When director Marc MacNamara informs us that he is doing our phone interview while lying in his darkened hotel room with compresses on his aching body, he is only half joking. It is early spring and his schedule is as action-packed as the project he is preparing to finish filming: the finale of “The Swords,” an ambitious, globe-trotting adventure series encompassing multiple narrative features while cleverly weaving the all-male studio’s storied history into the present day.
“We filmed our final sword fight,” he says. “But it was a seven-mile hike with all of our equipment to get to the location.”
Falcon is such an iconic brand, going all the way back to the ’70s … We have so much rich history to tap into.
To recover from what he calls “the insanity of the last couple of days,” MacNamara announces, he plans to nap for the rest of the day — once he completes his promotional duties, such as talking with XBIZ.
MacNamara felt he needed to up the ante for the finale of “The Swords,” especially since the first installment also features a sword battle in a snowy mountain forest. The first and last features in the series are the only two with actual sword fights but, MacNamara notes, there is plenty of action to be found throughout.
“We planned out every single thing we were going to do before we stepped on set,” he says. “We knew what angles we needed and how we wanted to cut it together in editing later. On location, we only needed to fix little things here and there.”
Blatant anatomical innuendo aside, the title “The Swords” is also a cheeky play on the name of the studio. This reflects the overall snark of the series, which balances the action and sexcapades with liberal doses of humor.
“I’m peeling back the foreskin of what it’s really like behind the scenes of Falcon/NakedSword,” MacNamara says with a laugh. “This whole premise just called for my kind of humor. We take everything seriously, and we have a laugh too.”
In the world of “The Swords,” Falcon Studios has long served as a secret front for government operatives, with such iconic stars as Al Parker, Colby Taylor and Eric Hanson having been pressed into service over the years. As the series opens, a group of present-day exclusives has been brought together in a secluded mountain cabin to form a new undercover squad. “Porn stars as peacekeepers,” one recruit marvels.
Some installments explore picturesque far-flung locations, from Fire Island to France, the Canary Islands and South Africa, while others take a break from the pulse-pounding narrative for all-sex romps that allow the newly recruited Swords men — pun intended — to release their pent-up erotic tension.
The first installment stars Falcon/NakedSword exclusives Reign, Andre Donovan, Cole Connor and 2021 XBIZ Gay Performer of the Year Max Konnor, along with Roman Todd, Tony Genius, Brock Banks and 2022 XBIZ Gay Performer of the Year Michael Boston. The follow-up feature, titled “Physical Evaluations,” centers on a top-secret training facility led by exclusive Beau Butler, where potential spies have their physical skills put to the test. The third installment, “First Mission,” takes the action to Paris, where the new agents race to acquire a McGuffin before a pair of devilishly handsome villains can enact their own nefarious plans.
MacNamara is a prolific filmmaker whose experience in adult stretches back 15 years. In 2021 he was named XBIZ Director of the Year — Gay for his NakedSword Originals feature “A Murdered Heart,” which examined the pernicious influence of gay conversion therapy camps. Shortly thereafter, he was tapped as lead director for the Falcon/NakedSword brand. As if that wasn’t enough to fill his plate, he also co-hosts the company’s racy podcast “Discretion Advised” opposite John Hill. The show nimbly mixes luminaries from gay adult, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and the “Real Housewives” reality franchise.
“It’s the most fun I’ve ever had,” he says. “I get to show these guys in a brand-new light, and people seem to be loving it.”
MacNamara’s attachment to Falcon/NakedSword began long before that, however.
“When they asked me to become lead director, it was a real honor because Falcon is such an iconic brand, going all the way back to the ’70s,” he says. “Growing up as a gay boy, I knew about this powerhouse studio. So when I came aboard, I already knew we had so much history to tap into. I thought, ‘Let’s dig in deep and use that rich history. What if it was all a ruse? What if there’s a secret history you never heard about? Let’s take the new exclusives and pay homage to Falcon’s past at the same time.’ I pitched it all to Tim Valenti, and he went for it.”
MacNamara praises Falcon/NakedSword President Valenti’s bold leadership, citing Valenti’s strong support for the artistic vision of the studio’s creatives.
“I went in there and pitched this yearlong series of features with stunt work in different cities around the world,” MacNamara notes with a chuckle. “Some companies will look at you as a number, you know? How many scenes can you churn out in a certain period of time and so on. Tim really will just throw that all away if you’ve got a solid creative idea. I’m really lucky to be working with him and his whole team.”
MacNamara is known as a full-service filmmaker; in addition to directing, he also writes, serves as lead camera operator and photographer, and conceives the overall look of many of his features. He earned a significant career honor earlier this year with an XBIZ Awards nomination for Best Cinematography, for the action-thriller “Get. Away.” It was the first time a gay feature was honored in the category.
“I think the beauty of being a writer and director is that you get a firsthand approach to making the movie just by writing it and knowing what you’re writing towards,” he says. “You can write for someone because you already know they’re going to be part of your cast; you can play to his strengths. It makes it easier on you as the director, and on them, because you tailored the role specifically for them.”
MacNamara notes that his process also makes for a more efficient shoot.
“It hasn’t quite happened where I’ve written something I already knew we couldn’t pull off,” he reveals. “But sometimes I’ll arrive on location and realize, ‘Oh shit, this scene is more epic than I realized.’ So my crew and I might need to retrench a little. But we try to solve all of those potential problems beforehand. We’ll sit down with the script the night before and go over everything.”
For the finale’s “climactic” confrontation, MacNamara teases the surprise return to blue movies of a fan-favorite stud.
“He comes in and saves the day,” the director says. “I don’t know if he’ll be coming back to the industry full-time or not, but he agreed to do this appearance for us. We’ve actually been in contact with him for years — he was originally cast in ‘Get. Away.’ in the role that went to Damien Crosse, but the timing didn’t work — and he’s always wanted to do an action movie. So I sent him this script for the finale and he said, ‘Let’s do it.’ I can’t wait to shoot it.”
MacNamara also revealed the names of several other top stars who will be popping up throughout the year as “The Swords” unfolds.
“This is what I love to do,” he says. “I travel light to make a movie, so let’s hit the road! After we wrap up the ‘Swords,’ NakedSword is taking a break from all the action stuff and we’re going to showcase men from all around the world doing what they do best.”
A recent location shoot in South Africa introduced two new performers who had never appeared in front of a camera.
“These guys were so good, it just got me thinking: ‘Why don’t we find these men who would never have this opportunity otherwise and give them the platform they deserve?’ It’s so much easier for me to come to them,” MacNamara says. “With all the traveling for ‘The Swords,’ and now this new all-sex series for NakedSword, I’m just really excited. I want to go everywhere.”
Image (L-R): Marc MacNamara, Cole Connor.
