Adult Movie FAQ v6.00 Part 1 of 12 Welcome to rec.arts.movies.erotica =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Sections marked with [updated] were updated since the last revision Sections marked with [new] were added since the last revision. This FAQ is Copyright 1994-7 by rame.net, and is made available as a service to the Internet community. It may not be sold in any medium, including electronic, CD-ROM, or database, packaged with any commercial product, or published in print, without the explicit, written permission of rame.net. Send comments to faq@rame.net =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction [updated] 2 Copyright and other necessary stuff 3 How to get this FAQ 4 Welcome to rec.arts.movies.erotica! 5 The rec.arts.movies.erotica charter [new] 6 If I can't post binaries in r.a.m.e., where can I post them? [new] 7 Where can I post ads? [new] 8 Where can I trade or sell my tapes? [new] 9 Who we are... 10 Are there sex movie related IRC channels? [updated] 11 Glossary [updated] 12 Welcome to the Machine [updated] 13 Welcome to Usenet! 13.1 What is Usenet? [updated] 13.2 What is a moderated newsgroup? [new] 13.3 What is netiquette? [updated] 13.4 How to join a Usenet group 13.5 Fear and Loathing @ AOL.COM 13.6 What's a newbie? Is that bad? 14 What else is there to know? [updated] 14.1 What do I call my post? 14.2 What should my posts look like? 14.3 Who do I respond to? 14.4 Where do I put my John Hancock? 14.5 Mind my manners? Eat me! 15 Inappropriate Postings 15.1 Spam 16 Troubleshooting 16.1 Welcome to alt.test 16.2 Meet your Systems Administrator 16.2.1 But I'm not at a college or large business! 17 I don't have Web Access, what can I do to access some of the Web based services on the net? [updated] 18 How to Make a Porn Flick 18.1 How can I become a porn star? 18.1.1 That's not very encouraging... I really want to do it. Tell me how. 18.2 What's all this talk about licensed agents? 18.2.1 So, who are the hetero agents? 18.2.2 Who are the gay agents? [new] 18.3 Do you think I need an agent? 18.4 OK... How about getting into gay porn? [updated] 18.4.1 Are there any secrets to gay porn success? 18.5 Do porn stars get recruited? [new] 18.6 How much do porn stars make? [updated] 18.7 How much do porn directors make? [updated] 18.8 What I really want to do is direct! 18.9 So, maybe mainstream is not where I want to be... would you tell me about amateur? [updated] 18.9.1 What kind of budgets to amateur productions have? 18.9.2 What kind of equipment do I need? 18.9.3 What about editing? 18.9.4 What about legal issues? 18.10 Okay, so maybe directing is not the thing to do... who writes the songs that those people fuck to? [updated] 18.11 Well, how about some other tech job? How do I become a videographer? An editor? [new] 18.12 How much can I make if I write adult movie scripts? [updated] 18.13 Are there any books I can read about the subject of porn production? 19 Backstage... 19.1 If it is so hard to be in adult movies, why do actors and actresses enter the business at all? 19.2 So porn stars tend to like their work? 19.2.1 Stacey Donovan hates porn? 19.3 Why do we always see men orgasm, but hardly ever see the women orgasm? 19.4 How long do actors stay in the business of making videos? 19.5 Do porn actors need to be members of the Screen Actor's Guild? [new] 19.6 Why do men last for years in the business, when women seem to last only a few months? 19.7 How do you know when a performer has retired? 19.8 Are there actors turned directors? [updated] 19.9 How long does it take to make a adult video? 19.10 How long are porn scripts? 19.11 Sales and other related figures... 19.11.1 What is considered a big success? 19.11.2 What's the all time best-sellers? 19.11.3 After completing a project how much would a producer receive from a distributor? I assume they sell all rights and raw footage. [updated] 19.11.4 How much does a distributor wholesale the video to a retailer for? 19.11.5 Perhaps you could differentiate between amateurs and features - shot on video or shot on film. Bottom line - where's the profit made! 19.12 What frustrates an editor most? 19.13 I have a dickens of a time knowing who's who in a porn film. Why can't everyone put a picture to a face like Rinse Dream did in Party Doll a-Go-Go? [updated] 19.14 Why is the sound so bad? 19.15 How do you shoot and/or edit softcore footage? 20 Definition of Terms: Porno v. Just Plain Naked 21 Backstage Issues 21.1 Have any New York Times best-sellers ever been made into adult films? 21.2 Does the porn industry have an awards show? 21.3 Where can I meet pornstars? [new] 21.3.1 The Winter Consumer Electronics Show [new] 21.3.2 Adult Video News Awards [updated] 21.3.3 Gay Video Guide [updated] 21.3.4 F.O.X.E. (Fans of X-Rated Entertainment) [updated] 21.3.5 East Coast Video Show [new] 21.4 Award Winners... [updated] 21.4.1 Adult Video News Awards [updated] 21.4.2 Gay Video Guide Awards [updated] 21.5 Who owns the porn studios? 21.6 Why do porn babes wear shoes all the damned time? 21.7 Is my dick smaller than a porn star's? 21.8 Where can I buy a pair of tits that big? 21.8.1 So do people like fake tits? 21.9 Who do so many porn starlets shave their nether regions? 21.10 How do porn stars handle birth control on sets? 21.11 How do porn stars prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases? [updated] 21.12 Did Annabelle Chong really fuck 251 guys during the "Worlds Biggest Gangban 21.13 Did Jamine St. Clair fuck 300 guys in the sequel? 21.14 At the "World's Largest Gangbang," there were a bunch of fluffers. Are fluffers normal on porn sets? 22 Celebrities don't do porno... usually. [updated] 23 The ones who did... 23.1 The Star Trek Connection... [updated] 23.1.1 The Original Series 23.1.2 The Next Generation 23.2 Tonya Harding 23.3 What about Sticks the Drummer from "Happy Days"? 23.4 Jayne Kennedy? [updated] 23.5 Simon Rex? 23.6 Aldo Ray? [new] 23.7 Cameron Mitchell? [new] 23.8 NFL running back Dave Nelson? [new] 24 The one's who didn't... 24.1 Marina Sirtis 24.2 Do the Brady Girls Swallow? [updated] 24.3 Ron Howard? 24.4 Barbra Streisand [updated] 24.5 Sylvester Stallone? 24.6 Xuxa? [updated] 24.7 The Go-Gos? 24.8 Pamela Anderson Lee? [updated] 24.9 Dana Plato? [updated] 24.10 Teri Hatcher? 24.11 Alyssa Milano? 24.12 Wednesday Addams from TV? [new] 24.13 The Pink Power Ranger (Amy Jo Johnson)? [new] 24.14 Linda Blair? [new] 24.15 Marilyn Monroe? [new] 24.16 Jeremy Jordan? [new] 25 Some other information... 25.1 But what about all those pictures I see of on the Net which show Tom Cruise/Marina Sirtis/Brad Pitt/Mother Theresa having sex? [new] 25.2 Is there anywhere I can buy this celebrity "porn?" [new] 26 Porn Stars and their Stories... 26.1 Are there any famous porn people on-line? [updated] 26.2 Are we taken seriously by the industry professionals? [updated] 26.3 Who is Paul Thomas and why don't we like him? 26.3.1 Was PT in Jesus Christ Superstar? 26.4 Have any porn stars died? [updated] 26.5 Is Nikki Dial or Joey Silvera or Lana Woods or Talia James or Patti Petite or Taija Rae dead? 26.6 How did Savannah die? [updated] 26.7 How did Joey Stefano die? [updated] 26.8 How did Michel Richaud die? 26.9 Who is Traci Lords and why is she famous? 26.9.1 Where can I get Traci Lords' movies? 26.9.2 How come Traci's movies are available in Quebec? 26.10 Was that Ashlyn Gere on The X-Files? 26.10.1 Wasn't she on "Space: Above and Beyond" as well? [updated] 26.11 Are there other crossovers from porn to movies? [updated] 26.12 Is there a crossover from porn to politics? 26.12.1 Isn't there more than politics to Cicciolina? 26.13 Is Teri Weigel famous for something other than humping? 26.14 Are there other crossovers from Playboy or Penthouse to porn? [updated] 26.15 How about Playgirl to gay porn? [new] 26.16 Did Tiffany Million ever wrestle? 26.17 Alexandria Quinn -- legal or not? 26.18 Are there other underage porn performers? 26.19 Did the same thing happen to gay star Jeff Browning? [new] 26.20 Has Victoria Paris or Traci Lords or Candi Evans or Nikki Dial ever taken it in the ass? [updated] 26.21 Does Linda Lovelace hate porn? 26.22 Did any other porn stars denounce the business? 26.23 What's the deal with Peter North? 26.24 Have any het male performers done gay porn? [new] 26.25 Does Janine Lindemulder just do girls? 26.25.1 So Janine has a boyfriend? 26.26 What movie has that ice dildo scene? 26.27 Who are Rex Borsky and Jackson St. Louis? [updated] 26.27.1 Is DeRenzy coming back ever? [new] 26.28 What does Greg Dark do on his days off? [new] 26.29 Are there any other porn directors who do mainstream work? [new] 26.30 Speaking of the Dark Brothers, why did they break up? [new] 26.31 Are Ginger Lynn and Amber Lynn sisters? [new] 26.32 Are there any other siblings in porn? [new] 26.33 Have any siblings performed sex together on-screen? [new] 26.34 Is Candi Evans married to one of the American Gladiators? [new] 26.35 Who is in Anabolic's Gang Bang Girls series? 26.36 Speaking of gangbangs, are there any gay gangbang movies? [new] 27 Internet Resources 27.1 Web sites related to Adult Movies... [updated] 27.2 Heretic's Adult Movie Database [updated] 27.3 The Internet Movie Database [updated] 27.4 Are there any gay resources on the 'Net? [updated] 27.5 How can I find out where my favorite porn starlets are dancing? [new] 27.6 Are there other sources for film reviews? [updated] 27.7 Where'd Videosan go? 28 Books 28.1 Where can I get "The Bare Facts?" 28.2 Is the Bare Facts the only book of its type? [new] 28.3 Can I get a book of porn star headshots? [new] 28.4 Is the gay porn directory "Superstars" any good? [new] 28.5 Are there any comprehensive books of reviews? [new] 28.6 Have any of the stars written books? [updated] 28.7 Are there books on the history of gay porn? 28.8 Where can I buy books mentioned in this FAQ? 29 Magazines 29.1 Adult Video News 29.2 Adam Film World (AFW) and its gay counterpart, XXX Gay Video Showcase and its niche counterpart, Adam Black Video Illustrated 29.3 Hustler Erotic Video Guide 29.4 Video Xcitement [updated] 29.5 Gay Video Guide (GVG) [updated] 29.6 Manshots [updated] 30 Got any good FTP sites? 30.1 Some guy posts a list of FTP sites every now and then... 30.2 I got 127.0.0.1 ... Is that a good one? 31 Boy, those oddities sure are odd... 31.1 Are Dixie Dynamite's tits real? 31.2 Are those 18" dicks real? 31.3 Do those guys really have two dicks? [updated] 31.4 Are hermaphrodites real? 32 X, XXX... What happened to XX? 32.1 So XXX is hotter than X? Not really. 33 Mail Order 33.1 Are there reputable mail order houses? 33.2 Excalibur [updated] 33.3 Video Gold Club 33.4 Video Age 33.5 What US mail order options are available from Europe? [new] 33.6 How can I watch US porn if I am in Europe? [new] 33.7 Where can I get "classic" porn? [new] 34 Magazines 34.1 Can I really get 100 movies for 5 bucks? Where would I put all the videotapes? 34.2 What are those annoying black dots for? 35 The Web 35.1 Is there a Web based House of Smut? [updated] 36 Your Hometown 36.1 Hi, do you carry "Fuck me Hard?" 36.2 Blockbuster 36.2.1 Why are some of the movies I rent at Blockbuster different from the same movie I rent at "Joe's House of Video"? Is Mommy Blockbuster editing them? 36.2.2 Two versions? 36.2.3 Why multiple versions? 36.2.4 Once again, does Blockbuster pay the studios to cut out all the bad stuff? 36.2.5 Okay, okay, we've left porn to discuss mainstream films. I've seen a director's cut of "The Color of Night" at Blockbuster. Explain that one..... 36.2.6 You mean that Blockbuster doesn't get special versions of videos? 36.3 So I guess I have to rely upon my local Big Bob's House of Smut(tm)? 36.4 What if I live in Atlanta, Georgia? 36.4.1 Fantastic Video [updated] 36.4.2 Video 2010 36.4.3 9 1/2 Weeks 36.4.4 XXX Adult Video Showcase 36.5 Why was hardcore gone so long from Atlanta? I know I saw a bunch of peep shows and theatres there several years ago, and Atlanta is full of titty bars. 37 Formats or How to Watch Porn 37.1 Can I get porn on laserdisc? 37.2 Can I get porn on CD-ROM? 37.3 What is this DVD I keep hearing about? [new] 38 Satellites 38.1 I can get smut on my TV?!? [updated] 38.2 Are there any American satellite channels? 38.3 Can I get porn on my 18" dish? [new] 38.4 Can I get porn on my 29" AlphaStar Satellite Dish? [new] 38.5 Where can I find porn in Australia? [updated] 39 Snuff Flicks are real, right? 40 How should I know what movies to rent? [updated] 41 What kind of movies should I watch with my partner? 42 Are there "couples" directors to watch out for? 42.1 Andrew Blake 42.2 John Leslie 42.3 Candida Royalle 42.4 Svetlana 42.5 Paul Thomas 43 Myths of Couples Porn 44 What is all this I keep hearing about "The Golden Age?" 45 How Not To get Screwed [new] 46 Legal Issues 46.1 Here in America, can I get this porno stuff legally? 46.2 Can I get my smut in Europe? 46.3 So am I out of luck if I am in England? [updated] 46.4 What's the situation in Australia? 46.5 I am in America and I have some European tapes (with some "taboo" parts) and I am not sure how I can swap or sell them... I mean are they illegal? 46.6 What does that "made before July 3, 1995" sticker mean? 46.7 Why doesn't the creation of an adult video run afoul of laws against pimping and prostitution? [updated] 46.8 Who are the "Erotic Eleven" and what does it have to do with Nina Hartley's ban from Canada? 46.8.1 Is there a movie based on this event? 46.9 Are Ben Dover's "Banned in Britain" tapes really banned? [new] 46.10 Why is fisting illegal in the United States? 46.11 So what can't I watch in America, the home of the free? 46.12 Where'd the Cherry Poppers tapes go?!? [new] 46.13 What's the deal with porn in Canada? Can I see some things or all things or what? [updated] 46.14 How about the Australian porn laws? What are they like? 46.15 You said something about "nuisance prosecutions." Could you clarify the illegality issue again? 47 Censorship 47.1 Introduction 47.2 What is censorship? 47.3 What does the First Amendment have to do with it? 47.4 So what has it got to do with alt.sex.movies? 47.5 So what is actually illegal to watch/own/produce/sell? 47.6 Who are these censorious bastards? Lets go get 'em! 47.6.1 Jesse Helms 47.6.2 Edwin Meese 47.6.3 Andrea Dworkin/Catherine MacKinnon 47.6.4 James Exon 47.6.5 Orrin Hatch [new] 47.7 Am I on my own with sword and shield, or is anyone else in this with me? 47.7.1 F.O.X.E (Fans of X-rated entertainment) 47.7.2 CAL-ACT (Californians Against Censorship Together) 47.7.3 Free Speech Coalition [new] 47.8 So how about the Dworkin/MacKinnon stuff already? 48 Revision History [updated] 49 Special Thanks Department [updated] =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1 Introduction [updated] Adult movies (aka, porn flicks, stag films, etc.) were born shortly after movies themselves. According to its entry in the newsgroups file, rec.arts.movies.erotica exists to discuss "the ins and outs" of this genre of motion picture entertainment. The people who read this newsgroup are, on average, well adjusted people who think that the viewing of pornographic materials is, in the worst case harmless, and in the best case enlightening and enjoyable. X-rated movies are a fantasy, and as long as people keep that in mind, it will not warp or destroy anyone's moral character. Even if you forget it, it probably won't warp you. Usenet has been around for a long time, and in the course of that time, people come and people go and still others remain. This FAQ has been put together with the aid and assistance of a great many people, mostly to inform, entertain, educate and enlighten... but also to spare them the pain of hearing another "Did Marina Sirtis do porn?" question. ;-) The first part of the FAQ deals with netiquette -- how to behave when not only in this newsgroup, but poking around the 'net in general. The remaining parts deal with specific topics within the newsgroup. I hope you enjoy this FAQ. It has been a labor of love for me to keep it up, since I receive no compensation for the maintenance, other than the joys of knowing people like it. So, if you like it, please send me a paycheck of kind words. Should you have any questions you think should appear in here, comments about this FAQ or anything else, drop me a line at faq@rame.net. Thanks for your indulgence. ================================================================= 2 Copyright and other necessary stuff *********** Notice to Spaghetti Publishers ******** A spaghetti publisher is one whose philosophy of publishing is to "throw it at the wall and see if it sticks." Over the last few years, they have been very busy putting out badly written Internet books, and are looking for yet more material they can rush into print in their ever greedier search for easy $. Lately, spaghetti publishers have taken to exploiting FAQs and lists, often publishing them without obtaining written permission. This is an abuse of the copyright laws, and threatens the continued viability of the FAQ system which benefits us all. These are the same publishers who would sue at the drop of a hat if anyone so much as used a figure from their books without permission. This FAQ is Copyright 1994-7 by rame.net, and is made available as a service to the Internet community. It may not be sold in any medium, including electronic, CD-ROM, or database, packaged with any commercial product, or published in print, without the explicit, written permission of rame.net. I urge other FAQ authors to include this notice as part of their FAQs. This language comes from the comp.protocols.tcp-ip.ibmpc faq, maintained Bernard Aboba. ************** Legalese ************** This FAQ is presented with no warranties or guarantees of ANY KIND including correctness or fitness for any particular purpose. The author(s) of this document have attempted to verify correctness of the data contained herein; however, slip-ups can and do happen. If you use this data, you do so at your own risk. ================================================================= 3 How to get this FAQ The current version of this document will always be available for viewing on the World Wide Web at http://www.rame.net/faq The ASCII version is no longer supported since I maintain the FAQ in HTML these days. Comments, corrections, additions, and suggestions are always encouraged. Please either post them to rec.arts.movies.erotica, alt.sex.movies, or, preferably, email them directly to me, and I will incorporate them into future versions of this FAQ. ================================================================= 4 Welcome to rec.arts.movies.erotica! This section of the FAQ is meant just to get you acquainted with the group, its terms and its history. There is quite a social stigma surrounding adult entertainment, and it is a shame that after so many years of enlightened civilization, people still think we're a bunch of old men running around in raincoats, jerking off in movie theatres. Nowadays, we dress in clothes from the Gap and make love with our viewing partners in the privacy of our own homes. Times have changed, though the perceptions have not. Porn is a billion-dollar industry. With numbers like that, it is hard to ignore. ================================================================= 5 The rec.arts.movies.erotica charter [new] Our charter states: rec.arts.movies.erotica is a moderated USENET newsgroup dedicated to the intelligent and mature discussion of erotic films and videos -- hardcore, softcore or mainstream, gay or heterosexual. Discussion should be limited to reviews of current and not-so-current releases, gossip, behind the scenes stories, social, economic and legal issues surrounding erotic films, and discussion of actors and actresses (and directors and producers and...). Unacceptable submissions include spams, commercials and binaries. This group is intended for text messages only. Binaries should be uuencoded and posted to the appropriate groups within the alt.binaries hierarchy, or, preferably, made available through the World Wide Web or anonymous FTP. ================================================================= 6 If I can't post binaries in r.a.m.e., where can I post them? [new] There's a whole slew of USENET groups dedicated to movies or pictures you can see on your PC. Search your news spool for the words "erotica" and "binaries" (If you don't know how to do this, ask your news admin. it's their job to know...) For starters, you can check out the following groups: alt.binaries.multimedia.erotica alt.binaries.pictures.erotica alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.pornstar This list is obviously not canonical, and I don't intend it to be. Please don't mail me asking how to access USENET groups. I can't help you... that's what your tech support people get paid for. :-) ================================================================= 7 Where can I post ads? [new] The groups for advertising are alt.sex.erotica.marketplace and its sibling alt.sex.erotica.market.place. If you want to trade video tapes, try alt.sex.video-swap or alt.sex.wanted. (The latter group has turned into a haven for "wannafucks" but was intended as a group for people wanting things sexually related, not for wanting sex.) ================================================================= 8 Where can I trade or sell my tapes? [new] For trading, alt.sex.video-swap is the best place to look. To sell your collection, alt.sex.erotica.marketplace is the appropriate group. Postings made to r.a.m.e. on these subjects will be rejected with a pointer to the appropriate group. ================================================================= 9 Who we are... The people in rec.arts.movies.erotica are pretty helpful, and have a good sense of humor. However, some things to remember when posting... a) Don't ask for replies via e-mail (if the QUESTION is worth posting, the ANSWER will be valuable to everyone in the group). Also, it implies YOUR time is more valuable than THEIRS, since you're expecting _them_ to read all the posts to see yours, yet _you're_ not willing to scan the subjects to see their reply. b) when following up on a posting, please delete any non-relevant lines from the original post (including header and sig). Posting more than 10 lines from the original post is TOO MUCH. Posting no lines from the original is TOO LITTLE. ALSO, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT EACH TIME YOU POST, YOU'RE ASKING A COMPLETE STRANGER TO SPEND TIME HELPING YOU: - if the answers you receive are not what you wanted, DON'T FLAME!, just post a follow-up note thanking the respondents for their suggestions so far, and provide a clarified problem statement. - if you receive no responses, DON'T PANIC!, give it a couple of days: it takes a while for postings to propagate around the world; sometimes your posting is similar to one posted in the previous couple of weeks and people are sick of the topic (check your news server's archive); sometimes your question is a 'toughie' which requires some thinking/research time; and sometimes everyone's just too busy. If you get no reply after a week, try again with additional clarification, and consider using the following format: i) FLATTERY SECTION: "I've learned a lot from the faqs and watching the postings for the last month, but now I have a really tough problem for you gurus" ii) BEGGING FOR HELP: "I've checked the FAQs, library, etc... any advice would be appreciated (please post responses to this newsgroup as I don't read my e-mail very often)" - if the answers are useful, a quick _e-mail_ thanking the respondent(s) is always appreciated This language is taken from the excellent comp.lang.basic.visual.* "Welcome message." Used with permission for which I am eternally grateful. ================================================================= 10 Are there sex movie related IRC channels? [updated] Yes. There are two that I know of. One is moderated by Brandy Alexandre. The details of her chats are beyond the scope of this document because the location information changes more frequently than I can update the FAQ. Historically, the chats are held on Wednesday nights at 8 PM Eastern (GMT -0500) in channel #a.s.m. Brandy posts reminders of chat in alt.sex.movies, so look for them there. Another group is #!!!!!!pornstar-trading (yes, all six ! must be present.) These chats are overseen by the Pornateers. They meet on EFNet and usually get rolling around 5:00 PM Eastern (GMT -0500). Porn star pictures are traded often and the discussion surrounds the industry and its stars. ================================================================= 11 Glossary [updated] 69 (sixty-nine): How DOES one explain this to the uninitiated? Easiest way: each person performs oral sex on the other. The most comfortable way to achieve this is for one partner to lay down belly-to-belly on the other. (Kinda like the 6 and the 9 look... hence the name!) a2m This refers to the removal of something (dick, finger, dildo, or any other object) from a rectal cavity and the placing of said object into a mouth without any editing or other production chicanery. The object should remain visible at all times. It is usually preferred that the ass and mouth belong to the same person, but it is not mandatory. AFAIK As Far As I Know AFOAF A Friend of a Friend -- Often used when relating urban myths. alt.binaries.pictures.erotica alt.binaries.pictures.erotica is a newsgroup which has gigabytes and gigabytes of copyright violations posted to it every month. You will often find nude pics of your favorite stars there. Check out their FAQ for more details! alt.flame alt.flame is a newsgroup dedicated to flaming of all shapes and styles. If you feel a prolonged flame war coming on, it is best to carry on over there, because most people don't want to watch your arguments. asm alt.sex.movies Autofellatio A term used to refer to the extraordinary ability to suck one's own cock. Often, the male involved has to either have incredible flexibility or have a fairly large penis. Al Eingang, Grant Fagan, and Scott O'Hara are known for their amazing autofellatio talents. Ron Jeremy can also "keep himself amused." AVI Audio Video Interleave: This is Microsoft's standard for capturing video to play back to your computer. Like its single-frame counterpart .BMP, AVI files are huge and take forever to download. Most people prefer MPEGs, though there is some bickering over standards and a good Windows viewer. B-G Boy-girl; denotes a standard boy-girl sex scene. B&D See "Bondage" Bear A term used in gay porn usually to refer to a performer with a lot of body hair. Bears are also usually older, with facial hair, and tend to be stocky. Bondage Bondage films usually involve ropes, fetters, chains, or manacles. American law usually forbids that sex occur while the performer is still bound, or that the performer show that he/she can remove the bondage without assistance. BJ Blowjob. BMP BitMaPped graphic. Microsoft popularized (hell, they invented) the .BMP file with the advent of Windows. It is most famous for hogging diskspace. It is much more preferable to use JPG compression rather than using BMPs to transfer graphic information. BTW A three letter acronym for "By The Way..." Cowgirl A sexual position where the girl is on top of the guy face to face, sitting up and riding. The opposite is the reverse cowgirl, where the girl faces away from the guy. cum dodger A performer (usually female) who does her best to avoid getting cum on her face. cum shot The part of the movie when the man ejaculates. DAP Double Anal Penetration -- Two cocks in the ass. And you thought constipation was bad! DL I have found out what .DL stands for. DL is taken from the two individuals which copyrighted the binary format and structure of the movie loops (most Dls loop forever). The names are: (D)avide Tome' and (L)uca De Gregori. The DOCs in the latest DL-view version I have claim a copyright all the way back to 1990. (just more trivia, I know). Not often seen. People in Italy seem to love it. DP Double Penetration - One penis in the vagina, the other in the anus. In gay porn, DP means two cocks in one ass, as seen in several Falcon and Robert Prion films from 1991 - 1994 (most notably the "Abduction" series from Falcon). In hetero films, that is known as a DAP. DPP Double Pussy Penetration -- Just as it says; two cocks in one pussy. Stretch baby stretch! Evil Empire Coined by AVN, the people whose works are distributed by Evil Angel are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Evil Empire." The empire currently consists of John "Buttman" Stagliano, Bruce Seven, Alex de Renzy, Joey Silvera, Rocco Siffredi and John Leslie. FAQ Frequently Asked Questions. Sometimes people call it Frequently Answered Questions, but more often than not the questions are answered with "READ THE FAQ!" Fisting Finger-fucking gone awry. One finger, two finger, three finger, four! The Thumb! Holy cow, my whole hand is up there! Most communities feel that fisting is obscene, so mainstream pornographers tend to stay away from it. Tim says: I don't know about hetero porn, but in gay porn 1) It isn't "finger-fucking gone AWRY" (hey, it was a joke...); 2) it's done in the ass not the vagina; 3) even mainstream photographers such as Falcon and Catalina have recently done fisting movies, including Falcon's recent foray into double- fisting (i.e., one guy has each hand up another man's ass). flame A flame is an incendiary remark meant to provoke or insult. Some people have brought flaming to an art form. They can be found in the group alt.flame. FLC Flick files. These are Autodesk Animator's file types of choice. They are just as big as AVI files, but can be viewed in both Windows and DOS, unlike AVIs. FLI see FLC Fluffer A fluffer is a person hired to keep the male performers erect during breaks in filming. They were popular during the 70s, and now they are usually reserved for those ridiculously huge gangbangs. More details are contained in later parts of this FAQ. FTP File Transport Protocol - A method of copying files between machines connected to the Internet. Most sites provide "Anonymous FTP" which allows you to log in to a server anonymously (i.e. you don't need an account) and get or put files there. FWIW An acronym for "For What It's Worth..." Gangbang (or GB) When many participants (usually male) have their way with one (usually) female. Gangbangs usually contain more than 4 people. G/G (or g-g) Girl-Girl. A lesbian sexual encounter. GIF Graphics Interchange Format - A file format for viewing files on a computer. The GIF format was developed by CompuServe and has become one of the graphic standards. It's now under dispute by a bunch of greedy ignorant weasels over at Unisys. GL An ugly disk-hogging ugly DOS based file format for viewing movies which does its job and not much else. Rarely posted to the a.b.pictures newsgroups. Golden Showers Urinating on someone who wants to be urinated on. Gonzo Rodney Moore says: "GONZO is defined in the AVN as any movie which makes use of a "talking camera" i.e. POV (point of view) style shooting, where the cameraman is also the actor. It would also include the involvement of the audience as part of the movie, not just third party spectators. This would apply to myself, Buttman, etc. And going way back even before Buttman, Ugly George in New York, who was to the best of my knowledge the first "Gonzo" shooter." IMHO In My Humble Opinion IRC Internet Relay Chat. A real-time conferencing system. Members of alt.sex.movies meet on the Undernet (irc.undernet.org) on Wednesday nights at 8 PM Eastern (-0500 GMT) in channel #a.s.m. to talk about sex movies and whatever else comes up. JPG Joint Pictures Experts Group: This file format is most preferred by denizens of the 'Net, due to the excellent compression JPG offers. A .BMP file could easily be 10 times the size of a comparable JPG file... and when downloading graphics, you want the smallest file with the best resolution, and JPG really takes the cake. You need a special viewer to view JPGs and someone over in a.b.p.e.d (or any of the graphics discussion groups) should be able to help you find one. A favorite is QPEG, a DOS based JPEG viewer. Leather films Usually a film in which the performers wear leather harnesses, jackets, caps, pants or chaps, vests, etc. Leather films tend to feature rougher sex. Leather films are a major gay porn genre, although many het films also feature leather. LOL Laugh Out Loud. Used to show that something someone said was funny. MM or m/m Male-male action, usually used in reference to bisexual videos where the men engage in sexual activity with each other rather than only with the woman. META META means it is about the group rather than on-topic. It's an odd little term and I never came across it except on the Net. For instance, a discussion about the discussion you're having is considered a meta- discussion. Does that make sense? So the post does not deal with sex movies, though it does deal with the newsgroup. MFF Male/Female/Female. See a threesome. See N-Way. Mish Short for missionary -- a sexual position allegedly taught to the natives by missionaries... man on top between the woman's parted legs. The term is most often used in reviews: "Tom and Tori then mish for a little while..." money shot see "cum shot" MPAA Motion Picture Association of America, or in the familiar, the ratings board. This board of seven "parents" rates the films Hollywood makes based on what they feel is suitable for audience members. They allegedly base their choices on the merits, although smaller films (like Almodovar's) are often more strictly judged than the "blockbusters." Of course, everyone involved denies this. MPEG Motion Pictures Expert Group - This is a way of displaying movies on your screen. It is well liked because of its high compression ratio. However, the quality of the image may be lessened by the compression scheme. MPG See MPEG N-way A term used to refer to the multiple-pairings available in gay porn. If sex between two people is a duo, and three people is a three-way and four people is a four-way and five-people is a five-way...then most people just like to refer to ANY KIND of sex involving more than two people as an N-way. ObRAME or ObASM OB = obligatory. Since off-topic posts are (allegedly) verboten, you add a sentence or two at the end of your off-topic post that is on- topic, but unrelated to your post, so you made your OBligiatory sex movie reference... PCX This is another form of graphic display file. It was developed by Zsoft for its PC Paintbrush program, and has also become a de facto standard. PITA Not only a bread, but Pain In The Ass. "Boy, that Jerry... what a PITA..." RAME rec.arts.movies.erotica. A moderated newsgroup that also deals with erotic movies. Started by a bunch of a.s.m. readers who got fed up with all the ads and binaries. Reverse Cowgirl or RC A sexual position where the girl on top of guy, facing his feet, sitting up and riding him. This seems to be a favorite of asm readers as it allows fairly unfettered and more "natural" camera work. Reverse Anal Cowgirl or RAC Same as RC, but with anal instead of vaginal penetration. Rimming The act of licking someone's anus. If you could lick your own anus, there is probably a lot of money to be made... ROFL Rolling On Floor Laughing -- The next step above LOL RTFM Read the Fucking Manual - The cry of system administrators and other poor souls who must deal with people asking obvious questions over and over. "How do you save a document? Read the fucking manual, that's how!" Sado-masochism. See "S&M" below. S&M Sado-masochism. Usually sex which involves bondage (see above) but also the infliction of pain and/or humiliation. American law usually forbids sexual activity while S&M occurs. Spamming The act of posting the same or similar message separately (so that only one newsgroup shows in the newsgroup header) to large numbers of newsgroups. An ad for a baseball card sale which shows up in every alt.sex.* newsgroup is spam unless it is VELVEETA. Spooning Usually performed after sex, when two individuals lie on their sides, facing the same direction, and perfectly fit together, like two spoons. TIF Tagged Image Format - A graphic format used in the real world for transferring HUGE graphics files between print shops. Also used to a much lesser extent on the net. You will mostly see TIF files converted to JPGs for compression reasons. TLA Three Letter Acronym TP Triple Penetration - One in pussy, one in ass, one in her mouth. Wow! Trade A term used in gay porn to refer to a performer who does not kiss, suck cock, or get fucked in the ass. Also referred to as "straight trade." Good examples include Jeff Stryker and Rex Chandler, and early in his career, Ryan Idol. Troll A deliberately confused and incorrect post posted to a Usenet group to generate a flurry of responses from people trying to set the record straight. Other trollers enter the fray adding more and more misinformation that the thread eventually dies of strangulation Twink A term used to describe certain gay performers. A twink is young, smooth, pretty. Not necessarily blond, although that's the archetype. Other attributes thought of as twinky are: Almost invariably NO musculature, and acts like a little boy, too. Usually a bottom. Most guys would consider a touch of baby fat to be essentially twinky, but Tim doesn't. Velveeta A message crossposted to many newsgroups, i.e. has many newsgroups listed in the newsgroup header. It is generally accepted that any message posted to more than 10 newsgroups is velveeta. Some purists maintain that no message can be relevant to more than five newsgroups. WWW World Wide Web - A hypertext linking system that connects machines on the 'Net by subject matter. Web servers are set up by (some say deranged) people who are interested in a certain topic. They mine the 'Net for related information, and place pointers to that information from their server. 12 Welcome to the Machine [updated] In this section, we'll be examining some of the more frequently asked questions of Usenet. There are things contained herein which will help you become a solid net.citizen. Non-compliance is known to create prickly bouts of crabbiness in some of the older members of Usenet. So thank you, thank you, thank you for looking here first! Most importantly, remember to have fun! ================================================================= 13 Welcome to Usenet! 13.1 What is Usenet? [updated] Usenet is a distributed bulletin board system that is not limited in scope to the network of networks we call the Internet. Many on- line services, BBSs and other computing sites have newsfeeds without the benefits of FTP, Telnet, or other functions associated with the Internet. With over 15,000 newsgroups, Usenet may be the largest body of collective reasoning in the world. Almost every reasonable question gets an answer, unless those questions are asked frequently, at which point they'd be contained in this document. This document exists as both a reference point and a bandwidth- saver, in that it saves the old timers from hearing questions they have answered a thousand times before... For an excellent (and decidedly non-technical) primer on newsgroups, and the 'Net itself, check out "The Internet for Dummies" by John R. Levine and Carol Baroudi (Available from IDG Books). It's a lot of fun, pretty informative, and I don't get a nickel for saying so. And nowadays, you can't swing a dead cat in a bookstore without hitting some sort of Internet book, so do everyone a favor, and flip through one before hitting that send key. 13.2 What is a moderated newsgroup? [new] According to the Netnews Moderator Handbook: 'Moderated' means that all postings to the newsgroup go to a mail address (e.g., comp-std-unix@uunet.uu.net) instead of appearing in the newsgroup directly. The postings are then forwarded via email to a moderator, or group of moderators, or even an automated program, who decides whether to actually inject the article into the newsgroup or to reject it as not meeting guidelines spelled out in the group's charter. The main purpose of newsgroup moderation is to prevent inappropriate posts to the newsgroup. For example, moderation can prevent discussion or requests for software from appearing in groups dedicated to posting source code. It can also be used to facilitate discussions, to create a forum for announcements, to prevent repeated posts of the same information, or to cut off endless uninformative arguments. Some groups, e.g., rec.humor.funny and some source groups, also use it to control the traffic volume. 13.3 What is netiquette? [updated] Usenet is an anarchic society of people talking about things that interest them. In most societies, the best communication is achieved by speaking and acting in a civil and polite manner. This is not always the case in Usenet. However, things run more smoothly when people are civil and "play by the rules." There is a counterproductive argument which reasons "This is cyberspace... there are no rules, so fuck you for trying to foist these upon me." This argument is highly counterproductive and does nothing except piss people off. I am of the belief that netiquette exists because people before us have discovered what works well, and after all, if it ain't broke... But people will always do what they want when they have no fear... we only hope they do what's "right." Sure, it sounds "square," but playing nice gets so much more done. 13.4 How to join a Usenet group It's simple. Just start reading. Read for a couple weeks. This is called "lurking." Feel the place out. Find out what people talk about, see who's who. Every Usenet group has experts... take the time to figure out who these people are. Find a FAQ for the group and read it. Maybe the question you need answered has been answered before. After all this time, you'll make your first post, and you'll be nervous, and if you're lucky someone will answer it. Then you'll make a second, then a third... then you'll know an answer to someone else's question and *presto!* you're a productive member of a Usenet group. 13.5 Fear and Loathing @ AOL.COM Time was, this section would dissect the reasons why old timers hated posters from America On-Line (AOL.COM). Now, it seems almost quaint. But here goes: America OnLine does not seem to hold a special place in anyone's (except maybe Steve Case and its subscribers') heart. Since the PC explosion, people who have no prior computer experience have been flocking to this magical place called "Internet." However, some shrewd entrepreneurs realized that the 'Net operates on a strange language called UNIX... and novices (read paying customers) are intimidated and go away. This difficultly has long kept the Internet a haven for techno- savvy college students and researchers. A hip club where computer knowledge was a prerequisite for getting in the door. However, a pretty face is being slapped on the Internet, and now all the dreaded "visitors from New Jersey" are arriving by the busload via some place called "America OnLine" The problems began when people who had no prior computer experience started treading all over "hallowed ground" -- speaking loudly and being obnoxious. As it happened, many AOLers -- drunk with the notion of "surfing the net" -- haven't taken the time to read this document (or others like it) or pay attention to the "Tips of the Day" that the AOL staff posts before you can enter the newsgroup area. (If you're from AOL, pat yourself on the back for checking this out...) With a quick click of the OK button, many AOLers just join the fray and make fools of themselves.. almost begging net.denizens to hate them. Now, you may not be this way, but your predecessors were, so AOL (along with many other on-line services) has gotten a pretty bad name. A reader adds this figure: Look at it this way: 1,000,000 AOL users. 25% of them read news.announce or a faq or something, That leaves 75% of them clueless. Say half of them each post two stoopid "Hey d00dz, I needz the kewl warezzzzz" messages. That's 750,000 lame messages. And since everyone wants to talk about SEX, our groups often are the first ones to get killed. Hey, that's enough to piss anybody off. :-) His advice: Realize that the Usenet has it's own ethos, culture and consciousness that was around long before AOL came on line. AOL, or any other .com service, doesn't OWN the net, rather they are accessing it like anyone else. Don't complain "I pay for this, therefore I don't want to see this" - it's an anarchy, and the fact that you have to pay per hour for access doesn't mean shit. 13.6 What's a newbie? Is that bad? A newbie is a person who is new to the 'Net. It is not bad in and of itself, I mean, you have to be new before you can be old, right? However, there are some things you can do to make being new not so bad. While some people use the term as a epithet, most people use it to describe someone new. For instance, take the time to lurk around a group (read things for a week or so, but don't post to get the feel for what is going on). Catch the scene, then post. It's kinda like being a freshman again. In a few years you'll rule the school, but at first, you'll feel pimply and awkward. Fortunately, things happen much faster here. You'll be an old-timer in a matter of months. You'll probably see reference to this document, and you'd get it and read all about us, and feel good knowing what you're in for. If you don't see a reference to this document, then this sentence is quite rather a paradox, isn't it? ================================================================= 14 What else is there to know? [updated] A few things will help you on your way down the Usenet highway. Here are some things mentioned in the document Request For Comment 1855 that you may find helpful: In NetNews parlance, "Posting" refers to posting a new article to a group, or responding to a post someone else has posted. "Cross-Posting" refers to posting a message to more than one group. If you introduce Cross-Posting to a group, or if you direct "Followup-To:" in the header of your posting, warn readers! Readers will usually assume that the message was posted to a specific group and that followups will go to that group. Headers change this behavior. Read all of a discussion in progress (we call this a thread) before posting replies. Avoid posting "Me Too" messages, where content is limited to agreement with previous posts. Content of a follow-up post should exceed quoted content. Send mail when an answer to a question is for one person only. Remember that News has global distribution and the whole world probably is NOT interested in a personal response. However, don't hesitate to post when something will be of general interest to the Newsgroup participants. Check the "Distribution" section of the header, but don't depend on it. Due to the complex method by which News is delivered, Distribution headers are unreliable. But, if you are posting something which will be of interest to a limited number or readers, use a distribution line that attempts to limit the distribution of your article to those people. For example, set the Distribution to be "nj" if you are posting an article that will be of interest only to New Jersey readers. If you feel an article will be of interest to more than one Newsgroup, be sure to CROSSPOST the article rather than individually post it to those groups. In general, probably only five-to-six groups will have similar enough interests to warrant this. Consider using Reference sources (Computer Manuals, Newspapers, help files) before posting a question. Asking a Newsgroup where answers are readily available elsewhere generates grumpy "RTFM" (read the fine manual - although a more vulgar meaning of the word beginning with "f" is usually implied) messages. Although there are Newsgroups which welcome advertising, in general it is considered nothing less than criminal to advertise off-topic products. Sending an advertisement to each and every group will pretty much guarantee your loss of connectivity. If you discover an error in your post, cancel it as soon as possible. DO NOT attempt to cancel any articles but your own. Contact your administrator if you don't know how to cancel your post, or if some other post, such as a chain letter, needs canceling. If you've posted something and don't see it immediately, don't assume it's failed and re-post it. Forging of news articles is generally censured. You can protect yourself from forgeries by using software which generates a manipulation detection "fingerprint", such as PGP (in the US). Expect a slight delay in seeing your post when posting to a moderated group. The moderator may change your subject line to have your post conform to a particular thread. Don't get involved in flame wars. Neither post nor respond to incendiary material. Here are some pointers gleaned from David Harris, author of the (most excellent) freeware e-mail system, Pegasus Mail (available for anonymous FTP from risc.ua.edu in the directory /pub/network/pegasus), who has graciously allowed me to use this material of his. He retains his copyright, and I make no claims on it at all. It's his. All his. Except the funny parts. They're mine. (I'll mark them with a :-) so you remember to laugh) 14.1 What do I call my post? Every message needs a subject. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing messages in your newsreader as having "No subject" as a subject. So, title your messages, and make them mean something! * ALWAYS include a subject line in your message. Almost all newsreaders present you with the subject line when you browse the group, and it's often the only clue the recipient has about the contents when filing and searching for messages. * Make the subject line meaningful. For example, sending a message with the subject WHO'S THIS or DIRTY MOVIES is practically as unhelpful as having no subject at all. * If you are replying to a message but are changing the subject of the conversation, change the subject too - or better still, start a new message altogether. The subject is usually the easiest way to follow the thread of a conversation, so changing the conversation without changing the subject can be confusing and can make filing difficult. 14.2 What should my posts look like? * YOUR POSTS SHOULD NOT LOOK LIKE THIS. THIS IS NOT THE WAY A POST SHOULD LOOK. IF YOU MAKE A POST THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS, YOU WILL PROBABLY GET FLAMED. CAPS LOCK is the Usenet equivalent of shouting. People don't like people who shout all the time in real-life, and the same holds true here. Don't type your message in all UPPERCASE -- it's extremely difficult to read (although a short stretch of uppercase may serve to emphasize a point heavily). Try to break your message into logical paragraphs and restrict your sentences to sensible lengths. * Use correct grammar and spelling. Electronic mail is all about communication - poorly worded and misspelt messages are hard to read and potentially confusing. Just because electronic mail is fast does not mean that it should be slipshod, yet the worst language-mashing I have ever seen has been done in e-mail messages. If your words are important enough to write, then they're also important enough to write properly. * Avoid public "flames" - messages sent in anger. Messages sent in the heat of the moment generally only exacerbate the situation and are usually regretted later. Settle down and think about it for a while before starting a flame war. (Try going and making yourself a cup of coffee - it's amazing how much you can cool down even in that short a time, besides which a cup of good coffee is a great soother). If you need to vent some frustration, do it in e-mail. No one wants to read about your petty arguments. If you must argue in public, do it in the newsgroup designed for arguments: alt.flame 14.3 Who do I respond to? Communication is pretty dull if only one person does all the talking. So, we interact with each other. And, like all forms of social communications, there are some rules regarding replies. * Try to match your message length to the tenor of the conversation: if you are only making a quick query, then keep it short and to the point. * Include only the MINIMUM you need from the original message. One of the most annoying things you can encounter in e-mail is to have your original 5-page message quoted back at you in its entirety, with the words "Me too" added at the bottom. Quote back only the smallest amount you need to make your context clear. You will be hated and flamed if you do not follow this simple rule. * Use some kind of visual indication to distinguish between text quoted from the original message and your new text - this makes the reply much easier to follow. ">" is a traditional marker for quoted text, but you can use anything provided its purpose is clear and you use it consistently. * Don't reply to flames. Occasionally people will try to provoke some response by posting something like PORNO SUCKS or YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HELL. Smile and let it pass. These people crave a reaction. When they don't get one, it is amazing how fast they disappear. There is also something that has appeared recently called a "troll." A troll is a post designed to elicit mega-messages and cripple a group. The troll message is generally an innocent message plagued with inaccuracies. "Sophia Loren was in Sophie's Choice" would be a good troll. The people would point our, no she wasn't Meryl Streep was. Then the trollers would shoot back that Meryl Streep wasn't in Sophie's Choice, she was in Star Wars... and the group gets tied in knots trying to straighten out a thread that has become so twisted, it is best left to die. 14.4 Where do I put my John Hancock? Always use a signature if you can: make sure it identifies who you are and includes alternative means of contacting you (name and e- mail are usual). In many systems, particularly where mail passes through gateways, your signature may be the only means by which the recipient can even tell who you are. Keep your signature short - four to seven lines is a handy rule of thumb for maximum signature length. Unnecessarily long signatures waste bandwidth (especially when distributed to lists) and can be annoying. Some gateways trim .sigs down to three lines, so don't be surprised if you're forty line message gets chopped by the time it gets to Phoenix... or if your newsreader refuses to post your message because your .sig is too long Some mailers (and newsreaders) allow you to add random strings to your signature: this is well and good and can add character if done carefully. You should consider the following basic rules though: * Keep it short. The length of your quote adds to the length of your signature. A 5,000 word excerpt from Kant's "Critique of Pure Reason" used as a signature will not win you many friends. * Definitions of "offensive" vary widely: avoid quotes which might offend people on the grounds of religion, race, politics or sexuality. * Try to avoid topical or local quotes, since they may be meaningless to recipients in other towns, countries or cultures. * Variable signatures are usually best if they're amusing; polemical outbursts on politics or other such topics will turn most people off, but a one-liner that brings a smile can make someone's day 14.5 Mind my manners? Eat me! We were taught to be nice to people when we were young, and we all too often forget when we are old. Here are some reminders from Emily Post -- OK, OK, its David Harris again... * If you're asking for something, don't forget to say "Please." Similarly, if someone does something for you, it never hurts to say "Thank You." While this might sound trivial, or even insulting, it's astonishing how many people who are perfectly polite in everyday life seem to forget their manners on the 'Net. * Don't expect an immediate answer. Just because you don't get an answer from someone in ten minutes does not mean that he or she is ignoring you, and is no cause for offense. Electronic mail is all about dealing with your communications when you are able to do so. Plus, it may take a day or two for your message to be heard around the world. * Always remember that there is no such thing as a secure mail system. It is unwise to send very personal or sensitive information by e-mail unless you encrypt it using a reliable encryptor. Remember the recipient - you are not the only person who could be embarrassed if a delicate message falls into the wrong hands. Bullet points courtesy of David Harris. All rights reserved. ================================================================= 15 Inappropriate Postings Since there are so many groups in the Usenet hierarchy, some readers get upset when topics irrelevant to the subject at hand are posted to the group. Sometimes these messages are intentionally placed in the newsgroup to generate a flame war. other times they are posted as a means of drumming up business for a commercial venture... if they don't have to do with sex movies, they are inappropriate. There is a group devoted to the buying and selling of adult novelties (movies, etc.) called alt.sex.erotica.marketplace. You should go there if you are looking for movies to buy (or check out the section of the FAQ that deals with mail order and other purchase options for more pointers...) 15.1 Spam Any message posted to more than 20 groups is spam. Most spams are off- topic commercials. Please ignore spam or send e-mail to the poster and/or to the system administrator from which the spam was posted but do not post a public reply. If you cannot resist the urge to post a public reply, which will annoy as many readers as did the original post, please at least remove phone numbers and addresses so you don't give more publicity to the original post to which you are objecting. Many spams will be cancelled but your reply with quoted material will not be, insuring that the offensive ad remains longer than it otherwise would have. Though spam takes more system resources (diskspace) and is hated by system administrators for that reason, velveeta or inappropriate crossposting is more disruptive to newsgroups. Particularly, the posting of provocative messages to diverse or antagonistic newsgroups (e.g. alt.cat.lovers and alt.animal.haters) tends to provoke flame wars and argumentative threads that seem to go on forever. Try to ignore velveeta and inappropriate crossposts. If you respond to a crossposted message, pay attention to the groups in which it is posted and remove those in which you do not wish your reply to appear. If you don't you may find yourself flamed from a group you never heard of before. Thanks to George Shaffer for this section. ================================================================= 16 Troubleshooting 16.1 Welcome to alt.test Something's wrong. But what? Could it be your newsfeed is down? Or maybe you're doing something wrong. So, you post message to alt.sex.movies or rec.arts.movies.erotica saying TEST - PLEASE IGNORE. And you get flamed or rejected. Why? alt.test is a newsgroup dedicated to test messages. As alt.sex.movies is dedicated to discussing porn flicks, and alt.flame is dedicated to flame wars -- alt.test is dedicated to making sure your mailer works. rec.arts.movies.erotica is a moderated group, the fact that you got a rejection notice should tell you all is well. People don't want to see your test postings in their newsgroups, and this goes for any newsgroup, not just asm. So post to alt.test. And use a wacky re: line, or you'll never find your post. 16.2 Meet your Systems Administrator If you are connected to the net through a college or other large organization, you probably have more than one of these people running around. They are system administrators, and they take care of your network, and know how everything works. Seek them out. Make friends. Bring them cookies or Fritos, and they will help you out. You don't have to be embarrassed asking for help, and you don't have to say you're looking for info on porn stars. Tell them you're trying to post to rec.music.beatles, and they'll think you're just a music fan, instead of thinking you're some sort of deranged deviant who keeps a raincoat close at hand (not accurate, but it's what they'll think...) So, make friends with your SysAdmin and watch your net troubles go down the drain! And remember to say "Thank You" and "Please" a lot. And don't forget the cookies. 16.2.1 But I'm not at a college or large business! Then you probably are accessing the net though a BBS, local provider or large online service. These people have tech support help at your disposal. America OnLine, Compuserve, Prodigy and Delphi have special forums for people who are having problems, as well as having people at one end of the phone to give you a hand as you need it. Use these resources. BBSs are a potluck arrangement, so I can't comment on how their support is handled. 17 I don't have Web Access, what can I do to access some of the Web based services on the net? [updated] You're in luck! Almost every feature available to Internet users is also available to a user who only has e-mail access. The Web is no different. Pick up a copy of the following document: Accessing The Internet By E-Mail Doctor Bob's Guide to Offline Internet Access Summary: This guide will show you how to retrieve files from FTP sites, explore the Internet via Gopher, search for information with Archie, Veronica, Netfind, or WAIS, tap into the World-Wide Web, and even access Usenet newsgroups using E-MAIL AS YOUR ONLY TOOL. Finding the Latest Version -------------------------- This document is now available from several automated mail servers. To get the latest edition, send e-mail to one of the addresses below. To: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu (for US, Canada & South America) Enter only this line in the BODY of the note: send usenet/news.answers/internet-services/access-via-email To: mailbase@mailbase.ac.uk (for Europe, Asia, etc.) Enter only this line in the BODY of the note: send lis-iis e-access-inet.txt You can also get the file by anonymous FTP at one of these sites: Site: rtfm.mit.edu get pub/usenet/news.answers/internet-services/access-via-email Site: ftp.mailbase.ac.uk get pub/lists/lis-iis/files/e-access-inet.txt Or on the Web in HTML format at: http://202.41.100.93/~unicefd/dbobfram.htm 18 How to Make a Porn Flick 18.1 How can I become a porn star? Hart Williams (hartw@efn.org) makes these observations... Being a good masturbator is more important than being a stud. Why do you think so few males star for so long? It's the surest way to ruin your enjoyment of sex... and that's assuming THAT you ever get in. (Pun intended) Second: If you REALLY still think you can do it (and I've seen so many male egos implode during 'their big shot' -- it isn't pretty! -- that I can only ask you to reread the above) your best shot right now is to find someone who's making amateur tapes. You'll have to bring your own girlfriend, and you'll both be paid peanuts, but that's the way it's done these days. There are ads in the backs of many magazines, personals, etc. But, you will have a better chance in LA than NY. May God have mercy on your pole... Tim Evanson tells us that: Many gay studios and producers advertise for models and video performers in local gay newspapers such as the NEW YORK NATIVE and LA's newspaper FRONTIERS. The biweekly magazine ADVOCATE CLASSIFIED also contains many ads. Many low-budget studios and independent directors find their casts this way. Several gay porn agents often visit local clubs or special parties in their home towns and distribute their cards, which is a way in which several recent gay porn actors (Derek Cruise, Rick Bolton, Phil Bradley) were discovered. Having an agent doesn't seem to matter; gay porn stars have said in interviews in MANSHOTS magazine that sometimes just being smart is good enough, while others say agents are useful in screening out the crappy scripts and identifying bad directors/studios. Remember: Most scenes that last 15 minutes on film take from 4 to 6 hours to film, and during that time the actor MUST remain erect. Also, most gay porn is very stop-and-go as positions change, lighting changes, and camera angles change. Performers often must have sex in front of anywhere from 4 to 15 people (many of them also masturbating or otherwise aroused). Days often begin at 6 AM and continue for 18 hours or more. Sets are filthy, cold, and location shoots in homes and outdoors hard to find and often very distant from where the star lives. Few studios pay your airfare into town, your hotel room, your rental car, or food bills and rarely provide food or drinks on a set. Pressure to use drugs and alcohol is strong on a set, and sex with your co-actors after a shoot nonexistent. 18.1.1 That's not very encouraging... I really want to do it. Tell me how. It is considerably easier for females. Jim South at World Modelling is one of only two licensed agencies in the business. The other one is sort of in/out of it as I write. Long ago (late 60s, I think) two licenses were issued for this sort of talent agency, and no more will ever be (at least the Powers That Be Have So Decreed). According to people in the know, the current way to get into the biz for a female (always much easier than gents) is to first: Answer that ad in the Classifieds of most LA papers sending you to WMA. But, secondly, through amateur videos. They don't pay squat, and they now seem to comprise the "minor leagues" with the Owners looking at promising new talent. Prayer is always good. The male "stud" is the rarest of creatures. Everyone thinks that he can be one, and every producer has heard it so often that he tends to tune it right out. But, if this still does not dissuade you, let me mention the qualifications: 1. Dick size is not THAT important. The camera (and your imagination) makes them all look larger than life. But, underhung can truly be a disadvantage. Somebody named Dave Cannon made a career for himself by being the only gent that his girlfriend, Bridgette Monet -- a big star at the time -- would screw. This was his entrance (and exit, it's a 2-edged sword). The classic way in is by bringing a porn mega-babe with you. It worked for Ken (Seka's ex) and for Bud (Hypatia's hubby). 2. Also (though down the same road) through amateur shoots. But, again, the demand for males is negligible (approved plumbing is a MUST, and hard to find), and the demand for females -- while not as insatiable as in the 70's(when any girl who wanted to could) and the 80's (when any reasonably good-looking girl etc.), the business is always on the look for fresh meat. Now, I realize that you may believe your destiny is to be a porn stud, and I don't want to dissuade you, but I offer this advice: What is most necessary in the porn stud is the ability to jerk himself off (so as to come on cue). The ones I've known have privately bemoaned the hamburger it's made of their sex lives, and the fact that they're now trapped from here to eternity: always wondering if someone will see their movies. The social crap you'll take is quite a bit more hostile than that the ex-porn-kitten takes. A great trick is to find a girl to bring with you. If they drool over her, they'll accept you -- if SHE insists. But watch it... she has a way of forgetting who got her into the biz in the first place. Brandy Alexandre sez: It pays to hang out and chat in the agent's office every few days for MONTHS until he gets to know you and knows you aren't a pervert, rapist or law enforcement. Or get to know someone in the business who may eventually recommend you. Bill Majors concurs: When I moved from NYC to LA 10 years ago I tried to find talent. It wasn't until a friend actually took me to several agents and vouched for me that I was able to get talent lined up. While I guess it might be possible to break through it is much easier just to find someone in the business and ask them to give you a hand. In spite of all of our competition we are basically a friendly bunch. In the end, getting into the adult video business is really no different than going to Universal and telling them you want to star with Tom Hanks in their next feature. :-) 18.2 What's all this talk about licensed agents? Nick Long (NICKLONG@delphi.com) says: "Agents are licensed in California by the Department of Labor. Others in the biz are classed and represent themselves as managers and/or business managers, and any other associated description. An 'agent' is treated under Calif law as if they were an employment agency and have specific reporting and record-keeping requirements, as well as needing an annually renewable license and a bond. This allows an agent to collect fees for talent, deduct their fee, and pass the money along. In 'practice' it doesn't work that way. Virtually *all* talent is paid directly by the company and the agent 'bills' for his part of the service." "As in any 'licensed' status, there is no problem until the state receives a complaint about an individual, and then they will perform an investigation and proceed accordingly against an 'unlicensed' individual/company, just as they would on a complaint against an unlicensed building contractor, etc." 18.2.1 So, who are the hetero agents? Nick Long provides us with this easy to use chart. The determinations are his own, as I don't know these people... Phone numbers you can get on your own ;-) World Modeling (Jim South) Jim handles just about everybody. He is one of the two licensed agents. Pretty Girl International (Reb Sawitz) Reb is the other licensed agent. Beautiful Models International (Regan Senter) Regan is also somehow currently affiliated with National Productions. Regan has been around for almost 2 years now and does actually do some 'footwork' in getting work for his talent. He is *not* a licensed agent and has received attention in AVN during the past year+ in a negative tone, for many valid reasons. Regan actually tries to represent himself as a 'casting director' to avoid the implication of needing a license. Peter van Aarle tells me that "the reports in AVN that I remember make the guy seem like a complete sleazebag. His latest ploy seems to be having girls who want to get into the business to shoot a 'screen test' with him. This means he (or 'director' Randi Detroit) fucks them on camera, and he uses the footage in his Hollywood Starlets Adventures series." Lucky Smith I don't believe Lucky is a licensed agent, but rather a 'manager' or 'business manager' for which a license is not required. Lucky has a far better reputation and handles talent selectively, usually affiliated with top names in the biz. Hollywood Office (Hal G) Hal is an elderly, widely respected agent who handles primarily 'B' movie gals (the screamers) and he harbors a certain disdain for adult hardcore, but a few of his gals do work both sides, not to his particular liking. 18.2.2 Who are the gay agents? [new] AVN thoughtfully provided a list of agents representing gay porn performers. I cannot begin to rank them, aside from noting that David Forest seems to be pre-eminent. Here's the list, with the lead agent in parentheses: ATO Enteretainment (Joe Romero) Romero mainly represents himself and model Mark Brody. He may branch out as he is intent on leaving porn. Brad's Buddies (David Forest) Forest represents some of the biggest names around: Johnny Hanson, Ken Ryker, Tom Katt, RyanIdol, J.T. Sloan, Scott Baldwin, Sonny Markham, Josh Sterling, and Kevin Kramer. He also handles some stars for dance tours only, such as Chi Chi LaRue and Adam Hart. Con Merten Agency (Con Merten) Merten specializes in young guys. He also represents dancers who can get hard and put on a show. He has represented Alex Austin and discovered Gianfranco. He is planning a comebackfor Domino. D&D Entertainment (Dan Byers) Byers started 17 years ago, and got his start when Scott Masters and John Travis convinced him to get his stripper/dancers to do video. He has three tours of dancers on tour constantly, and represents Bo Summers, Jeff Hammond, Chad Connors, Cort Stevens, Logan Reed, Cody Foster, and Wes Daniels. He helped discover Ken Ryker. Falconi Men (Giorgio Falconi) A former porn star, Falconi represents a diverse array of men, including Chase Allen, Max Grand, Nick Manetti, Patrick Ives, Jack Simmons, Peter Phoenix, and J.D. DeMarco. He landed Chance Caldwell only half a year in the business. Jump Start Casting and Production (Raul Rodriguez) Jump Start represents Colt model Steve Kelso, and mainline stars such as Daryl Brock, Eduardo, Chad Knight, Adriano Marquez, Eric Stone, Peter Dixon, Karl Thomas, Chance Caldwell, and Danny Sommers. Red Dragyn (Fred Dragyn) A long-termer in the business, Dragyn represents young guys who have not been in the business long. He has a huge number of performers under contract. Show Boys Entertainment (Johnny Johnston) Johnston manages the "Showboys" -- David Thompson leading and choreographing, with Kurt Young and Dino Phillips (and sometimes K.C. Hart). Johnston began his business in 1988, but discovered John Holmes back in 1967. "Body, then face, then buns," he says. Southwest Management (Peter Scott) Scott discovered Tom Steele in 1988 and still represents him. Based in Las Vegas, Scott manages Hal and Vince Rockland, Blue Blake, Luc Russell, Jim Bentley, Ryan Block, Brad Hunt, Matt Badshaw, Marcello Reeves, Bryan Kidd, and Trent Reed. He's represented stars such as Grant Larson, Devyn Foster, and Travis Colt as well. He focuses on the "Falcon" look. Sports Models USA (David Crowell) Originally from Washington, DC, Crowell rerpesents Ty Fox, Derrick Thomas, Brock McKay, and Mike Branson. Steele Productions (Troy Steele) A performer and gay rights acitvist, Steele represents Erik York. He represents mostly new guys, and isn't afraid to represent men with tatoos or piercings. He likes men in their 20s and 30s, smooth, young, and butch. He often works with Italian porn companies, rerpesenting European models in America. Your Fantasy Productions (Johnny Rey) A performer himself, Rey grooms models for his Bacchus Releasing videos. He also books dance tours in America and Europe, and looks for performers who can dance as well as fuck. 18.3 Do you think I need an agent? Not necessarily, but it doesn't hurt. Nick Long tells me that "many of the managers deal with Reb and/or Jim, and they can also cut deals directly with the producers and companies. Can't speak for Lucky specifically, but I know Lucky has worked with Jim in the past. I'm sure he also deals direct." "There are also a few companies who will *not* deal with *any* agent. If they hire the gal direct through there own contacts, they will not pay any agent a fee, manager, agent, or otherwise. A lot of the gals act as 'independents' and get their own work. No, they don't get 'extra' for not being with an agent, they just prefer to make their own deals." 18.4 OK... How about getting into gay porn? [updated] This is what Tim Evanson has to tell me... Becoming a gay porn star is easy. Go to any big gay porn city; DC is one, too, cause Bob Jones Productions is here. But any big city will do, if it has a big gay population, lots of gay dance clubs or bars, and (better yet) gay strip clubs (doesn't have to be nude, just g-string will do). The key is to get to a place where someone close to the industry can find you. Many gay porn stars (like Dave York or Brad Stone, my friends in the industry) were once strippers, so it's useful if you can strip or do exotic dancing. That way, people can see what kind of dick you have, and what kind of body. And they can tell that you have ZERO problems flashing it in front of 100 people. My friend Todd tried to do porn with his 11" cock, and he couldn't. He took FOREVER to get hard (bigger guys do -- I know, my bf is 9"), and he couldn't keep it there because he was uncomfortable being watched by 10 people and having a cameraman thrust the camera into private areas of his body and having to start and stop the sex all the time so they could adjust sound, light, angle, etc. Anyway, if you strip or dance, and if you go to EVERY event where gay porn stars show (like gay pride, gay marches, gay rallies, special book signing events, AIDS fundraisers, "porn star night" at strip clubs, etc.) you will get auditioned at any rate. TALK TO THE PORN STARS! My friend Dave York got in only because he just pushed EVERYONE aside one day and talked to Blade Thompson when Blade (who is also from Montana, like me, but not from Great Falls) was stripping here in DC two years ago. The other way is to go to New York or LA and audition. Get the gay Los Angeles newspaper "Frontiers." Most B.Daltons and Crown Books and some Brentano's and Barnes & Noble bookstores will carry it, although I'm not sure if they do in Boise! :) In Frontiers, the gay porn studios advertise ALL THE TIME in the yellow "sex" pages. Go audition. It's that simple. Once you get an audition, it's common for the industry insider to ask you to come to some apartment, go into the other room, strip, come out naked, get a hard on, and masturbate to orgasm. They want to see if you can do it in front of a total stranger, for one thing. They want to see your body, what you look like naked, if you are embarrassed being naked, what your cock looks like hard, and how you cum (fast, is there a lot, does it shoot far, etc.). Then they'll tell you to clean up and get dressed. You will be interviewed as to tastes in sex (will you rim? will you bottom? will you top? will you do enemas? will you do leather? will you suck cock?) and ability to have sex and experience having sex. Then it's "see ya later!" and they will call if they like you. The infamous "casting couch" is not common in the gay porn industry, although some second- or third-rate producers will do that. (Robert Prion, anyone?) If the guy DOES want to have sex with you, it will be as himself and NOT as the industry rep. Eager performer-wanna-be's can also try breaking into the business "cold." I am acquainted with four gay porn stars who either mailed a letter and photo to a studio, or emailed a studio and attached a JPG or GIF. Although this is hit and miss (miss more than hit), it helps by-pass the strip circuit. 18.4.1 Are there any secrets to gay porn success? Tim Evanson tells me that gay porn is caught up by fads. In the early 1980s it was the muscular gym rat. In the mid 1980s, blond twinks. In the late 1980s, natural frat boy types. But almost all gay porn actors have to have a few tools: 1. Be a top and a bottom on film. Although a few actors such as Ryan Idol and Joey Stefano have made careers out of being one or the other, directors want versatility and the chance to make chemistry work between actors who've just met. That means being versatile in bed. 2. Have a dick that looks at least 7" to 8" long. Most men, of course, have cocks only 6"-6.5" long, but since the average height of gay porn stars is only 5'8", a 6.5" cock will look 7.5" long. Being uncut can help in the 1990s, but this is a fad for the most part. 3. Have 5% body fat and work out regularly to achieve extensive definition. Although many gay porn stars are VERY muscular (Tom Katt or Ryan Idol) and some still have their baby fat (Jeff Browning and Joey Stefano), for the most part gay porn stars need strongly defined and often large pectoral muscles, highly developed abdominal muscles, and strongly muscled legs. 4. Shave your body. If you are hairy, shave the hair off. If you are smooth, keep it that way. Shave your balls and shave your ass. 5. Get a strong tan. 6. Learn to moan and scream. 7. Learn to get an erection on command and to orgasm on command. The look of most gay porn stars is often the same, so don't try to stand out. Tatoos, non-standard haircuts, body piercings (even earrings), moles or birthmarks, and scars are decidedly unwelcome. You have to learn to have sex with anyone they put in bed with you, under horrible conditions, and with maybe 5 minutes to get acquainted and learn your lines. Gay porn is not pretty! It just looks that way on screen. 18.5 Do porn stars get recruited? [new] If you have dreams of being Lana Turner sitting in Schwab's and being asked to fuck Kaitlyn Ashley, think again. Mike South says: Directors, as a general rule do not recruit, they hire talent from Jim South or Reb. I am a bit of an exception here as there are no agents in the SE. The agents recruit by running ads in local tabloids and underground papers. Stories do exist, however, of cases where a director has seen a particular model on the road, in a store, or at the beach, handed over a card, and gotten a contract signed. But it is *rare*. One in particular is notorious for hanging around bus stations in LA and hitting on arriving young ladies... 18.6 How much do porn stars make? [updated] Jerry Butler in his book "Raw Talent" discussed the inequity of pay for porn actors versus actresses. He claimed that actresses made in the $1000-1500 range as their day rate, which the male actors made about a third of that, $300-500 a day. Of course, considerations for number of scenes and star power were made for the women. Rumors had Savannah making $10,000 per film and Seka allegedly wants $100,000 to do another film. Neither of these figures have been verified. Frontline's 1987 documentary of the Shauna Grant suicide, "Death of a Porn Queen" mentions that actresses got as much as $1,000 a day for making videos. Brandy Alexandre says Video performers are only paid the day they shoot the video. There are no royalties for sales or rentals, and there are no extra payments when footage is used in another feature like compilations of facial shots, or "Best of..." titles. Most movies are shot in a single day. Most of the time they are shot in twos - two movies in two days - to cut down on equipment rental costs. The men are paid between $250 and $400 a day and women are paid $300 to $700 a day. The variations depend on what is called for in the individual scenes and how many scenes you will be doing that day. Girls make much more money on the road dancing. A great number of actresses today are doing movies just to enhance their marketability as strippers. I do not have plans to go on any dance tours. I wish I could just come to your area and sign autographs at a book store or do those "chat booth" things. Those are a lot of fun. :) An adult film star who asks not be identified says: "Females make from $300 to $1000 a scene, unless they are under contract, in which case the price jumps considerably. But contract girls only work a fraction of the time of freelancers, and won't make as much in the long run. Guys make from $200-$500 a scene, unless they are under contract, etc etc. (i.e. Steven St. Croix and Jon Dough)" Jim Gunn, producer/director of the Strap-On Sally series (among others) down at Pleasure Productions has this to say: Most actresses get paid by scene. Pay anywhere from $200-1000 for a scene depending on who, what, to whom etc. Anal, D.P., Gangbangs, 'Big Stars', all get paid more. Scenes do not take all day typically. Several hours is common, and many performers are watching the clock to run to a second set that same day. Only certain contract girls may get paid per movie. Each of these deals are unique of course. Many movies are shot two at a time over a two-three day period with the relevant performers only sticking around while they have upcoming scenes. Again, this depends on the scale of the movie (big budget with acting or one- day-wonder) and the performers. Are people fired on set ever? Man you can't believe the shit that's occasionally happened on my sets. No-shows, late shows, no i.d. documents, o.d.'s on drugs (once); fistfights, etc. Not usually, but sometimes things happen. Most shoots run smooth with some performers complaining and allowances are made to accommodate people who must leave early, get special food, and the like. I'm sure that it's the same in Hollywood... It's probably safe to say that there is no set pay scale and you get what you negotiate. Tim Evanson passes this along: In gay porn, actors usually make more money than their male hetero porn counter parts. According to statements made by gay porn stars in Dave Kinnick's SORRY I ASKED, the average gay porn star in 1993 made about $500-800 per film, whether it's one scene or several. Some gay porn stars, such as Joey Stefano and Ryan Idol and Jeff Stryker, have claimed to make up to $1,500 per picture due to their star drawing power. However, problem performers often earn at the lower end of the spectrum: According to the book WONDER BREAD AND ECSTASY, Joey Stefano's drug problems depressed his salary under the $500 mark at the end of his career. Newcomer gay porn stars say that salaries for newbies in gay porn now run around $1,000 per picture, and the Adam Film World Gay Video 1997 Directory says that Ryan Idol commanded upwards of $20,000 for his last film, IDOL IN THE SKY. 18.7 How much do porn directors make? [updated] This is a tough call, and no tried and true answer holds. From what I've read, a director is given a certain amount of money to make a movie with and whatever is left over is his salary. While I would imagine he needs a minimal amount as a salary just to take the job, it probably isn't an unusual practice. Directors are usually employed in two ways: Some are on salary at studios, while others work as independents and sell their movies to studios on "spec." Although it is unclear how much directors on salary make, most "indie" directors who sell their movies on spec usually only cover their costs. 18.8 What I really want to do is direct! S. Andrew Roberts (shamu@kincyb.com), our editor behind-the-scenes, offers this perspective: It's really rather easy. Just convince a company that you can produce and direct a movie that will make them money. Get a promise that they will buy it from you when you're done. Then...hire the talent and crew. Book a location. Get a script. Actually, don't bother with a script because the talent doesn't bother learning lines much prior to the time they sit down at the make-up table. Hope to hell everybody shows up within four hours of the call time. Pray the males will get wood, keep it for an hour AND pop on cue. Then hire an editor to cut the movie and a composer to supply music for 15 minute long sex scenes. Hope to God the cameraman has actually shot SOME softcore footage or you may have a problem getting the company to accept only one version. Then... sit back and count the profits. Oh... BTW, the company will only pay you $10,000 when you deliver. If you deliver. Did I happen to mention that they want it shot and edited on Betacam SP? Think I'm pulling your leg? Think again! I had another phone call yesterday from a typical porn producer asking if I'll cut a full-length, five scene feature for $850 bucks (maybe a grand!). I've got $100,000 tied up in equipment and he's trying to convince me to work for peanuts. Want some real advice? Here it is: Forget about "directing movies." Doesn't happen in this business. A "director" is somebody who can deliver a finished movie (and I use that term loosely) on time and for a pre-determined price. Actual "directing" only gets in the way of being a hard-nosed producer capable of making impossible decisions. Start out by shooting an "amateur" and see if you can make a profit. Then try increasingly bigger projects if you find yourself liking it. Good luck! Let us know what nom de porn you will be using so we can look up the reviews in AVN! 18.9 So, maybe mainstream is not where I want to be... would you tell me about amateur? [updated] Amateur is a stepping stone for actors more than directors, but that is not to say that you're work will go unnoticed. Most jobs in the video/film industry (except at the highest echelons) are done by showing off your "reel" which is a bunch of stuff you have edited together to show yourself off -- a video resume if you will. You could use some amateur stuff to show off how well you could capture performers having sex. Tim Evanson says, "One way to break into directing is to become an amateur director, and sell your movie to a studio. Enough sales, and you could be hired! I am personally acquainted with the attempt by amateur directors VidKid Timo in New Orleans and director J.H. at Capitol Productions in Washington, DC. In these cases, the director financed, cast, filmed, and edited the films themselves. Many amateur directors first try to sell their videos via the Web, but most cannot compete at this low level of sales--or recoup their costs fast enough to keep the bill collector at bay. These two directors eventually shopped their video around to distributors, who then picked up their titles. The directors then received a portion of the profits. In other cases I know of, directors outright sold the rights to their movies for a specified amount of money (usually enough to cover costs)." 18.9.1 What kind of budgets to amateur productions have? I believe the average pro video has a budget in the 12-15,000 range. Amateur productions are MUCH less, often done on no budget and then paid $1000 or so by a company for the rights to distribute their tape. The actors and actresses usually go unpaid or get a pittance for their work. 18.9.2 What kind of equipment do I need? As far as equipment goes, a Hi-8 camera is probably best. You can buy one for under $2000. The pros use Betacam SP and one of those camera goes for about $10,000+ so you're better off going Hi-8 :-) You could also look in your Yellow Pages under Video Services and see if you could find a freelance cameraman to shoot the scene for you. However, be prepared for up to $250/day plus expenses for a pro, plus make sure you discuss UP FRONT the fact that you'll be shooting explicit sex. That may be a dealbreaker. 18.9.3 What about editing? When I was editing my post-college short vid on 3/4" U-Matic SP (cheaper than Beta) various houses wanted anywhere from $50/hr to $125/hr for an editing suite, no operator. Add another 30-50/hr for an operator who will work the dials for you. I ended up renting the equipment and assembling an edit suite in my basement. With some haggling and creative scheduling (no charge for weekends, pick up on Friday, drop off on Monday after 2nd weekend = 7 days charged for 10 days possess) I got the stuff for around $2,000. However, I have editing experience; but even with that experience, it took my the better part of those 10 days to cut 30 minutes. Of course, the project was dialog heavy and that took quite a bit of time, and I would imagine that cutting sex has to be a little more forgiving. If you look at most of the amateur stuff that is shot in someone's house, there aren't many cuts, and what cuts there are almost seem to have been done "in camera." 18.9.4 What about legal issues? Ah, the curse of the pornographer.. John Law. There are record keeping requirements that need to be strictly adhered to. These are outlined in the "Legal Stuff" part of this document. Suffice it to say that you'd better consult with an experienced attorney and be prepared to keep strict records of your performers. 18.10 Okay, so maybe directing is not the thing to do... who writes the songs that those people fuck to? [updated] Brandy sez: It's usually friends of people in the industry that have a keyboard and stuff. They get probably $300 and the music is used over and over and over (and most of the time doesn't even suit the scene.) John Stagliano and I have another person we like to use who will originally score the video. He costs a lot but I think it's worth it. We have re-used the music from time to time but only bits and pieces and we give him a few dollars more. Tim Evanson points out: Costello Presley, a mainstay in the gay porn arena, once did an interview in MANSHOTS magazine that proved highly instructive. Presley, a long-time LA studio musician, noted that most composers get about $250 per film because the director knows that the score will probably only be a rehash of themes and music heard previously in other porn films. Top-notch studios will pay more, say $500, if they have a guarantee of a totally new composition. But Presley noted that the reason why most starving artists do gay porn is that they are beginners who fiddle with themes and music and beats, and their experiments litter gay porn. It should be pointed out that most composers are keyboardists; full bands need not apply. Composers should not think that they are indispensable; producers are perfectly willing to dump a composer and just rip off some techno music. There's also an interview with porn composer Rock Hard archived in the r.a.m.e. reading room. 18.11 Well, how about some other tech job? How do I become a videographer? An editor? [new] Most studios hire videographers because the director or studio head knows the cameraman, not because the videographer is the most skilled person around. Yes, this leads to problems with framing, angle, etc. But porn is "closed" partly because studios don't want camera people spending their time drooling over the performers rather than doing their job, and partly because filming porn is such a unique process. Occasionally, a studio or director will advertise at film schools for new camera operators in order to infuse new blood into the framing, angles, shots, etc. It also keeps costs down; a 10-year porn veteran will want more money than a hungry newbie fresh out of UCLA's film school. Once in a blue moon, an independent cameraman will impress a studio with his work in porn, and get hired. But again, don't count on this as your way into the business. Most studios have their own in-house editing facilities. They also sell their services to other studios who do not have editing equipment themselves. Usually, porn is edited by an editor working alone or by the director in cooperation with the editor. The world of editing in porn is even more closed to outsiders than is photography, so don't get your hopes up! 18.12 How much can I make if I write adult movie scripts? [updated] You're assuming anyone wants to buy an adult movie script. According to Brandy Alexandre, 99% of the director's write their own scripts and if they are so inclined to buy one, they rarely pay more that $100 (if that). She also states that "Unless you want to give away your scripts there is really no one that would be interested in them. The directors usually write their own due to the poor budgets. I sold one once for $100, but that was more of a professionally courtesy between John Leslie and myself." Other advice she offers "is if you *do* want to simply see your work produced you should write the complete script, not just 'storylines and situations', make sure that the action takes place in the in a minimal number of locations, and do not 'script' a sex scene. Special actions, activity, and even clothing will get you 'filed' in no time." Jon Erikson chimes in: "To expand on that: as with any business, find out what the customer needs and wants. It would do you no good to write porno version of "Gone with the Wind" if most directors/producers couldn't even come close to doing it justice in terms of sets, costumes, etc. What directors need is not a script, but a screenplay. If you could come to me and say "Hey, we can take that idea you have, and given the studio and sets you have, do the story like this, with shots like this to convey this particular feeling, etc.". I'm sure you're aware that most porno directors leave a bit to be desired in the artistic arena, and many could use a lot of help implementing their ideas. Of course, selling that to a director is one hell of a task." I have heard from some other sources that Paul Thomas paid $250 for a treatment and then botched the script. The quote that sticks out the most in my mind is "... there's no money in it. You put up with exactly the same bullshit as the 'straight' industry, but for peanuts. Fuck that shit." Back in the just-post-golden age, Hart Williams wrote scripts for porn-Hollywood. Here's what he has to say.... When I began writing them, a script went to 30 whole pages (way down from the 80-100 page scripts of the film days) for $500, down to 13 pages (for $300), down to 10 or 11 pages (for, maybe, $200 or $150). The more I sold, the less I made, and I began to hear complaints that it was TOO LONG at that length. And, very quickly, directors' girlfriends began rewriting us, and, finally writing them without needing actual writers. I can only assume that when they broke up with their girlfriends, they just wrote them themselves, or, as J.D. used to say: "Like anybody's gonna fucking care if the boom is in the shot!" Jon Erikson says: I agree 100%. Budgets often also dictate the location, props, etc., which then dictate a lot of the script. We always generate our own scripts, which are typically designed to take advantage whatever sets we have in our studio. It's pretty tough to buy a pre-written script, and then try to gather the necessary props, sets, and locations alluded to in that script when your budget is peanuts. If we come across some inexpensive/used equipment, furniture, props, etc., you can pretty much bet our next scripts will reflect it. We're quite involved in computer 3D animation, so we can generate realistic buildings, space ships, etc. on the computer and write a script around that. One of the pleasures a director gets is having a hand in turning his idea/fantasy into a finished production. Buying a script would take much of that away. Tim Evanson says that gay porn director/producer Jerry Douglas noted in MANSHOTS magazine in 1993 that most gay porn scripts are at most 5-7 pages long. Many directors use in-laws or friends to write scripts, or do it themselves. Some low-budget studios only use outlines, and improvise dialogue or cut it out entirely in favor of "mimed" action story-telling. 18.13 Are there any books I can read about the subject of porn production? There are few books written about the porn industry and its product. Most of the list can be found at the "Legalize" Web site, so I will not redouble the list here (Instructions on how to access the Web via mail are available elsewhere in this FAQ). Some notable "academic" studies of porn follow: David Austin pointed me to the following books: Robert Stoller and I. S. Levine, COMING ATTRACTIONS: THE MAKING OF AN X-RATED MOVIE, Yale University Press, June 1993, ISBN 0-300- 05654-0, text ed., $30.00 which is an ethnographic study of the making of the video "Stairway to Paradise", and then to watch the video itself. On subsequent viewings, refer back to relevant parts of the book. Also useful is: Robert Stoller, PORN, Yale University Press, 1991, ISBN 0-300- 05092-5, $30.00 (available in many public and university libraries) Stoller, a psychiatrist and prominent gender theorist, offers chapter-length interviews with several people involved in the industry, including William Margold, Kay Parker, Nina Hartley, Merlin the S/M King and Jim Holliday. Also, check out: Annie Sprinkle's Post-Modern Pin-Ups, Pleasure Activist, ISBN 0- 9638129-3-9, Publisher : Gates of Heck 19 Backstage... 19.1 If it is so hard to be in adult movies, why do actors and actresses enter the business at all? Most are actors who didn't make it into the "big time". Jerry Butler, in his book "Raw Talent", says he got into porno so he could make a few extra bucks and get some experience in front of a movie camera. However, he didn't expect the stigma to follow him, and when it did, he found he had nowhere else to act, but in porn movies. Now Jerry's may be an extreme case. Keep in mind that it acting is very hard profession to break in to. People who go to Hollywood to find their dreams often find themselves on waiting lists for jobs waiting tables. So it is a way to act and make some pocket money. There are other reasons, too. Some are, unfortunately, supporting a drug habit; some are simply curious (as Hypatia Lee once mentioned in an interview); some figured if they were going to swing in private, why not swing in public and make a few bucks; and some just genuinely enjoy it. Thanks go to Marc for this one... 19.2 So porn stars tend to like their work? It's hard to tell. Some are very supportive of the industry, and say so on talk shows and in major interviews -- Nina Hartley, Little Oral Annie, and Ashlyn Gere, for example. Others are very vocal against the industry -- Holly Ryder, Stacey Donovan, and others. Most remain guardedly neutral -- presumably they do it because it's a job, and like most jobs they neither like it nor hate it, it's just something to do. Thanks go to Marc for this one, too... 19.2.1 Stacey Donovan hates porn? Well, let's just say she did testify in front of the Meese Commission. There were rumors she did it for the money, but by doing so, she virtually ensured herself no warm welcomes back to the porn industry. Peter van Aarle says: On that same subject: Stacey was also the subject of a week long series on Los Angeles tv-station KNBC, Channel 4 in November 1986. It was a "hard-hitting piece" called "Confessions of a Porn Queen - a Shocking Report" with the "Queen" in shadows and her voice electronically distorted (but any porn buff could easily recognize her :-) In reality the 5 part series was a piece of blatant sensationalism (par for the course for sweeps weeks, I'm told) with Stacey apparently being more than happy to tell how all the girls in the industry were being coerced. Well what can you expect from a girl who has been quoted as saying: "Yechh. I hate sex scenes. All that silly grunting and groaning, and all that messy sweat. And hey, how would you like to have to put some wrinkled-up sausage in your mouth. God knows where it's been." Roger P. Tipe says he "found the magazine with the final scathing interview from Stacey. It is in Erotic X Film Guide Aug. 1987." 19.3 Why do we always see men orgasm, but hardly ever see the women orgasm? Nick Long says: "In many cases the women are *not* aroused. It's tough to get females to respond *sensually* as well as sexually when surrounded by cameras, crew, shouting directors, cameras, light stands, hot lights, impossible positions, etc. It's just as tough for many of the guys, which is also one of the reasons there is not more variety in male performers. Many guys try, many love the thought of screwing all those gorgeous gals, but just can't cut the mustard 'on stage'." "Note the word *performers*. It's just that - *performing*..." Keep in mind that if the woman should orgasm, you will probably see it. As far as we know, no attempt is made to censor female orgasms. 19.4 How long do actors stay in the business of making videos? It varies wildly. Directors stay a long time, because it tends to be a profitable sideline. Some of the photographers have been doing the work for decades. As for actors and actresses, it depends on the person. But, by and large, hetero males stay far longer than females. Male actors stay in porn, on average, approximately ten to fifteen years. Ron Jeremy and Joey Silvera, for instance, have been in porn movies for almost two decades. Eric Edwards has made videos since the 1960's. And Randy West has been in adult videos for almost ten years. Females, on the other hand, switch very often. The average time spent in the business is a year, and it is a rare actress who stays in the business more than three or four years without some sort of hiatus. Tim Evanson passes along that Jerry Douglas, editor of MANSHOTS, recently noted that most gay porn stars make about 3 movies and then leave--which means, usually, that they last less than 6 months. Some gay actors have lasted as long as 7 years. "Stars" like Joey Stefano or Matt Gunther often stay about 3-4 years. 19.5 Do porn actors need to be members of the Screen Actor's Guild? [new] No. The Screen Actor's Guild only concerns itself with "mainstream" Hollywood movies. Porn does not subscribe to SAG rules. This is not to say that SAG performers don't appear in porn films. According to AVN, Ron Jeremy has been responsible for getting many a porn starlet her SAG card, by getting them small parts in SAG movies. There *has* been one all-SAG porn flick, The 1974 flick "Sometimes Sweet Susan" starring Harry Reems, Jamie Gillis and Craig Baumgarten, who is now a major legit movie producer. It was advertised as the first SAG-approved all-union adult movie. 19.6 Why do men last for years in the business, when women seem to last only a few months? (This answer is slanted towards hetero porn-viewers.) I think it has to do with the perception that the average het porn viewer is more interested in fresh women than fresh men. While this perception may not be accurate, it seems to be catered to by the "powers that be." Also, as has been mentioned, it is not so easy to be a male porn stud, and often some of the studs we see last only a short time because it was not what they expected... or their girlfriends told them to stop ;-) There must be a demand for new males -- I mean, it is getting embarrassing to watch a 45 year old guy having sex with someone half his age, and it's not so appealing -- but most of the directors feel that the main focus of the videos are the females and they care little who the males are. There are some new faces, but for every Tony Tedeschi, there are 20 one shot wonders. Statistically, I would bet that 95% of the movies out there have at least one of the following actors: Ron Jeremy, Randy West, Joey Silvera, Mike Horner, Marc Wallice or Peter North. That's only six actors and they're in almost every movie. Thanks go out to Marc (again!) for this one... 19.7 How do you know when a performer has retired? To paraphrase critic bill caits, "the only porn stars who officially have retired are dead." Thanks to AFW editior Jeremy Stone for this one... 19.8 Are there actors turned directors? [updated] Sure are. While some actors supplement their income by directing the occasional feature (Derrick Lane comes to mind), others quit acting to concentrate solely on directing. John Leslie, Paul Thomas and Eric Edwards are perhaps three of the best known actors to make this transition. Joey Silvera is starting to cross over, as is Jon Dough. Ron Jeremy is also very accomplished, having directed 150+ video so far... Steve Drake has also directed a handful of movies, and Randy West has now branched out into production and directing with his "Up 'n' Cummers" amateur series. On the actress side, Candida Royalle stands out as being one of the first females having made the transition from acting to the production end. That's not to say that other actresses haven't directed as well, they just didn't quit acting to do it. Brandy Alexandre is the proud title holder of "only woman to act, direct and produce her own videos" (Cheeks 5: Cop a Feel and Best Butt(e) in the West). Sharon Kane and Sharon Mitchell have also stepped behind the camera at one time or another. Some female performers have teamed up with their Sos and produced some successful videos: Teri Diver and SO Tom Elliot; Britt Morgan and SO Jace Rocker; Bionca and ex-SO Bruce Seven; Ona Zee and SO Frank Zee; and Gail Force with (SO?) Jim Powers... Tim Evanson says that "more and more gay porn actors are also going behind the camera. One of the best known and the first to do so were Kristen Bjorn in the late 1980s and Gino Colbert in the early 1990s, but now Karl Thomas, Sam Abdul (who owns Forum Studios), Chip Daniels (who owns Minotaur), Johnny Rey (who owns Bacchus Releasing), Jamie Hendrix (who owns Hendrix Productions), Levvy Carriker, and Christopher Robin are also lensing porn films. Falcon Studios has even set up a "school" for gay porn directors, and many gay porn actors try their hand at this program." 19.9 How long does it take to make a adult video? Brandy Alexandre says: The average movie is shot in one day. Often two or three videos are shot in two days to save on costs so the directors can pocket more money out of the budget (highly common practice). Depending on how long the editor takes to put it together -- usually three or four days -- the movie can be on the market as soon as the box cover is shot and the art is done. Of all the aspects to making a video the box takes the longest. A recent issue of SAVAGE MALE (devoted solely to the making of gay videos THE OTHER SIDE OF ASPEN 3 and 4) notes that most gay porn films are filmed in about 2 days, with big-budget productions like TOSOA 3 and 4 taking over a week to make. 19.10 How long are porn scripts? S. Andrew Roberts, an editor out there in pornland, says that some of the scripts for the features by Fantastic Pictures are four pages long. "If I'm lucky, someone will actually include the script in the box with the camera masters. If I'm very, VERY lucky, the performers will actually utter words similar in meaning to those written in the script... I don't often count on it..." Tim tells me that Douglas' co-authored script for the award-winning Studio 2000 film TAKE DOWN in 1993 was printed in MANSHOTS magazine. In printed form (with photos) it ran only 7 pages. Several paragraphs of directorial instructions were included. The film was noteworthy for being dialogue-heavy, so TAKE DOWN should be read with that in mind. 19.11 Sales and other related figures... Bill Majors, a producer himself, is best suited to field this one: I will have to divide this into a couple of areas. First, for the past 4 years I have NOT been in the adult sex area, but have stuck to fetish since I KNOW that market and am one of the leaders in it. In our fetish market a sale of 1,000 units in the first year is average. In the hard core field an average sale might be between 1,000-2,000 units. Of course this is an average. 19.11.1 What is considered a big success? In bondage and fetish anything over the 1,000 units. I for example have some tapes that have sole 3,000 units. In the hard core field that is tougher to say, anything over 12,000 units is probably a BIG success. 19.11.2 What's the all time best-sellers? Well Ninn's "Latex" seems on its way there, The John Wayne Bobbit ("Uncut") tape sold in excess of 50,000 units and is the biggest seller of this time period. 19.11.3 After completing a project how much would a producer receive from a distributor? I assume they sell all rights and raw footage. [updated] Actually, this assumption is wrong. Very few producers just produce something and try to sell it. Rather many do it on a budget. Sometimes the budget includes their work, and other times their cut is an add-on. Sometimes they sell all rights, other times they will reserve foreign rights and keep the raw footage. Sometimes two videos are made from one shoot, and/or a sequel. Each deal is very unique and unusual. The average deal seems to be that in the world of hard core you can expect to reap a reward of between 1,000-10,000 bucks depending on reputation, budget, etc. The most dangerous way to make a video is to foot all expenses yourself and expect to sell it and/or self distribute it. It is such a funny business that I, for example, still have two hard core features that were shot and paid for, but never distributed. I don't even know WHO owns them now. Do I, for their storage fees, does the original producer who paid cash for the productions, etc.? In the fetish area a full payment of 1,000-2500 is the total one can pretty much expect, unless you enter a royalty deal, and then the problem is getting an honest count. We should add that the November, 1996 AVN reports that once a tape is distributed, re-selling the rights for comps is also possible. Any tape older than 2 years old is usually considered "catalog" and can be sold for around $500 as comp footage. 19.11.4 How much does a distributor wholesale the video to a retailer for? Ah, the heart of the business. First you have two levels of distribution. Often the producer or company that owns the film is also a manufacturer and distributes their own and other products into the marketplace. The marketplace is very funny now. Some things go out at a total cost of $3-4 bucks. I don't see how they can make any money but they do. Many others go out at $11 from the manufacturer, the distributor tags on a "nickel" (5 bucks) and the store another "nickel" and that seems to be the average story. Fetish tapes still seem to go out at about $18 which is why there are so many folks trying to enter this business, but they don't understand how to do it, and therefore usually have disappointing sales after their first few. (new names, and titles always seem to have a better than average sale) After Tim Evanson spoke with several distributors, he reports that "it seems that the prices for gay porn--while often comparable at a wholesale level--also can rise much higher than het porn prives. For example, Falcon appears to wholesale its films to retailers at prices in the $30-$50 range, prices unheard of in het porn." 19.11.5 Perhaps you could differentiate between amateurs and features - shot on video or shot on film. Bottom line - where's the profit made! Bottom line, profit is VERY hard to make in this business today. Most of the majors (myself included) are restructuring, trying to maximize profits, lower costs, etc. Amateurs and features, well there just is NO comparison, and while I did produce 50 (next door neighbors) amateur videos I did so when we were able to get 15 bucks each. Today the usual price is about 5-8 bucks out the door. As for shot on video vs. film... some producers still use film. Why? Well in the European market they like film, and also they are looking to the future and hoping that the extra quality of film will result in greater sales in the future. RT01R What frustrates an editor most? S. Andrew tells us it's not all fun and games on a porn shoot: "...when a the "director" spends most of his time trying to get the dialogue just right. Never mind the story makes no sense. Never mind the story, at best, looks like a wrap-around for a bunch of sex scenes that have no relation to the story other than the fact the same characters are in them. There's rarely enough footage to cut the now required soft-core version. And the sex scenes are so choppy with directors trying to "direct" the action that it's damn hard to associate two shots together smoothly. Tim interjects: soft core versions of porn movies do not exist in the gay porn world. Soft core cable channels like Spice and Playboy do not have gay counterparts. Gay porn also tends to be labelled obscene more often due to its homosexual content than do heterosexual films, and so chains like Tower Records and video stores often will not carry it (even if soft core) like they will hetero porn. Back to Andy... Often there's so much off-camera direction that much good footage is rendered unusable. Examples like the director saying something profound like: "Transition now!" or the cameraman who'd rather interrupt a woman's orgasm to tell her to move her hand because it's blocking his close-up of her pussy, (Never mind that he could just as easily shift slightly to one side to get the clean shot or that the hand that's blocking her pussy from his camera is the hand that's rubbing her pussy furiously in order for her to have that orgasm. Never mind that what he really should be shooting is her beautiful face in the throes of an orgasm.) or the video tech who yells out during the middle of a shoot/pan/zoom/or other very artistic camera move: "IRIS!" blowing the concentration of everybody including the talent. After all that, I'm lucky if the real raw footage ratio of sex is 1 1/2:1. Unfortunately, when the director asks the cameraman how much footage he's shot, none of those factors are considered and consequently I'm usually inundated with far too much good shots of dialogue and far too little good sex. *I* for one know that first and foremost, I;m making a sex movie and try to concentrate my efforts on making the best sex scenes from what I have to work with. 19.13 I have a dickens of a time knowing who's who in a porn film. Why can't everyone put a picture to a face like Rinse Dream did in Party Doll a-Go-Go? [updated] Brandy says: One of the reasons movies are so bad, in my opinion, is that there is not one person who sees the project through from beginning to end. The writer is never involved in the shoot and neither is the editor. And the director rarely participates in editing, he just delivers the camera masters. So it's up to the editor to know who is who or just throw up the names. S. Andrew concurs by saying: That's pretty close to the truth. I'd like to think I'm a rare breed of editor who not only likes to research what the accurate stage names are but also try to place both the name and the performer's image on the screen at the same time so that new actresses are correctly identified. I also enjoy creating a title sequence to run the opening credits over. I feel it lends a movie much more production value than just running credits over a colored background. The movies that have openings I'm most proud of are: Brooklyn Nights, Odyssey Group Guess Again, Fantastic Pictures The Ultimate Squirting Machine, Fantastic Pictures Tim says that putting faces to names in opening or closing credits is a fairly common occurrence in gay porn. Although a trend among some low-budget studios and producers has been to stop doing this, for the most part gay porn films routinely contain such credits. 19.14 Why is the sound so bad? T.H. Royal tells me that the budget, (or the lack of it) is the main problem. "The only way to mic a video or movie set is with a boom mic or wireless body mics. Obviously the latter present some unique problems in porn. And, [as was pointed out before] you just can't hand the lunch man a mic boom [and expect he would know how to work it properly]. Knowing how to boom a set requires knowledge. What is the best microphone for the acoustic conditions, where to place the mic for best audio and how to avoid boom shadows. Post-production fix-up work is possible, but unlikely. "A lot can be done in post if you take the time and effort. But again that equates to budget. The problem with porn production today, with few exceptions, is that your biggest budget line item is 'Lunch at McDonalds!'" 19.15 How do you shoot and/or edit softcore footage? S. Andrew Roberts, our editor in the field, tells us that while it's theoretically true that a second camera, positioned slightly differently from the "main" camera could conceivable capture soft- core footage at the same time, many variables come into play that usually spoil the added effort and expense. 1. Most sets are rather intimate. Small if you prefer. This is because the available stages are rather small overall and a variety of sets is required for each shoot. Thus the sets are small. On top of that, the area occupied by the performers is typically small, usually just a bed or sofa. Considering all that, there isn't much room for the main camera and a guy holding the "C" light and a guy with the microphone boom let alone an extra camera. 2. IMHO, there's only ONE good position for a camera to be in given a particular position of the performers. The second camera is relegated to a lousier shot. Worse yet, often times, BOTH cameras are capturing the SAME image. Or...both cameras are capturing hard-core footage because each feels that the best available shot at the moment. This is all because there's no communication between each cameraperson and the director. Since the director is likely to be onstage just outside the camera's view, he is not going to bother to talk each camera into any particular angle since anything said by him will be picked up by a microphone not far away. To move the director off the stage and into a sound proof room would also require a communications system which would add extra cables to each camera and yet another cost to ever shrinking budgets. 3. On a typical two-camera shoot, as one camera is in position capturing an image, the other camera is moving to a different position so as not to be in the way of the first camera and to attempt to get a different image. The result of this is almost constant noise on the set as people reposition themselves. If that's not bad enough, there is an added person who will also try to control the actions and movement of the performers by speaking at inappropriate times. The result is a soundtrack problems, ignored during the shooting with the usual solution: "We'll fix it in post." Well...I can't fix it in post because there is less good sound to work with and more instances where it's needed. 4. Some additional technical problems also arise during two camera shoots. Often, the camerapeople hired have their own cameras and each camera's video, chroma and hue levels have drifted to vastly different settings. No porn shoot hires a video technician with remote camera control units to adjust and maintain levels nor do they balance the cameras together on industry standard reference charts and dolls. The result is usually tapes that have different levels that may or may not be able to be matched in post. Guys like me who spend big bucks on extra playback decks, Time Base Correctors and Color Correctors can usually match levels reasonably well, but editors without these necessary components usually turn out products where the colors change at each edit point. Additionally, nobody bothers to lock the time code generator of one camera to the time code generator of the other camera. Thus, it's impossible to lock tapes together so that one can dissolve from one tape to the other at the correct time. Occasionally, you can find dialogue, noises or body movements to sync the tapes but the moment one tape pauses, the sync is broken and had to be manually reset. PAIN IN THE ASS! 5. The producers refuse to pay extra for editing even though I have twice as much footage I must sift through. They think the extra footage is a favor. It's not! It makes for more work and more fixes left to the editor. (Yes, this last reason is a very personal indeed and not objective at all.) Some instances are made for two cameras. Multiple-girl gang bangs come out much better because there is action occurring simultaneously all over the set and one camera cannot possible capture it. That leads to a much longer shoot to get the necessary footage of all participants and the performers are usually losing energy long before sufficient footage is shot. Multiple cameras are best used in situations where the performers do not move around the set and the cameras can be locked-off on tripods. Bill Majors shoots his bondage videos very successfully in this manner. 20 Definition of Terms: Porno v. Just Plain Naked It is important at this point to discuss the difference porno films and nudity. Many actors and actresses have appeared nude in films. So many so, that there is a whole book devoted to chronicling their appearances. The book is called The Bare Facts, and there is more information on it elsewhere in the FAQ. Porno movies, on the other hand, have brought forth no major stars. Only Traci Lords and Ginger Lynn Allen have successfully broken out of the porno world and into the mainstream, even if the mainstream is a series of straight-to-video movies and the occasional fringe TV appearance. Readers have mentioned that Leena seems to be making some headway. She is a model for some skin cream and made an appearance on Howard Stern. She's also in a Taco Bell commercial and appeared in "Sherman Way," a Showtime TV series. Also, a gay theatrical play called "Making Porn," which features Rex Chandler has been making the rounds. And yes, it is about the gay porn industry. Word is his acting really sucks. Peter van Aarle adds: True, in fact hardcore actress status is usually a bad thing for any later mainstream career. Case in point: Annette Haven was originally cast to play the female lead in Brian depalma's Body Double. But then Columbia found out how x-rated she was (and they were a subsidiary of Coca-Cola who felt it wasn't right for their image) and that was that. In fact Annette now states she is happy she didn't do it since originally the script called for a 'simple' stabbing murder. Annette signed the contract and then DePalma changed it to that power drill stuff, and as Annette says "I was actually very relieved when Columbia put the nix on me. I didn't really want to be in a film with gory violence". Other adult stars have appeared in mainstream work (Ron Jeremy seems to be popping up in cameo roles lately, notably The Chase and Kiling Zoe, and Ashlyn Gere was on The X-Files this season) though their involvement in the X-rated world generally prevents them from becoming huge stars anyway. Other examples of non-crossover is Teri Weigel. She appears in a few episodes of Married with Children, then goes hardcore. According to an interview she gave to the tabloid TV show "Hard Copy," Married with Children doesn't even know her anymore. Why? Because she's on film sucking dick. Some say it's the tease and the whore syndrome. Prance around suggestively, and you're cast. Actually follow through, and don't call us, we'll call you... Besides, they are stars in their own right in the porn world, and in Hollywood, they're just day players. Tim Evanson says: Gay porn stars seem to have a harder time in obtaining mainstream work than heterosexual porn stars do. Although many gay male porn stars began their modelling career in muscle magazines or for PLAYGIRL, returning to the modelling or acting world has proven difficult. Exceptions are relatively few: Brian Buzzini is a bisexual male who modelled for PLAYGIRL but later became a model for Calvin Klein and for Cool Water cologne. The late Joey Stefano appeared in Madonna's book SEX, and gay porn actor Randy Mixer has appeared on several billboards advertising upscale department stores on LA's Rodeo Drive. Occasionally, gay porn stars will appear in untitled photos in muscle magazines such as EXERCISE--FOR MEN ONLY and MUSCLE AND FITNESS and MEN'S WORKOUT. But for the most part, true acting jobs and long-term modelling contracts are rare indeed. Quickly, let me just talk about a notable exception: Caligula. Caligula was made in the late 70s/early 80s by Bob Guccione, publisher of Penthouse. He got quite a few famous people (Malcolm McDowell, Sir John Gielgud, Peter O'Toole) to act in his movie about the depraved Roman emperor. Later, after principal shooting was done, he added hardcore scenes which the "famed" talent had nothing to do with. In fact, after he released the hardcore version, the famed people all rather horrified and tried to distance themselves from the project. So, while they were in a movie which contained hardcore footage, I do not consider them to have been in a porn movie, as they (a) did not participate in the action; and (b) probably were not aware that it was going to be hardcore. So, to recap, no major stars have done porno. Many have appeared nude, but none have been caught fucking on an intentionally produced for mass distribution tape. (I use that phrase because, as you will see, a few stars' private home moves have gone public.) 21 Backstage Issues 21.1 Have any New York Times best-sellers ever been made into adult films? As far as I know, only one: 1975's Naked Came the Stranger. William George Ferguson says: The (X-rated) movie was the rights-purchased, official movie version of the book. The book had made the New York Times bestseller list before it was revealed that Penelope Ash was actually a group of Newsday writers doing a parody (the one female member of the group posed for the back cover author's photo). After the revelation, the book reached number 1 on the NYT bestseller list. This is, as far as I know, the only example of a true best selling book having a hard-core porn movie as its official movie version. 21.2 Does the porn industry have an awards show? Yes it does. The Adult Video News (AVN) awards are held every January during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Categories include the standard performance categories (Best Actor, Actress, Supporting roles, Director, Picture) in both Film and Video subcategories. There are also awards for best sex scene, best three way, etc. Although AVN has categories for gay porn that have recently been greatly expanded. In 1984 and 1985, the Gay Producers Association also hosted awards and the X-Rated Critics Organization hosted gay porn awards from 1985 through 1991. However, the most important gay awards show is the gay-only Gay Video Guide Awards, or "Dickies," presented every year in Los Angeles by the magazine Gay Video Guide. 21.3 Where can I meet pornstars? [new] There are a number of video award shows and fan meet-and-greet events throughout the year. Also, since a lot of the girls do dance tours, you might be able to meet them one at a time in your local club. But the major shows, there are three or four. 21.3.1 The Winter Consumer Electronics Show [new] This show is an industry only event (where "industry" ranges from video store owner on up) that is usually scheduled in the first week or two of January in Las Vegas. Adult video companies set up their own show nearby the regular show pavillion where a video store owner could walk around, get autographed posters for their shops, pictures with the stars (clothed) and other video swag. The Adult Video News Awards are held during Winter CES. 21.3.2 Adult Video News Awards [updated] The best place for information about the AVN shows is AVN itself, or the AVN web site at http://www.avn.com Well, if next year's is like this year's (and it probably is) then write to: Address: 1997 AVN Awards Show 6700 Valjean Avenue Van Nuys, CA 91406 Tel: 1-800-521-2474 or 1-310-842-7450 FAX: 1-310-842-7454 Credit card orders by phone: (800) 521-2474 The award show historically happens during Winter CES in las Vegas. 21.3.3 Gay Video Guide [updated] The GVG Erotic Gay Video Awards, the "Dickies", are open to the public on a first-come first-served basis. Tim Evanson passes this along: Tickets for the GVG Awards are advertised every year in the local LA newspapers and at LA porn stores, bookstores, and other locales. They are offered nationwide if you have access to "Frontiers," LA's gay newspaper. The event's location varies from year to year, but is usually in a downtown LA hotel. Tickets are usually $25-$200. The event is black tie and occurs in December. The event is now in its fifth year, with donations being made to AIDS charities. In 1996, the proceeds of the show went to benefit Being Alive/Los Angeles, Continuum HIV Day Services in San Francisco, and Special Delivery in San Diego. Sabin, the show's producer, and said the auction items alone raised almost $5,000 in 1996 with perhaps as much as $60,000 more to come once final totals are made from the other fund-raisers at the show. In 1995, $60,000 was donated to "Aid for AIDS." 21.3.4 F.O.X.E. (Fans of X-Rated Entertainment) [updated] F.O.X.E. is a fan group, and they sponsor a number of fan meet-and-greets,culminating in the F.O.X.E. Awards Show. The 7th F.O.X.E. Awards Show is being held on Sunday, Feb. 16, 1997. You have to be a member of F.O.X.E. to attend the show. Any questions about the show (or future events) should be directed to the F.O.X.E. hotline at (213) 656-6545. Peter van Aarle tells me that the show is officially called the F.O.X.E. Fan Favorite Awards... FOXE members can enter ballots to choose their "favorite male", "favorite female" and "favorite vixen" (=new female performer). Last year, tickets were $40 apiece (or $100 for 3). To become a member ($25 to join), the address of FOXE: F.O.X.E. 8231 Delongpre Ave. #1 West Hollywood, CA 90046 They also have a web site (thought it hasn't been updated in quite some time) at: http://www.cydult.com/zog/foxe.html 21.3.5 East Coast Video Show [new] The East Coast Video Show is also an "industry only" sponsored by ExpoCon. Traditionally, the show takes place in Atlantic City during the first week of October. The best place to find detailed and correct scheduling information is their web site, http://www.expocon.com. The ECVS hosts a large adult video section cordoned off from the main show. There you'll have a series of cramped booths with a porn starlet or two signing autographs and posing for pictures. The last couple years, the Free Speech Coalition has sponsored a meet-and-greet during ECVS. 21.4 Award Winners... [updated] 21.4.1 Adult Video News Awards [updated] The lists of AVN award winners from 1994 - present can be found at the Adult Movie FAQ web site at http://www.rame.net/faq/avn 21.4.2 Gay Video Guide Awards [updated] The lists of GVG award winners from 1994 - present can be found at the Adult Movie FAQ web site at http://www.rame.net/faq/gvg 21.5 Who owns the porn studios? Blowfish says: As in most businesses, there are several tiers of distribution. For example, most of the major manufacturers service large accounts themselves, and pass smaller accounts onto distributors such as General Video (which is actually a franchise; each regional GVA branch is more-or-less independently owned). Some manufacturers, such as VCX, service smaller accounts directly. Distributors are also involved in the production. For example, Bay Management, the holding company that owns the GVA-West franchise, also manages adult movie stores in the Bay Area, owns Sin City, the producer, and Profit Pak, a magazine repackaging operation. 21.6 Why do porn babes wear shoes all the damned time? In almost all the sex scenes, the women are completely naked except for their shoes. The big main reasons that actresses almost universally wear high heels are: (1) they make legs look sexier by accentuating the curve of the calves; (2) to appeal to shoe fetishists, and (3) (this is probably the most important practical reason) because soundstages are dirty places with cold concrete floors and the actresses want to keep their feet clean and warm. Someone actually asked Ashlyn Gere, a popular video actress, why this was in an interview. She said, quite simply, that the floors are dirty and most of them didn't want to step on anything sharp. True or not, that's what she said. This is becoming a topic of debate lately. Certain factions feel that the floors of porn studios can't be that dirty, and Ron Jeremy walks around in bare feet... Others say the studios are that dirty. Bill Majors jumps into the fray by stating that "the stages are NOT all that dirty. However, they ARE all that dangerous. Nails, wires, tacks, staples, etc., are often to be found about, and one never can keep it clean. Why? Well, if a show is shot on several sets then there is always movement, set dressing, and such. If a lamp falls and breaks, while it is swept up, there is often no time to vacuum, and/or mop, and so being shoeless is really not a good idea. However, I do believe that your first reason about the shape, etc., is the real reason." There is a picture floating around of Nikki Charm and Wayne Summers, and the bottoms of Nikki's feet are clearly seen, and they are FILTHY. (Picture at http://www.rame.net/faq/support/nikkifeet.html) So, who knows? The fact that the shoe thing persists pisses off bare foot fetishists everywhere. They say the dirt should be sacrificed for their kink. Maybe they're right. You decide. 21.7 Is my dick smaller than a porn star's? Hart Williams observes: Generally, most male penii in porn run about the same general size. For years, I heard "They're ENORMOUS!," but with a few exceptions (Holmes, Jeremy, Long Dong Silver [fave of Justice Clarence Thomas], almost all are 'a little bigger than average' (whatever the hell that means -- an actress told me). On the set, they were not intimidating, else this author is the same size and missed his calling -- and he doubts it, sincerely. Tom Byron, for instance, looks enormous, but he's pretty much the same size as anyone else. But, in his early days, he was a sub-6-foot male, and skinny, and it looked HUGE (this was a question from several early female fans of the biz). Paul Newman is about 5'6" or 7", and Alan Ladd was standing on an apple crate in "Shane," else the actress was in a ditch. This being the case in the "Real Movies," it shouldn't be too great a leap to understand it's true in porn, too. Most males haven't seen another man erect close up, and the picture gives you no frame of reference as to the size of the actors, height-wise or pecker-wise. Back in the movie days, a monster shot of a spurting one-eyed- wonder-worm could be ten or twenty feet high on the screen. Talk about no frame of reference.... If you're worried about comparisons, a good way to judge is to look at the guys hands when they grab their own dicks, and compare it to yours. Most guys hands are about the same size, so you could use that as a frame of reference. Tim Evanson, my reporter on the gay scene says: The average gay porn star's height is 5'8". Thus any penis that looks 8" on film is probably only 6.5" or 7" in real life. Famous gay porn stars with "enormous" cocks are, really, much smaller: NAME PURPORTED SIZE REAL SIZE Jeff Stryker 10" 7.5" Ryan Idol 9" 7.0" Scott O'Hara 12" 9.0" Alex Carrington 10" 8.0" BJ Slater 11" 9.0" Kris Lord 12" 8.0" Often, gay porn stars clip their pubic hair or shave it entirely, enhancing the appearance of size. Most also shave their testicles, which enhances size as well. Several use a "cock pump" to enhance vascularity and size temporarily before oral sex or anal penetration. Many stars also use cock rings of leather or steel to enhance erections and trap blood in the penis -- causing a larger look. Also, do not compare the "realistic" dildos often marketed as "modeled from Jeff Stryker's own penis" (the most famous examples being the Jeff Stryker, Kris Lord, and Foot Long Sean Davis models) to real penis size. Firms purposefully enlarge these dildos (so says my friend, who worked as a graphic artist at one). Another poster concerned with non-subjectivity recalls: Masters & Johnson and some other firm had each done penis studies in the 1970s... this data comes from his recollection of those studies... The penis is correctly measured from the top, i.e. get an erection, place the ruler in the V formed by the top of the penis and the pubic bone, swing the penis through 90 degrees from vertical to horizontal, noting the angle at which the penis extends furthest along the ruler. Measure to the adjacent perpendicular point to the tip... There were two averages. One study gave 5.5 inches (14 cm) the other 6.5 inches (16.5 cm). The scientists/ doctors were surprised as the samples were quite large (numbers I mean not the penises in question). They should have yielded closer results. 21.8 Where can I buy a pair of tits that big? This is a very frequently asked question, and I think we all wish that it had a frequently quoted answer. The increased bust size, more commonly known as the fake tit, is an increasing trend in adult entertainment. Many go-go dancers get the implants because it will net them more money on the runway. Porn stars are another story... Porn stars are now starting to use movies to promote their dance tours. A porn flick can guarantee a good return at the dance club box office, and in return, raise your fees. Savannah was about to get $5,000 for a week's worth of dancing at a club, if she hadn't shot herself first. Compared to the salaries for shooting movies outlined earlier in our FAQ (up to $1000/day usually less) it's not a bad take. 21.8.1 So do people like fake tits? There is a bit of backlash against fake tits in the industry with Jim Holliday's feature Real TIckeTs, featuring all natural stars, and Alex Jordan's production company Realistic Pictures who insisted on using real breasted women in their productions. It appears that the "real tit" movie is just becoming another niche market... Even though there are actresses who refuse to get implants, it does not seem to stop the flood of people getting them... Of those actresses that have had breast surgery, it is generally agreed upon that saline implants are much more desirable than silicone, not only for the medical reasons, but saline has a more realistic bounce. For an example of saline tits, check out the new, arguably improved, Sierra. For an example of bad silicone, check out Mona Lisa, Kelly Jaye, Madison, etc. For examples of ridiculous amounts of breast enhancements, check out Wendy Whoppers and Tiffany Towers. Of course, this is not to say that we hate large breasted women. Au contraire! We love them! We just hate large breasted women who look like someone shoved two melons under their skin and left horrible scars. For more information on real breasted women, check out the Natural Buson Alliance compiled by Heretic and others. It is stored at Heretic's Web Site: http://home.eznet.net/~rwilhelm/asm/bbb.html 21.9 Who do so many porn starlets shave their nether regions? Nick Long says: In my opinion, there are three major reasons for 'shaved'. Directors today like the exposed look and gets them raves in reviews for 'showing it all' and they don't like the penetration shot blocked by hair. Second reason is that many of the gals do dance tours, shaving is required in order to wear the itsy-bitsy bottoms they dance in, plus it gets them better tips in the dance bars when the guys can 'see it all'. Third, most gals agree it seems to aid in the on set hygiene situation and as a matter of fact, there is less irritation when shaved than when dealing with hair friction, lube matting, etc. Didn't say they were all 'good' reasons, just reasons. :) 21.10 How do porn stars handle birth control on sets? As I understand it, (in no order) the vaginal sponge, the pill or diaphragm are the most popular methods. It allows spontaneous sex with no annoying "additions" to the sex scene. Pulling out also seems to be a popular option ;-) The condom is not so much used for birth control purposes as it is for preventing the spread of venereal diseases, something neither the sponge, the pill or the diaphragm can prevent. 21.11 How do porn stars prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases? [updated] Condoms mostly, and an HIV test. However, Jerry Butler notes in his book that STDs are quite common in porn, and that many performers used to look the other way in the 1980s. It's not clear whether this is still the case, however. The HIV test is a very serious part of keeping the industry alive. In het porn, studios require performers to have a current PCR (polymerase chain reaction) HIV test, which uses DNA technology to test for fragments of the HIV virus in the blood. It is known that HIV takes about 3 months before it is present in the blood in amounts large enough to be detectable by HIV anti-body testing. Since the PCR test is able to detect even fragments of DNA, the PCR test can detect HIV in the blood about a week after infection. The problem with PCR testing is that few labs doing the test are FDA-approved, and the FDA has not approved the accuracy of the test for HIV testing. A second problem is that some performers appear to have faked their test results and did not have the test done. There is an apocryphal story circulating that Rebecca Lords was not allowed to shoot a solo masturbation scene because she did not have a current test. In 1995, Barbara Doll had several false- positive HIV tests but in the end she proved to be HIV-negative. Gay porn studios generally require the use of condoms on the set, obviating the need to have a current PCR test in hand. This also helps reduce the spread of other STDs in gay porn. 21.12 Did Annabelle Chong really fuck 251 guys during the "Worlds Biggest Gangbang?" There was recently quite a lot of noise generated about a porn starlet, Annabel Chong, attempting to set a raunch record of sorts by having a 251-men gangbang [sic]. The affair even spilled out in mainstream TV (though one should use the term loosely when it comes to crappy talk- shows) with Annabel being interviewed on the "Jerry Springer Show". The thing that they didn't tell you was that there were only *83* men there, many of them getting seconds or thirds. Nick Long says that John T. Bone had 7 additional (paid) staff members on site working registration (to handle AIDS results, etc.) that are not normally on any other set. There were only 83 to register (repeaters/ threepeaters/and morepeaters accounted for the 250 [plus Ronnie (Ron Jeremy) baby for 251]) so there was more than enough staff, in fact, too many. Originally hoping for the actual 300 to show, the 10 man security staff was overwhelming for the lack of security for them to do. :) One of our own, Hugh Richard Jorgan, was there as one of Annabelle's lucky 251. He wrote a lengthy article which was later published in the Spectator, a San Francisco magazine. He was also kind enough to let me archive it at my web site: http://www.rame.net/faq/support/gangbang.html 21.13 Did Jamine St. Clair fuck 300 guys in the sequel? [new] In April 1996 John T. Bone and his new contract girl Jasmin St.Clair attempted to break Annabelle Chong's record of "251" guys. They managed to get about 80 guys or so there this time, though they claim to have banged Jasmin 300 times. I wish I knew how they keep count... The movie itself was panned as being even worse than the first one, since Jasmin seemed to want to be anywhere other than on the set. She wouldn't let guys touch her or cum on her face. Allegedly, this shows quite a bit. One of the guys at the shoot summed it up this way: "A cunt that would rather not be there and hates having ANY of the guys touching her. Tons of inane interviews with all the dweebs that did show (only 70 this time) and not one word from Jasmin herself." One of the participants was nice enough to write about his time there, and he gave me a copy to archive at my web site. It can be found at: http://www.rame.net/faq/support/gangbang2.html 21.14 At the "World's Largest Gangbang," there were a bunch of fluffers. Are fluffers normal on porn sets? Not anymore. On a "regular" one-day wonder, you often have more cast members than just two, so the money is stretched past the point of allowing fluffers... plus you have trained wood on hand, so the necessity of a fluffer should be lessened. Nick Long says: If memory serves correctly, 'fluffers' were used more in the days of 8mm loop shoots where the camera rolled all the time to cut down on edit problems (not high-tech stuff then) and fluffers were used so the guys could jump in hard and get the job done. On sets today, if you have a fluffer, it would be the 'added attraction starlets' to the features, it's just that now they appear in the vid instead of working on the side and out of sight. As with everything, there are exceptions to rules, and the Chong and St. Clair gangbangs were some exceptions. These exceptions occurred because of untrained wood and the latitude of the budget. Nick says: Besides. when they expected 300 individual bodies to show up, can you imagine the boredom setting in with 295 naked guys standing around talking to each other while 5 each took their turn?? What a PICTURE! :) Again, there are still fluffers, but they appear as the 'extra talent' used in a vid to add more people and credits. Tim Evanson tells me that on gay sets, things work a little differently... Some gay porn stars have noted in interviews that they still find "fluffers" on the set by using crew members. In an interview in SAVAGE MALE, gay porn star Doug Forbes noted that he and several of his co-stars have often leapt off-stage and grabbed the hand of a crew member who they find attractive. They engage in sex with that crew member until their erection comes back up or the cum begins flowing. Unlike fluffers in the olden days (who were employed or specifically invited to the set to be fluffers), the "fluffer" today is more likely to be just another bystander the star finds hot. 22 Celebrities don't do porno... usually. [updated] There are all sorts of people who are rumored to have been in porn -- Barbara Streisand, Sylvester Stallone (who did make an erotic movie at one point, but a porno???), Kevin Costner, Teri Hatcher, Christina Applegate and so on -- and there is absolutely no proof of any of it. There is a book available in most major bookstores called "The Bare Facts", by Craig Hosoda, a sometime contributor to our group. You can use this book to find out if your favorite actor or actress has ever appeared in a state of undress. People on the a.s.m. net would be very, very surprised if you ever found an adult video that certifiably contained a celebrity. To be blunt about it, the reason no celebrities have made porno films is because they have worked long and hard at becoming celebrities, and they know perfectly good and well that a porno film would be guaranteed to dash those plans. Serious actors in porn films (and there are a few) are there because they have given up hope of a successful mainstream career, not because they think it will be a stepping stone for them. (Thanks Marvin!) As far as I know, no "stars" have ever gone from being famous to doing porn. Jonathan Morgan and Ashlyn Gere did some horror movies before they got into porn, but I wouldn't classify them as "stars" as I would actors working in a different genre. :-) Two people I guess I could classify as "stars" would be Aldo Ray and Cameron Mitchell. They are gone into detail below. However, all of the following people have frequently had questions (which have been answered) asked about them, so we present to you, the all-star "did-they or didn't they?" squad... 23 The ones who did... 23.1 The Star Trek Connection... [updated] Star Trek, arguably, may be the most popular television show on the Net. As such, there's a lot of discussion about its stars and if any of them did porn. The most famous person, who we'll get to later, is Marina Sirtis (She didn't.) However, two minor players from the old and new series have beamed down to the occasional porn set... 23.1.1 The Original Series David Anderson (lando5@iii1.iii.net) & Gordon (ggs@netcom.com) both tell me: In the original series (running between 1966 and 1969 and starring Wm. Shatner) there was an episode called 'The Gamesters of Triskelion'. Kirk, Chekhov, and Uhura are caught on a planet and forced to perform as gladiators for the pleasure of powerful aliens, who get their jollies betting on the outcome ("I'll bet 500 quatloos on the challenger!"). The female protagonist/guest-star was a young woman with a good face and a tight, amazon build. Her name was Angelique Pettyjohn and she played "Shahna," Kirk's "thrall," in the episode. In the early 1980's, this same actress appeared in two X-rated features: 'Body Talk', billed as 'Angelique', and 'Titillation', billed as 'Angel St. John'. Older, heavier, but definitely recognizable, Angel/Angelique participated in several hardcore scenes in each film." (Other readers have pointed out that she may have been credited as Heaven St. John in these films.) She also appeared in Mike Jittlov's film, "The Wizard of Speed and Time," as an Associate Producer of a TV show ("Dr. Magic") with which the Wizard (Jittlov) was trying to land a job. Angelique died in February, 1992, in Las Vegas, at age 48, of cancer. You can get her movies from BLOOD TIMES VIDEO, P.O. BOX 3340, STEINWAY STATION, LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK 11103-0340. 23.1.2 The Next Generation Tim Evanson tells me that a gay porn star did appear in an episode of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. Look closely, and you will see then-and-currently active gay porn star Brad Phillips appear in a one-sentence speaking role as an ensign sitting at the Ops chair (Data's position) in a second-season episode (WHOSE NAME TIM DOES NOT REMEMBER! DOH!). Apparently, the ST:TNG producers had no idea of who they'd cast, but quickly remedied their mistake for future shows. 23.2 Tonya Harding The "porno tape" movie was not taken during a their honeymoon as originally stated, but rather after a Halloween party. In any event, the tape was made by none other than Tonya's ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly. The movie is accurately depicted in the Sep. 1994 issue of Penthouse (the one with the silver cover). To call this a "porno flick" is be misleading. The full movie has turned up in some video stores as a rental item. Penthouse's 800 number listed in previous editions of this document is disconnected. Most people in the group feel it is not worth the tape it was recorded on. The camera work is non-existent. (The camera was set on a table and just taped and taped and taped). Due to the bad angle, not a lot of explicit action is actually captured, and Tonya just kinda lays there... While the tape may have novelty value, it is probably not worth the purchase price (if you can even find a place to buy it). If you have to see it, try and find it as a rental... Special thanks to Crafty whose e-mail address has changed a few times and we've lost touch... 23.3 What about Sticks the Drummer from "Happy Days"? Yes, the actor that played Sticks, Jack Baker, made the transition from Happy Days to New Wave Hookers. Jack appeared in most of the Dark Brothers' early work, most notably the first two New Wave Hookers movies and the two chapters of their Devil in Miss Jones series, where he guided Lois Ayres through Hell. Jack also appeared in Kentucky Fried Movie. Sadly, he succumbed to stomach cancer in late 1994. 23.4 Jayne Kennedy? [updated] Former sportscaster Jayne Kennedy has indeed been caught on tape in compromising positions. Both participants knew they were being taped. The big thrill to this tape, besides that fact that it actually a "star" getting laid, is that the star is getting fisted to boot! I have not seen the tape, and if anyone who has seen it would like to comment on it (or forward me a copy...) for the FAQ are invited to. Brad Williams who has seen the tape has this to say: The distribution started when Leon Isaac gave the tape to a friend to watch and said friend made some copies. Soon, some black nightclubs in Atlanta started having some "private screenings". There are some copies out there, but they are illegal boots, Kennedy/Isaac were divorced before all this and she obviously never said "Leon, give this fuck-tape of us to some of your buddies", much less sell it through distribution. I've seen it, it ain't much, and I don't have it anymore. About on par with Tonya video, though Jayne goes at it more enthusiastically. A noted poster from alt.binaries.nude.celebrities says: CREATIVE ARTS, RD#2 BOX 327A, FAYETTE CITY, PA 15438 carries the whole 1 hour Jayne Kennedy video for $15 - and has the BEST quality version that I've seen yet. A poster from alt.sex.movies has this to say: I recently ordered a copy of it from Video Search of Miami. They have it for 24.99 I believe...The quality is real bad. It was shot on one of the very first home video cameras. But...what it loses in quality it MORE than makes up for in HEAT. She is not wearing much makeup and it looks to be shot before her CBS sports days. But she and her then husband do EVERYTHING and she is VERY loud. Call VsoM at 1-888-279-9773. Some have debated that her fisting is more of a "Max Hardcore" fisting than an "up to the elbow European fisting." Not having seen it, I cannot comment... 23.5 Simon Rex? Finally, one we can answer yes to! :-) MTV VJ Simon Rex has appeared in 3 solo jack off videos aimed at the gay community. He used the name "Sebastian" for Brad Posey's Club 1821. The distributor's address is: Club 1821 P.O.Box 5282 Santa Monica, CA 90409 (310)-450-9806 The note I have says their catalog is free. 23.6 Aldo Ray? [new] I'm sure most of you are saying "Aldo Who?" Aldo Ray was a movie star in the 50s and has continued doing work until he died in 1991. As a point of trivia, he is Eric Da Rae's (Leo Johnson on Twin Peaks) father. Patrick Riley says "He appeared in Sweet Savage in a non-sex role, if that's "do[ing] porn movies." He plays a bad guy (big surprise) who is cahoots with some others in a scheme to get the Indians fighting with the settlers so as to grab some land. The closest he gets to sex is in the back room of the local bar with a nude Carol Conners (of Deep Throat fame). You're unlikely to get the movie easily at least uncut as it contains two rape scenes. Try some old rental stores. It was put out on the Solid Gold Caballero label. " 23.7 Cameron Mitchell? [new] And Cameron Mitchell did a cameo in Titillation, a genuinely funny & horny detective spoof with Eric Edwards. He didn't perform sexually just a Bogart-like mentor to the younger detective. He also did a non-sex cameo in Dixie Ray Hollywood Star. 23.8 NFL running back Dave Nelson? [new] For those of you that didn't catch the Dave Nelson story in Hustler Erotic Video Guide: "As one of Jeremy's vaunted celebrity-porn stars, Bobbitt has more credibility than (and we use the term loosely) actor Dave Nelson. Video Team has been promoting his porn debut Backfield In Motion, as the first hardcore performance by a former NFL star. But Nelson's connections to professional football are tenuous at best. He claims to have played for the Miami Dolphins in the mid-'80s, but the Dolphin personnel computers have never heard of him. Nor has anyone from the sports page of the Miami Herald. Rosters of the 1985 Super Bowl, a game in which he claims to have played, don't list his name. Translation for our slower readers: THIS GUY'S ABOUT AS REAL AS A PORN BIMBO'S TITS! Nelson pitched himself to Jeremy as a former Dolphins running back - though one who didn't play much because of recurring injuries. So Jeremy put up his own money to make a video with him, despite the fact that his own cameraman, who is "a major Dolphins fan, couldn't place his name, no way, no how." He should have suspected a hoax when Nelson, who had initially pledged to go public on the TV tabloids with his alleged NFL background suddenly reneged, saying he didn't want to tarnish the fine reputation of the League with a porn scandal. Dave, we kind of doubt they really give a damn." 24 The one's who didn't... 24.1 Marina Sirtis No! No! No! No! No! For the millionth time, no! This is perhaps the most annoying question ever, mostly because it is asked *so* frequently. You're one of the lucky ones, reading the answer here instead of asking it to the group, where you would come back singed and broken. Back in the 80's... 1989 to be exact, when Star Trek:The Next Generation was reaching new heights of popularity, someone posted a rather startling picture of a topless Marina Sirtis being whipped by another woman to rec.arts.pictures.erotica . The person who posted it correctly identified the picture as being from a very stupid mid-1980's thriller called "The Wicked Lady". This movie, while rated R for obvious reasons, was hardly a porn movie, but rumors started up that the posted picture was in fact from a pornographic video. Soon afterwards, a never ending series of photo fakeries appeared on the scene, and continue to today. The fakes are usually of lousy quality. Some ways to tell if the picture you're looking at is a fake is to look at where the body joins the head; more often than not the skin tones don't match. Often these pictures will be offered as conclusive "proof" when they are usually amateurish fakes. You will still find pictures of her from these movies posted to one of the picture newsgroups. (usually alt.binaries.pictures.erotica) 24.2 Do the Brady Girls Swallow? [updated] I don't know... maybe they spit, but I can tell you they've never done porn... but appearing nude? Could be. Some people swear up and down that Maureen "Marcia" McCormick appeared nude, though they usually don't remember the movie. I asked Craig Hosoda (author of the Bare Facts) and he doesn't think she did, but he did mention the movie "Texas Lightning" in his book. To cloud the waters a little more, someone sent me this in the e- mail... Craig's objection to "Texas Lightning" is that the scene he has in mind was "dark, hard to see". Nothing much to see with only home equipment. But Craig MISSED the bar scene, where it is not dark. Her nip-slip is merely very quick. But yes, Maureen McCormick's nipple was exposed. So, the issue is cloudy. I can't seem to find Texas Lightning in my area video stores, so I have come to rely on grainy vidcaps that people are kind enough to send to me. Here's the accompanying text from a poster from alt.binaries.nude.celebrities whom I have come to trust: These are vidcaps attached to this message which came from the 1981 film, TEXAS LIGHTING - Although the shots were very brief, there WAS nudity with Maureen McCormick. Some of these stills were published in an issue of Celebrity Sleuth (and I recommend that magazine above all others - including THE BARE FACTS GUIDE - though, I, myself do not write for Sleuth and even Sleuth is not 100% reliable) These caps were done by yours truly and I do not alter or fake any vidcaps. But, as we know, nudity does not equal hardcore porn in any aspect, anyway. Susan "Cindy" Olsen was never in pornographic movies. Nor is she, as according to another rumor that is widely circulated, dead. She never committed suicide. And she was never in an adult video. And she's not related to the Folger's coffee lady. In a recent interview with Howard Stern, Susan denied she ever revealed her body to the camera. Howard was understandably disappointed. A new reader of a.s.m. (lemetro@io.org) pointed out this little tidbit which I think does a pretty darned good job of explaining the "Cindy did Porn" rumor... "About 10 years ago or so there was this crappy American show called "Divorce Court" in which B and C list actors played the various parties in divorce cases supposedly drawn from real life. In one of these Susan Olsen played a young woman who was attempting to divorce her abusive, sleazeball, etc., etc. husband. He had hooked her on heroin, blackmailed her and forced her to act in pornographic movies." "I suspect that someone, having just glanced at this show, couldn't separate art from reality and leapt to the wrong conclusion and the rumor that she had done porn rose from this." I'm told Susan Olsen is now a DJ for an LA radio station paired up with ex-MTV host and Blues Traveler video-posterboy, Ken Ober. There have also been some fake pictures of Marcia floating around, and they are just that, fakes... and poorly done ones at that. I have not seen any vidcaps from the aforementioned "Texas Lightning." 24.3 Ron Howard? Sorry, Opie Didn't Get Laid... At least not on film he didn't... The myth of Ron Howard directing a porn movie probably dates from a talk show interview he did. He jokingly suggested that he would like to make a Porn movie, and the title of "Opie Gets Laid" was suggested. Her recently brought this topic up again in his 1994 Playboy interview (an interesting read, IMHO) However, Ron Howard has never been involved in the adult movie industry. He has, however, appeared in a cheesy flick called (circa 1978) "The Last Nudie Musical" with Cindy Williams for Laverne and Shirley fame. 24.4 Barbra Streisand [updated] The short answer is, most likely, no. But, you can make your own decision by checking it out yourself. The loop is available on Blue Vanities 7. Blue Vanities are videos which contain old loops and stags (from 1900 to the late 70s). Blue Vanities are available from: Filmfare Video Labs 401 NE Ravenna Blvd. Suite 156 Seattle, WA 98115 (800) 344-2992 An article that first appeared in the Buffalo News in 1993 is archived at the FAQ site: http://www.rame.net/faq/support/babs.html 24.5 Sylvester Stallone? All sources confirm that Stallone appeared in a film called "Party at Kitty & Stud's." The sources disagree over whether the film was actually hardcore or not. Of course, Stallone isn't talking. Here are three points of view... you'll have to decide for yourself. This one is just too "gray." An article describing the history of this urban legend can be found at the alt.folklore.urban archive at http://www.urbanlegends.com . There is a far more comprehensive at the Adult Movie FAQ site: http:/www.rame.net/faq/support/ Marvin1024@aol.com offered this nugget to the FAQ... I would argue with [anyone] who claims that Stallone's "A Party at Kitty and Stud's" was originally a hardcore film. First of all, it is very typical of the kind of film that was being made for theatrical release in those days before the hardcore explosion--lots of humping and huffing and puffing, but no erections and no insertions. Hundreds of such films were made at that time. Also, getting back to my comments above, it is beyond all rational belief that someone possessing a genuine hardcore film of a major star like Stallone would snip out the hardcore stuff and release the rest! And here's a little more on the subject from Gordon (ggs@netcom.com), just to make it a little grayer still.... The 'Italian Stallion' version of this film, as I saw it shown in an X-rated theater in the late 1970's, had a prologue by Gail Palmer. It was a simple narration, filmed with Palmer sitting in a seat in an empty movie theater. This prologue was also used separately as a 'Coming Attractions' trailer. Palmer did seem to imply that there were a lot of things edited out. I remember, though, that when I saw the movie, I wondered if that were really true. It seemed more likely to me that it was a sort of venal attempt to take advantage of the success of 'Rocky' (released in 1976; 'Rocky II' in 1979) by taking an old softcore film that happened to have Stallone in it, and speciously trumping it up as a hardcore flick with the (perhaps non-existent anyway) explicit sex "edited out". I recently rented a video of 'The Italian Stallion', and this narration was not present. However, I did notice a promotional advertisement at the beginning of two "Gail Palmer" videos that I recently rented, 'California Gigolo' and 'The Best of Gail Palmer' (I say "Gail Palmer" with quotation marks because Peter v. A. states that Palmer may not have actually directed these films). The ad is an animation sequence consisting of the box covers of Palmer films assembling themselves into rows on the screen. One of the boxes is 'The Italian Stallion', and it has the same title art as the Stallone film. Given that Palmer worked with/for the Mitchell Bros. in San Francisco during the late 70's, it seems possible that they're 'Stallion Enterprises'. They may have used that name as a dodge to give Stallone's lawyers a moving target. One other interesting note on this film. When I rented 'The Italian Stallion', the video store clerk mentioned to me that in the mid-80's he'd gotten a letter from a law firm in New York, offering to buy his copies of the film, and asking him to name a price. His guess was that Stallone was trying to remove as many copies of the film from the market as possible. And finally, from one of the legends of the alt.folklore.urban newsgroup, Peter van Linden: From: linden@positive.Eng.Sun.COM (Peter van der Linden) Subject: AFU Party at Kitty & Stallone's [As I mentioned in March 1992] Sylvester Stallone did indeed get his first movie acting role in a porn movie, called "Party at Kitty and Stud's". This movie came out in 1970, when Sly was but 24 years old, living in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, and working a variety of menial jobs (including cinema usher) while trying to break into the movies. At that time (and still to a lesser extent) New York City was the hub of US porn film making. Stallone is the leading man in this X film, and he later acknowledged in a Playboy interview that he was paid $200 for his role. Unlike his later films, Stallone seems to have had no part in directing or producing "Party at Kitty and Stud's". Stallone made the most of his break, quickly entering mainstream movies with a role in Woody Allen's "Bananas" the next year. He appeared in six more films before "Rocky" in 1976, which shot him right to the top. The canny Sicilian wrote the script for "Rocky", and sold it for a very low price, on condition that he star in the movie and receive a share of the profits. "Rocky" went on to win 3 Oscars, including best picture. It made Stallone's movie career. Whoever owned the rights to "Party at Kitty and Stud's" capitalized on Stallone's new-found fame by re-releasing it under the title "The Italian Stallion" (presumably a reference to the protagonist's nickname in Rocky). The credits show that the rights to this X film are owned by "Stallion Enterprises", so they took this theme all the way. "Party at Kitty and Stud's/The Italian Stallion" started life as a genuine pornographic X film, though it has been brutally edited down -- probably at the time it was retitled and re-released. There is a new prologue where it is implied that they took out the really fun dirty bits for the re-release. It now completely lacks any semblance of a plot, and all hard-core exhibitions, so is somewhat hard to follow. For example, a large mastiff dog appears at one point, but disappears equally as rapidly, leaving the viewer confused about what was to happen next. "Party" seems hilariously dated in some ways too, as it is rife with 60's slang. At one point Kitty confides to one of her friends that Stud is "so far out" and "animalistic". At another point Sly enjoins Kitty to "be careful! You bit me last time." Kitty replies "I'll be velvet- mouthed on your shank of love!" before dissolving into an unscripted fit of giggles only partially concealed by burying her head on Stallone's shank of love. Stallone's best scenes are the ones where he is naked (which is nearly all of them). The highpoint of the film is probably where Stallone assists three women one after the other, although all the overt details are edited out, leaving just the moaning and groaning. Sly-connoisseurs will note that he has a 4 inch scar on his left thigh under his butt. Far from being a stallion, Sly is actually a man of modest endowment. His muscular frame, lacking its customary coat of oil, looks remarkably unimpressive. Some people claim to see undertones of "Rocky" in "Party", but I couldn't detect any myself, unless they mean the scene where Sly lightly beats Kitty with his pants belt. Sly lacks his trademark sneer, and talks normally in "Party". It is not unknown for a porn movie performer to cross over into mainstream cinema. I believe Traci Lords has now renounced her porn film past, and can be seen in minor roles on TV e.g. as a dental assistant on "Married With Children". The video is available for rental from The Video Scene, 1401 Foxworthy Ave, San Jose, California (tel 408 265-4002). You can also find it at Videoscope, El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA. I can't honestly recommend it, but it has a certain novelty value. Perhaps it is best appreciated when played in a (heh!) double- header with "Rocky". 24.6 Xuxa? [updated] Hate to break it to ya, but again, no, she never did a porn film. She did pose topless (if not nude) for the Brasilian edition of Playboy, and she did appear in one film. An anonymous poster put forth this on the group: "Amor Estranho Amor" (Love, Strange Love) is the only one she did... and it does show her breasts and her butt... but that's all. It's still a really bizarre film (even without Xuxa in it) and should be seen. Look for the unrated version, as the R-Rated version available at Blockbuster does not have the additional footage. JRDelirious (75144.1057@compuserve.com) writes: Xuxa did a cheap B-grade sexploitation flick while climbing the career ladder. There was nudity and there were bedroom scenes but... IT WAS NOT A PORNO!!!! At least not any more than stuff like The Bikini Carwash Co. or Beach Babes from Beyond, or 9 and 1/2 Weeks or Red Shoe Diaries or Wild Orchid can be defined as "porn". Part of the problem is that in many Latin Countries where true Hardcore is absolutely illegal, "softcore" that would earn an R-rating or a late-night cable spot in the US is *rated* "adults only", which in our worldview can only translate to "porno" (the dreaded-X-rating syndrome). When HardCopy or the Enquirer trumpet the story, they conveniently gloss over this subtlety. A reader from Brasil tells me that this is not the case. He states: Forgive me, but down here we use to have less trouble with sex than in US, all those [softcore erotic thrillers] that you would need to have a cable to watch, is broadcast here after 10:00 pm. Tits and butts are a regular part of our commercial breaks... even at the evening !!! 24.7 The Go-Gos? No, they don't. Again, I have not seen the tape, but to the extent that the Go-Gos are in it, the extent of their participation is that they watch a drunk guy whack off. There is NO Go-Go nudity in the tape at all. I understand that on the whole it is a pretty big let down. 24.8 Pamela Anderson Lee? [updated] No, no, no, no! Don't you spot a trend here? Pam did star in a movie called "Snapdragon" in which she appeared nude, much like she did in all those Playboy layouts. She did not film any explicit sex scenes, merely nude scenes (See section 20). So there. She did admit that two explicit polaroids taken on her honeymoon with Tommy Lee which were published in French Penthouse and other men's mags were indeed her... Then, as the story was told to me, a disgruntled contractor, while working on their home, managed to find and steal a home movie Pamela and Tommy made of themselves doing the nasty. The tape found its way into the hands of Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione who is ready to sell it, much like the did the Tonya Harding tape... however, the Lees have asked the court to grant an injunction against Penthouse, and so far, no vidcaps or photos from the video (or the video itself) has made itself public. There has been a bootleg copy of the tape floating around. Someone who saw it says: "Pamela Anderson has a sex tape out of her and Tommy Lee at home. It was pilfered from the home in retaliation by a workman who did renovations to the home and never got paid. He showed me the tape, and there's nudity,sex, BJ's etc etc, and Tommy Lee's got a big dick!" 24.9 Dana Plato? [updated] Nope. She appeared in Playboy a few years ago, and in 1995 appeared in "Compelling Evidence". A poster from alt.binaries.nude.celebrities tells me that a guy named, Donald Farmer (who supposedly produced this video) offers all of the nude takes on video and this may be what got those rumors started about it being a porn video. Anyway, if you're interested in getting a copy of his nude takes with Plato, here's his address - VIDEO VAMP, 23 BIG SPRING CIRCLE, COOKESVILLE, TN 38501 Dana Plato was also featured in another made-for-video flick, titled "Sex Puppets" and PornStar, Ron Jeremy did have a small role in it, but it was an R-Rated T&A flick, and Dana did NOT do any nudity in it. 24.10 Teri Hatcher? Nope. The star of "Lois & Clark" appeared nude in the R-Rated "The Cool Surface" and that's about it. No hardcore past for her. 24.11 Alyssa Milano? Again, Alyssa (the plain-jane daughter on "Who's the Boss" turned surgically enhanced vamp) has appeared nude in a movie. The flick: "The Nosferatu Diaries: Embrace of the Vampire." She has some scenes with another naked woman which suggest lesbianism, but hardly anything hardcore. 24.12 Wednesday Addams from TV? [new] Patrick Riley (what would we do without him?) says: As others have pointed out Lisa Loring (the Wednesday from the Addams Family) was married to Jerry Butler (third husband and since divorced) but never actually did any sex in porno movies. She did appear, playing a hooker, in Laying Down The Law #1, but didn't even take off her clothes. She has also appeared in three (to my knowledge) B movies in the 87/89 time period. Allegedly she has or had a minor drug problem (I'm being kind). The other Lisa is Lisa K. Loring, the "K" standing for Kamela, who took her stage name from the Addams family actress not knowing what problems this would cause later. She started as a dancer for the Mitchell brothers at the O'Farrel theatre in SFO and did 15 porno movies from 1977 to 1980. She is currently married to a sound technician and lives near SFO. BTW, the clarification to this is one of the success stories of the internet. I posted a request based on reading about Lisa in the Mitchell brothers biography and for a while there was nothing but then I got an E-mail from the aforementioned sound technician clarifying the matter. I even had the opportunity to get Lisa (via him) to look over her list of movies in my DB and make some corrections. At least one star will be 100% correct in the next Star Index . 24.13 The Pink Power Ranger (Amy Jo Johnson)? [new] Will there be no end to the madness? :-) SHE DIDN'T DO PORNO! 24.14 Linda Blair? [new] Nope. She too has appeared nude, but never in a porn flick. You can sometimes find her pix floating around alt.binaires.nude.celebrities. My friend from a.b.n.c. says: For the full-length Linda Blair clone film - it's called VICIOUS VIRGIN and it sells for $12 from BLOOD TIMES VIDEO, P.O. BOX 3340, STEINWAY STATION, LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK 11103-0340. The copy is in poor quality (though it's not likely that you'll ever find a better quality version). 24.15 Marilyn Monroe? [new] Nope. She did do nude modelling (which was Playboy's first issue) but never did the stag loops. Patrick Riley says, "The purported Marilyn Monroe loop was really made by Arlene Hunter, a stripper from the sixties/early seventies and can be found on lots of collection type tapes such as: Blue Vanities #008 (be careful, as this company has been changing around content on its tapes.) Electric Blue #003 GVC: Shauna: Blonde Superstar (Gourmet--originally spelt "Shana") Nostalgic Sex Series #2 Olde Time Erotica #2 Our Sexual History (probably easiest to get as it's made by Adam & Eve) 24.16 Jeremy Jordan? [new] No. The pop singer, Jeremy Jordan never did gay porn. However, he did do some nude calendars in Japan which did not show his cock. However, some hackers have attached a penis to some of the side- view shots, making it appear as if Jordan had posed nude. A Jordan lookalike appeared in a soft-core film from gay studio Greenwood-Cooper, but G/C Video says that Jordan did not do any work for them. 25 Some other information... [new] 25.1 But what about all those pictures I see of on the Net which show Tom Cruise/Marina Sirtis/Brad Pitt/Mother Theresa having sex? [new] Sorry, they're fakes. If these stars had done porn in the past, the tabloids would be full of the news. But they haven't done any films. There is a booming cottage industry in the binary groups where stars' faces are attached to porn performers' bodies. If the poster doesn't cite any film that the binary came from, you can be pretty sure it's a fake. 25.2 Is there anywhere I can buy this celebrity "porn?" [new] There is a market for everything. A poster over in alt.binaries.nude.celebrities passes this along: For a shorter version of the Jayne Kennedy video, you can get it on a compilation tape called, CELEBRITY PORN - It's a 90min. compilation featuring Linda Blair (Not really her - but one of the BEST clones I've ever seen and highly recommend that Linda Blair fans see this one), Barbra Streisand, Michelle Bauer, Linnea Quigley (Girl/Girl stuff, outtakes but Not Hardcore), Rob Lowe (very poor quality - I've seen better versions), Chuck Berry (urinating on a white female fan after she gives him a Blow Job), Tattoo from FANTASY ISLAND (It's NOT really him - and the guy doesn't look a thing like him - only that he's a midget), Rene Bond (who was actually a well-known porn star of the '70's), Elvira (who's only Topless from an R-Rated T&A flick, titled WORKING GIRLS - I've seen much better stuff from magazines that she posed for - For the record, she has NEVER done Porn), Cicciolina (Parliament member) and Sly Stalone (Soft-core from PARTY AT KITTY AND STUDS - I have stills of what is claimed to be him from a loop from the late '60's - it's Not the well-known PARTY AT KITTY AND STUDS but it doesn't look like him to me - it probably isn't). This Compilation is available for $17 from: FOXX ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES, 327 W. LAGUNA, TEMPE, AZ 85282 Or you can get it for $15 from CREATIVE ARTS, RD#2 BOX 327A, FAYETTE CITY, PA 15438 BLOOD TIMES VIDEO is a very good source for hard-to-find and Euro- Sleeze (but you usually have to wait about 6 weeks for the tapes to be delivered). Here, you'll find many of Karin Schubert's Hardcore films (some good rare stuff), Angelique Pettijohn's Hardcore films, Kitten Natividad's True Hardcore stuff and other interesting things worth a look. 26 Porn Stars and their Stories... Here's the low down on some of porn's biggest (and most infamous) stars... 26.1 Are there any famous porn people on-line? [updated] Why, yes there are! In fact, there are quite a few, and more and more are getting hep to the 'Net. I maintain a list of people who have come and gone. You can find it at the r.a.m.e. reading room. The FAQ is undoubtedly going to be out of date, so check the web site. But here's a quick list of people who have been around for a while and are still active: Brandy Alexandre (brandy@kamikaze.org) Adult film star of the late eighties and early nineties. a.s.m's most controversial personality. David Aaron Clark (a/k/a boneshard) (boneshard@aol.com) He does the review column in Screw, and contributes to Adam Film World and The Spectator in Northern California. Dirty Bob (bobdirty@aol.com) Reviewer for Video Xcitement and AVN. Producer and director of Dirty Bob's Xcellent Adventures. Jim Gunn (jimgunn@mindspring.com) Principal producer for Pleasure Productions. Shoots mostly on the east coast. Famed series: Strap-on Sally, East Coast Sluts Rodney Moore (rodneymr@kincyb.com) One half of the Cumm Brothers, Rodney is a pro-am favorite with such series as "How to Make a Model" and "Rodney Moore's Northwest Pecker Trek." Patrick Riley (p_riley@usa.pipeline.com) Patrick writes the excellent X-Rated Star Index books along with the X-Rated Video Review... S. Andrew Roberts (shamu@kincyb.com) Adult movie editor with sections in the FAQs and regular contributor to the newsgroups. Mike South (sbsouth@ix.netcom.com) Pro-am director. His "Southern Belles" series was nominated for many awards. Hates shooting g/g scenes. 26.2 Are we taken seriously by the industry professionals? [updated] I think we are taken as seriously as fan mail. Well, allow me to let Bill Majors, a real live industry professional, comment: The answer is that they DO read this news group. However, IMHO, most of us tend NOT to regard things here as the bottom line. We all have one other form of research that works even better -- it is called the marketplace. That is what we pay VERY close attention to. Examples? Many here have been vociferous about natural tits and NOT wanting big ones. The results? Sorry -- when a gal gets bigger, so does her pocketbook and that of the producer. Anal scenes? Some like them some don't, but the marketplace right now is very hot for them. I could go on, with complaints about boxes not representing what is inside them. But when the producer makes a dud, and we all do from time to time, the glitzy box has been shown to sell the tape and recover investment. These are just everyday practical considerations for those of us in the business. I enjoy reading what you and yours write. However, I don't think I would allow it to replace the business judgement that over 20 years has placed our firm pretty much at the top of the heap when it comes to the specialized product that we produce. Yet, some studios and performers do review what goes on at RAME to keep misinformation to a minimum. For example, after several posters contributed to a list of studios and their divisions, Brush Creek studios (a gay studio) corrected some of the information contained in the posts. In a more infamous example, after RAME posters discussed the Jeff Browning underage acting controversy, Browning contacted several posters by email to warn them against libel and slander. 26.3 Who is Paul Thomas and why don't we like him? Paul Thomas (also known informally as PT), a big star in 70's porno and the main director of 90's adult video powerhouse Vivid, has often been a target for derision in this group for his efforts. The accusation is that his films are pretentious and unexciting, and that more frequently than not he appears to forget he's shooting a porn flick and not some cheesy daytime soap. Hart Williams has this to offer: FYI: Paul Thomas writer/rewriter, Mark Weiss confided to me several times that "PT thinks he's Francis Ford Coppola." Mark needed the money, and ended up writing and rewriting scripts that were 4 and 5 times longer than ANY OTHER SCRIPTS in the industry(!!?!) As a previous poster perceptively pointed out, the plot-heavy element in PT's work DOES make R-rated cable sales to SPICE, et al, easier, and thus, PT has a niche for himself, but not one that most will probably desire to contribute money to. However, to be perfectly fair, PT is in fact *very* popular among experienced porn fans for his Golden Age exploits and that he HAS actually directed some very good movies ("Justine", "Steamy Windows" and "Beauty and the Beast" being the ones more frequently lauded). The hostility against him most probably stems from frustration from contemplating what might have been if he had utilized the resources available to him (gorgeous actresses, great technical support, large budgets) more effectively. 26.3.1 Was PT in Jesus Christ Superstar? Yes. Paul Thomas appeared in the film version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical, Jesus Christ Superstar. He was a principal actor in the film, playing Peter the disciple. 26.4 Have any porn stars died? [updated] Sure. Time marches on and people pass away. Sadly inevitable, death. A comprehensive list of performers who have died is far beyond the scope of this document. I maintain a separate list which can be found at http://www.rame.net/faq/deadporn/ There's also the USENET group alt.dead.porn-stars but it doesn't get a lot of traffic. Allow me to list the people who are frequently asked about: +--------------------------------------------------------------+ Medical Deaths John Holmes: colon cancer (HIV presence found, extent unknown) Jack Baker: cancer Moana Pozzi: cancer +--------------------------------------------------------------+ Suicides Shauna Grant: self-inflicted gunshot wound Savannah: self-inflicted gunshot wound Megan Leigh: self-inflicted gunshot wound Cal Jammer: self-inflicted gunshot wound Alex Jordan: self-inflicted asphyxiation by hanging +--------------------------------------------------------------+ Accidental Deaths Leilani: accident related to psychological turmoil Joey Stefano: drug overdose Krysti Lynn: auto accident Marc Stevens: drug related +--------------------------------------------------------------+ Murders Toymaster: killed during a violent crime Charli Waters: murdered +--------------------------------------------------------------+ 26.5 Is Nikki Dial or Joey Silvera or Lana Woods or Talia James or Patti Petite or Taija Rae dead? No. Rumors of these stars deaths appear every so often, and as far as we know are all still alive and well and doing their own thing, where they want to. 26.6 How did Savannah die? [updated] Allow me to quote Adult Video News. I have edited this for length. The full text version can be found at my web site. Thanks to Videosan for originally posting this. The adult industry's most celebrated star, and perhaps its most controversial one, apparently took her life in the early morning hours of July 11 with a self-inflicted handgun wound to the temple. As AVN went to press, police were investigating, but details were still sketchy on the circumstances involving the death of actress Shannon Wilsey who was better known to her fans as Savannah. Writer/director Nancy Pera was Savannah's manager "as well as you could manage her," Pera said. "Savannah could be a pain in the neck, but I was very fond of her." Savannah, according to Pera, was crying about a possible broken nose. She called Pera about 2:15 A.M., informing her of the car wreck. Pera arrived about 2:40 A.M. at Savannah's house in Universal City. Savannah had just purchased the home this past October, ironically, for cash because of bad credit. By the time she arrived, Pera found a fire truck in the driveway. In the intervening minutes, Savannah had evidently gone to her garage, produced a 9mm semi-automatic pistol (though police would neither confirm this detail, comment, nor make a report available) and put it to her head. Meanwhile, detectives from the North Hollywood Division, responding to a 911 call, called the Fire Dept. Medical Unit. The paramedics arrived and transported Wilsey/Savannah to the St. Joseph Medical Center. Pera said the gun wasn't something "like Dirty Harry would use, but it was close to it." Pera found Savannah laying in a pool of blood but was still breathing. "I said, 'Stay with us, Shannon.' I thought she would make it," Pera said. Savannah was rushed to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank where she died 1:20 PM after almost 11 hours in a coma. Pera had last seen Savannah around 7 PM Sunday evening when they took Savannah's dogs for a walk in the park. "Savannah was a very special person," said Vivid president Steve Hirsch. "And although she hadn't made a movie for us in two years, it was as though there was a death in the family. We all miss her very much." 26.7 How did Joey Stefano die? [updated] Tim Evanson was nice enough to write this account of Joey's death. The full text is available at the web site. Joey Stefano (aka Nick Iacona) lived in Philadelphia, PA where he lived a blue-collar, Catholic, poor lifestyle that led him into drug (especially heroin) and alcohol abuse by the time he was 15. Stefano was largely unsure of his homosexuality until he was 15, according to reports. Gay porn actor Tony Davis (who also discovered many other gay stars as well) was approached by Stefano in a Philadelphia strip club in the mid 1980s and queried about how to become an exotic dancer. Davis soon brought him to West Hollywood to break into gay porn. Stefano was the consummate bottom boy, redefining a role that few actors wished to play and which had become lackluster ("most guys just lay there like a gunny sack" was a common comment!). Rarely fucking another man, Stefano became known for his aggressive bottoming, his sultry looks, his naturalness, and his intensity. He could deliver a line extremely well, and was known as a funny and intelligent actor. He was one of the hardest working actors in gay porn, often producing as many as 5 tapes a month at the height of his career--and often acting in as many as 3 or 5 scenes in a 7 scene tape. Stefano did some incredibly good and pioneering work in gay porn. His all-oral film BACKDROP was extremely well received and established a trend in the industry away from 'everything included' sex films and towards niche porn-making. His performance opposite Mike Henson in the safe-sex porn film MORE OF A MAN was highly acclaimed, and critics noted that his ability to make the putting on of a condom erotic and playful made significant strides in making condom use acceptable among gay porn stars and gays as a whole. Stefano died in his apartment with his dealer standing over him, letting him die. He died of a heroin overdose. Stefano had been late for a shoot, and producers who showed up found him comatose in his home. Paramedics were called, but they were unable to revive him. The Stefano's dealer managed to escape and is still at large, his identity not know or at least not made public yet. Although rumors bounded that Stefano was dying of AIDS, it is not clear whether he was in fact even HIV positive. Although (according to my own sources) Stefano had been looking very bad in real life (probably due to drug use, although others argued it was due to AIDS), there are conflicting media reports as to whether he was HIV-negative, HIV-positive, or had AIDS. At any rate, Stefano's drug use did not seem linked to his HIV status, whatever it was. 26.8 How did Michel Richaud die? Michel Richaud, one of Europe's top porn directors of the last decade (most recently known for his work for Private Film), died while shooting a feature in the Seychelles for Private. He was standing on a rock, overlooking the scene he was shooting, when a wave knocked him over, killing him. 26.9 Who is Traci Lords and why is she famous? Traci Lords is famous because she entered the business (and made many movies) when she was underage. When her true age was revealed, videos made when she was underage were taken off the shelf. (Some movies were later re-released, with Traci's scenes cut.) To my knowledge, nobody has had to go to jail because of her. There are a few legal movies of Traci around, which were made after she became of age. (Notably: "Traci... I love You."). Her earlier videos may still be available in Europe, where they have a lower age of consent. Most recently, Traci has been trying to move away from porn, into the main stream. She has made appearances in "Married... With Children", and in several straight-to-video movies. She has been recently on "Roseanne" and "Melrose Place." She has also released a dance album titled "Control." 26.9.1 Where can I get Traci Lords' movies? Except for Traci I Love You (and the compilations made from that film), legally, nowhere in the United States. However, they are very legal over in Europe and also in Quebec, and if you have such a desire to see them you could always go there! However, remember that her first movie came out about 12 years ago and her last movie was released around 9 years ago, so her titles may not be easy to find, even if they are legal. Of course, there is a black market for everything, but I wouldn't know about that. It is considered bad net.manners to come from an American site and ask for Traci Lords movies over the net, mostly because they *are* illegal in America, and asking for them could be considered a criminal solicitation by some overzealous bible- thumping law enforcement officer... So please spare us all the requests and don't ask for copies. Of course, if you're posting from Europe, where TL is readily available, don't gloat about it! :) For more information, see the Traci Lords bio available from The Bio Keeper's Web site. 26.9.2 How come Traci's movies are available in Quebec? Alain Bourassa tells me that ONLY the original releases are legal due to the fact that they were approved for distribution back when they were released. Once a movie has been approved, only the provincial movie board has the power to take a movie off the shelves; to make it illegal. Since they didn't do it back then, the movies remain legally available. However, no re-release of those movies could be done due to changes in the rating system which now must include a viewing by the movie review board for approval. 26.10 Was that Ashlyn Gere on The X-Files? Sure was... One of the producers of the show is an X-Rated Movie Fan(tm), and he likes Ashyln's "talents" so much, he offered her a spot on the show. You can check out the group alt.tv.x-files for more info on this cool show. Ashlyn appears as Bonnie McRoberts in the episode called 'BLOOD', the 3rd episode of the 2nd season. She is billed as "Kimberly Ashlyn Gere." Brief synopsis: A bunch of people are dying out in rural Pennsylvania. Mulder is called in to the scene to work up composites on the killers. Ain't so easy since no one had any sort of violent history. Ashlyn has a pretty small part, and has maybe 5 minutes of screen time. She goes berserk and kills a guy with an oil tap (spout) to the gut. Ashlyn, for what its worth, started out in horror movies. Her horror films include "Evil Laugh" (1986) "Creepozoids" (1987) "Dreamaniac" (1987) "Angel III: The Final Chapter" (1988) She didn't evn do a nude scene in any of these. From horror to porn and porn to the X-Files. She also appeared in "Fatal Instinct" (1991) which may be also be a crossover... 26.10.1 Wasn't she on "Space: Above and Beyond" as well? [updated] The producers of the X-Files liked her so much (being porn fans and all) that they extended to her a recurring guest spot on their doomed Fox series, "Space: Above and Beyond." She appeared as an android with wacky contact lenses. It appeared as if she was killed at the end of her first episode -- dream sequence; more androids of her model -- but she is supposed to be coming back. She was billed as Kimberly Patton. I'm waiting for her to show up on "Millenium" :-) 26.11 Are there other crossovers from porn to movies? [updated] One poster says that Roxanne Blaze now appears in B-Movies as Sara Bellomo. "Beach Babes from Beyond" is an example. The film "Killer Looks" (directed by Toby Phillips, er, Paul Thomas) also featured Lene Hefner, Janine Lindemulder, and Dyanna Lauren (Billed as Diane Hurley, don't worry, I'm not "outing" her, this is listed in _The Bare Facts_) Also Jamie Summers appears in "Night Rhythms" directed by Greg (Dark) Hippolyte. Devon Shire appears in "Secret Games II." Barbara Dare (billed as Stacy Nix) and Madison (billed as Madison Stone) appear in "Evil Toons". Marilyn Chambers has become a cottage industry playing either a former porn actress somewhat like herself, or hosting a series of somewhat banal "erotic" thrillers that show up on pay-per-view. Perhaps her largest role was as the mother (the lead) in David Cronenberg's "Rabid." Wade Nichols was an established hetero porn star before he crossed over in 1975 in BOYNAPPED, after which he changed his name to Dennis Parker, cut a disco album for Casablanca Records, and then became a performer on the TV soap opera "Edge of Night" Tim adds, "several gay porn stars have had bit parts in movies, notably Greg Araki's "The Doom Generation." However, Kevin Kramer had a somewhat substantial speaking and acting part in Bruce LaBruce's "Hustler White." There have been other porn stars who have appeared in mainstream movies, almost always B-grade ones e.g. Harry Reems, Candie Evans etc. Consult Mr. Hosoda's book, The Bare Facts, for a complete listing. 26.12 Is there a crossover from porn to politics? Imperator says: "Funny you should ask! Of course, in the more enlightened Old World :-), being a porn star can actually do wonders for your popularity outside the shady world of porn fans. Case in point being Ilona Staller, a Hungarian born Italian lady who, under the stage name of Cicciolina, became so popular she finally managed to win a seat in the Italian Parliament (and we mean the *real* parliament, not some porn spinoff :-)). Her election was most probably a cute joke played by the Italians on their politicians; Ms. Staller never attempted to get re-elected and when fellow pornstar, the late Moana Pozzi, attempted to emulate her she failed miserably -- and that despite Ms. Pozzi being an infinitely better porn performer :-)" 26.12.1 Isn't there more than politics to Cicciolina? Why yes. As well as being a member of Italian parliament, Cicciolina is also the subject of a pop song called "Touched by the hand of Cicciolina" by Pop Will Eat Itself which, I am told, was the unofficial anthem of the Italian World Cup matches. She is also the subject for quite a few (explicit-ish) works of art by her now ex-husband Jeff Koons. 26.13 Is Teri Weigel famous for something other than humping? Teri is "famous" for being Playboy's April 1986 playmate and then going to a life of porn when big wads of cash were waved in front of her... She is known in the porn world for her mega-screaming during sex. Hell, she seems to scream even before stimulation. In the "straight" world, she appeared on Fox's Married with Children a few times as Al's Shoe Fantasy girl. 26.14 Are there other crossovers from Playboy or Penthouse to porn? [updated] Sure. The most famous come from Penthouse. Traci Lords, Janine Lindemulder and Racquel Darrian (posing as Kelly Jackson) all got their start in Penthouse. Playboy hasn't really churned out the porn starlets so much other than the aforementioned Teri Weigel. Playboy used to semi-regular features on the porn industry and its performers, but has since stopped that practice. However, in the March 1996 issue, they did feature Juli Ashton ("Ashton") and Racquel Darrian ("Kelly", the down-home Kansan) in their pictorial on strippers. In fact, they now seem to have contractual provisions which forbid their models from going hardcore. I am sure there are more, but it beyond the scope of this FAQ to document them all. Dick O'Stone (DS1031@aol.com) has started a list, which is archived at the RAME Reading room. 26.15 How about Playgirl to gay porn? [new] Yep, much to Playgirl's chagrin, a good number of their models have made the leap into gay porn. Tim Evanson maintains a list of these models. The list is archived in the reading room. \PART Did Tiffany Million ever wrestle? A fellow FAQ-keeper passes this along: In a word, yes, Tiffany Million has wrestled professionally. She wrestled for the short-lived GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) promotion. GLOW was long on T&A and short on actual wrestling. She also did a lot of work on the indie circuit. While wrestling for GLOW, she wrestled under the name Tiffany Mellon. If you are interested in finding copies of Ms. Million/ Mellon wrestling, you might want to pop over to rec.sport.pro-wrestling, snag a copy of the FAQ (or e-mail rspw-faq@Data-IO.com for a copy) and find out how to subscribe to the r.s.p-w tape trading mailing list. Folks there will almost certainly have copies of what you are looking for. 26.17 Alexandria Quinn -- legal or not? Well, half and half... Like Traci Lords, Alexandria Quinn made a bunch of movies when she (by US standards) was underage. However, unlike Traci, she also made a bunch after she was of age, so her underage stuff is not so sought after (though possession of her early stuff in the US is still considered kiddie porn). Her Web bio is split into her legal (US) and illegal films. 26.18 Are there other underage porn performers? In addition to Traci Lords and Alexandria Quinn, there are a few porn performers who have indeed been "caught in the act" while still under the age of 18, the legal age for performing in adult videos in the USA. France has a similar restriction, but it is considered "Corruption of a Minor." Lydia Chanel started in France and made some 15 videos before she turned 18. She admitted this in a French pro-am video she did called GANG BANG POUR SALOPES DECHAINEES, from STARCHILD PRODUCTIONS, France 1992. Also performing underage in France was Tabatha Cash. (Thanks to Alain Bourassa for these pointers) Also, Rene Summers, Kristara Barrington, Ali Moore, Nikki Charm and Christiana (from the original Buttman Goes to Rio) all supposedly performed while underage. 26.19 Did the same thing happen to gay star Jeff Browning? [new] Bob Martin sums it up pretty well: Jeff Browning began acting in the gay porn industry when he was 15 or 16 years old. According to posts in RAME, his proof of age, which it appears all producers reviewed as required by law, was or was not the greatest (I seem to remember one post in which it was alleged his proof wouldn't pass muster in an LA bar -- but isn't the drinking age in California 21?). Nonetheless, it appears Jeff Browning went out and acquired this phony proof of age and then presented it, more than one time and to more than one producer/production company, in order to act in gay porno flicks. He has a number of titles "under his belt" (yes, pun intended); he was not a one-shot, flash in the pan who did a tape and then disappeared. There has been no report that someone put a gun to his head, got him addicted to drugs and then made him perform for fixes, kept his favorite sibling/pet hostage and required him to perform, etc. I don't think I've ever seen a Jeff Browning flick; I rent a lot, but I've been to his web page, and I have to admit I don't find the picture there all that appealing. In any event, I haven't seen any posts that Browning looked like he didn't enjoy what he was doing, or secretly wrote "Save me" on his feet, his cheeks, his forehead, etc., in an effort to escape gay porn. Tim Evanson continues the story: Gay porn star Jeff Browning (or someone using his email address, which can be found on his Web page at http://www.jeffbrowning.com) has sent out numerous emails to almost everyone on RAME who posted about his recent run-ins with the law. Browning may be facing jail time for his exploits, so Los Angeles television reports, and he is cooperating with the U.S. Justice Department. The AVN article descriving the scandal is archived at the reading room. 26.20 Has Victoria Paris or Traci Lords or Candi Evans or Nikki Dial ever taken it in the ass? [updated] None but one... Victoria has managed to take a finger up the ass every now and again. There was an aborted attempt by Peter North to anally penetrate Traci in the film "Future Voyeur" but that's it. As far as we know, nothing went near Candi's ass... However, Nikki got it up the butt at least three times. Check out her scene in Bubble Butts #7, BreastWishes #7 and Rumphumpers #1. Her scene from Rumphumpers is duplicated in Deep Throat Girls #1. She also has an anal scene excerpted from one of the three previous movies in the recently released "Nikki Dial's Secret of Sexcess." 26.21 Does Linda Lovelace hate porn? Linda Lovelace (real name Linda Marsciano, who starred in such movies as "Deep Throat") may very well have been misunderstood. She claimed (both in her book "Ordeal" and in a special government committee) that she was forced into the business. Hart Williams tells me that: Nadine Strossen (currently the President of the ACLU) in her new book called DEFENDING PORNOGRAPHY (published by Scribner, Feb. 1995) points out on pages 182-183, "The violence and coercion that Marchiano [Linda Lovelace] suffered were outrageous. Yet her own account does not support the inference that producers of pornography generally inflict such violence and coercion upon the women who pose for them, for two reasons. First, in Marchiano's own case, it was not the participants in the porn industry who raped, beat and forced her to take part in the movie, but rather, her own husband, Chuck Traynor, who had no other connection to the pornography business. Marchiano's autobiographical writings not only make clear that she experienced no abuse or force at the hands of participants in the porn industry; her writings also show that her career as a "porn star" gave her a welcome, if temporary, refuge from her husband's brutality. In ORDEAL, Marchiano describes the sense of freedom she felt on the set of DEEP THROAT, and how she enjoyed the company of her costar, Harry Reems ... Marchiano's autobiography underscores that her subsequent contacts with the pornography industry, after she had escaped from her abusive husband, were completely voluntary." Here's a little porn-trivia tidbit from Peter van Aarle: In 1969 Linda made a loop featuring first anal sex with Eric Edwards, and then, after Eric leaves, Linda and a dog. The loop was called Dogarama, and has never been available on video in the US (but I've seen a video in a store here in Holland year ago which included that loop. Never watched it though). She also did loops featuring golden showers, fisting, and even a foot insertion loop. Linda made another dog-loop at the time with Jamie Gillis (if I remember right) and a dog. (BTW, I even know a guy who says he has those loops as well as her fisting and 'footing' loops on video but he doesn't do duping :-/ ) Linda Lovelace has her fair share of friends and enemies. Anti-porn zealots use her as an example of the common horrors occurring in the pornographic business. Perhaps she is just out to make a quick buck. Maybe she's telling the truth, but her situation is extraordinary in the business. 26.22 Did any other porn stars denounce the business? The "I Hate Porn, even though I was a Star!" syndrome has struck former actress Holly Ryder. Holly Ryder has started a fund to fight pornography. Stacey Donovan allegedly testified before the Meese Commission. Her testimony is alleged to be not flattering about the industry. I have no other info on this, so if any researchers want to forward something along... 26.23 What's the deal with Peter North? Peter is the subject of two long running debates in the group. The first is how he can cum so much. There has been no acceptable answer other than "He's a genetic freak..." The second is his appearance in gay porn. It has been widely rumored that hetero porn stud Peter North has made homosexual videos, and the rumors are true. North began his career as a flexible gay porn star who topped and bottomed, but in left gay porn in 1986 to pursue a heterosexual porn career, changing his name to Peter North. North has often claimed that he never took a cock in his ass, and that scenes in which such seems to occur were stunt-assed, electronically altered, or masked somehow. However, North clearly has done so, as is evident in the film THE BIGGER THE BETTER where North is clearly fucked by gay porn star Rick Donovan. North recently returned to his gay porn past, using the nom de plume Matt Ramsey again in the bisexual film VALLEY OF THE BI DOLLS. He has a web site now at http://www.peternorth.com \PART Have any het male performers done gay porn? [new] A variety of heterosexual male porn stars have also done gay porn, either as tops or bottoms. Among them are the above mentioned Peter North, Marc Wallice, Jack Wrangler, John Holmes and Eric Price/Charlie Stone. Many hetero actors have done solo jackoff films aimed at the gay market; among them have been TT Boy, Randy Spears, Sean Michaels, Cal Jammer, and (though he's not a het porn star) MTV VJ Simon Rex. 26.25 Does Janine Lindemulder just do girls? In a word, yes. On film anyway. According to a faithful asm reader, I am told that Janine has a three year old boy (who loves football!) and, near as our poster could tell, he must have teleported out of her womb. Peter van Aarle passed along a tidbit he recently read. On a recent Howard Stern show, Howard mentioned that she was hooked up with a construction worker (as opposed to a millionaire, as was previously suggested [by herself?]). Apparently Stern bugged her about how she could have done better than a construction worker. In its March 1995 issue, AVN reports that while promoting Blondage on a Los Angeles radio show, Janine said "If I'm gonna sleep with a man, he'd better be prepared to fall in love with me -- or at least buy me dinner. (She laughs) Being with a woman is kind of like a slumber party. For guys, I have to have a relationship." In her interview with Vivid Video (http://www.vividvideo.com/sorority/janine2.htm), Janine answers the following questions about her lovers and her onscreen relations with them: Q: You said earlier that you now have a boyfriend? JANINE: Yes, for seven years now. Q: What does he do? JANINE: He works construction and he is also a musician, therefore I pretty much support the household as I am the bigger bread winner in the family. Q: What about a girlfriend? JANINE: Yes, Julia (Julia Ann, adult film actress and her partner in Blondage), for six years now, but my boyfriend doesn't really know what kind of relationship she and I have. Q: How do they feel about your career? JANINE: My boyfriend hates it, of course, he doesn't want to hear about it but he accepts it as it is part of me. For him, I've agreed to not perform with men on film and even offered him the opportunity to perform with me, which he is considering. As for Julia, she is part of my career, we dance together always and occasionally act in movies together. Phil Noir, a director over at Vivid, as this to say: Just to clarify things, Janine said (to me) that the reason she didn't want to do B/G yet is because of the "emotional investment...girls are just dessert." She really has to have some sort of liking for the guy; it's a very sensitive issue with her. Of course huge $$ may factor into her ultimate decision, but as of last year this time (while shooting Body language) she was clearly not into it for any amount of money. It was very difficult to get her just to neck & tease St. Croix, but what you see on screen is literally as far as she wanted to go. And Steve, she liked. 26.25.1 So Janine has a boyfriend? Well, despite her earlier statements in the Vivid interview... N.P. Trist did a little detective work -- the old Lexis search on the public records trick (ah, to be a law student and get it all for free...) -- and found out that Janine was actually married and has filed for divorce from her husband. And in her on-line question and answer session which used to be at Vivid's web site (http://www.vividweb.com) she was asked: Q: "Do you have a boyfriend?" A: No, I'm completely single, and looking for Mr. Right. You decide. 26.26 What movie has that ice dildo scene? Chances are, that would be Andrew Blake's "Hidden Obsessions" with Janine giving the cold finger to Julia Ann (not Melanie Moore). There are a few MPEGs of this scene floating around. Janine/Julia also had some ice work in Blondage, if I am not mistaken. Heretic is quick to point out that a far better ice dildo scene can be found in New Faces, Hot Bodies 15. Also, Buttslammers 5 had a clear dildo in the last scene as did Sex Academy 4. Frans Postma jumps in with Buttslammers #1 -- the scene with Tiffany Mynx, Rebecca Bardoux, Melanie Moore and Lia Baren (scene 2). "In this scene, they use this electronic device which is partly made from transparent plastic. In scene 3, they use this device as well, gives a nice 'inside' view " Bob Mosely mentioned an old Swedish Erotica loop where two gals cast a popsicle mold of John Holmes' member and proceeded to use it in novel ways ;-) There are other scenes of this type, but to continue the list is beyond the scope of this document. Perhaps someone is interested in compiling an "ice dildo scene" list... 26.27 Who are Rex Borsky and Jackson St. Louis? [updated] A long time ago there was a brilliant director named Alex DeRenzy. Some notable films of his include "Babyface 1 and 2", "Wild Things 1 & 2", "Two Women" and others that don't readily spring to mind. He was known for making hot product in the Golden Age. At about the same time, there was another brilliant director named Henri Pachard. Some notable films of his include "Devil in Miss Jones II", "Sexcapades" "Great Sexepctations" and countless others that don't spring to mind (I don't have a big database like some others do.... ;-). He was known for making hot product (that almost always had a scene in the bathroom) in the Golden Age. Peter van Aarle quoted AVN when he passed this along: "Borsky (as video detectives have pretty much gathered by now, is Alex DeRenzy), together with director Jackson St. Louis and Mike Rubinstein formed Rosebud in March 1991...". They also write "Borsky/DeRenzy" a few times more during the article. Adam Film World's 1993(?) issue confirms that Jackson St. Louis is just another name for the man known best as Henri Pachard. DeRenzy and Pachard realized the days of high budget sex flicks were gone, and settled into their niche of filming wall-to-wallers under the names Borsky and St. Louis hoping to capture some of the heat they once had while totally sacrificing plot. 26.27.1 Is DeRenzy coming back ever? [new] AVN reported that Alex derenzy has signed on with Evil Angel; so perhaps we can look forward to some more plot driven stuff from Alex. His Borsky/Rosebud stuff is great, but it would be nice to see him back in his old form... 26.28 What does Greg Dark do on his days off? [new] He directs straight-to-video erotic thrillers under the name Gregory Hippolyte. His former Dark Brother, Walter, an executive at VCA, sometimes produces his films under the name Walter Gerunti. (sp?) Premiere Magazine did a piece on Dark/Hippolyte in its August 1996 issue (with Travolta on the cover) while he was casting Animal Instincts 3. 26.29 Are there any other porn directors who do mainstream work? [new] Sure. Porn is often only a supplement to other directing gigs. Besides Gred Hippolyte/Dark, the "erotic thriller" genre also has Toby Phillips a/k/a Paul Thomas; Edwin Brown a/k/a Edwin "Every Woman Has A Fantasy" Durell; and Hal Freeman. Chuck Vincent made a bunch of R-Rated movies with such X-stars as Veronica Hart, Henri Pachard(!) or Jerry Butler ... filmographies and biographies are available the Internet Movie Database (http://moviedatabase.com) 26.30 Speaking of the Dark Brothers, why did they break up? [new] The short version is Walter was dating porn starlet Heather Hart, then Greg stole her away, married her, and made her retire. So Walter left the team and became a VP or some higher-up at VCA... but they still work together in "Hollywood" where Walter (as Walter Gernert) produces Greg's (as greg Hippolyte) erotic thriller work. 26.31 Are Ginger Lynn and Amber Lynn sisters? [new] Nope. Amber Lynn *is* Buck Adams' sister, however. 26.32 Are there any other siblings in porn? [new] Sure. The most often pairs asked about (and I do not intend this to become canonical) Buck and Amber; Paula Price and her sister Brittany; and Tami Monroe and her sister Tara Monroe 26.33 Have any siblings performed sex together on-screen? [new] Yep, though it is far more prevalent in the gay arena than the het. Patrick Riley says: "there are some movies with sisters "doing" each other. Brooke and Taylor Young were a pair of identical twins (quite attractive too) who have a long g/g scenes in Sweet Cakes (1976), Teenage Twins (aka Twin Tarts) and Double Your Pleasure (1978). In the latter movie they also do an unerotic and choreographed four way with a pair of male identical twins called the Hartman brothers. There is another pair of female twins around the same era but the name escapes me (help, Peter!). "The amateur video A&B #056 has, according to the box, a brother screwing his sister. I saw this in about 1990 and they're rather ugly people--the girl had a big zit on her butt--and there's no way of proving they're related. On the other hand, A&B have yanked the tape and they've also yanked the Linda Lovelace haggard hound loop they used to sell." On the european side (and available in USA) you could find Magma's movie "Dirty Twins" with the infamous pair of identical french twins who are so hot that they do mutual fist-fucking together. They where also featured in a Private movie On the het side, there were Chrissy Ann and Christy Ann, the Anal Twins. On the gay front, Tim Evanson says: "Comrades in Arms," has the Otov twins--they only jerk off together, but they do also hug and touch. Falcon's Christy Twins, identical twin brothers who would fuck one another on screen. One is married now, the other disappeared. They would not touch anyone else BUT themselves. They did several loops for Falcon. The Rocklands (Hal and Vince) in SADDLE TRAMPS 1, but they didn't have sex. I thought Kip and Scott Noll did a film together (well, at least Kip and one of his real relatives). But I can't think of the title. Gage and Blue Blake had sex together on screen, but I can't name the title. Lest we forget, there were also the Otov twins, and Luis and Carlos Mendez are brothers, as well. And if they were true cousins, you can also list Rick Donovan and his more hugely huge (but just as limp) cousin in "Think Big", Seabag, 1989. Brothers having sex used to be SUCH the trend in the 1980s. It was almost a competition between studios to find real-life brothers and cousins to fuck and suck on screen. I wonder why it stopped... 26.34 Is Candi Evans married to one of the American Gladiators? [new] Yep. She's married to Laser, has two kids and apparently is living in Orlando where Laser is involved in some kind of Gladiator Dinner Theatre. A reader passes this along: "The last time I saw Candy (over a year ago) I tried to get an autographed photo. I waited till Laser was clear across the room (it was at a wedding) and I seized my opportunity. I didn't know how to broach the subject with her, so I just asked ....'ever get fan letters from the old days?" She started to cry and said that she wants to put those days behind her and that the only reason she did it was because her siblings were all overachievers and she had to find something she could excel in. I decided that might not be the appropriate time to ask for an autographed Candy Evans photo." 26.35 Who is in Anabolic's Gang Bang Girls series? [updated] Normally, I would not put a cast list in the FAQ, but this is asked so many times, I feel it is appropriate. A special thanks to N Smith for gathering this all up in one place, so I didn't have to. GBG #1 & #2 - Trixy Tyler GBG #3 & #4 - Debbi Diamond GBG #5 & #6 - Ashley Nicole & Heather Heart GBG #7 & #8 - Selena Steele GBG #9 - Tabitha Cash, Natasia, Carol Nash GBG #10 - Sharon Kane, Lydia Chanel, Tina Tyler GBG #11 - Deborah Wells, Berlin, Monique GBG #12 - Sierra, Crystal Wilder, Kitty Yung GBG #13 - Beatrice Valle, Maeva, Francesca Le GBG #14 - Vanessa Chase, Rebecca Lord, Anna Malle GBG #15 - Nici Sterling, Alex Dane, Kimberly Kummings GBG #16 - Alex Jordan, Deborah Wells, Bambi GBG #17 - Missy, Chloe, and Jessica Devareux GBG #18 - Sabrina Johnson, Dina Pearl, Nikki Brantz Personally, I feel the series was best when it was one performer over two tapes (though it would have been best one performer one 2 hour tape...) All of the gangbangs end with big facial finishes, except Ashley Nicole demurs and lets Heather Hart take all the facials; Ashley didn't take any. N Smith liked #14. The Tina Tyler scene was great, I thought; but then again, I dig Tina Tyler. 26.36 Speaking of gangbangs, are there any gay gangbang movies? [new] Sure! Tim Evanson passes along this list (which is not meant to be canonical): The Gangbangers, Lukas' Story 2, The Journey Man, Black Balled, Gang Bang Rich Boy, Getting It, Outlaw Bikers, Sex, Quest, Backwoods, Black Gang-Bang, Download, Gang-Bang Moving, Boy, Hot Cops 2, Ram Jet, Le Sex Salon, Boy of Honor (in French: Garcon d'Honneur), Spokes 2 27 Internet Resources 27.1 Web sites related to Adult Movies... [updated] This FAQ is available via the WWW at: http://www.rame.net/faq At my site you'll find the FAQ; formal archives of reviews from myself, Imperator, and Roger P. Tipe; links to a great many resources relating to adult movies and other swell stuff... Heretic, Den and myself maintain archives of reviews posted to alt.sex.movies and rec.arts.movies.erotica. I maintain an index of all three sites at: http://amri.iafd.com I have set up the rec.arts.movies.erotica reading room which picks up where Heretic's library leaves off. It can be found at: http://www.rame.net/ A quick list of other relevant sites: Peter van Aarle's page: http://www.rame.net/aarle The Bio Keeper Archives: http://www.adultfilmarchives.com The Blowfish Sexuality Information Center: http://www.blowfish.com Those are hardly all of the Adult Movie related sites there are; but I think it's a pretty good sampling of "serious" sites. I try and keep up a good list of stuff at the links section of my web site, http://www.rame.net/library/links However, with the Net exploding in membership and popularity, it is impossible (and far beyond the scope of this already humongous document) for any FAQ compiler to keep up with the developments. It is STRONGLY advised to put http://www.yahoo.com in your hotlist/bookmark file and then regularly check the subdirectory: /Entertainment/Movies_and_Films/Genres/Adult_Movies 27.2 Heretic's Adult Movie Database [updated] Heretic, with Peter van Aarle's data, has put together a wonderful Web site which will tell you just about anything you'd need to know about a film or its participants. Peter van Aarle has selflessly donated his massive database to the Net community. You should send him your thanks. You can easily get filmographies and cast lists of all your favorite recent movies. There's been a MAJOR update to the IAFD. Heretic has added the past 3 months worth of data, and added all titles PREVIOUS to 1989 to the filmography and title search page. Thge catch is that you CAN NOT access the usual film information pages on these older titles, only the post-1989 titles. The older titles are just listed in the filmographies and when you do a title search. You'll see how this works. The film information pages for these older titles DO NOT exist, so don't bother trying to find them. He also added the year to the titles on the filmography and title search pages. The service is only available via the Web. The URL is http://homepage.eznet.net/~rwilhelm/asm/dbsearch.html 27.3 The Internet Movie Database [updated] One resource that has really taken off over the past year is the Internet Movie Database. They've gotten their servers at http://www.moviedatabase.com where you can find the relevant mirror sites. They have an extensive collection of cast lists and other biographical information. It's a great resource for finding out about performers in erotic thrillers and other hard-R type movies (as well as G rated movies, but since this is the Adult Movie FAQ, I figured I'd dwell on the grown up stuff :-) They have limited resources devoted to adult film performers; they pale in comparison to the Internet Adult Film Database. Frans Postma first clued me in to this resource when he told me this: "Just in case you wanna know if a performer has played in some main-stream movie. (i.e. Flame is listed as go-go dancer in Hellraiser III)" The server is also accessible via e-mail. To receive full help place HELP as the Subject: or in the body of the message (on far left hand side of page) e.g. movie@imdb.com Subject: HELP To receive a copy of the Movie Database FAQ, include in the body of the message: HELP FAQ 27.4 Are there any gay resources on the 'Net? [updated] There are more and more gay and lesbian web sites popping up every day. Yahoo has dedicated a whole section of its catalog to gay and lesbian sites. I recommend you check out their catalog. The URL: http://www.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Movies_and_Films/Genres/ Lesbian__Gay_and_Bisexual/ Tim Evanson tells me that "there are no gay databases on-line anywhere that I know of. Some on-line gay distributors such as WEGA Video, Rad Video, and others have databases of the movies they offer for sale, but these catalogs are NOT complete. The only databases of gay bios that I know of are in print: The yearly edition of the Adam Film World Directory of Gay Video, and the annual Bijou Guide. The Adam Guide tends to list brief bios and critical comments about current (or very famous retired) gay porn stars along with a picture (usually nude and erect). However, in recent years the Adam Guide has failed to list more than a few of the actor's most recent films. There are also glaring omissions in its directory. The Bijou Guide is a nonpictorial listing of almost all gay porn stars, past and present. Near-complete filmographies of stars are included, and few stars are omitted, no matter how few films they made. Stars are also cross-referenced under alternative names (a common occurrence in gay porn, where actors change spellings and names frequently). Both the Adam Guide and Bijou Guide list gay porn films with cast, director, studio, and brief critical review and plot synopsis. The Adam Guide has, in recent years, tended to include only films released within the past 12 to 18 months, plus a very few classic films. Bijou is far more complete, but not pictorial. The Bijou Guide is no longer available in print; it is ONLY available now as a CD-ROM. It sells for $24.95 (when ordered online). I am told "it contains every word of the print edition -- and even more great photographs." It was due out in September, 1996 but pushed back to January, 1997. Bijou is having trouble putting the CD-ROM out, and no telling when it will be out now. The last paper edition of the Guide (in two volumes!) was in 1993. If you'd like to receive a downloadable sampler with reviews and photos from Bijou's best selling videos, just drop a note to bijouvideo@aol.com and put "sampler" in the subject and/or body of your message. The AFW Gay Directory is $10.95 plus $2.85 S&H ($12.95 foreign plus $4.00 S&H): Adam Gay Video Annual Directory 8060 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90046-7082 27.5 How can I find out where my favorite porn starlets are dancing? [new] Louis maintains a list of some adult film star schedules at http://www.paranoia.com/~louis/xxxlive.html You should also check out alt.sex.strip-clubs, where het and gay strip clubs are routinely reviewed, and tours by most women are routinely publicized and discussed by the posters. 27.6 Are there other sources for film reviews? [updated] Reviews of recent films may also be found in almost any pictorial magazine available at your local newsstand. Straight and gay magazines such as Penthouse, Playboy, Hustler, Mandate, Inches, Advocate Men and others routinely include reviews of 3-10 movies in each issue. Often, their reviewers are regular commentators who also contribute to the directories published yearly by other companies. Of course many readers have undertaken the thankless task of providing their own reviews to the group free of charge. They argue that their reviews are better than those commercially available. Since they are in no way connected to the industry, they say, the only subjectivity bound to arise is due to their tastes and whims rather than the need to placate the porn industry with raving reviews all the time. Of course they may be just paranoid :-). You decide. An index of archived reviews is available the Adult Movie Review Index: http://amri.iafd.com 27.7 Where'd Videosan go? He wrote in alt.sex.movies: I have decided to terminate the GETBIO and GETFTP servers. Effective 15 FEB 1996, the GETBIO/GETFTP servers will no longer function. Any GETBIO/GETFTP requests made on or after that date will result in an autoresponse that states that the GETBIO server is no longer in service. And at some as-of-yet undecided future point, my userid on netcom may be changed or removed, meaning that email to videosan@netcom.com will bounce beginning at that future point. ================================================================= 28 Books 28.1 Where can I get "The Bare Facts?" Craig Hosoda (chosoda@barefacts.com), the author of the Bare Facts guide, sent me some updated information. I pass it along. First off, he has a web site now which you should use as a place for information about the book and related materials. You can find it on the web at: http://www.barefacts.com/~chosoda If your bookstore won't carry the book, you can buy it directly from the author at: The Bare Facts Video Guide - Current Edition P.O. Box 3255 Santa Clara, CA 95055-3255 Cost: $19.95 plus $3.00 for shipping ($22.95 total) The book is also available on CD-ROM. You can contact the author, Craig Hosoda, via e-mail at chosoda@barefacts.com 28.2 Is the Bare Facts the only book of its type? [new] Phil Hall (ph10302@www.cedarnet.org) tells me: You mention the book "Bare Facts" which is cool, but there is another book (very similar) that you may be interested in that seems to fit in that section: It's called "Total Exposure: the movie buff's guide to celebrity nude scenes" By Jami Bernard Copyright 1995 Citadel Press. ISBN # 0-8065-1619-4 (p-back) Cost: $19.95 ($24.95 in Canada) Length: 284 pages, including a massively cool index! 28.3 Can I get a book of porn star headshots? [new] Not really. Patrick Riley says that "the best collection of photo ID's in my opinion is the Adam Film World annual directory. It's cheap and it covers most of the current big names. You can find it on a regular newsstand or wherever the magazine is sold. If you can't find the annual write to them." Patrick goes on to explain why such books don't exist: Except for people like the contract girls (Vivid, Wicked, etc) any individual porn manufacturer has little interest in promoting any particular performer except if it might make you buy their tape (e.g.a Penthouse Pet doing porn). Otherwise it would simply be helping the competitor. You mentioned Ed. What does Ed gain by getting the name right and helping you ID (say) Nadia Moore? He's only going to use her a couple of times at most. If he helps you ID her it might benefit her and it might benefit Metro or Zane or Sin City but it's not going to help him. In the early days of the regular movie industry you had much the same thing. The movie companies wanted you to concentrate on the story and movie company, not the actor. It's only when they discovered the star system that they started to emphasize the performer and in those days they had the person under contract to the studio. Only after the stars realized their power and the contract system died did it become: star first, then story, then movie company. The porno performers have no such power and certainly not at the beginning of their "career" and they probably never will due to the transitory nature of their popularity. There are several reasons for the "brunette blows Peter..." type statement some of which are not immediately obvious. The first is the unfortunate "I don't care and I'm not going to take the trouble to find out" but even this is not as cavalier as you might think. Before I got into writing these books, I used to think, especially with AVN, that all they had to do is ring the video company and ask. Logical, eh? Well, not quite. You get some promotion director who works part time in the art department, hasn't seen the movie and really couldn't care less. The reply is either "I'll have to ask the director who's away in Europe for three weeks" or "I'll look it up and get back to you" (never does) or "I suppose I could look at the model releases which are in a big pile in the corner of the office" (i.e. please don't bug me about this) and in the meantime you have the tractor trailer from UPS backing this weeks releases up to your door. The second is the timing. Even if AVN are not as quick as they boast, they're still too fast for the girl to have become a recognized performer. Don't forget most people here are seeing the movies out of sequence and perhaps six months (maybe even years) after they were shot by which time the girl (if she's not a one- shot wonder) is well established. You say (not an actual quote but the tenor) "How could a reviewer not recognize Nadia Moore" but you forget you didn't recognize her the first time because there was nothing to recognize. There's also a cost question. Do you really want to spend a huge amount of time (and money) on the ID of a girl who may be a one- shot wonder or who you think is repulsive anyway. Look back at the threads here where Peter, Joey Markam and I have discussed the ID of some long-ago porno star at length. From a business perspective this time is (would be) a waste. What about using chromes the video companies send out? Apart from the question of non-explicit shots (one of my big problems) just how good are those photos you see in HEVG, ACR and the like for ID? And you don't get photos of every performer. Don't forget the video company is trying to promote the movie, not the actress (except for contract girls). 28.4 Is the gay porn directory "Superstars" any good? [new] In a nutshell, no. Tim Evanson writes: On my very first visit to the gay bookstore after my recent gall bladder surgery, lo and behold what do I come upon but a new gay porn directory. The title is SUPERSTARS, and it's written by gay porn performer Jamoo (who, btw, has also written a fair amount of gay porn fiction and does frequent interviews of gay porn stars for Advocate Men, FreshMen, and Manshots). The book is $12.95 and published by Companion Press; 182 pages of reviews, 15 pages of forewards and disclaimers, and 2 pages of order forms and "where to buy" information. My take on this book can be summed up in one word: "Vanity." In his introduction, Jamoo says, "...I decided to limit this guide to the 'best of' gay men working today in the '90s. I have purposefully left out well-known 'gay for pay' straight actors who, i believe, have no business in this industry. Out of about 300 actors, I personally selected the prettiest, the nicest, the newest and the ones who have treated me with respect." Okay, that aside, the book basically devotes two pages to each star. There are only 106 stars listed. Jamoo gives us a one- paragraph Adam Film World-style dish-description of each star, and lists the actor's films by date and then alphabetically within each year. He includes a full-page black and white photo of the actor, where he can. That means that 90% of the actors listed in his guide have photos. However, with stars like Jeff Stryker listed in his guide, I'm not so sure Jamoo knows who is het and who is not! I'm also not so sure about the accuracy of his "current workers" assertions, either. OR the accuracy of his videographies; Sean Diamond is listed with only 6 films, and while Jamoo acknowledges that Diamond worked as "Chris Phifer" for a few years before changing his name he ALSO leaves out all those "Phifer" films--like IDOL WORSHIP! And Doug Forbes has done more than three films!!! I think this is a hack work, folks. It's really not worth the $12.95. The pics we are treated to are basically re-runs of catalog pictures we've seen from brochures and boxcovers. The "inside information" is stuff taken from the "Secrets of the Porn Stars" column in "Advocate Classifieds" or Adam Film World. Indeed, the descriptive text on each star isn't informative at all. And it CERTAINLY is not a critique of the actor's work. The videographies are woefully inaccurate and incomplete. I can honestly say, for the first time in years, that I'm sorry I bought something. 28.5 Are there any comprehensive books of reviews? [new] There's really only one set of books available, and we're lucky enough to have their author among our ranks: Patrick Riley (p_riley@usa.pipeline.com) a now-frequent contributor to rec.arts.movies.erotica has a number of books to his credit. He also maintains a huge database which he is nice enough to share both in book form and occasionally in an answer to some questions in the newsgroup. However, DON'T be rude and e-mail him asking for the database or free copies of his book or anything like that... Here's a snip of his publicity: THE X-RATED VIDEOTAPE GUIDES, VOLS 1-6 The Guides are an encyclopedic work whose aim is to, as a minimum, list all non-gay porno (XXX/hardcore) videotapes that are or were available in the United States at some point in time. Fetish movies and movies in which a known porno star appears, non- explicit movies (glamour, Playboy-type, etc) plus MPAA X movies are included if the information is available. Regular Hollywood movies and "art" (particularly foreign) movies that may present an erotic interest are also included. Movies listings (informational entries) include name, cast, producer/director, year, distributor, a guide to the type of movie (compilation, segment, etc) the likely audience (touchie-feelie, raincoater, etc) and scene indicators (includes anal, incest, etc) plus a synopsis of the movie's story (if any). Movies are chosen for review based on the likelihood of the movie being erotic. The review includes all of the informational entry items plus the author's description of the activities in the movie and his evaluation of it's erotic and other qualities. Volumes I through IV only include reviews. For those familiar with the mainstream guides, an informational entry is like Maltin minus the opinion plus a full cast and a review is like Pauline Kael plus the factual information. Informational entries are derived from manufacturer's publicity (ad, box, slick, catalog, etc) as well as reviews by other persons (contemporaneous magazines, etc). Reviews of course come from personal viewing. All volumes are approximately 600 pages in trade paperback format (6 * 9) but volumes V and VI are in a much smaller typeface and each contain considerably more material than volumes I through IV. Each volume contains a small photo insert of the current stars plus introductory material describing the recent changes in the industry. THE X-RATED VIDEOTAPE STAR INDEX The Star Index is an offshoot of the guides and aims to list all porno stars (persons who have performed sex on videotape) together with their roles and in some cases, their physical description and biographical data. It also is about 600 pages in trade paperback format. AVAILABILITY Guides I through VI plus the Star Index are in print and available from any regular bookstore such as Barnes & Noble and Waldenbooks. In the event your local bookstore or branch doesn't carry them or is out of stock they can be ordered by the store in exactly the same manner as any other book, usually at no extra charge. The retail price of each book is approximately $20 but due to sales etc you should check directly with the reseller at the time of purchase. MOST RECENT VOLUME INFORMATION The X-Rated Videotape Guide Volume VI by Patrick Riley - background photo of Jen Teal on the cover. ISBN 1-57392-102-5. Black spine with red lettering. Published September 1996 by Prometheus Books. Covers 1995 to mid 1996 with about 1000 reviews including 200 from the seventies time period, revised cast of some volume I and volume II reviews and about 5000 additional synopses of 1995/6 movies. Index to prior volumes. 28.6 Have any of the stars written books? [updated] In fact, yes. Jerry Butler, Jack Wrangler and Peter North have written autobiographies. Jerry Butler's book is called Raw Talent and was written by himself, "as told to" Robert Rimmer and Catherine Havel. It can be ordered directly from Prometheus Books. The price is $16.95 Paper (ISBN 0-87975-625-X), $24.95 Cloth (ISBN 0-87975-642-X). They have a toll free number (1-800-421-0351) and a fax number (1- 716-691-0137). I have also seen it available at most large bookstores. Accounts vary as to the accuracy of Butler's account, but I found it to be a pretty frank discussion of himself and his shortcomings; along with a semi-trashing of the industry. His material is certainly food for thought, and I thought it was a very interesting read. I have not read it, but Jack Wrangler's book is called The Jack Wrangler Story, or "What's a Nice Boy Like You Doing? By: Jack Wrangler and Carl Johnes. It is copyright 1984, St. Martin's Press, New York. Rumor has it that it is out of print. Peter North's book, on the other hand, is something I have not read. It is called Penetrating Insights and is only available via mail order. The phone number for ordering has been disconnected. Journalist Charles Isherwood wrote "Wonder Bread and Ecstasy: The Fast Life and Slow Death of Joey Stefano" (Los Angeles: Alyson Publications, 1996). Using interviews with Stefano's friends, family, and co-workers, as well as published interviews and news reports, Isherwood documents Stefano's early life, his entry into porn, and his extensive drug problem. Although not about Stefano's on-the-set experiences, it is a good look at one of gay porn's biggest stars. 28.7 Are there books on the history of gay porn? Tim Evanson passes along this book and review that you may want to check out: John R. Burger, ONE-HANDED HISTORIES: THE EROTO-POLITICS OF GAY MALE VIDEO PORNOGRAPHY, Harrington Park Press, 1995. LCCN: HQ76.B86 1994 ISBN: 1560238526 Tim Evanson reviews the book thusly: I bought the book. It's not really so much a book on how to make porn as it is a short history of gay porn in the 1950s and 1960s, and some of the politics revealed by gay porn. The books 7 chapters (covering only 106 pages, however) cover the sociological theory of "popular memory", the history of gay porn from the 1950s and still photography to "art" gay porn of the late 1960s and the rise of the "studio" porn of the late 1970s. It then describes two big problems in gay porn -- racism and ageism -- and one improvement -- sadomasochism. It also covers the issues of prostitution, gay porn "tricks of the trade", and AIDS. An obvious and possibly belabored thread about how gay politics suffuses gay porn culminates in a final chapter on activists in porn, the "queer" identity of porn stars, and coming out themes in gay porn. IMHO, the book's political points are highly belabored. The author makes a great deal out of gay porn, turning it into "serious" statements when you or I might say, "It's just PORN, stupid!" The author also draws conclusions from isolated examples in gay porn, often using the same films over and over to prove his point. Overall, for someone looking for a good history of porn's rise from the early 1950s to about 1975, this is the book to consult. It has a GREAT bibliography, although most of the materials really can't be found by the average scholar with even a good college library (two oft-used sources are "The Guide" and "Manshots," neither of which are archived ANYWHERE but the Library of Congress, to my knowledge). The author also takes as gospel many of the statements contained in gay porn magazines and by porn stars, when it is often clear that such statements are NOT accurate. But then, the author isn't interested in accuracy per se, but rather "what the public BELIEVES is true" (which is the definition of the "popular memory" sociological theory he uses). But for my $11.95, it was a good buy. 28.8 Where can I buy books mentioned in this FAQ? [new] Most of the books mentioned in this FAQ can be purchased on-line at Amazon Books. (I have no affiliation with Amazon Books, but I have heard of their reputation...) Amazon Books is one of the leading booksellers on the 'Net. They have about 20 titles (at last check) dealing with adult movies. You can search their site by using this URL: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/Subject=Erotic films ================================================================= 29 Magazines ASM\ Adult Video News (AVN) Adult Video News is the trade magazine of the porn industry. It has reviews, interviews and news sections. Lately, it's reputation has been a bit tarnished on the group, because it gave Ninn's "Sex" and "John Wayne Bobbit Uncut" unusually high reviews. (Both movies were judged, almost unanimously on asm, to have sucked.) For video retailers, there are also tips on box cover art and how to display the videos for maximum exposure. You can get a full year of AVN for just $48.00. The address to write to is: AVN Publications, Inc. 6700 Valjean Avenue Van Nuys, CA 91406 or you can call or fax Tel: 1-800-521-2474 or 1-310-842-7450 FAX: 1-310-842-7454 They take Visa or Mastercard. If you prefer, you can also find AVN at most fine adult bookshops. You may also find it on the newsstands, as they are trying to broaden their markets... You can also subscribe via an unsecure form at their web site: http://www.avn.com 29.2 Adam Film World (AFW) and its gay counterpart, XXX Gay Video Showcase and its niche counterpart, Adam Black Video Illustrated Adam Film World is another magazine solely devoted to x-rated movies (or, as Georgina Spelvin once said at a high class awards ceremony: "I still call them fuck films" ;-) Its contents consists mainly of reviews of recent movies (something like 30-40 per issue). There is also usually a layout with a pornstar. AFW also publishes a companion gay version of the magazine as well. It, too, consists mainly of reviews of recent movies, and includes 2-3 layouts of pornstars with occasional very brief interview or biographical data. There are 12 issues a year, of which 6 are regular issues, and 6 are special issues. These special issues include a 199# X-rated Film & Video Awards issue (which name the 10 best movies and 10 best vids for the year, according to AFW), an X-rated Movie Handbook issue (really just a listing of the 500 best rated films & videos of the past year), a Porn Star Annual issue (with short pieces on most of the active porn girls and guys), and several XXX Movie Illustrated issues (really a regular issue with less reviews, but with several 'pictorial reviews' [which are really a selection of stills from that movie] ). AFW's gay magazine, "XXX Gay Video Showcase" is published monthly with 2 special issues a year. The special issues are bi-annual listings of the 100 top-rated films and videos of the past year. Other special issues which had been devoted to pictorial reviews and porn star interviews no longer exist. Instead, AFW has spun off a separate magazine called "Adam Gay Video Pictorial," a bi- monthly publication of old video stills previously published in their XXX Gay Video Showcase magazine. As of January, 1997 Gay Video Pictorial didn't have any subscription rates or services available. AFW's black magazine, "Adam Black Video Illustrated" is also published bi-monthly and can also be subscribed to at the numbers below. Adam also produces a _Directory of Adult Videos_ every year (since 1984) which comes out in February. This has reviews of some 400 of the best recent movies, plus a Best of the Rest listing which gives cast and rating of some 1000 additional older movies. There is a Performer Index which lists movies by performer (although these are NOT as complete as some of the a.s.m. BIOs ;-), as well as a Theme Index (which lists movies which contain such 'themes' as: anal, bi, boob, couples appeal, nurses, etc.). AFW also puts out a gay version of its Directory. It reviews almost all of the video releases for the past year, as well as classic films. Its design and layout are similar to the straight version, with sections on "Those Other Films", a performer index, a theme index, directors' biographies, "where to buy" and "where to rent" listings, and some editorializing. And finally there is a Sources section (so you will finally be able to find out where the order that elusive 'Gang Bang Girls take on John Wayne Bobbitt' tape ;-) To subscribe, and you should also be able to find the magazine on newsstands to check it out. For $45.00 you get a 1 year subscription ($80 for 2 years). The magazine has a $4.95 cover price. The address to write to is: Film World Subscription Dept. 8060 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046-7082 They DO NOT take Visa, Mastercard or any other plastic :-( The annual Directories (Adam Film, Gay and Black Illustrated) have a cover prices of $10.95; add $2.85 S&H if you order it from them directly. 29.3 Hustler Erotic Video Guide (HEVG) Hustler Erotic Video Guide is yet another magazine solely devoted to x-rated movies. It consists of reviews, at least one pornstar layout (Hustler style), and usually one or more pornstar interviews. There are also 2 sections called Fresh Meat and First Word, which are a 2 page photospread and a one page profile respectively of girl new to porn. HEVG differs from AVN and AFW in that it caters more to the taste of the so-called "raincoat crowd". This means that their reviews put the emphasis almost completely on the sex, and the nastier the better. One of their features for instances is the Scorecard section (as the accompanying blurb says: "Many of you haven't got the time, the patience or the inclination to wade through the verbiage that we reviewers spew when critiquing a tape, so we're cutting the bullshit. All you get here is who does what to whom. If it's not on the card, it's not in the movie). Categories on the card include: starring, director, rating, number of sex scenes, butt-fucks, cum facials, cocksucking, fuck positions, kinky sex, threeways... One column worth mentioning for the true raincoaters among you (you know who you are :-) is Semen Salon where Sam Lowry mentions the best cum facials he has seen during the past month. You should also be able to find the magazine on newsstands to check it out. For $39.95 you get a 1 year subscription. The magazine has a $4.99 cover price. The address to write to is: Hustler Erotic Video Guide P.O. Box 358 Mount Morris, IL 61054 or you can call the toll-free subscriber service number for credit card orders only: Tel: 1-800-246-5133 29.4 Video Xcitement [updated] Many of the industry insiders (Sky Henderson, Dirty Bob, Nick Long, etc.) recommended this magazine. They say that Video Xcitement is an excellent publication. You may reach them at: Video Xcitement P.O. Box 187 Fraser, MI 48026 (810) 415-9032 A one year subscription to this monthly newspaper is $45.00, 3rd class post, or $59 first class. It is $70 for South America and Europe, $82 for Asia and Australia. If you send them $5 (to cover the $3.95 cover price plus postage) they will send you one trial issue so you can check their magazine out. They now have a web site at http://www.videoxcitement.com 29.5 Gay Video Guide (GVG) [updated] For gay videos, the premiere magazine is Gay Video Guide, a small pocketsized quarterly magazine which contains reviews and fast-breaking gay video news. It is particularly useful for its interviews with gay porn stars, "gossip" column which contains news events about gay porn stars, and its extensive gay porn video reviews which take up about 80% of the magazine. GVG also contains routine columns on genres in gay porn such as military films, prison films, and the like. GVG also contains obituaries of gay porn stars past and present who had died of AIDS or other causes. To order GVG, send a check or money order (no cash or credit cards) to: Sabin Publishing 7985 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 109-117 Los Angeles, CA 90046 Cost is $9.95 for six issues, and back issues are available. make checks payable to Sabin Publishing. The magazines are shipped in a plain, brown wrapper. International orders are $15.95 per year, payable in international money orders only. 29.6 Manshots [updated] The other best guide to gay video is the bi monthly magazine Manshots. Edited by industry director and producer Jerry Douglas, this glossy color magazine is known for its extensive photographs. It contains extensive reviews of older films, genre films, fetish and bisexual films, interviews with current and older gay porn stars, and extensive director's interviews. The letters section is extremely useful for the editors often use this section to publish information about gay porn and actors not normally available or lost to the public. Order it from FirstHand Publications at: Manshots--FirstHand Publications PO Box 1314 Teaneck, NJ 07666 Manshots is $31.00 for six monthly issues. You can get a full year for $60 (a savings of two dollars!) Visa and Mastercard are accepted, as well as checks and money orders, no cash. Checks should be made out to "Manshots--FirstHand Publications." International orders are not available at this time. MANSHOTS includes a free copy of the latest annual Adam Film World Gay Video Directory with subscriptions. ================================================================= 30 Got any good FTP sites? To understand FTP is to understand networking. In a nutshell, FTP allows a number of people (sometimes unlimited) to log in to a machine and download files from it. Downloading files is one of the most intensive operations a server can perform due to the incredible amount of disk reads necessary to accomplish a task. So, no one really wants their server to become molasses while the world is downloading things from their site. NASA experienced such a thing, when the 'Net went mad looking for Shoemaker-Levy comet photos. 30.1 Some guy posts a list of FTP sites every now and then... Yeah, I know... The "guy" is Mistress Blanca and Peter (Green Way) and their document is called "Pointer to Sex Info on the Net." You can get it from rtfm.mit.edu in the /pub/usenet-by- group/news.answers/alt-sex/pointers file. It is posted on the 1st of the month to alt.sex and news.answers However, but my experience with it has been that many of the sites are no longer functioning as expected. I have come upon many web sites with the words "My provider made me take the pictures off my page because..." They *do* offer a for-pay version of the list, but I am unaware of it. This FAQ is listed in the list, but its revision date is quite out of date... 30.2 I got 127.0.0.1 ... Is that a good one? Only if you got good stuff on your machine. 127.0.0.1 is a loopback address, which hooks you back into your own machine for testing purposes. It's usually given as a joke to shut the newbies up while they figure it out. ================================================================= 31 Boy, those oddities sure are odd... 31.1 Are Dixie Dynamite's tits real? Um, no. Dixie Dynamite is an actress with _enormous_ breasts. A D size wouldn't even begin to cover the top. You'd need an FFFF size at least. That in itself should tell you that her breasts are 100% fake. If you look carefully, you'll notice that the breasts are held in place by a halter. What's more, the actress who plays Dixie Dynamite works under a different name -- Leanna Foxxx. She's seen much more using that name, and the face is obviously the same. 31.2 Are those 18" dicks real? Nope. They're plastic. Tim Evanson adds another Point of note: One of the more famous of the "Two-Foot Penis" men, Long Dan Silver, has acted under the name Dan Steele in straight porn for a few years. In those other films, his penis is a distinctively normal size. HOWEVER, we cannot rule out a medical condition which would result in an enlargement of the penile gland to such dimensions. However, it would be pretty obvious that there is a medical condition and the dick probably won't work as we've come to expect. I'm thinking of the "elephant man" disease here... 31.3 Do those guys really have two dicks? [updated] No. They're plastic. And that guy doesn't have dicks for hands either. They're special effects. HOWEVER, I have been told that there are indeed poor souls who end up with two penises... and I guess there are enough of them to get a neat-o scientific name: "Diphallic Terata" (get it? two penises). It is generally described as the "complete or partial doubling of the penis or clitoris." Most men that suffer from diphallic terata do not have two fully working cocks, like the guys supposedly do in these movies. And most of the time the second penis is removed surgically at a young age. Most medical dictionaries and encyclopedias could give you more information. 31.4 Are hermaphrodites real? There are hermaphrodites in biological cases, but they are known as pseudohermaphrodites; either men with internal female organs (too much testosterone produced during birth), or women with unusually sized clitori due to the same biological disorder. But nobody is born with both male and female organs -- certainly not in any case where both can function. So the hermaphrodite videos are faked. Often, however, some producers seek out pre-operative transsexuals, and induce them to enter the porn world in return for fairly substantial sums of cash which can be used to complete the changeover. Transvestite gay porn star Ricky Van has noted in interviews that transsexuals can receive up to $2,500 for doing a year's worth of gay porn (perhaps as many as 8 videos). Patrick Riley brings this to the table: In order for the male to produce sperm the body has to produce various hormones (primarily testosterone) but if the female were to produce similar quantities (females do produce a little) it would prevent the release of the the ovum, in addition to causing virilizing side effects. Similarly the feminizing hormones which cause the female cycle and the ovum release would prevent the generation of sperm and produce a feminization of the male. The latter is why she-males, who take feminizing hormones (that's how they get those breasts) have such difficulty with erections and ejaculations. It's a lot more complex than this (and I'm no biologist) but if you want to read about it go to the planned parenthood web site and follow links dealing with infertility. One MD has a web page that goes on for ever describing the human reproductive process and what can go wrong. If on the other hand you want to see a vagina plus penis, this can be found in Paul Norman's Bi And Beyond #6, Pleasures' XXXtra Parts and Dark's Sex Freaks on a guy named Chance Ryder. His balls are atrophied and his dick is only a little bigger than Cortknee's clit and he can't get an erection but it "sort of" satisfies the criteria of "genitals of both male and female". According to him he's a fully functioning female and has conceived and had an abortion. Not that I'd want to screw him. All other Bi And Beyond supposed hermaphrodites are fake. ================================================================= 32 X, XXX... What happened to XX? Back in the 1960s, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) settled on a standard for rating movies. This rating system was put in place to keep children out of films "society" felt they should not see. X rated films were those films meant for people over 18. The MPAA registered all of their ratings (except X) with the trademark office for protection. In 1969, Midnight Cowboy, an X rated film, won the Best Picture Oscar. (The only one to do so...) In the early 1970s, porn was going mainstream. Deep Throat was gaining popularity. However, anyone in their right mind knew that a porn film would never get anything other than an X rating, so producers just labeled their films X. Harris Minter adds: When the MPAA originated the four ratings (G, M, R, and X), G, M, & R were copyrighted. However, the 'X' rating was deliberately left unprotected so that if for whatever reason, a filmmaker didn't wish to have his work reviewed by the MPAA, or if it was an 'art' film, he could apply the 'X' to his work without having to submit it. To an extent, the porn industry merely used the X rating as it was intended. From the MPAA's perspective, instead of just using the 'X' rating, the porn industry appropriated it for themselves. That created a dilemma - how does one differentiate between the X applied by the MPAA to a significant film like "Midnight Cowboy", and the self-imposed X of "Debbie does Dallas"? After a period of time, the MPAA stopped rating films X because of the pornographic connotation the X rating had earned. This hurt legitimate movies like Midnight Cowboy, because newspapers and other periodicals would no longer advertise X rated fare. So, in 1991, the MPAA developed NC-17. In 1991, the MPAA tried to replace the X rating with the NC-17 classification. The same stigma that plagued the X rating, still plagues the NC-17. This is an unfortunate occurrence, and explains the prevalence of "unrated" films. Ironically, newspapers will often advertise an "unrated" film rather than an NC-17 film. I would imagine that Spanish filmmaker Pedro Aldomovar (a filmmaker who has been constantly fighting the MPAA board) has a lot to say on this issue. All of this is sadly ironic, since due to its trademark status, the porn industry is forbidden to use NC-17 as a self-imposed rating; and most of us will not enjoy going out to a theatre and seeing the intended adult material produced by people like David Lynch ("Wild at Heart" was trimmed to accommodate an "R" rating) or Oliver Stone ("Natural Born Killers" was toned down considerably to achieve the "R" rating). We will have to wait for video. Harris Minter adds: The 14-18 age group has quite a bit of disposable income and are a large part of the movie-going public. Either of those two ratings exclude them from the audience, and therefore hurt the film's profit potential. The theatre owners and bookers aren't stupid - they know this, and won't book a film that won't draw. 32.1 So XXX is hotter than X? Not really. Can you say "marketing?" When the X was getting overused, what else could producers use to make people see _their_ movies? A triple-X rating. "Hotter than three X rated films!" However, it is not the case. There is no less sex in an X rated film than in a triple X one. 33 Mail Order 33.1 Are there reputable mail order houses? The following companies come recommended by members of the Usenet community. I have had no personal experience with any of them, so I am unable to make a personal endorsement. As with any mail order business, your mileage may vary. There is a more comprehensive listing of sources (with ratings) available at the Bio Keeper Archives. Odyssey Group Inc. Excalibur Films PO Box 77597 3621 Commonwealth LA, CA, 90007 Fullerton, CA, 92633 (800)369-6214 (800)BUY-MOVIES http://excaliburfilms.com VideoMail Movies Unlimited PO Box 1550 1-800-4-MOVIES Madison Square Station http://www.moviesunlimited.com New York, NY, 10159 (web site offers no XXX) And, available right here on the net, a pair of frequent contributors to the groups... B l o w f i s h "Guaranteed not to suck." 2261 Market Street #284 San Francisco CA 94114 fax 1 415 864 1858 e-mail: blowfish@blowfish.com Bill Majors' BonVue Enterprises is a leader in fetish videos (bondage, spanking, feet, wrestling, and more). They also special order all legal things for their loyal customers and are one of the few (if not the only) to offer a money back guarantee. You can get a 100+ page catalog for $4.95 BonVue Enterprises P.O. Box 92889 Long Beach, CA 90809 (310) 631-1600 Tim Evanson passes along this list of the largest gay mail order houses: Advanced Direct All Worlds 3841 4th Ave. #1000 PO Box 33324 San Diego, CA 92103 San Diego, CA 92163-9986 800-748-5625 800-537-8024 800-748-6144 (fax) 619-298-8567 AVI Bel Ami 2554 Lincoln Blvd., #407 484-B Washington St., #342 Venice, CA 90291-5082 Monterey, CA 93940-3030 800-222-9622 No phone or fax listed 310-574-2329 (fax) Big Entertainment Bijou Video 7410 Santa Monica Blvd. 1363 N. Wells St. West Hollywood, CA 90046 Chicago, IL 60610 800-824-0949 800-932-7111 no fax 312-337-1270 (fax) Brick House Entertainment Brush Creek Media 5565 Auckland Ave. 2215-R Market St., #148 No. Hollywood, CA 91601 San Francisco, CA 94114 818-764-9890 800-234-3877 no fax 415-552-3244 (fax) Catalina Video Centaur Films 7985 Santa Monica Blvd., #109-S 11684 Ventura Blvd., #921 West Hollywood, CA 90046-5112 Studio City, CA 91604 818-708-9200 800-4HOT-VID 818-708-3160 (fax) 213-656-9152 (fax) Colt Studio Falcon Studios/Jocks/Mustang PO Box 1608-AG PO Box 420750 Studio City, CA 91614 San Francisco, CA 94142-0750 818-985-5786 800-227-3717 818-985-2145 (fax) 415-431-7722 (fax) Forum Studios HIS Video 7985 Santa Monica Blvd. 9650 DeSoto Ave. Suite 109-142 Chatsworth, CA 91311-5012 West Hollywood, CA 90046 800-621-2682/in CA 818-718-0202 no phone or fax listed 818-718-8536 (fax) Hot House Entert. Kristen Bjorn Prods. PO Box 410990 #523 1445 Alton Rd. San Francisco, CA 94141-0990 Miami Beach, FL 33139 800-884-4687 800-334-5142 415-864-8916 (fax) Latin Connection Latin Fan Club 527 Third Ave. PO Box 139 Suite 422 New York, NY New York, NY 10017 212-348-9800 no phone or fax listed Minotaur RAD Video 8033 Sunset Blvd. 3802 Rosecrans St., #500 Suite 598 San Diego, CA 92110-3114 West Hollywood, CA 90046 800-722-4336 800-435-2445 619-230-0365 Sierra Pacific Studio 2000 PO Box 12109 7510 Sunset Blvd. #1437 Marina Del Rey, CA 92103 West Hollywood, CA 90046 310-399-0557 800-435-2445 310-399-4770 (fax) Vivid Man/Vivid Video 15127 Califa St. Van Nuys, CA 91411-3033 800-423-3227 818-908-1526 (fax) 33.2 Excalibur [updated] Excalibur claims to have 15,000 movies in their catalog. Their catalog is up on the World Wide Web now at http://excaliburfilms.com Their company is broken into two parts, the "new" purchases and the "trade-in" department. The new purchases are always brand new, never viewed tapes. The trade-in department operates with a $3.00 return policy where you can return a movie or CD and exchange it for any other video or CD of the same price or lower for three bucks. You can also do trade-ups by paying the difference in cost plus the 3 buck exchange fee. Check out their web site for full details. When asked about their exchange policy, Virginia Beaver wrote: When a customer is exchanging a movie those movies come from the exchange library which is now 'fed' and expanded by the movies being exchanged by existing and new customers. All of these movies have been 'pre-viewed' (to steal a term from the Cadillac dealers!) but are guaranteed to be the same as new movies. The exchange movies are re-boxed in the full color Excalibur box. If any Excalibur customer ever receives a defective movie from us we will replace it absolutely FREE (no Return Authorization is necessary -- just send it back with a short note and we will replace it immediately!). We also will pay for the shipping charges BOTH ways! We prefer, in the case of exchanges only, that the customer give us up to five alternative selections -- especially if he is ordering a movie that no one else in the world has ever ordered -- so that his order can be expedited with alacrity. If the customer insists on a specific title, we will hold his exchange until that movie does come in. But, because this usually causes a time delay in his return shipments, we don't look as 'speedy' as we would like to. We as a company strive for a quick turn-around. And, we always strive to be a customer oriented business. Frans Postma offers his perception of Excalibur's service from outside the United States: A little more about Excalibur since I bought most my movies there. As mentioned before they do not have a searchable database, dunno why. You can browse through their list by selecting on alphabet, several sections are split in sub- sections...("S" is pretty big:) They take Mastercard and Visa and will charge those card under "EF Distributors". Orders are charged when they actually ship. Defective tapes get replaced without problems. Now for the not-so-good part; - they won't email you unless you ask them something first. When in doubt mail them, Virginia (who does most of the mail) usually responds within two days or so - in general you will not be notified about items being put on backorder unless you *ask* about them. - though they claim to have 92% of most orders on stock and can therefore send orders within 24 hrs that's simply not the case. Order anything which is not a current release and be prepared to wait at least a week before they have it in stock. Mind you, that's not slow...it's just a bit more closer to the truth - all orders are shipped in discrete envelopes, and the tapes are also put in discrete boxes (which happen to fit neatly in the envelope, hmm) This comes down to the fact that you'll never get the "real" box with any movie you order from Excalibur, be prepared for that. Excalibur also guarantees that the movies they send to you actually arrive. I assume that they will not send porn to the UK (unless you tell them you'll take the risk) even though it's a part of the Global Priority Mail network. 33.3 Video Gold Club Brad Williams passes this along: Video Gold Club ads, which sometimes are in AFW/AVN and Hustler, are legit and not a rip-off. VGC doesn't put more than one movie per tape either. Their deal is like Columbia House, you buy 2 tapes in two years at $39.99 to fulfill your membership. I'm a member, they carry some good movies that are recent, as well as past hits. They are a division of Adam and Eve, Inc. Leisure Time, Video Age and Private Entertainment sometimes cram all the movies onto one tape (this is legal if you receive a license from the mfg's to reproduce), making for less-than great quality, but at a cheap enough price that many here feel it's worth it. Personally, I don't, I don't like keeping my hands on the Tracking button throughout the films. I'd rather put my hands on my wife... :> But, remember, you don't always have to buy porn to see porn (unless you live in some restricted area, and even then, ask around...) You can often rent porn flicks, and it is often the most economical way to see it. I hesitate to say that renting gives you more bang for your buck... 33.4 Video Age Video Age offers the consumer the opportunity to buy 4 movies on one tape for $19.95. At one time these movies may have been heavily edited, but their catalog repeatedly states that the movies are *uncut*. It makes sense. With porn movies clocking in these days at around 85 mins each, 4 movies is still well under 6 hours... I have heard mixed things about them. Some people like them because while they're not the *best* quality, they can be used as "preview" tapes. Some others have complained of poor tape quality. Video Age does also offer full length, in the original package, versions of some tapes at $39.95 each. 33.5 What US mail order options are available from Europe? [new] Frans Postma forwards this along: Well, I got plenty of experience with Excalibur. Most of it is pretty good too. They're (IMO) also the best place to order movies if you live outside the USA. I checked few other stores; - 42nd&8th (http://www.formatexpress.com/42nd&8th/home.htm) Nice searchable database, expensive on foreign shipping Access split for members/non-members - Gamelink (http://gamelink.power.net) Good database, search options limited compared to 42nd No membership hassles **Very expensive** (easily $10 above Excalibur-price) - Silverscreen (http://www.silvrscreen.com/adultvid/adultvid.html) Small selection, but they have the Sybian movies (Kerri Downs) No specific shipping charge for overseas, gotta ask them. (they *will* ship international though) - Excalibur (http://excaliburfilms.com) No database, only lists sort alphabetically. They do have a porn-star-mall which has list by-actress. Lowest prices I've found so far, low shipping prices too ($8.95 for foreign shipping per two units). 33.6 How can I watch US porn if I am in Europe? [new] I suggest you check out the rec.arts.video FAQ for more in-depth coverage of this issue, but in the meantime, Frans Postma passes this along: For viewing NTSC tapes on a PAL-TV you only need a vcr capable of NTSc-playback, those are around $700 over here in the Netherlands and cheaper when you buy them in the US. If you want to actually *convert* NTSC to PAL, well that's more expensive depending on what quality you want. (well, and your budget of course) Cheapest setup would be a NTSC-vcr and a PAL-vcr and a low-quality convertor (LifePac UK, around $200 - but you're better of with an NTSC playback for that money) Since I went shopping for one about a year ago I can give a pretty good overview. Stand alone convertors (non-studio use): *Sharp 200SC or 300SC *product discontinued in the US $499 (in austria) *Tenlab TR-10b $599, *requires* 15V power supply which is hard to come by in Europe, be prepared Converting vcr's: Panasonic WX1 (or W1 depending on which country you but it) $4000 in the USA, $5100 in the Netherlands, fully multi- standard. You still need a recording PAL-vcr though Aiwa 350 or MX1 The MX1 is the replacement for the 350, both are really multistandard vcr's which use a *very* crude method of converting NTSC to PAL (insert/replace frame). Samsung (darn! forgot the model number, well they have only 1) around $3000 last I saw it (which is years ago) Take your pick, but remember that NTSC-playback does just that. You can NOT record output of an NTSC-playback on a PAL-vcr. (since the vcr just dumps a raw converted 525 line signal Legal stuff; converting a movie from one format to another requires permission from the copyright-owner, that's also the reason (at least partly) why firms don't convert movies for their foreign customers. 33.7 Where can I get "classic" porn? [new] Stag films from the 20s on up can be found by contacting Blue Vanities (1-800-344-2992) and Something Weird (1-206-361-3759). Patrick Riley says that "both have large collections of smokers from the seventies and earlier and, if you believe their publicity, are continuously adding to them." You can get their catalogs for free or a nominal fee. Just call and ask. Another poster reports: "I've ordered several tapes from Blue Vanities, and their stuff is pretty good. The only down side is that they frame the transfer for full-screen tv and thereby lose 10-15% of the 8mm frame. They offer several tapes of both Collection and Golden Girls loops as well as Swedish Erotica, Pretty Girls, and other classic series. Also, Cabellero used to offer some Collection compilation tapes. These were beautiful professionally-done transfers of the 16mm masters complete with "segue-girls" like Ginger Lynn and Bridgett Monet to introduce each loop. There were at least six tapes in the series--each one with 8 or so loops. Although the particular loops seem to have been rather randomly selected, they are more or less grouped chronologically. Last I knew, Collection had about 140-50 consecutively numbered films, and the tapes span this entire period with the earlier volumes featuring earlier loops, etc. I know that Caballero went bankrupt a couple of years ago, but maybe by now someone has bought up their catalogue. I suggest getting hold of a trade-publication "annual" (like the one AVN publishes) which lists manufacturers and distributors. There are dozens of reputable distributors which stock virtually every adult title available. I used to deal a lot with "Price Busters" in Vegas, but there are many others." Patrick Riley adds: This probably won't interest our European friends but I recently received a full theatrical version (transferred from a 16mm print) of the subject movie. It's--ahem--complete and uncensored and isn't a bad transfer to boot. The company also sells other otherwise unobtainable movies from the early seventies (also, according to the publicity, complete and uncensored) such as Defiance, Femmes de Sade, Hardgore, Teenage Cowgirls and Teenage Dessert. Unfortunately no Nanci Blue, Whip And The Chain, nor Dogarama. I actually paid ($20) for Candy Stripers (well worth it--the Amber Hunt scene is delicious) and have no connection with the company other than as a customer. Alpha Blue Archives PO Box 16072 Oakland CA 94610 (510) 268-0811 They have a catalog (12pgs) and take Visa and M/C. ============================================================================= 34 Magazines ART0 Can I really get 100 movies for 5 bucks? Where would I put all the videotapes? People often ask about the ads that appear in the back of magazines offering "100 movies for $5", or something along those lines. The common consensus seems to be that it is mostly a gimmick, and that once you order from them, your name is put on a mailing list for all sorts of companies to send junk mail to. Often, the tapes received are of poor quality, and do not give exactly what is advertised. (For example, you may receive one tape with a certain number of scenes, all recorded at extended-play.) 34.2 What are those annoying black dots for? Ads for movies in the back of Hustler and things like that are often plagued by the need for black dots covering the "naughty bits" Advertisements for porn movies have to use a black dot to block out any penetration. All excretory fluid must be blocked out, and no oral to vaginal or oral to penile contact can be shown without a black dot appearing. Often, the "black dot effect" is there 1) to make you think something really kinky or erotic is shown; 2) is there because advertisers worry about lawsuits when their ad is sold in states such as Utah or Georgia; or 3) is a lousy ad taken from another source, which required the black dot. Anyway, erect penises may be shown most of the time... Adult Video News has some very odd restrictions placed on it. They have two things that are restricted in their pages: one, they have advertisements, and two, they have scenes from the movies. The advertisements are under one set of restrictions -- mail order restrictions -- and the pictures are under another set of rules and regulations. Movie scene restrictions are different. Erect penises and vaginas can be shown; so can oral to vaginal or oral to penile contact. But no excretory fluids or actual penetration can be shown. In magazines that are not sent via the mail -- magazines that can be sold in porn shops only -- there are no restrictions. ============================================================================= 35 The Web 35.1 Is there a Web based House of Smut? [updated] Is the Pope Catholic? At this time, you can't swing a dead cat on the Web without hitting a new cyberhouse of smut. A comprehensive list is far beyond the scope of this document. A quick trip to Yahoo will get you a damned near canonical list of sex video merchandisers on the net. Check out http://www.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Companies/ Entertainment/Video/Tape_Sales/Adult_Videos_and_CD_ROMs/ for the list. (About 500 merchants at last check...) ============================================================================= 36 Your Hometown 36.1 Hi, do you carry "Fuck me Hard?" Best place to look for X-rated videos are your "Mom-and-Pop" video stores. More often than not, the large chain stores -- such as Blockbuster (see below) -- have decided that they would rather project a "family" image than carry adult videos. The Mom-and-Pop shops usually stock the adult vids because they are often low cost, rent well, and offer a decent return on the investment. Some people prefer mail order or porn shops because of the embarrassment factor when bringing 1001 Cumshots or The Little Spermaid to the counter. 36.2 Blockbuster This is from our good friend Harris Minter who has contributed quite a bit to this document on the subject of Blockbuster... 36.2.1 Why are some of the movies I rent at Blockbuster different from the same movie I rent at "Joe's House of Video"? Is Mommy Blockbuster editing them? Okay - you rented "The Getaway" at Joe's, and saw some pretty hot scenes of Alec Baldwin porking and muff-munching on Kim Basinger. That turned you on, so when you and your buds decided to down a few brews and watch it again, you went to Blockbuster for it. No muff-munching, he just played with her tits a little, your friends were bummed out, and they won't ever trust your judgment again. What happened? Were you imagining things? Blockbuster didn't want you to see the delectable Ms. Basinger get snacked out, and trimmed the flick? Here's what happens: Blockbuster has a long-standing policy of not stocking anything any feature that hasn't been rated by the MPAA (Motion Picture Arts Association - the industry trade group for the movie studios). Therefore, when a studio wants to put out a video, if they can't put an "R" or lower rating on the box, Blockbuster won't buy it. (For what it's worth, BB isn't the only chain with this policy.) In the case of "The Getaway", what you didn't notice was that the copy you rented at Blockbuster was in a black box with "rated "R"" underneath the title. Meanwhile, the one you got at Joe's was in a red box with, the special UNCUT, UNRATED VERSION prominently displayed on the box. I tend to regard the theatrical version of a film as canon, the movie you rent at Blockbuster is almost invariably the exact same version of the movie that you saw at the theatres, so technically the Blockbuster version is the unedited version, and the Joe's version is the (re)edited version. 36.2.2 Two versions? Yep, and it's quite common. Virtually anything that's even remotely steamy will have two versions, with the second version being even steamier and called something like "extended edition", "Unrated version", "European version", "Director's cut", and assorted others. I think the record is "Whore", with five different versions. My catalog shows them as: 1) Whore (rated R) 2) Whore (rated NC-17) 3) Whore (unrated) 4) (Whore) If You Can't say the Name 5) Whore (Spanish subtitled) From what I can determine, numbers 4 and 5 above are identical in content to number 1. Number 4 merely has an alternate title on the box, as there really are some people who have trouble saying the word "whore" in public. As the name implies, number 5 just has Spanish subtitles at the bottom of the screen. (little footnote here - sometimes the Spanish subtitled version has all the wording on the box, even the title, in Spanish. Thus "The Witches of Eastwick" became "Las Brujas de Eastwick". I wonder if "Whore" became "Puta"? I think I got the Spanish titles right. My Spanish sucks rocks.) 36.2.3 Why multiple versions? It was discovered way back that sometimes when a movie is submitted to the MPAA for a rating, that the MPAA would give the film an 'X' (or NC-17 - same thing) rating. That's unacceptable to the studios (for reasons explained elsewhere in this FAQ), so it would have to be re-edited and re-submitted. In an attempt to milk the same cow twice, the original version would be released as a director's cut, and would do well on video, plus there would be virtually no additional promotional costs. Pure gravy. Nowadays, the pre-release promotional flyers the video stores or chains receive will have an little blurb at the bottom: "Unrated version also available". 36.2.4 Once again, does Blockbuster pay the studios to cut out all the bad stuff? Nope. Blockbuster didn't commission anything. They didn't need to. Recently, the video trade magazine "Video Software Magazine" published a listing of the top 95 video chains. Not surprisingly, Blockbuster was number one. What was surprising was the size of their lead. Blockbuster is over FIVE times the size of the next largest chain. I didn't total it up, but it appears that Blockbuster, at nearly 3000 stores, is bigger than all the other 94 chains combined. With a market that size, you find out what their rules are, and beg for a chance to play by them. If the only version of your movie has no rating, then you've excluded a HUGE portion of your market. Since all the studios want to play by Blockbuster's rules, they'll take their box art to BB for approval, and sometimes even go so far as to pay the MPAA to rate their movie even though they have no plans to ever release it in theatres. All so they can play by BB's rules. An example of BB's clout: About a month prior to this writing, Live Home Video released the mainstream film, "Stargate". The theatrical artwork, posters, etc. featured a ring over a pyramid. This was to also appear as the box art. Blockbuster requested that the artwork be changed to also feature the faces of the two principle actors, Kurt Russell and James Spader. Live agreed to do this, but cautioned BB that their alternate artwork would not be supported by Live's publicity campaign. When word of this hit the rest of the video chains, Live received so many requests for the alternate box art, they dropped the original art, making the BB alternate art the only box art. Next time you're in any video store, look at the box, then at the poster. You'll see what I mean. Here's another example of Blockbuster's clout: There is a mainstream director named "Gregory Hippolyte". Hippolyte produces and directs such grade 'B' erotic potboilers as "Animal Instinct 1", "Animal Instinct 2", and "Undercover". From reports in a.s.m., Hippolyte is none other than porn's Greg Dark, of the infamous Dark Brothers. The Hippolyte films are released direct to video, and never see the inside of a movie theatre. Therefore there is no need for him to spend good money just to have the MPAA Ratings Board rate his movie. But if you'll check, you'll see that his films come in the two traditional flavors - "R" rated, and unrated. Why is this? It's simple - if he doesn't edit his movie down to an "R" rating, then Blockbuster won't buy it. Nearly 3000 (2700 at last report) stores, buying maybe a dozen copies each at $65 apiece - that turns into over two million dollars from BB alone.... That's a pretty good price for selling your integrity, if that's the way you want to look at it. So who cut Hippolyte's film? Not Blockbuster - Hippolyte/Dark did it himself. 36.2.5 Okay, okay, we've left porn to discuss mainstream films. I've seen a director's cut of "The Color of Night" at Blockbuster. Explain that one..... Actually, we're discussing Blockbuster. Look on the box, and you'll see an "R" rating. Here's what happened - When "Color of Night" was first rated by the MPAA, it received an "NC-17" rating. Studios hate it when that happens, so they lopped out a 20 minute swimming pool fuck and grope session between Bruce Willis and Jane March. The director, Richard Rush, screamed like a raped ape at his work being violated. When the video release was announced, it was advertised that the missing footage would be restored for the video release. BUT..... Not all the missing footage was restored. Ten seconds worth of Willis' dick waving around in the swimming pool was omitted, this new cut of the movie was re-rated, and it received an "R" rating. It doesn't matter what this version is called, the important part is that it IS rated "R". Why go to all this hassle? So Blockbuster would buy it. 36.2.6 You mean that Blockbuster doesn't get special versions of videos? I can think of exactly ONE video of which BB has an exclusive edition - a Barbra Streisand concert video. The BB version of this video has one EXTRA song. More stuff, not less. As a result, Blockbuster, the tape's distributor, and Streisand herself have all been sued by a smaller video chain, and although there was discussion of the suit being raised to class-action status, it was recently dismissed in Federal court. At the beginning of this, I pointed out that Blockbuster has a policy of not stocking unrated features. A couple or so years ago, Champagne Video, a mom 'n pop single-store operation in New York, had a Blockbuster open up across the street from them. One would think that would spell the end for Champagne Video, but Champagne is still open for business, and Blockbuster has closed up shop. The single stated reason for this was that Champagne rented adult videos and Blockbuster didn't. Bottom line - Blockbuster has clout - tremendous clout. What BB wants, BB gets - and they don't even have to ask. 36.3 So I guess I have to rely upon my local Big Bob's House of Smut(tm)? Depends on you and how you feel. Some people feel that in large cities crime surrounds porn shops. Witness New York's attempt to clean up 42nd Street and Times Square. (In fact, 42nd Street is just about rid of adult stores, most of the trade is now along 8th Avenue). People don't "care" about your "average" porn watcher, the argument goes, so no one cares if the shop is in a high crime area (except the employees!). In suburban areas, you may find an adult shop along a state highway in an industrial part of town. Chances are these shops are safe. They were built away from neighborhoods so residents could not complain, and along well travelled roads since advertising is hard to come by. Basically, scout out the area. If you feel safe there, go nuts... enjoy the store. If you're scared to death, there's always mail order. I have found the shops in Times Square to be pretty safe during the day. I haven't bothered go in at night, mostly because I never really had the time. It's important to remember that chances are, your local deviants are not hanging out at the porn store. They're by the school angling the best views for sniper fire. (Oh come on, it's just a joke!) The people I have met at porn shops are generally pretty normal people looking for smut like some people look for wallets. 36.4 What if I live in Atlanta, Georgia? According my correspondents from Atlanta -- Brad Williams, Harris Minter and Chopped Liver -- you can get porn in Atlanta, no sweat. For starters, there are no law or laws per se that prohibit adult movies in Georgia. There are quite a few that pertain to providing adult material to minors, or providing adult material containing sexual depictions of minors. Laws prohibiting the sale or rental of adult tapes are typically municipal (county or city) ordinances. 36.4.1 Fantastic Video [updated] Brad Williams says that for starters, try Fantastic Video, 5900 Bells Ferry Rd., Acworth Ga. (770-924-6528). This is actually way north of Atlanta, about 35 miles from downtown. Take Interstate 75 north to I-575, get off at Bells Ferry Road, take Bells Ferry road north to just past state road 92. On your right. This place is in Cherokee county, and there's an unusual loophole in Cherokee County law: They can rent XXX, but they can't sell it. They have no way to dispose of surplus inventory - I'm told that the owner simply takes it home. If this is in fact the case, the owner must have a sizable library. I have been told that a sister store in Cartersville, Ga that rents hardcore. Their Marietta (fair- sized city immediately north of Atlanta) store has been sold to a chain and no longer rents hardcore due to the legal risk. (Big thanks to Harris for the directions, anecdote and Marietta update). 36.4.2 Video 2010 If you're interested in leaving town, try Video 2010 in Riverdale, GA (about 1/2 mile outside the "city limits"). Take I-85 south to I-285 (this Interstate is also known as "The Perimeter", as it circles Atlanta). Take I-285 East to Riverdale Road. Go about 1/4 mile south, and you'll see the Windjammer Shopping Center. Video 2010 is in that shopping center. Their phone number is 770-996-7103. A word to the wise: if you go to Video 2010, make sure you are "cool" about finding the porn section. Ask and ye shall receive... as long as you're not reeking of righteousness... 36.4.3 9 1/2 Weeks Harris mentions that a recent addition to the Atlanta Adult scene is a store named "9 1/2 Weeks". They now have three locations. Midtown - 1023 West Peachtree Street (404-815- 9622); Buckhead - 2628 Piedmont Road (404-262-9113); and finally what they refer to as their "Super Store": 505 Peachtree Street (404-888-0878). They have valet parking and an Automated Teller Machine is available on the premises. 9 1/2 Weeks charges $4.50 a night for rentals, and a major credit card is required to establish an account. Without the plastic, one can still rent tapes, but a $60.00 per tape deposit is required. Harris (being General Manager of a small video chain himself) tells me that those tapes cost them less than $10.00 apiece in any kind of quantity. What a mark-up! Brad says that the owner has several porn stores throughout the north, and seems to have very deep pockets for any legal challenges. It was only a matter of time before porn returned to Atlanta proper. Upstairs, they have a snack bar, private viewing booths, and live nude dancers. Funny thing - the security guard, Tex, tells me that on-duty police officers are not welcome there. He'll meet them at the door and tell them that they'll need a warrant to enter. Harris won't say they have 10,000 tapes, but they do have a lot. They sell assorted sex toys, including one nasty little device that stimulates by a variable electric shock, with assorted attachments available for either dicks or twats. Not for me, thanks. Brad says that 9 1/2 Weeks got raided by Vice for selling blow-up love dolls with motorized orifices. After paying the fine, the owner stated he would keep selling these and "anything else I want." His parents own a few dozen stores like 9 1/2 Weeks in NY, and he owns a few in CA. This happened around the end of September 95, and he hasn't been raided again for selling mannequins. Now, he's advertising lap-dances by the female staff in private rooms. He's either a genius or completely stupid:) This place is discreet, so discreet it's easy to miss. You'll drive by it at least once. Harris Minter tells me that the Buckhead location is having some minor legal problems. They're attempting to add viewing booths at that location, but the problem is that it's in a wealthy location - some really expensive houses - very trendy place for rich yuppies to live, and the locals are fighting the booths in court. 36.4.4 XXX Adult Video Showcase The poster known as Chopped Liver tells me that "another good store to consider is the XXX Adult Video Showcase, located at Piedmont Rd. and Interstate 85. They have the largest selection in town, and have decent prices both on sale tapes and rentals. There is a rumor going around that they will be getting a web page soon." 36.5 Why was hardcore gone so long from Atlanta? I know I saw a bunch of peep shows and theatres there several years ago, and Atlanta is full of titty bars. The short answer is that in a bizarre turn of events, the Baptists rented space to an adult bookshop. After being made fun of for a while, one of their own, Fulton County Solicitor Henson McAuliffe, went around making cases against all the bookshops in town. he gave them an ultimatum, "close up shop or go to court." They chose the former. For the long answer, check out the Adult Movie FAQ Support Index, at http://www.rame.net/faq/support 37 Formats or How to Watch Porn 37.1 Can I get porn on laserdisc? Sure. No sweat. Any large town or city should have a video store that rents laserdiscs, and I am sure that among the titles available are the naughty ones... If you're not so lucky to have one of these stores in your town, Frederick Bernard (freber@unix.infoserve.net) submits these leads for your consideration: Ken Crane LaserDisks Laser Craze Westminster, CA 92683 Boston, MA 800 624 3078 800-828-3472 (recommended on ASM) Laser X Sign & Sound Lasers Box 28130 Waltham, MA Las Vegas, NV 617-894-8633 800 223 8244 Give 'em a try & ask for the latest LaserDisc Entertainment catalog 37.2 Can I get porn on CD-ROM? Sure, but I don't know why you'd want to. I'll let Brad Williams make the point for me: I have a 17" monitor that cost more than my 27" television, and that doesn't include a 4meg VRAM card/4x-speed CD/etc.etc. CD-Rom, Mpeg's, and QT-movies really suck as far as picture and sound quality, not to mention "load-times" of CD's that are ridiculous. A videotape that's been viewed a zillion times has a lot better quality. Why someone thinks they can get $50 for a CD of a flick I can buy on VHS new for $20 is beyond me, unless the average porn-consumer is as stupid as I think. ...and that goes double for MPEGs, AVIs and other "movies" you can download from the Internet... Tim Evanson offers some history of this rapidly changing market: "Although initially most studios put films on CD-ROMs, AVN reports that the bottom fell out of that market in 1996 for exactly the reasons Brad outlines. Today, although a few titles still show up on CD-ROM, what you are most likely to find on CD-ROM are "interactive" titles. Most often, this simply means that the CD prompts you along a story line, and you are able to pick and choose among various performers and sex acts at various intervals. Increasingly, many of these interactive CD-ROMs contain sex scenes never seen on video. About 150 new interactive titles come out a year in het porn, and only 15 or so in gay porn." 37.3 What is this DVD I keep hearing about? [new] It may only seem like a disease, but no--DVD stands for "digital video disk", an advanced form of the CD-ROM. DVD uses the MPEG-2 advanced coding system to compress cinema images onto a CD-ROM without losing any visual quality. It also has highly expanded room for sound and other elements. DVDs will contain computer games, movies, "enhanced CD" music, and computer programs. Although in the development stage for over 3 years now, DVD players will not be seen in the US until the spring of 1997. When will we see porn on DVD? Not in the near future, I'm afraid. The MPEG-2 encoding program still needs a lot of work, and most industry analysts say it will be a few years before DVD becomes accepted by most consumers--much less the porn industry! Given the slowness with which CD-ROM and laserdisc technologies were adopted by the porn studios, it may be 2003 or so before we begin to see porn on DVDs. 38 Satellites 38.1 I can get smut on my TV?!? [updated] Well, maybe not *your* TV... It depends on where you are. TV is also a limited source of adult videos. There are still restrictions on what is allowable on cable, so the majority of "adult" channels just show butchered up versions of hard-core vids, or made-for-cable tit-fests. I understand that there are hardcore stations available in Europe, and also some hardcore programming is available by satellite. However, the satellite programming is generally scrambled or otherwise restricted. Some European friends were kind enough to forward me this and later revise it for me: RED HOT, which was previously mentioned here is no defunct due to pressure form the authorities, and widespread piracy of their signal, that it was no longer worth it for them to be in business. Here in Denmark we have a couple of hardcore channels. FilmNet1 - broadcasted via ASTRA Satellite (encoded) FilmNet is mainly a movie channel, you can get it either via satellite or through the cable network, if you are connected to one. It is a paychannel, about 30 dollars a month for both of the Filmnet channels (together). They started in the nordic countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland) in the 80s. Now I think they can be seen in several countries in central Europe. FilmNet has two channels the other one was called MovieChannel and that is now called FilmNet2. They have essentially the same films. FilmNet1 shows films, sporting events, live pop concerts and children's programs, while FilmNet2 only shows films. The films are never dubbed (except films for children), they use subtitling instead. Now over to the porno details. The hardcore films are the same in both channels, the difference is that FilmNet1 has a hostess who presents the films. Tori Welles was the hostess for a couple of years, but from September 95 they have a new hostess each month. Recently, Shayla LaVeaux was hosting. They show as said american films 1990 and newer, mainly from Vivid and VCA, also the Pussyman films up to No. 7. They show more and more european films, now it is about 50 per cent european (from Germany, France, Italy and Belgium). It is about 6 new films each month. The newest films are about a year old. This months new films are Nylon, New Wave Hookers 4, On Her Back and the european Le Parfum de Mathilde, Girls Girls Girls and Les Menteuses. Filmnet1 shows hardcore on Monday, Friday and Saturday nights. On Wednesday nights they show softcore, censored films, Playboy Late Night, Penthouse Centerfolds i.e. Filmnet2 shows hardcore on Tuesday and Thursday nights (ca 01:00 am) TV1000 - broadcasted via ASTRA Satellite (encoded): shows hardcore films - also manly new american films past 1990 - on wednesday and saturday nights. And wednesdays 30 min. of amateur videos. Monday nights they show censored films. TV1000 is the main competitor to FilmNet in the Nordic market. They also have a second channel called TV1000 Cinema. The programming is very similar to FilmNet. They show porno every night with one night of censored (soft) films. I don't think they show the amateur videos now, which was mainly episodes from Ed Powers' Dirty Deb series. They also show 50/50 of American and European films. It is not the same films as Filmnet shows. They are mainly from Wicked and Evil Angel, I think. They have a Swedish hostess, she is not a porno actress. On Saturday night, she has a 30 minute show before the film, where she invites guests to discuss a sex-related topic. Finally we have the Copenhagen Channel - broadcasted via antenna to the northern part of the Sealand (not encoded and free of charge): shows a bit older films pre-1990 friday and saturday nights. Here's a handy chart courtesy of G.Y.B (an350456@anon.penet.fi) to help sort it out: Channel Language Hours Sample Film Titles ------------+-----------+-----------------+------------------------------- TV Erotica multi daily 0000-0500 White Chicks Can't Hump When The Postman Spurts Twice Wet Fists In Docs Place My Anal Valentine Super Hornio Bros Wednesday Amateur night (hard core) ------------+-----------+-----------------+------------------------------- TV1000 multi Fri, Sat, Mon The Creasemasters Wife Shades of Blue (hard core) ------------+-----------+-----------------+------------------------------- TV1000 Cinema multi Fri, Sat, Mon The Best of Andrew Blake and sometimes Andrew Blake's Girls more often ------------+-----------+-----------------+------------------------------- Filmnet+ multi Fri, Sat, Mon Nurse Tails Babewatch (hard core) Wednesday (soft core) ------------+-----------+-----------------+------------------------------- The Adult Channel multi daily 0000-0500 (soft core) 1 day/week 1.5 hrs gay programming ------------+-----------+-----------------+------------------------------- Eurotica multi daily 0000-0500 supposedly hard core ------------+-----------+-----------------+------------------------------- TV-X multi daily 0000-0500 (soft core) ------------+-----------+-----------------+------------------------------- Canal Plus French Sat not only do they dub the films into French, but they change the titles too. Show a mix of recent films plus classics like "A Scent of Heather". (hard core) ------------+-----------+-----------------+------------------------------- Cine Cinemas French various same sort of films as Canal Plus (hard core) ------------+-----------+-----------------+------------------------------- FilmMax multi various translate the titles again! (hard core) ------------+-----------+-----------------+------------------------------- Alain Bourassa passes this along: The french Canadian Pay tv network "Super Ecran" shows hard core movies on Friday and Saturday night Mostly french videos from Marc Dorcel and american porn movies dubbed in French. (mostly stuff 2 to 5 years old) The scenes are shorted, no cum shots are visible. The rest of the sex is there, including close-up I don't know anything about which satellite they use to carry their signals but I do know that they cover all Canada and parts of the USA 38.2 Are there any American satellite channels? A big thanks to Cmovieman for this info: To the best of my knowledge, there are currently 10 adult programming channels now available to the home dish owner. Of those, no less than six are hard-core XXX channels. And, in fact, one even has a website - Exxxtasy (http://www.xtc-com.com). which also happens to be one to which I personally subscribe along with XXXtreme. The current hard-core channels are: ClimaXXX TV located at E2/17 - 24 hours per day programming. XXXplore located at T3/6 - 24 hours per day programming. XXXpose located at T3/8 - 24 hours per day programming. Exxxtasy Premier located at T1/24 - 24 hour programming. Exxxtasy II located at T1/15 - 24 hours per day programming. XXXtreme TV located at E2/23 - 24 hours per day programming In addition to the above hardcore channels, there are the following soft-core channels - Adam & Eve (http://aeonline.com), AdulTVision, Playboy (http://www.playboy.com) and Spice (http://www.cyberspice.com) channels located on various satellites. Most of the hard-core channels run about five or six movies per day with block repeats during the day which makes it really nice to timer tape on your VCR or select a convenient time to watch. The cost per year is in the $80.00 to $150.00 range per service. This is extremely reasonable considering the average service runs over 125 movie titles per month which works out to about a nickel a movie. I don't know how you can beat that pricing. If you check out the Exxxtasy site (http://www.xtc-com.com) you'll find that this month they are running movies ranging from Dog Walker to Seymore Butts and Max Steiner. Sure, not all there movies are highly rated but then neither are the ones playing on HBO. The point is, if you're into porn, it's sure nice to have it available. And even more so if you live in a small community like I do. With the rapid growth of the DBS dish's, I think it is only a matter of time before this programming is available to just about everyone who cares to purchase the smaller dish - except of course, those states (MS, AL, NC, OK, UT and TN) that prohibit this type of programming. Finally then, it is sometimes very difficult to obtain listing of movies and times of play for many of these channels because (a) many satellite magazines will not list this type of material and/or (b) because some of the hardcore adult channels just don't give a damn. I've found the best source of adult programming information is a monthly guide called (Satellite Entertainment Guide) which has an entire section devoted to adult programming complete with grids and times. Should be available at any newsstand. 38.3 Can I get porn on my 18" dish? [new] I am told that currently only soft-core is available on the 18" dishes. The good people over at Exxxtasy posted this in alt.sex.movies: Exxxtasy Adult Entertainment is currently in negotiations to bring XXX uncensored entertainment to an 18" dish near you. for more info check out our website at http://www.exxxtasy.com 38.4 Can I get porn on my 29" AlphaStar Satellite Dish? [new] Yes, you can. Venus TV, a subsidiary of Exxxtasy, is available for the 29" dishes. The hardware will run you about $400, but I hear that various promos could get you the equipment for free if you subscribe to channels for an extended period of time... Since Venus is a part of the Exxxtasy Network, check out their page at http://www.exxxtasy.com/venus/index.htm. For information on the Alpha Star satellite system, check out http:/alphastar-tv.com 38.5 Where can I find porn in Australia? [updated] As discussed in Part 11, porn is legal throughout Australia, but you can only purchase it from two states. Here are some addresses courtesy of John Roda (fiend@nwamiga.apana.org.au): AXIS Members 1800 891 183 Toll Free, Orders Only. GPO Box 3000, 1800 624 382 Toll Free Fax, Orders Only. Darwin, NT 089 412 822 Enquiries 0900 089 411 055 More Inquiries AXIS are the people I use (when I mail order), as they have a huge range and are helpful and friendly. They occasionally have outrageous prices for some tapes (Sorority Sex Kittens for au$99! Ha! I got mine for au$15). On the other hand, they have sales, two movies on one tape deals (not all crap, either), are discreet, will remove you from the mailing list no questions if asked, offer bulk discounts for 3, 5, 10, 20 tapes and offer an exchange service. What's amusing about their exchange service is that you can exchange ANY commercially recorded tape for an X-film. Yes, you can send your child's copy of the Lion King to them and pay only $15 for the latest installment of The Gangbang Girl! Might be worth getting hold of a bunch of cheap Ex-Rental video library tapes for next to nothing, though... They now offer a free Themes/Stars/Titles Listing service that sounds a LOT like what Videosan used to do. Axis has a web site at http://www.axis.net.au ----------------------------------------------------------------- Adult World Mail Order Direct 1800 658 677 Orders (Inquiries?) 127-129 Wollongong St 06 239 1788 24 Hours Fyshwick, ACT 018 467 747 Wholesale 2609 I haven't used these people, but I haven't ordered by mail in a long time anyway. They offer a money-back guarantee for faulty copies, discreet packaging and billing, a 1000 sq.feet showroom (if you're in the neighborhood), and a buy four get the fifth free discount scheme. I'll have to ring them for a full(er) catalogue. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Gallery Entertainment 06 239 2044 Inquiries PO Box 1476 06 239 2232 Fax Fyshwick, ACT 2609 No, it's not a typo, there are heaps of these companies located in Fyshwick. (Whew! Thanks, John!) =========================================================================== 39 Snuff Flicks are real, right? [updated] Um, no. In the interest of space I have snipped the extensive proofs as they are available on the web, but everyone from the FBI on down says they don't exist. The good people over in alt.folklore.urban have debated this one to death, and maintain a small shrine to the question in their archives at: http://www.urbanlegends.com/classic/snuff.films/ Special thanks go to Jason Heimbaugh (jason@heimbaugh.com) for bringing this to my attention. 40 How should I know what movies to rent? [updated] Unfortunately, there is no easy solution, and the phrase "your mileage may vary" really comes into play when discussing porn viewing, and even *more* when discussing porn viewing on a budget. The percentage of wheat to chaff in the current market is very small, so you have to rely upon a few things to get you through the night. Unfortunately, these things come with a lot of porn viewing, so it may not fly if you're on a budget. 1) Get to know the names of your favorite stars. This seems like a silly point, but its amazing how may "Who's the blonde wearing the olive wreath in the orgy with Peter North, Tom Byron and Barbara Dare?" questions... (It was Ginger Lynn by the way...) Knowing your favorite stars names helps find movies they're in when they're not on the box... this is especially helpful when you prefer a second string star like Patricia Kennedy, as she is almost NEVER on a boxcover. (Draw your own conclusions... I like her, personally) 2) Get to know the names of your favorite directors The director controls the feel of the film, if little else. You know that if you rent a recent John T. Bone film, you'll probably get something with crappy production qualities, some freaks, a gangbang and facials. If you rent John Leslie you'll get a potentially dark yet nonetheless satisfying film experience. If you rent Seymore Butts, you'll might get that babe Shane (if it his earlier stuff) as well as some okay first person camerawork. Rodney Moore specializes in facials and first person perspectives. Max Hardcore vilifies and abuses women while stretching their orifices to inhuman (IMHO) proportions... You'll find a guy you like and you should stick with him. The better directors don't push out the product like Ford pushes out cars... the better ones take some time between films and it shows. 3) Find a reviewer you agree with (or disagree with) Many people have many different tastes and it is difficult to make blanket statements about anything that we expect anyone to agree with. I happened to think Justine was a pretty decent film. I would go back to it in the future. You don't feel that way. So the question is why. The why can be found out by reading reviews. From the reviews you can see whether or not you agree with the reviewer, and base your judgments accordingly. I tend to agree with Roger Ebert so if he gives something a good mark, I'll trust him. I do not trust someone like Clive Barnes (of the NY Post, known to sleep through shows he is reviewing) and won't take his word on anything. The Adult Movie Review Index is a great place to find reviews and reviewers. The AMRI is an index of reviews archived at the major non-commercial review sites. There are pointers to well over 1,250 reviews there, grouped both alphabeticially and by reviewer. The URL is http://amri.iafd.com 4) Find a label you like The different distributors each have different personalities. Vivid and VCA release mostly high quality stuff, with Vivid leaning more towards the "couples market" than VCA. Evil Angel is almost always good, though the Buttslammers series is wearing on at this point. Zane is good for raunchy balls to the wall fuck tapes. Don't expect story or good production values... just fucking. Within each of these labels are good and bad directors. From Evil Angel, I would faster rent a John Stagliano film than one by Bionca. From VCA I would a rent a Wesley Emerson flicker faster than I would a Bud Lee (actually, I NEVER pick up Bud Lee...) So, all are factors in finding successful films. I strongly recommend you take the time and explore Peter van Aarle's and Heretic's Internet Adult Film Database at http://home.eznet.net/~rwilhelm/asm/dbsearch.html. You can search for stars and directors and get lists of films they did, to help you in your selection. Failing that, the blokes on r.a.m.e. or a.s.m. should be a great help, so don't be afraid to ask! =========================================================================== 41 What kind of movies should I watch with my partner? Ones that you like that don't make each other feel uncomfortable. However, everyone's opinion on this will vary. Others may recommend some older films, from "The Golden Age." Back in the late 70s and early 80s, before the video revolution, adult films were shot _on film._ As such, with film being an expensive medium, and adult films being available in theatres only, people generally took their time and made interesting stories. "The Opening of Misty Beethoven", "7 into Snowy", "Devil in Miss Jones 2", "8 to 4", and "High School Memories" are all great movies. Gay viewers often find the late 1970 film THE IDOL as well as more recent films such as HOLD ME AGAIN, ROMEO AND JULIAN, MORE OF A MAN, and SONGS IN THE KEY OF SEX romantic, heavy on the plot, and good in terms of characterization. =========================================================================== 42 Are there "couples" directors to watch out for? As with any visual medium, the director is the person held responsible (or given credit for) the overall film -- even though the *producer* picks up the awards... ah, but what the heck... no sour grapes here... Anyway, adult movies have their own set of Welleses (and I don't mean Tori!), Hawks, and Scorseses. In fact, Brad Williams wrote a great essay on the subject which can be found in the a.s.m. library: http://home.eznet.net/~rwilhelm/asm/library I cannot emphasize enough that your mileage may vary with these suggestions. The suggestions were made making an assumption that part of your duo may not be familiar with adult videos and will not be interested in gangbangs the first time out of the gate. Anyway, an overview of the more well rounded directors (in non-partisan alphabetical order): 42.1 Andrew Blake Andrew Blake makes movies that are very "artistic." Lots of slow moving camera, beautifully lit and photographed, super attractive performers. His movies are a good starting place with an unprepared partner. One caveat: some may find these films unbelievably boring and without passion. It is true that Blake is more concerned with the "look" than the "feel." Check out "Night Trips" if you can find it. That was his first, and IMHO, his best. Secrets is also thought of being "volcanic" by Blake's standards. Blake brought movie making back into porn and can be credited with the success of filmmakers like Cameron Grant and Michael Ninn. He ushered in the style over substance that (Ninn especially) seems to be pervading high budget porn these days. While his movies are overwhelming beautiful, they are equally sterile and many feel without heat. 42.2 John Leslie John Leslie, who directs for his own production company (under the E/Angel umbrella) has made a good deal of movies aimed at the discerning porn consumer. He started directing at VCA where he made such films as "Curse of the Catwoman", "The Chameleon" and "Chameleons: Not the Sequel". Most of these VCA-era films carry a strong a plot, professional production and mucho sexual heat. They were mostly shot by Jack Remy, one of the best cinematographers in the business. Of his latter films, it could be said that they are a little too dark and brooding for some taste, but to each his (or her) own. Leslie, also to his credit, has perhaps the best soundtracks in the history of porn -- jazzy saxophone tunes and funk blues numbers that put Kenny G to shame ;-) His more recent films can be moved into two categories: those he does for money and those he does for "art." Happily, neither category is each other's lesser. In the former category are John's "Buttman" ripoffs called "The Voyeur." Here, John runs around "spying" on newcomers to the business. It is a good series as these things go, but not as satisfying as his "art" films. "Dog Walker" is one of his projects where a dark mood pervades everyone and everything. Filmed with a lot of smoke and haze, Dog Walker is much more than your average fuck-a-thon. Reviews are available at the AMRI. 42.3 Candida Royalle Candida Royalle, a performer turned producer/director, now releases films through her company, Femme Productions. Her films tend to have a more romantic slant than most pornographic movies, and are generally less graphic in their depictions (cumshot not guaranteed). 42.4 Svetlana For those who do not look for serious plotlines and acting in porn but rather for light, sexy premises, a more appropriate choice would be the work of Svetlana. Though some of "her" oeuvre definitely belong to the Golden Age ("800 Fantasy Lane", "F", "Bad Girls"), Svetlana continued to make wonderfully cute, fluffy romps well into the 80s. Alone among porn creators, Svetlana managed to unite the silly and carefree air of erotic B-films with the sexual heat of hardcore. Arguably the best examples of these qualities are "her" Hawaiian batch "A Bit of Hanky Panky", "Pink Lagoon" and "Panty Raid", that are also notable for being the debuts of 80s mega-cuties Ginger Lynn and Stacey Donovan. So, if you and your SO appreciate seeing a host of scantily clad gorgeous lads and lasses romping amidst delightful scenery, then perhaps Svetlana is your answer. Her later 80s work also include the passable action series "Miami Spice I and II" A word of warning though: some of Svetlana's best work is sadly now unavailable in the US, either for featuring an underage Traci Lords (e.g. "Bad Girls 3") or for including some "taboo" material (e.g. the bondage parts of "Bad Girls")." Thanks to Imperator for this section... 42.5 Paul Thomas Paul Thomas, who directs for Vivid almost exclusively, can make a movie with good production values, though he sometimes forgets the heat of sex due to his focus on plot. However, his films are geared towards a "couples" market, which makes them a reliable choice for first-timers. =========================================================================== 43 Myths of Couples Porn A lurker known as Cinemaniac offers this for your consideration: Before you begin, though, there are a few "myths of couples porn" that I'd like to dispel: MYTH #1: Women like different things than men do. The more we watch, the more we find this to be nonsense. We both like well- shot images of good-looking people enjoying themselves while having hot sex. Sure, your individual tastes might differ in some respects, but that's because tastes differ, even among guys (monster facials leave me unmoved, for example). Still, your *first* film as a couple probably shouldn't be "Depraved Fantasies." Think of porn as Chinese food; if you haven't had it before, it's probably best to start with Cantonese, see if you like it, and then work your way up to Szechuan. Candida Royalle is the Cantonese chef extraordinaire of porn: mighty good, but not too spicy or unfamiliar. MYTH #2: A good story matters. We don't find this to be so, I'm afraid, for two reasons. First, when watching as a couple, we're rarely paying all that much attention to the story anyway; lately, we haven't even been watching with the sound on. Second, if you really love a good story, porn will inevitably disappoint. Let's face it: the very best porn film ever made is only a mediocre movie. Don't believe me? Then try this experiment. Name the best porn film you've ever seen. Now pick three other types of film you like, and name your favorite film of each type. Does that look like a list of four equally good movies to you? The point is, you're not watching "Up 'n' Coming" for the same reasons you'd watch "GoodFellas," and you're only going to be disappointed if you use the same criteria to evaluate both. Porn has its own rewards, and they're mostly non-narrative; if you're paying enough attention to a porn movie to actually *follow* the story, let alone care about it, then porn is probably hindering your sex life rather than enhancing it. MYTH #3: If it only turns one of you on, you shouldn't watch it together. It *is* true that you shouldn't make your partner sit through something that actively disgusts her/him. Beyond that, though -- hey, you're a couple! You're not always completely in sync. I'll bet you compromise on regular videos all the time; she sat through "Demolition Man" for you, you sat through "Sleepless in Seattle" for her (or, if you're a less stereotypical couple, vice versa). Why not with porn? Besides, we've found that no film ever turns us on as much as seeing the other person turned on does; when we rented gay male porn, the film didn't do much for me, but her reaction to it sure did! And that was enough. So what *does* matter? We've made a little list. In order of importance: 1) The illusion of pleasure. Nothing casts a pall over the sex *you're* having than the image of other people having sex while looking bored out of their skulls. This is actually one of the big selling points, for us, of Candida Royalle's stuff: however vanilla it is, the actors look like they're having a good time. On the other hand, this is the single biggest problem with Andrew Blake videos ("Secrets" is an exception), though they have other redeeming features. Actors who seem "into it" can even make a lot of supposedly "non-couples" stuff a turn on for us; we've watched Bruce Seven girl-girl films together with great pleasure, for example, just because of the heat on the screen. And a convincing performer in one place is generally a convincing performer, period -- so learn their names. We go out of our way to look for stuff with Nina Hartley or Tianna, and avoid stuff with the late Savannah, for just this reason. 2) Good looking people. This may be the hardest thing to find, unfortunately, and guys are often unaware of that. Straight male porn stars, with a some exceptions (Rocco Siffredi, Peter North), tend to be pretty unappealing; would *you* be turned on by the female equivalent of Joey Silvera? It's easier with the women, but you still have to deal with the boob job question (it's a good bet that she'll be no more turned on by grotesquely artificial breasts than you would be by a grotesquely artificial cock). The presence of good-looking people is for us the big selling point of Andrew Blake videos. 3) Variety. Here's a cautionary tale: recently we wanted to see a bi film and brought home the only one the store had ("Bi Madness" -- a must to avoid); we found ourselves watching the exact same scene staged four different times with four different sets of actors, right down to which positions were used when. We've never been so bored. It rarely gets that bad, but the more varied the sex is in every way, the better. For us, this means varied positions, varied settings, varied combinations of partners, etc. It also means (and we can't state this strongly enough) varied shots, ranging from long shots of the action to the typical gyno-closeups. Far more than their stories, the variety of shots is for us the selling point of "golden age" porn. 4) A high sex-to-story ratio. This is the corollary of myth #2: if the story doesn't matter, then it shouldn't get in the way of the sex. This is not to say our favorite films ar things like "1000 Cum Shots"; far from it. But a little set-up leading to a lot of sex is highly preferable to a lot of set-up leading to a little sex (a/k/a The Paul Thomas Syndrome, though "Things Change" and "Passages" 1-4 are partial exceptions). You wouldn't think that Candida Royalle's "Urban Heat" had anything in common with the "Sodomania" series, but we like them both because they set up scenarios quickly and then cut to the chase. 5) Production Values/Competent Film-making. As a general rule, we find that stuff that bears a passing stylistic resemblance to something you'd see at a multiplex is more stimulating than stuff that bears a strong stylistic resemblance to the video of your nephew's bar mitzvah. Unfortunately, the only way to get a sense of which directors, performers, and companies will deliver the goods is to actually watch the stuff. So what should you watch as a couple? Well, the usual advice on places to start is pretty good: Candida Royalle, Andrew Blake, some Golden Age stuff, some Paul Thomas. But beyond that, our advice is: try everything. And try it all at once. Once we decided we liked watching porn together, we'd generally get two or three different kinds of films at a time and sample them all; on a typical evening, we might take a look at parts of "Hidden Obsessions," "The Opening of Misty Beethoven," and "Sodomania 3," and talk about what we did and didn't like about each. Then we'd try to gauge the patterns. Was it a particular director we liked? An actor or actress? A series? Were there whole companies which should just be avoided (like Penguin)? We got a clearer sense of our tastes, we learned about each other, and we did it all naked! What more could you ask? These are, of course, just our opinions, and, as always, YMMV. But whatever your mileage is, we've found that the essence of watching porn as a couple is the essence of being a couple, period: be open, be generous, be honest, and communicate, communicate, communicate. =========================================================================== 44 What is all this I keep hearing about "The Golden Age?" The following comes from Peter van Aarle's excellent web page (mirrored at http://home.eznet.net/~rwilhelm/asm/aarle/golden_age.html) regarding the "Golden Age" of porn films. Ah, the good old days, when the words "shot on video" were unheard of, and they actually had budgets to shoot an adult movie When the plot of a porno movie wasn't limited to "Gee, I don't seem to have the money to pay for the pizza! Now what do we do?" and the talent actually were sent the script in advance to learn their lines. Heck they even were known to have occasional rehearsals :-) Oh well, no use crying over things that once were. With the present glut of cheap product (over 2500 pornos were released in the US in 1994!) a good movie is difficult to make. That is to say, you can still make a good movie if you invest time and money in it, but a 4 times higher budget is unfortunately no guarantee for a 4 times higher return. In fact, the only people who can change things are we the consumers. If we make sure that cheap one-day-wonders don't make their producers much money then (and only then) is the general quality likely to improve. After all, why should Joe Producer invest a lot of time and effort in making a good product when producing crap lets him rake in the bucks anyway... So we have the choice: either scour the shelves for hours to try and find the few pearls among today's dreck or go back to those classics of yesteryear. If you want to try your luck with today's product (which isn't all bad, really), I would suggest browsing through the AMRI to help distinguish between the good and the bad. "Ok", you say "but what if I want some of those classics? How do I know what to look for?" Well fear no more, here for your browsing pleasure is a list of many of the best porno movies ever made. Many of them are from the so-called Golden Age which is generally considered to have been from about 1977 to 1982. Which isn't to say that there have not been some good movies made before or since that time, nor that there weren't some awful ones produced during the period, it's just that so many of the classics were made during that period... 45 How Not To get Screwed [new] A poster to a.s.m. complained about paying high prices for video tapes. CMovieman, our resident video store owner, had this to say: Well you didn't say what country you're from so I would assume that if you're paying $60.00 for any tape, you don't live in the United States. If you do, then you're really getting ripped off by somebody. Here's some suggestions: 1. Read Adult Movie FAQ for more information on where to order from via mail order. 2. Subscribe to a good monthly adult film guide that reviews new releases - Adam Film World and Hustler Erotic Film Guide are two that I would recommend. If you want a reference source, try the Adam Film World Annual Guide which is an excellent yearly source for adult films that have been released in the prior year. 3. Follow the reviews and messages on the newsgroups. I've found some real jewels just from reading what other people have enjoyed and recommended. 4. Get on the mailing list of companies like VCA (advertisements in any of the above referenced magazines) because they have mail order specials on many popular movies such as the Pussyman series, Hotel Sodom, etc. for as little as $12.95 per tape. They also include free preview tapes of their latest releases on some orders and have some interesting combination specials on their new top of the line $39.95 film tapes. 5. Search out those adult video stores in your area that cater to adult movie buyers as opposed to a rental only store. Generally they have specials each month that makes buying new movies more practical. For example: the store that I support, has all the $39.95 new tapes such as Evil or Elegant Angel and VCA tapes for $26.96. It's a good deal because you're getting the latest movies, which have never been rented or abused, at a savings of about $13.00 a tape which adds up quickly. I'm sure stores in other areas of the country have equally as good or better deals. I think it also helps to know exactly what type of tape interests you. Other than anal which you stated, do you want a tape that is story driven or one that is more sex oriented. In other words, are you a sophisticated adult movie aficionado, or a down and dirty raincoater. I almost always stay away from compilation tapes because they are either outtakes that should have been left on the cutting room floor or repeats of scenes from other movies. Compilation tapes are profitable to the releasing company because there is no residual payment made to the people appearing in the movies. Either way they're usually a rip-off and some mail order companies such as Leisure Time Products really push this crap. Anyway, good luck on your future adult movie purchases. 46 Legal Issues NOTICE: The information contained within this document, especially, is mean for informational purposes only. No attempt is made to provide legal opinions or offer legal advice. I, or the people contributing cannot and will not be held responsible if harm should come to you. Any legal questions you may have should be discussed with a licensed legal professional familiar with the laws of your locality. 46.1 Here in America, can I get this porno stuff legally? Laws vary by country and by state. A common belief is that you can get most anything in New York City's Times Square, or in San Francisco. Some states however have NO local sources of x-rated movies. Mail-order is an option. (Some distributors in the US: Adam & Eve, Good Vibrations, Excalibur, The Stamford Collection, etc.) However, it should be noted that some companies won't mail to certain cities, because the company can be charged for violating the "community standards" for the city they are sending to. 46.2 Can I get my smut in Europe? Peter van Aarle tells me that the situation in Europe also differs from country to country. In general: In the UK (United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland) hard-core pornography is illegal, but I've been told you can get it if you know where to go (No big surprise there). Holland, Germany, Italy, France, Scandinavia, Greece: hard-core is legal, and there is no (self)-censorship as there is in the US. One can say that just about the only thing which is illegal is kiddie-porn. (for instance, the laws in Holland are about to be changed, and there will be a 4 year maximum penalty on producing or distributing kiddie-porn.) And the age of consent in most countries is 16, which means that Traci Lords movies (which she made while 16-18 years of age) are NOT considered illegal, and are freely available. This also means that most of the kinks which are deemed obscene in many communities in the US (and are therefore unobtainable due to self-censorship of the producers) are freely available in Continental Europe. These include Bondage and/or S&M with hardcore sex, really hard S&M (whipping until bleeding, needles, that sort of thing), Bestiality (in 2 of the video rental places I frequent they have some bestiality movies, and these stores are not sleazy backstreet things either. They are the two biggest stores in town), Fisting, Golden showers, Brown showers (i.e., shit). But as far as mail-order is concerned, this is generally NOT a very usual method of buying anything in Europe. And the same goes for porn: I know a few companies who sell videos and sextoys by mail order, but there is nothing comparable to for instance Excalibur (I know, someone sent me one of Excalibur's catalogs since I was curious). (Thank you Peter!) 46.3 So am I out of luck if I am in England? [updated] Frans Postma passes this along: - Possession of porn tapes is legal (no kiddy porn and stuff like that, just the normal mainstream USA tapes). - Selling/buying porn, any means of getting porn, is illegal. - Importing movies into the United Kingdom is *illegal*. If a tape is shipped to you from outside the UK it might get seized by customs. (in that case you'll receive a letter giving you the option to go to court or to let customs destroy the tape) - Exporting porn is also illegal but that's hardly interesting :-) - European Law should theoretically prevent customs from search anything which comes from a country within the EC. However, it doesn't. The UK government abuses import-exception article 36 for that purpose, since it allows country to prohibit imports of articles that 'corrupt or lower national moral' (quoting might be a bit off, but it's close). - Most courier-services have an article in their standard- transport-contract that makes the sender responsible for any customs trouble due to illegal import and *all costs resulting from that*. So I would recommend not to use them for transporting porn into the UK. (unless you wanna pay the costs of all FedEx packages to the UK being delayed with at least a day!) One of my operatives in the UK has this to say: "Videos can be mail ordered from the continent (with a customs risk), usually from Holland, France, etc. I recommend 'Your Choice' in Amsterdam, they'll send a tape within ten days of you sending a snail mail order. They even have an e-mail address..." E-Mail: info@yourchoice.nl Your Choice B.V. Postbus 2138 1000 CC AMSTERDAM The Netherlands Tel: +31 20 620 4209 Fax: +31 20 638 9556 Ansaphone: +31 20 624 8166 URL: http://www.yourchoice.nl Special thanks to Jon F. for locating their address... 46.4 What's the situation in Australia? John Roda (fiend@nwamiga.apana.org.au), the thunder from down under, tells me about some interesting rules they have in Australia... X-Rated videos are not illegal in Australia as they seem to be in the U.K. There are, however some odd laws relating to them. In all states and territories, they are perfectly legal to own, so long as they have been classified by the Office of Film and Literature. I would imagine we have basically the same restrictions as the U.S. Nothing involving animals or children, no bondage with sex and no shit. The first two would be definitely illegal (and well so, IMHO), but the others may be due to our market being a macrocosm of the American one. Now, as to the odd parts, they are illegal to sell commercially in all Australian states. They are legal to sell in the two territories, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and the Northern Territory (NT). For those with an interest in localities, the ACT is located within New South Wales, halfway between Melbourne and Sydney, The NT is the top middle bit, with Ayers Rock and Alice Springs in it (no, not the actress). Now, as we have free trade between states and territories here, this means that there is a thriving mail-order business from the two territories. The other thing we have of course, is a thriving not-quite-under-the-table business in videos at the Adult bookshops. Most Melbourne (city) bookshops have a selection of videos, and most of those that do, have a bloody lot of them. Some shops are more subtle than others, and I won't go into anymore detail about them. I would assume it to be much the same in Sydney, and perhaps more under-the-table in other cities. The Vice squad know about this, and occasionally do raids, but more often seem to just leave it be. There are also various swap-clubs and such, but I don't have any personal experience with them so I can't really comment. For addresses of some of these mail order shops, refer to Part 9. 46.5 I am in America and I have some European tapes (with some "taboo" parts) and I am not sure how I can swap or sell them... I mean are they illegal? Mail order specialists Blowfish, have this to say on the subject: Some guiding principles: On the Federal, nation-wide level, the only class of material that is specifically illegal is child pornography. Everything else falls under the vague definition of "obscenity," and that requires some district or federal attorney to decide that: (a) Some material is obscene; (b) There is political merit in bringing charges; (c) A conviction is likely. Sadly, there is no easy answer to the question, "Will I get busted?" Anything is possible. Things that tend to increase the chance of prosecution are: 1. Having material that is sufficiently far from the norm that getting a jury to agree that it is obscene would be easy; 2. Having an aura of being a successful merchant of porn, rather than just someone unloading their collection; 3. The political climate and political pressures on the prosecutor. *In general*, most prosecutors don't waste their time on individuals; successful merchants are a much better target, since they can be portrayed as Porn Kings, and they have assets worth seizing. This does not mean that selling this material is considered Just Fine in the eyes of the law; it just means that the prosecutors have bigger fish to fry, with a better chance of conviction. We can't offer a formula for staying out of trouble. If you refuse to ship across state lines, you've eliminated one major source of grief, and if you only sell to San Francisco, Los Angeles, or New York, it is unlikely that busting a small-time operator on obscenity charges will be worth the trouble of the DA. Best of luck. Bill Majors, a producer and distributor, offers this perspective: OK, first, nothing other than kiddie porn is illegal in the USA (as a federal community). Some states have different laws, but in most cases the Federal will supersede the state. *IN MOST CASES.* It should be noted that SOME states DO decide to go after folks on a state level. Illinois, and New Mexico might be two good examples as well as Kansas. These are just three that come to mind instantly. Now on to the question of "verboten" materials that you mention. Those that you mentioned ARE exactly that, "verboten." If you were to just send them to a friend, no problem, unless the "friend objected, etc." However the minute you "sell them" then you stand a chance of being prosecuted. Stores don't always hire the smartest folks in the world and remember they are NOT involved in interstate transactions therefore they need only fear local police. THE EXCEPTION: In Kentucky some poor folks found out that they COULD be part of a federal prosecution since they were named as "co-conspirators" in a federal indictment. After saying that they would NEVER settle they learned about the costs and the fact that if they were found guilty that the RICO act might be used to seize their stores... as was done to Ferris Alexander. (His case is still being worked on after the Supreme Court found that it was a violation of the 8th amendment to do so, however, no end is in sight). If you ship between states then you are ripe for a federal bust, particularly since you probably don't have the 250,000 bucks (minimum) to defend yourself. Therefore you will make a plea bargain (or worse -- settle for a public defender!) to save yourself time and money. The feds get an easy conviction and they are happy and you are not. One other thing, if you decide to make copies (when you run out of your original stash) then copyright laws come into effect. New York, is a special case. Some years ago a federal judge was asked to enjoin the city from prosecuting stores. The lawyers for the stores pointed out that community standards were supposed to apply. Then they pointed out that after theatre at the entrance to the Lincoln tunnel there were prostitutes who were nude in the streets. Well it turned out that the judge had seen that, been there, and ruled that since the "community standards" were so lax that in New York county (Manhattan) nothing could be obscene except for kiddy porn. I don't know about S.F. Final advice, trade to your hearts content. Sell, and while probably nothing will happen be prepared to face the worst, you never can tell when they will come swooping down. 46.6 What does that "made before July 3, 1995" sticker mean? N.P. Trist tell me that it may very well mean the end of the adult video industry. Ostensibly to fix a loophole in the laws which forbid child pornography, Congress passed the Child Protection and Obscenity Enforcement Act of 1988. The Meese Commission had noted that so many legal-age performers looked under-age that it was impossible to tell if a performer was legal or not by viewing the videotape. And if the feds got a search warrant for the producer's office, there would be little or no records of the performer, who may have already left town. Thus, child pornography could, at least hypothetically, be created with impunity. The Act has two primary components. First, producers of depictions of actual sexual conduct must maintain records on the performers' age, identity and other stage names. These recordkeeping requirements are quite onerous: every performer, every previously used alias, specific types of identifying documents, etc. The government has even gone so far as to mandate the indexing system to be used. Second, all materials depicting actual sexual conduct must have a label indicating certain information, most notably the name of the custodian of records and the street address at which the records are kept. Depictions of actual sexual conduct shot before July 3, 1995, or depictions of wholly simulated sexual conduct (such as fetish or truly softcore tapes) are exempt from the requirements, but should carry a label making that clear. By themselves, these regulations -- while intrusive, burdensome and expensive -- would be tolerable. They are not, after all, any more or less ludicrous than the thousands of dense regulations with which businesses of every stripe must comply. Except that failing to comply with these regulations is a Felony. If Fantastic Pictures fails to obtain the proper age records from the senior citizens in its next "Sugar Mommies" release, the responsible party may be sentenced to up to two years in prison for a first offense. Creating kiddie porn is not the crime; failing to comply with the recordkeeping and labelling requirements is the crime. The adult video industry does not seem to be blessed with a plethora of highly-organized, detail-obsessive clerks and paralegals. Clyde DeWitt spends part of his January AVN column detailing any number of violations which have recently crossed his desk. And, as we all know, the Department of Justice is not going to be lax in its enforcement, or allow grace periods, or give fair warnings. Industry attorneys had to pull teeth just to get DOJ to stipulate the law's effective date! What all of the above means is that prosecutors have a new weapon in their efforts to shut down law-abiding pornographers. One slip in recordkeeping or labelling (no matter how trivial) can lead to a bankrupting criminal suit and the threat of jail. The initial challenge to the law has been lost. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the law passes initial constitutional muster. American Library Assoc. v. Reno, 33 F.3d 78 (D.C. Cir. 1994). The next step in combatting this law is to question its constitutionality as applied -- which means that some poor shmuck will have to be the first person charged with violating it. I don't envy that trend setter. 46.7 Why doesn't the creation of an adult video run afoul of laws against pimping and prostitution? [updated] A HUGE thank you to N.P.Trist for doing the legal research on this one... hopefully it will settle a few debates. He writes: It can. But not in California :-) In the mid 1980s, an anti-pornography initiative by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office backfired (to put it mildly) -- the DA's prosecution of adult video producer Harold Freeman led to a California Supreme Court ruling which explicitly legalized non- obscene hard-core pornographic videos. The state's anti-pimping law was changed in 1982 to mandate a minimum three-year sentence if a defendant were found guilty of "pandering," the legal term for a type of pimping. Sponsored by Democratic state senator David A. Roberti, the law was designed to reduce the street prostitution that plagued the senator's Hollywood district. Although the law's undisputed intent was to combat streetwalking, the Los Angeles County DA's Office decided to use it in an admittedly novel manner. Pandering prosecutions were brought against several producers of hard-core pornographic videos. The DA's legal theory was that the exchange of money for sex equalled prostitution, regardless of whether or not the sex acts were filmed. The DA's practical theory was that California would cease to be the world capital of blue movies if the very act of producing an adult video were criminalized. The first person charged was Harold Freeman, a veteran producer of more than 100 adult videos. In September of 1983, the 47- year-old Freeman had shot the anal-themed "Caught From Behind, Part II" in Rancho Palos Verdes, a suburb south of Los Angeles. Freeman was charged with five counts of pandering, one count for each woman whom he paid to perform in the film. (Curiously, Freeman was not charged for paying the male performers.) In what would later become a crucial fact, Freeman was not charged with obscenity. After a six-day jury trial in Van Nuys Superior Court, Freeman was found guilty on all counts. The trial judge refused to sentence Freeman to the mandatory three years on the grounds that such a sentence would be cruel and unusual punishment. Instead, Freeman was sentenced to 90 days in jail, fined $10,000 and placed on five years probation. The conviction was affirmed by the California Court of Appeals (188 Cal. App. 3d 618, 233 Cal. Rptr. 510). Freeman's attorneys, Stuart Goldfarb and Dennis A. Fischer, filed a routine appeal to the California Supreme Court, very few of which are successful. Then a miracle happened. Four justices of the California Supreme Court decided the case was worthy of review. Briefs were submitted. Oral arguments held. And the California Supreme Court threw out Freeman's conviction and explicitly legalized non-obscene, hard-core pornography. People v. Freeman, 46 Cal. 3d 419, 758 P.2d 1128, 250 Cal. Rptr. 598. The legality of paying performers to engage in sex acts on film is founded on two, independent theories, one grounded in state law, one in federal law. State Law: The statutory definition of "pandering" contains the word "prostitution". The statutory definition of "prostitution" contains the word "lewd". The common law definition of "lewd" requires, in relevant part, that the sex act be engaged in "for the purpose of sexual arousal or gratification of the customer or of the prostitute." But the performers testified at trial that they were not having sex for pleasure, they were doing it for the money. Ditto Freeman. Moving up the chain of definition, Freeman -- and all producers -- are not guilty of pandering, and all performers are not guilty of prostitution. Federal Law: The Court made a number of points regarding Freeman's federal constitutional protections. 1. Non-obscene motion pictures are a form of artistic expression protected by the First Amendment. 2. Even if Freeman's actions fell within the definition of "pandering," he could not be prosecuted because his actions would be legal outside of the context of the adult video industry. In other words, a murder on film is illegal because murder is illegal _independent_ of the act of filming and paying the participants; the sex acts filmed by Freeman were considered illegal solely because he filmed and paid the actors. (In oral arguments, the deputy attorney general admitted that charges could not have been brought had the performers not been paid for their sex acts.) To beleaguered porn fans accustomed to being automatically equated with sex offenders and child molesters, Justice Kaufman's decision is a rare burst of common sense, cutting right through the government's bullshit. "Thus the prosecution of defendant under the pandering statute must be viewed as a somewhat transparent attempt at an 'end run' around the First Amendment and the obscenity laws," he writes. "Rather, the self-evident purpose of the prosecuting authority in bringing these charges was to prevent profiteering in pornography without the necessity of proving obscenity." The Powers That Be went apeshit over this ruling and appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay (a temporary suspension of the California Supreme Court's ruling). Not only did Justice Sandra Day O'Connor deny the stay, she said in no uncertain terms that the U.S. Supreme Court would not review the case. Her orthodox reasoning: The U.S. Supreme Court can only rule on the federal law components of the decision; the definition of "lewd" is wholly a state question. Therefore, no action by the Court on the federal law component could effect the outcome of the case. The U.S. Supreme Court's opinion would be moot, an advisory opinion. And, since the day President Washington asked for one, the Court has refused to render advisory opinions. Despite the ironclad logic of Justice O'Connor's decision, the California Attorney General's Office attempted three more times to obtain U.S. Supreme Court review. A petition was even submitted by the parents of deceased porn star Shauna Grant. Denied every time. Today, the Freeman case is still good law in California. Pornography production in California has been so normalized that Ron Jeremy picks up his production permits at the same government office that certifies shoots for Disney. The California adult video industry is not, however, immune from legal attack. First and foremost, obscenity is still a crime, and the U.S. Supreme Court's "Miller test" for determining obscenity is so vague that no one knows for sure what's legal and what's not. One prosecutorial tactic is bankrupting defendants by bringing groundless obscenity charges, forcing them to incur legal fees. Secondly, the California legislature could, theoretically, redefine "lewd", "prostitution" or "pandering" by deleting the pleasure requirement. This is unlikely, as redefining "lewd" would necessitate a wholesale redrafting of the Penal Code's sex offense statutes. Finally, an overzealous prosecutor with a grudge against pornography will _always_ devise a stratagem to harass. To counteract these threats, I recommend that adult video fans become members of legal groups which, directly or indirectly, help protect the adult video industry. Such groups include the Free Speech Coalition, the Cato Institute, People for the American Way and the ACLU. Membership fees are often nominal, so helping protect your right to adult videos might cost you $25. It cost Harold Freeman more than $300,000. S. Andrew Roberts adds this: At the Free Speech Coalition awards, we were strongly reminded that Hal Freeman fought that case "to protect OUR first amendment rights". 46.8 Who are the "Erotic Eleven" and what does it have to do with Nina Hartley's ban from Canada? Bobby Lilly, president Of CalACT (Californians Against Censorship Together) and a SO of Nina Hartley, wrote this piece. I thank her for allowing me to use it here. On January 8th, 1993 (or thereabouts) Nina Hartley, Sharon Mitchell, Patricia Kennedy, Ari, Danielle Cheeks, Naughty Angel, Lacey Rose, Shalene, Nina Suave, Trixi Tyler and Beatrice Valle were arrested along with Bill Margold, Seymore Butts and the owner of Pure Pleasure (an adult video store in Las Vegas) at the end of a four hour benefit performance for the Free Speech Coalition. Bill had produced similar events for several years before without incident. Unfortunately, the performers were told to "do whatever you want to do" when asked about _limits_ and these women of porn felt very comfortable with each other (if you know what I mean). At first the women were all charged with prostitution and the men with pandering. While several of the women may have "woman-handled a couple members of the audience, no one was involved in any prostitution. So, because the DA didn't think he could get the original charges to stick, he turned around and indicted all the women, but Nina. with felony "lesbianism". Nina had only given a talk on how to make love to a woman while two of her friends demonstrated on each other. The DA decided to single Nina out from the other women and indicted her as well as the men with pandering (even though he had dropped all prostitution charges). None of the charges made sense. It was all about local politics. The whole case was designed to send a strong message to Las Vegas hometown pornographers to tone down their business since Vegas was going family all the way. It took almost a year of fighting and a trip to the Nevada Supreme Court and over $100,000 before the women were allowed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor for their performances that night. they paid a $20,000 "contribution" to local Vegas charities instead of a "Fine". It took exactly one year from the time it started. Much of the money was raised outside the industry from fans, the swing community and the general public. Many people in the adult video industry were telling the women it was all their fault and that whatever they got they deserved. Most of the women desperately wanted it to be over and were glad to accept a guilty plea to a relatively minor misdemeanor. The strain on all of them and their families was incredible. From the first phone call about the arrest to daily events unfolding, none of us knew what would come next. At first there were rumors of Feds behind everything and none of knew whether the next knock on the door would be the F.B.I. We'd wait weeks with nothing coming from the lawyers or DA's office, then suddenly a flurry of action and the women would have to jump, leaving work around the world to return to Vegas for another hearing. Several of them were mothers and worried about the possibility that social services might decide to take away their kids if there was too much publicity. Two weeks later when Nina attempted to go to Canada for a series of personal appearances, Canada refused to let her in to work. She was told that the misdemeanor lewd performance charge that she pled guilty to would have been a felony in Canada and they didn't want *HER KIND* in that country. Well to make a long story short, she went anyway because she didn't want to stand-up her fans (lawyers advised her that as long as she didn't accept any $ for the appearances it would be OK). A week later immigration caught up with her and she was held in the Winnipeg jail from Monday night until Thursday night before she was again sent home. She was firmly told that, although the women can request an exception in writing from Canadian officials, they are banned from entering that country for five years from the date they pled guilty. Trying to sum up a year-long battle in a few short paragraphs means that there is much that I didn't cover here. I wrote about the case several times in Gauntlet, if you want to know more you might check out an old issue of the magazine. I know its hard to find but very interesting when you do. 46.8.1 Is there a movie based on this event? Funny you should ask! ;-) Peter van Aarle tells me: Very recently (it was reviewed in the Sept, 1995 issue of AVN, rating AAAA) a movie based on this episode was released by Summit Pictures, directed by Henri Pachard. The title of the movie is Infamous Crimes Against Nature (apparently this was the official wording for the felony of lesbianism). Not surprisingly the movie stars many of the girls involved: Danyel Cheeks, Ariana, Nina Hartley, Pat Kennedy, Sharon Mitchell, Shelene, Trixie Tyler, Beatrice Valle, Nikki Sinn, Angela Faith and Samantha York. 46.9 Are Ben Dover's "Banned in Britain" tapes really banned? [new] Roger P. Tipe sez: Well, all hardcore videos are banned in Britain. It is a serious crime to be caught filming one so he does take a risk shooting them. [...] Just like his US counterparts, Buttman and Seymore et al, Ben hires women to be in his movies. Most are more amateur than the US ladies, but still, Mandy, the little readhead, can be seen in Anabolic vids, Nicki Lewis from English Class, is a nude model and soon to be US porn star etc.... 46.10 Why is fisting illegal in the United States? Well, it's not really illegal... but it is one of those things that can be easily "nuisance prosecuted." The American laws do not restrict any specific type of sexual activity other then pedophilia a/k/a "kiddie porn." HOWEVER, the Supreme Court did have a say in what was considered obscene. Bill Majors says: Just to give you some idea of what the Court thinks is obscene, masturbation is listed as an "ultimate sex act." it is that definition that leads us towards what may and may not be prosecuted. However, the fact is that when the government decides to prosecute the filmmaker or manufacturer it is always on the losing side. A federal trial (and that is what most of them are) will cost from 250,000 to over 1 million bucks with no guarantee of the outcome. This is why so many folks make plea bargains, spend six months or so as a government guest and then we have the funny side of everything. Usually a large fine is levied against the corporation, but how do the figure the corporation will make the money to pay the fine? Not by making kids shows, but by making more of what they were just convicted of. So in effect the government becomes a partner in the porn business. The very first adult films were documentaries and quasi- documentaries packed with 'redeeming social value' so as to prevent the possibility of convictions for obscenity (under the three pronged test for obscenity set by the US Supreme Court (Miller v. California): 1) appeals to the prurient interest, 2) patently offensive because it affronts contemporary community standards, 3) utterly without redeeming social value). The words "community standards" have become two of the most ambiguous words in American case law. As you would imagine, a town in the Bible Belt has very different feelings about porn than a major metropolis like New York City or San Francisco. So, while fisting may be valid by New York's community standards, it probably wouldn't fly in Topeka. So now you have different parts of the country tolerant of different things. Basically, it is a hassle to keep track of all the places that certain acts are "good" versus "bad." So, the industry self-censors itself, and leaves out the really raunchy stuff in their domestic releases. (Europe where they have their heads on straight about sex, is a free for all sexually, except for kiddie porn (though their age of consent is lower than ours)). Nick Long says this about the fisting guidelines: For clarification purposes and the information of the curious, during filming of any insertion scene coming close to fisting, the general rule to avoid legal complications is that 'the thumb must be visible' Number of fingers inserted is immaterial, provided all 5 digits do not disappear inside the plane of the lips or sphincter ring. That appears to be a production stage rule, not necessarily what any one state or local jurisdiction might rule in court. An interesting tidbit from Peter van Aarle: On some sets (usually when Bionca and Debi Diamond play together ;-) fisting still occurs, and IS still filmed, but the footage is never released for US versions anymore (but often still IS released in Euro versions). Tim Evanson says that (surprise!) things are different on the gay side: Fisting is increasingly common in gay videos, and in a few videos items such as shampoo bottles, beer bottles, and even traffic cones may be inserted into a man's anus. Most gay porn companies deal with the subsequent legal problems by editing the offensive scene out of the movie entirely. Many mail order companies offer a "mail order only" version which includes the fisting scene, while rental and local-sales copies of the movie do not have it included. 46.11 So what can't I watch in America, the home of the free? There are other 'controversial sexual practices' such as pissing, insertion of foreign objects (veggies, bottles, 'motor-oil' enemas, monks gangbanging Debi Diamond, etc.), and non-consensual sex (rape) -- the latter of which also includes B&D (bondage & domination); hence no hardcore sex in B&D movies in the US. Bill Majors, a man who has spent time in jail because he produced adult B&D films, has this to say: B&D can be rape, but it is many things else too. It is prohibited under a section of the law which defines what may be obscene as (I paraphrase) sucking, fucking, etc., AND Sado/Masochistic acts. So all films ARE by their very nature obscene, it is just that it has proven very hard to get convictions even in conservative communities where normal heterosexual sex is being shown. However, let's take anal. That has NOT been quite as hard and indeed has been prosecuted successfully many times. The government even has one favorite witness who testifies at every one of their cases, about how he was traumatized by seeing shit on a dick coming out of an ass. Now while that isn't shown (the girls clean themselves out first) he testifies that NO ONE can be sure there isn't a "speck" of feces on a dick...and that if there is (which he always manages to find) then it is horrid, etc. Luc Wylder and Ariana, fetish performers in their own right, have this to say on the subject: The reason there is no sex in American bondage videos is because it is illegal to [exhibit] such videos in the US. I believe there are many European, particularly German, videos where there is hardcore sex with bondage, because they do not have the censorship laws that we have here. Supposedly, if a woman (or a man) is restrained and sex is performed on them, this a form of torture or rape, according to our government, no matter how willing the person actually is. In real life, when we shoot bondage and we want things to get more heated, we turn off the cameras because there are no censors in our homes and we can do whatever we want, as long as it involves only consenting adults... 46.12 Where'd the Cherry Poppers tapes go?!? [new] In late '96 Congressed passed a huge law, one part of which was a small bill tacked on which basicially made it appear that visual depictions of performers posing as minors were now illegal... However, this is not really the case. (I am not a lawyer (tho I play one on TV) so I can only put forth quoted sections of the bill and a small bit of commentary from another non-lawyer.) Here's Patrick Riley's take on the bill: When I wrote the original post, I had just returned from talking with one video store owner who gets his information from the employee who picked up his tapes from the distributor who got his information from the guy in the distributor who in turn got his from one or more of the manufacturers. The video store owner is adamant that he can't keep tapes that have any performers who, in the tape, pretend to be a minor, and says that even if he's wrong, it's better to be safe than incur lots of legal costs. No one (including your Washington friends), it appears can take the time to read the actual legislation! (Although I can sympathize a little--the file is 4meg and takes some time to d'load.) The second problem is that they seem to selectively read so they get half information. It's a little like the guy who reads the No Parking sign and then spends an hour looking for another space but if he had read the entire sign he would have seen that it only applied on particular days and this wasn't one of those days. Anyway it's frustrating. The Star Print version of House Report 104-263 was enacted into law as HR 3610 (it's the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations for 1997) PL 104-208 and is available from the Government Printing Office for download. I did and here's the relevant parts: section 121 "This section may be cited as "The Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996'". QUOTE FROM BILL (3) in paragraph (7), by striking the period and inserting `; and'; and (4) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: "(8) `child pornography' means any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, picture, or computer or computer- generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where-- "(A) the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; "(B) such visual depiction is, or appears to be, of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; "(C) such visual depiction has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or "(D) such visual depiction is advertised, promoted, presented, described, or distributed in such a manner that conveys the impression that the material is or contains a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; and "(9) `identifiable minor'-- "(A) means a person-- "(i)(I) who was a minor at the time the visual depiction was created, adapted, or modified; or "(II) whose image as a minor was used in creating, adapting, or modifying the visual depiction; and "(ii) who is recognizable as an actual person by the person's face, likeness, or other distinguishing characteristic, such as a unique birthmark or other recognizable feature; and "(B) shall not be construed to require proof of the actual identity of the identifiable minor.''. .... END QUOTE The bill goes on to make make "child pornography" (as defined above and including production and possesssion) punishable by death by disembowlment and enslavery of all your heirs for the next ten generations (I exaggerate--it's just the normal draconian penalties that give us the highest prison population in the developed world). 8B would on the face of it prevent the use of anyone who looks under 18 in videos. I looked for but can't find any definition of "appears to be" but there is an exemption if you show the person was not actually a minor as follows: QUOTE FROM BILL .... ``(c) It shall be an affirmative defense to a charge of violating paragraphs (1), (2), (3), or (4) of subsection (a) that -- "(1) the alleged child pornography was produced using an actual person or persons engaging in sexually explicit conduct; "(2) each such person was an adult at the time the material was produced; and "(3) the defendant did not advertise, promote, present, describe, or distribute the material in such a manner as to convey the impression that it is or contains a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.". .... END QUOTE We are interested in the producing, selling and possession of commercial porno tapes, not the doodlings of some wanabe artist who is posting a binary with some kid morphed into the place of Edith Pornqueen. Right? So we get a tape like Cherry Poppers with those girls sucking on lollipops and we look at 8B above and say "Oops, time in hoosegow coming up". This is as far as most people's attention span seems to take them. If they read a little further (paragraph (c) "It shall be an affirmative defence...") they would realize that these three points apply to them and apply to the Cherry Poppers tapes: 1) They were produced using an actual person. 2) Each such person WAS an adult at the time. But on (3) the box for the Cherry Poppers series will give them a problem. Solution: change the box! With a changed box the tape inside can remain the same. I don't think I've made any interpretations here other than the normal English wording. I'm not attempting to define "appears to be" -- I'll accept (for these purposes) that the girls in Cherry Poppers appear to be underage. The conclusion still stands. Anyone can prosecute over anything, in that you're correct, however there's a big difference between a dismissal of the charges immediatley and a long haul to the Supreme Court. If anyone did try to prosecute for the content of Cherry Poppers it can be rebutted immediatley. The Bio Keeper puts forth this theory: The most enlightening discussion I found is in Congressional Record: September 30, 1996 (Senate) beginning on Page S11842. Starting "I ask unanimous consent a section-by-section analysis of the child pornography provision be printed in the Record." Quoted from the bill Section 3 This section amends the definition of the term "visual depiction" at 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2256(5) to include stored computer data. This section further amends Title 18 of the United States Code by adding a new subsection, as 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2256(8), establishing a definition of the term "child pornography," which is defined as "any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, picture, drawing or computer or computer-generated image or picture, which is produced by electronic, mechanical or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where: (1) its production involved the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, or; (2) such visual depiction is, or appears to be, of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct; (3) such visual depiction has been created, adapted or modified to appear that an "identifiable minor" is engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or (4) it is advertised, distributed, promoted or presented in such a manner as to convey the impression that it is a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.'' The term "identifiable minor" would be identified in 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2256(9) to mean a minor who is capable of being recognized as an actual person by, for example, his face or other distinguishing feature or physical characteristic, although a prosecutor would not be required to prove the minor's actual identity. === end quote == For the adult film industy, subsections (2) & (4) are most important. In subsection (2) ''appears to be'' is the problem phrase which goes without further definition. This subsection works in conjunction with subsection (3) and the term ''identifiable minor'' which is defined to be "a minor.." It seems the industry is safe as long as the person is not actually a minor. Subsection (4) directly implicates some of the video box covers mentioned previously in this thread. It is illegal to imply the film contains minors engaging in sexual activity. This makes sense since the act wants to stop any promotion of having sex with a minor. Does the standard statement on video boxes about all performers being of legal age negate any visiual depictions? If it's stated up front that none of the individuals depicted are minors then although the image may 'convey the impression', that impression is wrong based on the legal age statement. Obviously some sort of Catch-22. Of course, on any given day, any given judge can go one way or the other. Understanding the law won't keep you from being sued but as mentioned, it can certainly keep things from being drawn out if the proper arguements are made at the beginning. All this act needs is a test case. Any volunteers? I hope this analysis helps. Overall, it is a noble effort to thwart the use of computers in production, storage and transmission of child pornography. The problem is always definition of terms which is the be decided my the law enforcers, not the law makers. 46.13 What's the deal with porn in Canada? Can I see some things or all things or what? [updated] It depends upon where you are. In Canada, porn is a provincial jurisdiction so each province has her own set of rules. This means that something that is legal in Quebec isn't necessarily legal in Ontario. For instance, fisting and golden showers (as long as you're not watching anyone pissing in anyone's mouth) are perfectly legal in Quebec; Ontario considers other things to be obscene, so they're illegal in Ontario. A friend from Canada writes: I don't know about the status of DP -- I have rented supposedly legal movies with it ;-) but, what you say about facials WAS true until recently. Apparently there have been some changes in the law in the past few months. The store I go to is part of a national chain (Adults Only Video), which I assume follows the law to the letter because they're a big target. One of the staff there told me that the laws had been relaxed and pointed me to some new movies. Some of the subjects that are allowed are facials, lactation, and pregnant girls. I'm told Ontario also recently approved pubic shaving. European distributors send unedited versions movies and the local distributors just cut out the offending material based upon the local markets. US distributors take the easy way out and just send the American versions (not the European ones which may include "harder" scenes) which means there is rarely anything to cut in Quebec while there is almost always something to cut in Ontario. But you can't always escape the prosecutor... For instance, not so long ago the owner of Ontario's largest chain of adult videos was taken to court for selling a Dr. Butts video that included a spanking scene. The video had been approved by the Ontario Film Review board, but was still in violation of obscenity laws that the police charged the owner with. I think the case was ruled in the owner's favor, because he didn't know it was obscenity, and believed it not to be because it had already been okayed by the appropriate government censors. 46.14 How about the Australian porn laws? What are they like? Craig (carlandc@zip.com.au) of Australia told the group: The Federal Government of Australia classifies all films and literature. The goal of the classification system is to allow adults to read, see and hear whatever they wish while protecting children from damaging material and preventing people being affronted by offensive material in public places. Film/Video The classifications are: G General Exhibition PG Parental Guidance Recommended for children under 12 M Recommended for mature audiences 15 and over MA Under 15 requires accompanying parent or guardian R Restricted to adults 18 and over X Explicit Sex: Restricted to adults 18 and over G, PG and M are advisory only and children can buy tickets/rent videos. MA, R and X are mandatory. X is effectively a video only classification. As well as the rating, advertising and video covers carry a short note on the major elements that determined the rating, eg. - coarse language ) - sex scenes ) High, Medium, Low - violence ) - adult themes - horror The objective is to let you know what you'll get, and leave you to choose. Virtually the only material refused classification, i.e. banned, is child porn and bestiality. The system works pretty well. The ratings are applied in a manner roughly comparable to the US MPAA ratings, perhaps a bit tighter on violence and a bit looser on sex. The unrated US version of "Basic Instinct" was rated R. "Henry & June", which was rated NC-17 in the US was rated M in Australia. The ratings apply uniformly to cinema, video and television. MA rated films can't be shown on TV before 9:30pm. The rating is shown with the note at the start and momentarily in the lower right corner after each ad break. R rated films are generally edited back to MA for TV although some are shown uncut late at night on a special interest channel. The situation with X rated material is a bit messy. The federal government allows X rated material and does the classifying. Most states' laws theoretically don't allow X rated videos to be openly sold/rented, but allow them to be obtained by mail order. This has lead to the comic situation that the Australian Capital Territory, which is outside any state law, has the largest porn industry in the country. In practice, some states just turn a blind eye to the retail trade. Publications The classifications are: Unrestricted May be freely sold and distributed Restricted 1 May be sold only to those over 18 and may only be displayed in a sealed wrapper, i.e. shrink wrapped Restricted 2 May be only sold to those over 18 and may not be displayed except in restricted premises, i.e. porn shops The goal is to prevent children browsing/buying adult material in newsagents and to keep offensive material out of public display. Straightforward nudity is unrestricted, i.e. Playboy Genitalia and erections are Restricted 1, i.e. Penthouse Hard core, fetish, bondage, etc is Restricted 2. A couple of states don't allow sex shops but anything can be obtained by mail order. The publications classifications are basically directed at magazines, periodicals, etc. Books are very rarely classified as Restricted. About the only example in the last decade was 'American Psycho' which was classified as Restricted 1 after a short period of unrestricted sale because of extreme, sadistic violence. 46.15 You said something about "nuisance prosecutions." Could you clarify the illegality issue again? The government cannot impose restrictions on what can be filmed. However, local governments can TRY to impose restrictions on what can be exhibited, but these have proven very hard to win. They can impose only ONE restriction at the present time. The interstate transportation of obscene material, this is always the charge that is made for most videos. (Thanks to Bill Majors for clearing this up). It is more the threat of prosecution for obscenity (and the prosecution doesn't have to lead to a conviction, since the high cost of legal counsel is usually enough of a threat and has in the past led to bankruptcy of companies) is the reason why the producers heavily SELF-CENSOR their product. Bill Majors confirms that if the above wasn't enough, the justice dept some years ago had a POLICY (found in a letter in their files that they forgot to shred) in which they said that their aim was to put all pornographers OUT of business, either by simultaneous prosecutions, jail time, excessive fines, or to just break them through legal expenses. It is important to make this point that the producers 'voluntarily' censor their products because they know that adding these controversial scenes will leave them wide open for prosecution in many parts of the US, and prosecution will, even when acquitted, lead to huge legal bills and possible bankruptcy. Tim Evanson, ever the poli-sci doctoral candidate, tells us that "the U.S. Department of Justice under President Bush prosecuted several national mail order companies in multiple jurisdictions at once, taking advantage of the Supreme Court's Miller ruling. By seeking obscenity convictions in very conservative jurisdictions, and by seeking multiple prosecutions at once, the Justice Department was able to often bankrupt some firms. Others were unable to defend themselves in all jurisdictions at once, and so courts entered default obscenity decrees against them (which included fines and prison sentences). This practice made national headlines (even the Wall Street Journal's front-page political column), but ceased under the Clinton administration." 47 Censorship Patrick Santucci wrote this next section, I merely edited it. I think it offers a good overview of the topic, but is by no means exhaustive. If you want to discuss this further, feel free to e-mail Patrick at ce549@cleveland.Freenet.Edu. 47.1 Introduction The topic of censorship and first amendment rights is vast and deep. Even if I were a much better scholar, I would be hard pressed to report thoroughly at anything less than book length. For the purposes of this FAQ, i'll try to limit myself to topics directly related to sex movies and rely on my editors to keep me on track. I would be happy to discuss any other first amendment issues at any time via email. 47.2 What is censorship? Formally, censorship is prior restraint of communication based on content and enforced by law. Less formal definitions include many things, usually covered by the umbrella of a 'chilling effect': law which exercises no prior restraint on speech, but makes speakers so fearful of reprisal that they refrain from expounding controversial ideas. The important point is that censorship always involves law; an agency which will not fund your painting is not engaging in censorship, even though it may be acting unjustly. 47.3 What does the First Amendment have to do with it? The first amendment to the U.S. constitution is the fundamental piece of law which protects U.S. Citizens from censorship. Here it is: ******************************************************************* Amendment I (1791) Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. ******************************************************************* It would seem to leave little room for doubt or debate, agreed? This is not the language of equivocation. Yet U.S. history is rife with attempts to restrict expression - I mean, surely the first doesn't protect *THAT*! Yes, Virginia, it does. From Anti-abortion protests to insults to double fist fucking, Madelyn Murray O'Hare to Rush Limbaugh, it does. That is, in a legal theory sense. The practice is a bit different. 47.4 So what has it got to do with alt.sex.movies? The most direct violation of the first amendment is of paramount concern to the readers of a.s.m. is the legal notion of obscenity. It is the child of _Roth_v._United_States_, a 1957 Supreme Court decision. Justice William Brennan, writing the majority opinion, stated "obscenity is not within the area of constitutionally protected speech or press". Justice Brennan wasn't a fool; he knew that he would be asked to define obscenity (to be fair to the man, he has since repented of writing the above mentioned opinion) but his attempted fix is laughable: [A work is obscene if, to the] "average person, applying contemporary community standards, the dominant theme of the material taken as a whole appeals to prurient interest." And that vague, broad description is the law of the land in the land of the free. 47.5 So what is actually illegal to watch/own/produce/sell? Anything could be. Any expression whatever could be prosecuted under the obscenity standard. Here's a quick list in order of likelihood to be prosecuted, sticking only to items which can me in movie form: * Sexual activity involving minors (under 18) (this is the only item on this list specifically prohibited by federal statute, and merits further discussion elsewhere) * Sexual activity with animals * Sexual activity involving coercion and violence (more than simple restraint) * Sexual activity involving humiliation (another loose term) * Other nonstandard sexual activity (fisting and watersports could go here or under humiliation) * Explicit sex with multiple partners, depicted without moral stricture * Explicit sex with single partners, depicted with moral stricture * Non-explicit sex (softcore) * Simple nudity * references to sexual activity. This list is not meant to be complete, just give you an idea of how much risk you may be running. Also in general, production is less legal than sale which is less legal than possession which is less legal than viewing. 47.6 Who are these censorious bastards? Lets go get 'em! I'm glad you feel that way, even if I did write it myself. Opposition to pornography comes from all sides. Here are some major bad guys: 47.6.1 Jesse Helms Senator Helms is one of the loudest proponents of censorship from the political right. He is famed for his assaults on the photography of Robert Mapplethorpe, amongst other things. 47.6.2 Edwin Meese Former US attorney General and he who commissioned the report on pornography which now bears his name. Read it sometime. You will find it slanted and vengeful from the start. Exercise for college students: give it to your psych, poli sci, or soc professors and see if any one of them can make the conclusions match the 'research' methods. 47.6.3 Andrea Dworkin/Catherine MacKinnon Impossible really to separate these two, except that Ms. Dworkin is more the rhetor and Ms. MacKinnon the scholastic. They are the leaders of the assault from the political left, and authors of legislation intended to eliminate porn - their way, their terms, their definitions. This legislation gets its own section later on. 47.6.4 James Exon Sponsor of the now famous "Communications Decency Act" which makes it illegal in the US to electronically transmit or receive "indecency". 47.6.5 Orrin Hatch [new] The Republican senator from Utah, Hatch authored (some might say he snuck it into the massive Omnibus Budget Reconciliation bill) the Child Protection Act of 1996 which made it illegal to even imply that an actor engaged in explicit sexual conduct was under-age. The legality of the act has not been ruled on, although many publishers and studios have already pulled materials or altered ad copy, scripts, and/or titles in order to comply with the new law. 47.7 Am I on my own with sword and shield, or is anyone else in this with me? Relax, there are at least as many good guys as bad. For starters, how about the readership of a.s.m? We are well educated, moderately well financed, and like most netters, intellectually vicious as hell. There are also at least three major political defense organizations. 47.7.1 F.O.X.E (Fans of X-rated entertainment) FOXE is currently headed by Bill 'Bear' Margold, former porn actor/director/producer. Fan support group for the industry. Utilizing fans' membership dues to fight censorship battles. Dues are $25 per year. Membership card, newsletters, discounts on "industry items". Special invitations extended to membership for industry events. To join, contact: F.O.X.E. (Fans of X-rated Entertainment) 8033 Sunset Blvd. Suite 851 Los Angeles, CA 90046 (213) 656-6545 Website: http://www.cydult.com/zog/foxe.html 47.7.2 CAL-ACT (Californians Against Censorship Together) Cal-ACT is on the net! They have a WWW site of their own at: http://www.calact.org/ There is also a page sponsored by Blowfish (good guys in their own right) at: http://www.blowfish.com Their main website has an e-mail link (calact@netcom.com) and also links to an application form (with information about dues: Regular: $20 / Student, Senior, Low Income: $10 / Supporting: $25 - $100 / Sustaining: $100 and up NOTE -- dues and donations to CAL-ACT are NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE because they are politically active. CAL-ACT is headed by Bobby Lilly, wife of star and heroine Nina Hartley. What can I say? Join. You are needed. To join, contact: CAL-ACT 1800 Market Str. Suite 1000 San Francisco, CA 94102 47.7.3 Free Speech Coalition [new] From their web page at http://www.cydult.com/zog/fsc.html: The Free Speech Coalition is the trade association of the adult entertainment and products industry and gives you the big-company benefits that businesses throughout the country expect of a trade association. We are in the process of developing other member services that are crucial to the health and growth of the adult products industry, including: To join, contact the FREE SPEECH COALITION 22968 Vicory Boulevard, Suite 248 Woodland Hills, California 91367 (818) 348-9373 / (800) 845-8503 Membership fees vary. See their web page for more details. 47.8 So how about the Dworkin/MacKinnon stuff already? Saved it for last because I think it is the greatest threat to porn (and civil liberty in general) we currently face. I won't expect you to take my word for it; here is a description of the model legislation in, quoted from Ms. Dworkin's book _Pornography_: "The law itself is civil, not criminal. It allows people who have been hurt by pornography to sue for sex discrimination. Under this law, it is sex discrimination to coerce, intimidate, or fraudulently induce anyone into pornography; it is sex discrimination to force pornography on a person in any place of employment, education, home or any public place; it is sex discrimination to assault, physically attack, or injure any person in a way that is directly caused by a specific piece of pornography - the pornographers share responsibility for the assault; in the Bellingham version, it is also sex discrimination to defame any person through the unauthorized use in pornography of their [sic] name, image, and/or recognizable personal likeness; and it is sex discrimination to produce, sell, exhibit, or distribute pornography - to traffic in the exploitation of women, to traffic in material that probably causes aggression against and lower civil status for women in society. The law's definition of pornography is concrete, not abstract. Pornography is defined as the graphic, sexually explicit subordination of women in pictures and/or words that also includes women presented dehumanized as sexual objects, things, or commodities; or women presented as sexual objects who enjoy pain or humiliation; or women presented as sexual objects who experience sexual pleasure in being raped; or women presented as sexual objects tied up or cut up or mutilated or bruised or physically hurt; or women presented in postures or positions of sexual submission, servility or display; or women's body parts - including but not limited to vaginas, breasts, buttocks - exhibited such that the women are reduced to those parts; or women presented as whores by nature; or women presented being penetrated by objects or animals; or women presented in scenarios of degradation, injury, torture, shown as filthy or inferior, bleeding, bruised or hurt in a context that makes these conditions sexual. If men, children or transsexuals are used in any of the same ways, the material also meets the definition of pornography." Pornography, p xxxiii Arguably, this is not censorship. No prior restraint is involved. Practically, however, it is the greatest restriction on the exchange of ideas ever proposed. The legal theory involved descends from the notion of imminent harm, but warps it beyond recognition until speech - an idea expressed - is legally assumed to be capable of causing harm. Not only that, but the harm it causes need not be identifiable or measurable. Feeling uncomfortable is harm. If that weren't enough, all parties involved in the expression are responsible for the harm. You see what kind of power that places in the hands of civil suit complainants? I won't even dwell on the sexist nature of the document. Enough time on this for the FAQ. 48 Revision History [updated] 6.00 - Dec 96 (Director) Gave Zeno his credit as Hart Williams; created new part one for rec.arts.movies.erotica; added name of Jamie Summers' soft core appearance; Jayne Kennedy clarification; Xuxa clarification; more on Pamela and Tommy Lee; Dave Nelson's porn career; Marilyn Chambers' post- porn career; Greg Dark's day job; DeRenzy signs with EvilAngel; more on how much porn stars make; ISBN info on Total Exposure and Superstars; Worlds Biggest Gangbang 2; more on-line personalities; Riley's books; AVN awards info; Movies Unlimited Info; Atlanta loses a porn shop; Penthouse models who have done porn; Why Janine does girls (again!); Ontario laws are loosened; how not to get screwed when buying adult videos;diphallus is the name of the two-headed dick not the condition; Candy Evans info; deletion of Peter North information; Gangbang Girl cast lists updated; What is all this phone sex crap invading a.s.m.; More Dana Plato info; where to buy celeb porn; Linda Blair's non-porno past; Brady girls; 18" dish porn; Bijou CD-ROM; writing scripts; Hermaphrodites; F.O.X.E. info; Free Speech Coalition info; Stag loop availability, #!!!!!!pornstar-trading info; more glossary; gay agents; selling spec flicks, breaking in, bunches of other stuff I have lost track of 5.70 - Mar 96 (Director) Removed the last mentions of Videosan's FTP site which I over looked; direction to the Atlanta porn shops and some history on porn in Georgia; legal stuff surrounding amateur vids; Penthouse is no longer selling the Tonya tape; Jasmine St. Clair's address for the 2nd gangbang; Janine caught in a single gal lie?; Updated Bare Facts info; Maureen McCormick nude?; Lust on the Internet; Gang Bang Girls list; Richard Exon is really Senator James Exon (duh! Hello, factcheckers?); VJ in porn?; Alyssa Milano in porn?; retired stars; american satellite porn programming 5.66 - Mar 96 (Director) Updated IRC channel information 5.65 - Feb 96 (Director) Added Krysti Lynn to dead porn stars section; updated web sites; added Excalibur and VCA web sites; added "twink" and "mish" to the glossary; added more tips on how to become a gay porn star; shaded the meaning of pandering a little bit; added Annie Sprinkle book; web based houses of smut; famous people on the net; Lydia Chanel's underage admission; Canada has Traci Lords; Canada's wacky provincial porn laws; Pamela Anderson Lee's dirty polaroids; Dana Plato's career didn't include porn; The Cindy Brady rumor; more info on porn in Atlanta; the kooky laws of Australia; 1995 AVN winners; YourChoice address in Amsterdam; international availability; goodnight sweet videosan and spotlight; IRC channels; glossary terms; net by e-mail update; adding rtfm.mit.edu mailserver info; FOXE show info; Teri Hatcher's porn past (ha!); janine's divorce; more toning of PT section; "pointer sex info on the net" info; how are STDs prevented?; sales figures, etc.; Playboy/Penthouse crossovers... 5.50 - Oct 95 (Director) Moved "What else is there to know" into Part 1; moved the "fake tits" debate; renamed "Some interesting statistics" to "How many people read alt.sex.movies?"; added the July 95 readership stats from Brian Reid; updated the Who's Who section; gay fluffers; gay fisting; on busting porn mail order guys; more on the no shoes debate; how to get into porn update; added Bill Majors' company to the mail order list; more dead and not-so-dead porn stars added; Cicciolina stuff added; porn in Atlanta; the science of having two dicks; gay porn history book; updated varied e-mail addresses sprinkled throughout; Victoria Paris and Traci Lords anals; corrections and a chart for Euro satellite TV; Excalibur and Video Age sections; agents in porn; Video Xcitement update; how to rent a porn movie; laserdisc stores; couples films; busted into 12 parts; snuff flicks go back in; underage porn stars; Peter North's book on Spice; Ashlyn Gere in Space: Above and Beyond; Who owns the porn studios; who do so many men in porn last so long and women vice versa; why go into porn at all; do stars like porn; Stacey Donovan hates you; birth control; porn on CD-ROM; pricing for The Bare Facts; actors who direct; women and orgasms; why porn performers are not prostitutes under California law; the Erotic 11; why is the sound so bad; Naked Came the Stranger; how to handle "taboo" tapes in the US; various legal issues; Wonka's censorship; FAQ; binaries groups; history of a.s.m.; keep binaries out; couples directors (Leslie, Svetlana, Royalle, Blake, Thomas), updated gay porn salaries; updated Joey Stefano bibliography; ice dildoes. 5.00 - Apr-May-June 95 (Director) Formatting changes in the Revision History, Special Thanks; rewrote the How to get the FAQ section; Corrected Buttslammers 4 in AVN Awards list; Added "books on porn" section; Added amateur video section; director's salaries; how long it takes to make a video; writing scripts; labeling laws; minor revisions of sections of Part I; more wonderful stuff on gay cinema from Tim Evanson (and a corrected spelling of his name...); moved the copyright to the first part and added it to each additional part; added porn folks on the 'Net; deleted "Is that Brandy" and "Is that PC" as they are covered in the "People on the net" section; added some language from the welcome message; added stuff about Tiffany Million's pro wrestling career; snipped most of the AVN article re: Savannah's death; moved the glossary to part 1; added and deleted stuff pertaining to the Web; split FAQ into 9 (!!!) parts; added Web sites for advertisers; updated the special thanks section; and many many more things I cannot remember doing... 4.31 - Feb 95 (Director) Made a few minor requested changes to people's contributions; corrected some grammar and formatting. 4.30 - Feb 95 (Director) So 16 hours took it's toll a little... I forgot to finish the Borsky piece in part 4. It's done now. Also filled in a little trivia about Borsky's partner, Jackson St. Louis. 4.25 - Feb 95 (Director) Major overhaul of entire document, many sections rewritten or heavily revised. Added sections on USENET rank, Linda Lovelace, Patrick Collins, deleted Snuff and most Traci Lords stuff that was no longer germane, added Pamela Anderson to the list of stars who didn't screw on film, and more I can't remember since I did the updates in a 16 hour marathon... 4.00 - Jan 95 (Director) Expansion of "Penis Size" and "How to Get Into Porn" sections, the definition of TROLL, expansion of "sixth" section for housekeeping purposes, Star Billing in Adult Vids (left out of 3.65), How to Direct Porn Movies, How to Piss off an Editor, Select 1994 AVN award winners, Who writes the songs? and mail order houses... 3.65 - Dec 94 (Director) Minor polishing, added Videosan's GETFTP help file, Paul Thomas is Peter in JCS, Stallone rebuttal, Ashyln's X-Files appearance, Penis Size, Star Billing in Adult Vids, Brandy Stuff, Cool Web Sites 3.60 - Dec 94 (Director) Added updated help file from GETBIO server. Killed Porn=Crime section (not the right place for that debate), rewrote sections on your local House of Smut and movies to watch for first timers. 3.51 - Dec 94 (Director) Minor cosmetic changes. No textual changes that I remember. 3.50 - Dec 94 (Director) Removal of Abserver from FAQ, and notification of destruction of SEND ASMFAQ bonus, addition of clarifications in the MPAA rating system. Adding of Teri Weigel into "famed" porn stars, editing of Jayne Kennedy BIO. Addition of stuff on Paul Thomas and why he sucks. Major overhaul of part 2 formatting. Addition of text regarding porno-legit/legit-porno crossovers. Adding of copyright notices. Splitting of FAQ into 5 parts. (Whew!) 3.37 - Nov 94 (Director) Corrections regarding Janine Lindemulder's son and Brandy Alexandre's dislike of anals. 3.36 - Nov 94 (Director) Adding sections on Janine Lindemulder and Brandy Alexandre. Renumbered sections dealing with porn stars. 3.35 - Oct 94 (Director) Adding of sections on Xuxa, Angelique Pettijohn, Jayne Kennedy and the Go-Go's. Description of porn vs. nudity. Addition of Blowfish address, FTP site and Compu$erve availability information. 3.30 - Oct 94 (Director) Adding of a few more definitions (cowgirl, reverse cowgirl, DL), a clarification, and a new section on How To Become a Porn Star (or How To Not Bother...) 3.25 - Oct 94 (Director) Adding of Hustler Erotic Video Guide, Adam Film World. 3.2 - Oct 94 (Director) Adding of new subjects, awards, Traci Lords Mw/C episode guide, definitions and a balancing of subjects with the gay porn point of view from Tim Evanson 3.1 - Sep 94 (Director) Adding of FTP sites, alt.test, salaries, AVN awards, graphics formats, Blockbuster update, and other corrections over 3.0 3.0 - Sep 94 (Director) Hypertext and DOS overhaul and inclusion of Marc's FAQ 2.1 - Apr 94 (Hoju) Creation of the "celebrity myth" section; Info about bio server; Video source addresses 2.0 - Mar 94 (Hoju) Addition of table of contents; New section: "X" in X-rated; Style changes to censorship section 1.1 - Feb 94 (Hoju) Various style/information improvements 1.0 - Jan 94 (Hoju) Initial release ================================================================= 49 Special Thanks Department [updated] No FAQ is really ever the work of one person. It is added to, shaped and refined with the assistance of many people. This is why I have eschewed the title of "author" and prefer "keeper", "editor", or "maintainer". A great many people contributed to this FAQ in one way or another. I have made every attempt to give credit where credit is due; both to place blame if something is wrong, and to allow for citations, in case something is right :-) In any event, the following people have contributed in a significant way to this document; and they deserve my (and your) thanks. First, for all of their help in proofreading and punching up certain sections and editing others, my "beta team": Peter van Aarle (aarle@bart.nl), Brad Williams (brwi@ix.netcom.com), Tim Evanson (tevanson@erols.com) and Frans Postma (fpostma@inter.nl.net) And for their individual contributions without which this FAQ would be not half as great at it is (I assume some of the e-mail addresses are incorrect as you move down the page...): Tim Evanson (tevanson@erols.com) for giving me pages and pages and pages of stuff regarding gay porn and its terminologies. S. Andrew Roberts (shamu@kincyb.com) for his insights into the technical side of the industry. Videosan for posting the article on Savannah's death and running the GETBIO and GETFTP servers while they lasted Patrick Riley (p_riley@pipeline.com) for his repeated contributions to the newsgroup and the part on hermaphrodites and classic films. Bill Majors (bill.majors@hedonism.com) for his insights into government censorship and the legalities of adult movie making. Asia Carrera (asiac@earthlink.net) for proofreading my homepage and giving me small corrections here and there Harris Minter (harris.minter@datadim.com) for his clarifcations of the MPAA rating system; and extensive work on how Blockbuster works Cmovieman (cmovieman@aol.com) for the piece on how not to get screwed when buying adult videos Brandy Alexandre (brandy@kamikaze.org) for keeping alt.sex.movies "lively" to say the least, and giving us all an unflinching first- hand glimpse of the workings of a porn set. Patrick J. Santucci (ce549@cleveland.Freenet.Edu) for his work on the censorship portion of this document. Crafty, (new e-mail address forgotten) for contributing some info on Tonya Harding, etc. and beta testing the Hypertext Windows version (which is obsolete since I have a web site now...) Frans Postma (fpostma@inter.NL.net) for the info on UK laws, Excalibur, The Movie Database and other stuff. Marvin (Marvin1024@aol.com) for a paragraph regarding why no celebs did porn first, and a sensible rebuttal regarding Stallone's porno past. Dark Man (an68050@anon.penet.fi) for posting the Streisand piece Jason Heimbaugh (jason@heimbaugh.com) for pointing me to the alt.folklore.urban archive and giving me the stuff on snuff. David Harris (harris@pmail.gen.nz) for allowing me to use his Netiquette posting. He retains his copyright over that area. It is used with permission. Doug Miller (dgmiller@clark.net) for telling me what DL stands for. Mezzrow53 (mezzrow53@aol.com) for the definitions of cowgirl and its converse, reverse cowgirl. Gordon (ggs@netcom.com) and David Anderson (lando5@iii1.iii.net) for their piece on Angelique Pettijohn Frederick Bernard (freber@unix.infoserve.net) for giving me the list of laserdisc mail order shops Cinemaniac (an118941@anon.penet.fi) for the treatise on couples porn. G.Y.B (an350456@anon.penet.fi) for providing me with the Euro satellite TV chart Alain Bourassa (Bourassa_Alain@itr.qc.ca) for providing info on the French underage performers and Canadian laws regarding porn Marc for compiling questions that became the backbone for the later sections of this FAQ after he lost access to asm. Hoju for starting this FAQ.