Enrique
Cruz is a famed director of black and latino (blatino) gay pornographic films
based in New York City. His production company is called Lamancha Videos. In the mid to late 1990s,
Cruz's films helped to usher in a new
era for black gay pornography. His films were innovative in that hip-hop culture influenced the behavior of the models/actors filmed on screen. He also used hip-hop music as the score to his films rather than elevator music, house, or techno which had been the norm in black gay films before
Cruz came on the scene. Cruz's actors/models tend to be young,
urban, masculine, homothugs, regardless of their sexual role. His films also portray down low culture. Some of his best works include "Tiger's Brooklyn Tales", "Off The Hook", "Off The Hook Pt. 2", "
Urban Hard Drive", "Aprende" and "Hard Core". Most consider "Off The Hook" to be his artistic peak.