Ami's "Personal Trainers 4" last year. This tall, well-built jock brings over a bottle of wine, and it's no time before they are all over each other in the bedroom, kissing, licking and sucking each other in as steamy a scene as Borbély has put together in quite some time. Eddie is fluid and enthusiastic in his craving for cock, and he has a magnificent partner in Tony who cannot stop adoring his boyfriend's body, finally offering up his spectacular ass for Eddie's hard-thrust pounding, which is long and deep and results in the splashing of sweet cum. This scene has brought us two new stars, and elevates the rating of this video considerably higher than it might have been otherwise.

This video is literally saved by the last two scenes. The subtitles are, as always, disconcerting (leave them out -- let us figure out what they're talking about). On the other hand, we have the last two scenes, and they make the effort worth it, and not just because of the sex. Out of the last scene emerge two men who, if promoted properly, are poised to become major stars.

DVD extras include digital remastering, no regional coding (playable worldwide), trailers from other Pacific Sun releases, as well as a slide-show gallery.

A VHS + DVD Review by Bo Champion

The films of Hungarian director Csaba Borbely just keep getting better and better, and he has outdone himself in his latest, Frathouse Bash . The production might as well have been titled Birthday Bash , for it has nothing to do with college fraternities and everything to do with a band of randy buddies celebrating the birthday of their host (Tony Magera). The blond, versatile Magera here comes into his own as the star of this broiling film in which he burns up the opening and closing scenes. The final episode represents the best work he's ever done, and in it he is greatly abetted by the stunning Eddie Schulz finally letting go as he has never before done oncamera. But more of that grand finale later.

Frathouse Bash begins on the backyard patio of an elegant country home where 13 striking examples of Eastern European beef are downing champagne and cake before five of them head inside to give Magera a birthday gift he won't forget. The sex in this scene (and in the entire four-loop tape) is a quantum leap forward for director Borbely, who has always been able to induce gorgeous, uncut, gym-built breeder hunks to gallop through energetic but impersonal gay sex. Here, the men begin to get personal.

In no time, Alexandru Cuza (a consummate pro who has also worked as Feher Richard, Karoly Feher, Hubert Uriel and Richard Fahaz) makes his moves on Magera. They start with tender kisses, and there's more than just tongue-dueling here. They really connect - caressing, making eye contact, murmuring sweet nothings (as well as the standard moans and groans) and giving as much as taking. Two of the others, a pair of rangy newcomers, Jean Guttenberg and Ralph Rohner, quickly shoot their loads and leave. Following that, Magera, Cuza and boyish Daniel Paxton then charge into a threeway that somersaults from the romantic to the animalistic. All suck as if they enjoyed having cocks in their mouths, and the multipositioned fucking is as ardent as it is lusty. Both Cuza and Magera top Paxton, and the high point of the action finds Paxton flat on his back on the floor, getting plowed by Cuza as he in turn thrusts upward into Magera. There is real sexual heat here - and three creamy money shots to boot.

Next, four of the others slip away from the outdoor buffet to get their rocks off. The center of the action is hairy, dark-eyed Soto Donovan (who has more often used the name Thierry Golyo). He is soon discovered on his knees, servicing the other three muscle men: superbutch Sergio Foster, sweet-faced Adrian Bradshaw and thick-dicked Ted Lauter. Before the scene is over, the noisy Donovan has gorged himself on the three different cocks and has been fucked by each one in damned near every position imaginable.

Bradshaw (who has come a long way since his nervous debut as Paul Kabit in High Octane's Medic Men ) starts the rutting as Foster and Lauter watch, kiss and manhandle each other's meat. Then Foster climbs into the saddle and throws a double-time fuck into Donovan before settling in for some gentle, kiss-studded lovemaking. Finally, Lauter (who has appeared elsewhere as Luke Jarkal and Daniel Halasz) takes over. By this point, Donovan's pliant ass has been nicely opened up to accommodate Lauter's wrist-thick plunger. While they go at it, Bradshaw and Foster sprawl at one side, kissing and watching each other's handiwork. The heat is greatly enhanced by oncamera transitions from position to position (rather than quick dissolves) - as if we were seeing a real scene unfold rather than pieces of a film shoot. The sequence ends with Donovan again on his knees, in turn bringing each to climax as the others watch, enthralled.

Frathouse Bash, though, gets even hotter as it goes along. The third scene features three of the most versatile sex ponies on the scene today: Dark, curly-haired Jack Laurel, blond, pumped-up Leslie Manzel and that ubiquitous cutie, Roberto Giorgio (who began as Filip Olivier for Bel Ami). Although we have seen all of them many times before, these stars have never shone more brightly than they do here - three longtime fuck buddies who know how to push each other's buttons with ongoing, warm familiarity.

Laurel starts the action with a seductive striptease that soon has the other two kneeling to take turns polishing his onion-domed cock. One can almost feel the bolts of rapture surging through Laurel's every atom as he is serviced. Soon, he kneels to blow the other two - be sure to note the dreamy manner in which Manzel kisses and nuzzles Giorgio while Laurel, below, feasts on them. Giorgio is the first to get drilled. In a shifting lap fuck from one to the other and back (several times), he skewers himself with veteran ease. Then Laurel and Giorgio take turns slicing into Manzel's granite glutes while making out. Finally, Manzel worms his way into Laurel, at the same time stroking the bottom's rock-hard dick as Giorgio watches. Manzel and Giorgio suck each other to climax (Giorgio's first spurt flies over his own shoulder!), and Laurel caps the scene with his own soul-shattering handjob. This is as romantic a menage as we can imagine.

But director Barbaly has saved the best until last. After the partygoers leave, Magera showers and then greets an apologetic latecomer, the endlessly fascinating Schulz (who has always seemed a bit embarrassed by man-to-man sex ever since he first appeared as Steve Bosco in Bel Ami's Personal Trainers #5 ). He has been, in each of his few screen appearances, inching closer and closer to letting go, an explosion waiting to happen. Here, Magera detonates him.

In a lavish bedroom, standard tongue-dueling becomes kissing of a more intimate sort, accompanied by exploratory caresses and soulful eye contact. Watching his partner intently, Schulz nearly vibrates as Madera gives him a blow job to remember - and then he leans down to return the favor with all the pent-up passion he has clearly been waiting to release. (He can't seem to decided which he likes better, kissing or sucking, and he ping-pongs between the two acts with endless inspiration.) He is, of course, an instinctual cocksucker, determined to make his partner as ecstatic as he is.

Both have oversized dicks and boundless energy, and before long, Schulz discovers Magera's perfect bubblebutt, which he begins to finger, all the while steadily working himself. The insertion is effortless, and they enthusiastically run the gamut of positions as if determined not to overlook a single way of reaching nirvana. Throughout, they murmur words of encouragement and gratitude, sucking sweet kisses out of each other as Schulz buries himself deeper and deeper into the birthday boy. Gradually, both seem to float off into a sexual madness that culminates in a pair of prolonged, convulsive orgasms. At last, Schulz collapses atop Magera, and they kiss as lovingly as honeymooners on their wedding night. That is about the time you'll be hitting the rewind button to watch Frathouse Bash all over again.  

- Jerry Douglas