LOS ANGELES—AVN Director of the Year Axel Braun received a death threat last week from an Elvis Presley fan claiming that the King is alive and well and very nonplussed about Braun's recent release Elvis XXX: A Porn Parody.
The handwritten threat was found stuck to the driver's side window of Braun's car. It read, "You will die soon you piece of trash. Jesse knows!!! And he is coming for you." The name "Jesse" was that of Elvis Presley's deceased twin brother, whose identity some Elvis fans believe he assumed after, according to the legend, he faked of his own death.
Braun's easily identifiable vehicle—its cutomized license plate bears his name—was parked in the lot of a Gelson's market in Tarzana. The anonymous note was the most troubling message the director has received about Elvis XXX, topping off more than 100 hate emails since the movie's Jan. 8 release.
"These threats are more upsetting than scary," said Braun, who nonetheless filed a police report. "I'm actually a huge Elvis fan who just happens to write, direct and produce adult parodies, and I portrayed the King in a fun but totally respectful way. Obviously a large group of Elvis followers are elderly, church-going people, and I certainly expected them to have a negative reaction, but this is absolute insanity. Then again, the movie became a bestseller in less than a month, which proves there are plenty of fans who understand my point of view."
Male star Dale DaBone, who portrays the older Elvis in the parody, commented, "I grew up worshipping Elvis, and to play Elvis was just a dream come true for me. Axel's movie is a spoof, like many Elvis skits on Saturday Night Live or Comedy Central. It's sad to see that some people are taking it the wrong way."
Elvis XXX: A Porn Parody was written, produced and directed by Braun, and is distributed through Vivid Entertainment. It is currently available in stores nationwide and on Vivid.com.
