CHATSWORTH, Calif. - Antigua Pictures has signed legendary Penthouse photographer Earl Miller to a worldwide video distribution deal.
"We're extremely excited to be working with one of the all-time greats in the field of erotica," Antigua's national sales manager David Peskin told AVN. "With the new content he's about to release, Earl has done for hardcore video what he did for erotic photography. It's really hot, beautifully shot material with a great cast of girls."
The agreement gives Antigua exclusive DVD rights to content from Earl Miller Studios and a non-exclusive deal for video-on-demand sales.
"The most important thing about my approach to videos is that I celebrate the joy of sex," Miller told AVN. "For me, it's all about portraying sex in an exciting, passionate manner with beautiful people. I personally idolize women, and so in my work, women are idolized, not brutalized."
The Earl Miller Studios label will debut this month with the release of Earl's Naughty Girls, Vol. 1, a high-end, all-sex production with a mix of boy/girl, solo, girl/girl, and threeway scenes. The movie stars Coco, Valerie Cortez, Riley Shy, Vanessa Lane, Adrianna Sage, and Jayna Oso.
"There's no dialogue and no setup in my movies; I call it glam gonzo, for lack of a better term," Miller said. "I don't think most people are watching dialogue scenes in porno films, so I'm not going to burden my viewer with the need to keep a thumb on the fast-forward button. The difference between my stuff and other gonzo movies is that it's not degrading."
Starting in 1972, Miller helped define the Seventies sexual revolution as one of the most prolific photographers for Bob Guccione's publishing empire. Miller was at the forefront of Penthouse during an era when the magazine's circulation hit six million copies, introducing many influential skin-mag trends along the way.
"I love shooting for Penthouse," he said. "Bob Guccione was a genius, and he gave me the freedom to shoot a lot of one-of-a-kind fantasies. I did the first shaving layout, the first hardcore boy/girl layout. I continue to shoot for the magazine, but not as much; it's a different group of people."
These days, the focal point of Miller's career is his website, EarlMiller.com. While he admits he once looked down on hardcore porn, and preferred to call himself "a erotic artist," he is now comfortable with his niche as "an artistic pornographer."
"I've come to total peace with the word pornography," he said. "There's a lot of bad porno, just like there's bad food. That doesn't mean it's all bad. And I think it's a healthy thing; there was a research team in Australia that found men who masturbate five times a week are less likely to develop prostate cancer. So I'm doing my part to fight prostate cancer!"
Miller has already wrapped a second volume of his Earl's Naughty Girls series and the first installment of a second line, Earl's Solo Sex Stars.
"I try to cast talent in the business who approach working as something they love to do," he said. "Most are all-natural, though if a girl is enthusiastic and beautiful and happens to have a breast job, I'll use her. Sasha Grey is in one of my upcoming videos. I love Sasha; she seems so fresh and innocent, but she's absolutely omnivorous and amazing as a sex performer."
Miller also singled out RIley Shy as an exceptional performer. "Riley has a perfect, athletic body," he said. "I should also mention Adrianna Sage, who does a girl/girl scene with Jayna Oso in the first Earl's Naughty Girls. She's just magically beautiful, and very smart."
Miller believes that Antigua is moving in a wise direction with its acquisition of his new line.
"I think [Antigua Pictures head] Todd Blatt, Dave Peskin, and Antigua are taking a tack for the future," he said. "The adult DVD market is in trouble, and I think there's only one way to go - because every degrading, terrible thing has been done. It's hit a brick wall. So I think it's very smart for Antigua to reach the vast middle ground of people who are looking for something that celebrates sex."
Earl's Naughty Girls Vol. 1 ships Nov. 13 and arrives in stores Nov. 19. For sales, call David Peskin at (818) 709-7400, or email [email protected]. For foreign sales, email Todd Blatt at [email protected].
