Gloria Leonard Discusses Free Speech Resignations
Count that - five members of the Free Speech board resigned Tuesday afternoon: Steve Hirsch, Steve Orenstein, Christian Mann, Michael Warner and Jim South. All but South sent official letters. South, according to Free Speech president Gloria Leonard, came to Tuesday afternoon's Free Speech meeting to say that he didn't want to sign up for re-election, that he had been on the board for 10 years during various incarnations of the organization. "He's beat," said Leonard. "I don't blame him. There are five people but several have terms that are over the end of the year, and they are going to stick it out till the end of the year."
Leonard said she discovered that geneross.com had already solicited quotes from Christian Mann before the Free Speech meeting had heard the official word. Had it been up to her, Leonard said she would have preferred to have the story break in the morning for a different perspective. "Then I would have been able to explain certain things like some of their terms being over at the end of the year," said Leonard. "They just don't want to be put on a ballot for another term. Which doesn't ring quite as scandalous the way it does."
Though Jeffrey Douglas is the acting executive director of Free Speech, Leonard said Free Speech has been running both a newspaper and online ad in search of an executive director. "Jeffrey is doing the best he can, given the fact he's not being paid," she said. He's also very busy."
"We need an administrator who can deal with the attention to detail," Leonard continued. "There is so much work that needs to be done. Obviously we need to pay somebody who has the passion, the commitment and the skills. We've had about 20 responses already, some more appropriate for this gig than others. We got one from a Chinese guy who's looking for a job in Chinese management. I think with some people if the word executive appears, they automatically send it [a resumé] out. There is a committee going through all the resumés to set up interviews. It would be great to find someone within the industry, but that's not going to happen. They've been bugging me to take the job, but I don't want it. I'm not interested. I'm tired. I've been doing this almost longer than anyone else.
"We need some strong leadership," Leonard states. "I threatened to resign as president several months ago. I was cajoled into staying till the end of the year. My term is up. I don't want to be president again. I have no problem being on the board in the future. I'll always have a commitment to the issues, but I don't have the tools to be the president. I don't have a secretary. I don't have clerical support. And I have a real job to do here [with Private-Odyssey]. Even though they're very generous with the amount of time they allow me to devote to Free Speech, it can get out of hand. It is a full time job. This organization needs a president who has a staff of people that can make calls and write letters, yadda, yadda, yadda.
As far as talk about a lobbyist-in-Washington, Leonard said, "It's so financially out of the realm of possibility. We interviewed one and spoke to several others." Leonard said, at least for the time being, the Free Speech treasury can't entertain the notion. "We signed up with this new service that will enable us to go online and access information in all 50 states about pending legislation and bills that affect us. Of course that's only going to be accessible to paid members which as it should be. This information will be invaluable.
Wicked Pictures' Steve Orenstein: "I Tried, and I Tried and I Tried"
With sad reluctance, Wicked Pictures' Steve Orenstein, part of the Free Speech Coalition membership committee, tendered his resignation Tuesday afternoon.
Orenstein: "I can't speak for everybody else. Though it looks like a mass exodus, that wasn't the intention. It is more than a coincidence. We talk to each other. We have the same problems as each other does. It's not like we all got together and said this thing sucks, let's get the hell out of here and fuck Free Speech. For me, I was concerned when I was nominated. My first answer was, no, I don't have enough time as it is. I couldn't do it. I was told it was one meeting a month, a couple of hours. I said, 'That's all there is? Well, there's other committees...there's other things, but you don't have to get involved in all that. This is all you need to do.'
"I thought it was a good thing and went for it. Unfortunately, from the time I started in January, the talk started up, 'Look, we need all the board members to get involved in other stuff. We need everybody to get involved in other committees. We need everybody's time and dedication.' For myself, I tried, and I tried, and I tried. I couldn't find the time, and I couldn't offer what they needed. Finally, I said, here's the reality. But I'm still a member and here to help out."
Orenstein said he didn't want to be put into a position of coming to meetings and not being able to say mission accomplished on projects. "I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure I did something. But, I can't do it," Orenstein said.
"The way business is right now, there's more work for every owner to deal with than ever before," Orenstein said. "It's really getting into the trenches and working a lot harder. Every day it's crazy."
Steve Drake Kicks Off New Talent Seminar
The hefty blond provided comic relief.
Somewhere between Sharon Mitchell gushing about the wonders of liquid condoms and an insurance guy named Harold Charles making a pitch for his company's services, a somewhat tipsy blond, wedged rather uncomfortably into a black pantsuit, strutted like the cat's meow into the Embers room of the Sportsman's Lodge.
Which is where performer/director/producer/cameraman Steve Drake was conducting a seminar for new talent in the industry. The blond appeared to be spillage from a seminar next-door-down.
If you've seen the look before, you recognized hers as the desperate look of someone in search of a party. But the general assumption was, she was talent walking in late to the meeting. Jim South looked at Scotty Schwartz, Scotty Schwartz looked at Jim South. Jim South looked at me like who the fuck is this broad. The woman then plopped her Burbank-sized butt in a chair as though she had just been handed a first class airline accommodation to Acapulco. It only took several minutes for it to sink in - this was a casual meeting about sex and gonorrhea and day rates for doing anal, and not a vacation flight to Mexico. Since the average lay person doesn't relate comfortably to subjects like these, predictably enough, no sooner did the blond sit down, that she bolted out of the room like a horrified church lady who had just been flashed. Which prompted Drake to break out into a huge grin. Obviously, this seminar ain't for everybody.
It was Drake's first shot out of the gate with an attempt to give new performers in the adult business a meaningful indoctrination into the whys and whozits of the industry. Though the initial gathering was small, Drake got enough positive feedback to realize that he was on to something big.
Offering his own resumé in the business [15 years and 800 movies-worth], Drake, who's now an industry one-man band, touched on such subjects as set etiquette - shut off that damn cell phone - you want to be in the middle of a dialog scene and have that thing go off, pissing off the director? Drake, of course, was speaking from personal experience as a director who must have had a cell phone or two ring at inopportune times.
Drake talked about "gonzo" videos [where'd that name come from, he mused out loud], what it means to "cheat to the camera," and threw out ballpark performing rates and other questions talent need to have answered before they even consider taking a job. The general consensus was that new people in the business, especially pretty girls, are going to receive a lot of unsolicited advice. And, yeah, taxes. You got to pay 'em.
That's when Drake introduced his first guest of the evening, Encino-based CPA Steven Shapiro. Prior to the meeting, Shapiro dropped former AVNer Randy Kaplan's name into the conversation. Judging by their respective frames, Shapiro and Kaplan must share a lot of the same gourmet venues besides a penchant for the arcane mysteries of the ledger book. During his spot in the program, Shapiro harped about things like the absolute necessity of documenting one's financial log. "The states are more aggressive [than federal] in collecting taxes - California's the worst," Shapiro advised.
Offering herself as a prime example of there being life-after-drugs, 25-year vet Sharon Mitchell discussed her job at AIM - "which is to keep people healthy," she said. Mitchell's topics ranged from good PCR-DNA testing ["our HIV screening system is the most sophisticated in the world and the only successful system on the planet"] to good enemas, to good manicures. "Sucking cock with a good manicure looks wonderful [on screen]," Mitchell said. Harold Charles had the unenviable task of following that observation with a pitch for insurance coverage.
Performer Keisha was then brought on as a shining example to women everywhere. Now, 33, Keisha related how she got into the business at age 19. "I followed my gut feeling getting into this business," she said. Keisha told how people warned her of the dire consequences of getting into the adult business, that she'd wind up in snuff films. "I've never been hired to do a snuff film," she laughed. [One might imagine judging by her presence at the meeting.]
Keisha discussed not only her love for men but how she's managed a successful marriage and life outside the business. She says she's performing again, until such time that she's ready to go to UCLA full time to pursue her studies in psychology. "Go to therapy," she advised. "You don't have to be screwed up to go to therapy. I just love discovering about myself."
Drake's seminar will, likewise, be a good discovery for future talent looking to get into the biz. Barring unforeseen interruptions from hefty blonds, that is.
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Four Board Members Resign Free Speech Posts
Free Speech Board members Steve Hirsch, Christian Mann, Michael Warner and Steve Orenstein have submitted letters of resignation to the Free Speech Coalition. Mann concedes that it was not a coincidence. "Clearly the four of us are on a friendly basis," said Mann. "We have had a chance to discuss among ourselves our mutual concerns that none of us seem to have the time to devote for this thing deserves. It's easy to criticize other members about how they're proceeding with board business. Sadly, the same people who might make those criticisms, don't have the time. A guy like Steve Hirsch has so much on his plate. Michael Warner is first and foremost a printer; Steve Orenstein - we're all bogged down. It's one thing to go to one meeting a month. It's another ball of wax to devote some hours outside of the board meeting to effectuate a good change."
Mann : "There's a variety of factors that have lead to my decision. There's the realization that my business commitment and my family commitments preclude my ability to devote the time and effort required outside of board meetings. I feel I've let the board and the Coalition, in general, down by not being able to follow through on many of the projects that I thought to do for the board. After three years I've lost my intensity, and my feeling of direction and purpose on the board. It's important that that statement be linked to the statement that I hope they're finding an executive director, some board members and a lobbyist that will re-energize the whole organization and put them on track for what their members are expecting them to do.
"I still believe in the organization. I just think the organization needs some fresh blood. I've been at it for three years. Very importantly, I believe that they really need to go about the business of getting their executive director in place so they can focus on the big picture.
"As we're jumping into 2000 and the election year, legislation, elections of representatives, the growth of the Internet are huge issues that should make the Free Speech Coalition a vibrant, viable and important voice for the industry. If they can veer back to that mission, I think the Coalition will only grow and have a more important role in the industry."
Hirsch in his letter to the board cites the growth of his business and the time required to attend to it. Warner voiced similar concerns in his letter to the board. Ditto Orenstein.
Pleasure and the Pirates
Pleasure Productions says it's most popular tape these days is Live Bait featuring WCW's Chastity in a blowjob scene. But that's not necessarily a good thing. Simple because many of the Live Bait tapes being sold are pirated and marketed over the Internet. Pleasure's Jules Jordan says ebay, where most of the tapes are being sold, has been cooperating with the company as much as it can to solve the problem.
Jordan: "The ebay website is a one of a kind thing, and we're facing an interesting piracy war because of it. It's overwhelming. We have a file two inches thick of people who are pirating the tapes. Most of the people don't even know they're doing anything wrong. But we're having a lawyer email everyone who's selling it and buying it. Our Internet guy [Dave Reed] is on this every day. Ebay shut down a couple of people trying to sell these tapes, but, after that, it got ridiculous for them. Ebay tried to email everyone attempting to buy the tape. They helped us out a couple of times, but by the time they can do something, the transaction's already been made."
Jordan says Live Bait has been selling between $10 and $300 illegally. "This has to be the most pirated tape of 1999," he says. "Some people have actually had whole websites with stills from the video. We've shut them down, but this is really crazy." Jordan says Live Bait 2 is coming out next week. "You never know who you might find on it."
Lake-Luke Bestiality Brouhaha No Laughing Matter
Mike Albo writes: "Gene: I was directed recently to another website in regards to some photos allegedly of Christi Lake and what looks to be a Dalmatian. In not one of these photos is there any indication that the woman is Christi Lake…unless one would consider any thin blond as being "Christi Lake." The moron who is posting this stuff is certainly intelligent enough to know that this isn't her, so I'm guessing that, like so may of this guy's posts, his "reporting" is done maliciously.
"I don't know about you or your audience, but I find this individual's very existence in this world to be offensive to my sensibilities. The question has always been one of how to get rid of him short of doing physical violence to him.
"Has anybody ever heard of the Child Protection Act? For non-industry types, this law requires that any depiction of sexual activity be documented with a model release and some form of photo ID. This applies to everybody. In other words, Mr. Ford (the jerk in question) needs to have this material on hand or he's in seriously deep trouble.
"Christi, and anybody else who feels like they've been libeled by this little punk, should immediately alert the authorities to do a check and make sure that Luke's got his papers in order…like the rest of us in this business, he's not exempt from keeping proper documentation.
"So, come on, kids, you have the tools to shut him down now. Why not go for it? I'd do it myself, but I'm too busy documenting all the photos for the issue of Hustler Erotic Video Guide that is about to go press. However, judging from some of the posts on your site, some of your readers have lots of free time. Maybe they could make themselves useful.
Christi Lake had this to say about pictures being posted on the Luke Ford site featuring a slender blond and a dog in compromising positions. Lake is being identified as the blond.
Lake: "I think he [Ford] got these pictures from some other website. I don't know where exactly he got them. Someone had left an address, and it's a pay site. I'm not going to pay to get into to see junk like that. I was alerted by fans when I was checking my email late Monday night. I had a couple of fans say, what's this. We don't believe it's you, but you might want to know it's there with your name on it. I looked it and went, 'Oh my God, I can't believe this guy [Ford]. I emailed him essentially to remove it from his site and any evidence of it. Otherwise I will take action with my attorneys. It's not right. It's not me. I wouldn't think of something like that. The irony of the whole thing is that I've been totally allergic to cats, dogs and birds for most of my life. It couldn't be possible."
In her email to Ford, Lake makes mention of a truce they had which she believes Ford violated. "He was kind enough to remove my real last name and full name off his website. I thought he was going to leave me alone which is what I thought," Lake said. "Then I get this. I'm in a state of shock. Hopefully, he'll be removing this from his site. I don't understand why he does these things - what his thrill is about hurting people."
ECVS Exhibitors
Here are the companies that will be exhibiting at the East Coast Show in Atlantic City October 5 to 7: 9X7 Video Productions, A.C.I.; A.D.I. Distributors, Arizitical Entertainment, AVE Entertainment, AVN Publications, Big & Beautiful Video, Bon-Vue Enterprises, CandidCam Division of Entertainment Net.
Casa Rosso Productions, Cesar Video Productions, Circlet Press, Colt Studio, Connection Distributing, Curtis Circulation Company, CyberDream Inc., Deyco, Digital Playground, Inc., E&A Video & Magazine, Inc., E.D. Publications, Eurotica Comics/NBM Publishing, Evil Angel Video/E.A. Productions, Free Speech Coalition, General Video Mid-Atlantic, Gotham Video Labs, Inc., Interactive Distribution, International Video Distributors, Kings Distributors, Komar Company, LGI Distributors, Looney Productions, Inc., Lucky Distributors, Inc., M.A.X. Distributors, Inc. Metro Inc., Mystic Productions, Nova Products, Novelties by Nasswalk/Bizarre Video.
NYC Liquidators, Peekskill Equiries LLC, Pornication, Prime Market Distribution, Rockshots, Southeastern Sales, The French Connection, U.S. Video Inc., VCR News & Reviews, VGR Systems Corp., Video Amor, Videotel Inc., Williams Trading Co., Worldwide Media Group, XTC Leather of New York, Xtra Humor/Kalan.
Included under the General Video umbrella are the following adult companies: VCA, Wicked Pictures, Adam & Eve, All Good Video, Larry Flynt Publications, Nasty Pixxx, United Video, Big Top, Vivid, Avalon Dist., New Sensations, Lolita Entertainment, Jake Steed Productions, Fallen Angel, Bed Time Productions, Video Team, Caballero, Seymore Butts, Digital Playground [a second booth] and I Candy.
The following performers will also be signing at the GVA booth: Serenity, Stacy Valentine, Shayla LaVeaux, Nina Hartley, Cheyenne Silver, Dee, Bunny Love, Coral Sands, Spontaneeus Xstasy, Jessie James, Sana Fey, Raylene, Kendra Jade, Johnni Black, Jewel De'Nyle, Rebecca Lord, Jake Steed, Minx, Alexandra Silk, Luc Wylder, Dakota, Cinnebunz, Vanessa Del Rio, Mikala Matthews and Madelyn Night.
Schwartz: "I Apologize"
Humorous comments made by Metro producer/director Michael Adam detailing a confab with Scotty Schwartz regarding which of Schwartz's girls were going on the XXX-treme Vacation trip to Mexico, prompted Schwartz to write.
Schwartz: "Gene, First of all I would like to apologize to Michael Addams from Metro. I was a bit short (no pun or joke intended) with him the other day. I was just trying to do my job as a good manager and get my talent the best work available. As we all know the trip to Mexico will be exciting and fun for all who go. They have several terrific directors in Michael Addams and James Avalon going, and everyone at Metro has been great in setting the whole trip up along with Scott Stein.
"I hope Mr. Adams enjoyed his Turkey sandwich at lunch time. Secondly, I have to write about last Friday nite. There was a great birthday party for Sidnee Steele, courtesy of her hubby Michael Raven. There was 3 times the food that was necessary, and they had 3 adorable women serving drinks...TOPLESS! It was a very pleasant sight! Those who attended: Brad Armstrong, Stephanie Swift, Evan Stone along with girlfriend, Jessica Jewel, Nic Cramer, Eric Price, Deven (the prod mgr/director) with Vivian Valentine, Mark Davis once again with the incredible Annabelle (she really is one adorable, sweetheart), Shay Sweet and about 15 others. The party lasted till well after 1 am. The only glitch of the nite was the police showing up at about 10 asking if we were shooting. After walking around a bit they saw nothing was going on they left. In fact 1 of them is a big fan and asked if he could come watch some shooting....Don't ya just love the LAPD. That's all for now.. Scotty Schwartz."
Michael Raven Comments on Sunset Thomas
It's clear from his remarks today that producer/director Michael Raven has a slightly different take on the Sunset Thomas relationship with Sin City. Thomas yesterday told of money owed her from the White Rabbit shoot, of unsigned model releases and calls to Raven that went unanswered.
Michael Raven: "It shocks and surprises that she says she tried to get a hold of me. You know the old adage, you mix a lie with the truth, and the lie becomes far stronger? There's some truth to what she's saying. Zack had asked to borrow money from me. It had nothing to do with money that was owed to them or they felt was owed to them. I didn't hear from Zack or Sunset for over 90 days. Zack finally called me because I called the club that they're part owners in, in Corpus Christi and left messages there. Zack never returned my calls for probably a three-week period. He calls me back one night at my house, 'Hey, buddy, I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you in so long, let me tell you what's been going on.'
"That's when he let me have it about what happened to the house and all this. Which I was sad to hear. There was a never-ending series of things that were happening. Nothing was going right in their lives at the time. For over a period of 90 days I didn't hear from them. If Sunset thinks or she says she called me throughout that period, I'm not going to call her a liar, but I think she's mistaken and doesn't remember it.
Raven said he made all three payments that were due Sunset Thomas for White Rabbit. "I have a cash receipt that Sunset signed in December for $2600 in cash," said Raven, "and I have two canceled checks drawn on Wells Fargo bank for January and February in the amount of $2,333 [both times]. I remember that specifically because the check I gave them in January, initially got returned by the bank by accident, and then they paid ten days later. Like I said, there's a lot of truth mixed in there. Earlier in the year, when we had talks with David [Sturman] before I shot White Rabbit, I told David Sunset has a contract with me, personally. It's not to my advantage. If you want to take this deal over and finish out the three remaining pictures on this contract, I encourage you to do that. The deal never materialized. I turned it over to Mark [Snyder]. Mark tried to negotiate the deal with Zack, and Zack dragged his feet for several months. I bear some of the responsibility because I should have followed up. But I was under the assumption Zack and Mark were working it out. To this day, Mark says they had worked it out. I understand they had an agreement that, after the East Coast Show, they [Zack & Sunset] were going to come here and finalized the deal."
Regarding Sunset Thomas' assertion that she didn't sign a model release for White Rabbit, Raven says, "I can't speak on that. I wouldn't have first-hand knowledge. I know I have a model release with her name on it. Specifically if it was for White Rabbit, I wouldn't know. I don't do the compliance documentation on these films."
"This is getting childish," Raven added. "If Zack really feels that he's owed money, why hasn't he contacted me? I've had no messages. I've been in the same offices at the Sin City building for the last four months. I've never had one message from Zack or Sunset. And if I wanted to call Zack right now I couldn't because I don't have his number. I have no way of getting in touch with them."
Raven recalls the circumstances in which Zack Thomas had approached Raven about lending him some money. "They were living either in an apartment or a motel," Raven said. "They didn't have a place. The insurance company was really dragging their feet about paying a claim. They didn't have any money. Zack said, "Is it possible you can spare a couple of grand? If I recall, the conversation correctly, I told him I probably could but I'll have to get back to you. But I didn't have the extra money to spare at the time."
"I have no problem with Zack or Sunset," Raven went on to say. "If they feel I'm difficult to get a hold of, all they had to do was call the office. It's not that hard to get a hold of me. People do things for their own reasons, and I'm sure he has a good reason for saying the things he's saying. I'm not all that worried about it.
Raven said he just finished two films, Primal Urge and Voodoo Lounge which should be out in about 30 days. "I'm in editing right now on them," he said. Another feature, Pretty Girls is due out about now. Raven says it's a video but challenges anyone to tell the difference. Raven said contract girl Amanda Rain's debut is in Voodoo Lounge. "She's a great actress and a phenomenal performer," he says.
Randy Spears' Stock Soars
Moonlight Entertainment's Mark Stone says Randy Spears redeemed himself in his book. Spears, according to Stone, went a long way yesterday towards settling a long-standing financial debt between the two men.
Stone: "I came back to the office yesterday, and the door to Gary's [Stone's brother] office is closed. Which is not unusual. I go into my office. Gary walks in and says Randy Spears is here. I said you're kidding. I go in there and sure enough there's Spears. To make a long story short, he gave me a substantial amount of money. He apologized. I accepted it. He gave me money. I accepted that. I must say that he conducted himself in a forthright and upright manner - as a contrite man and took the responsibility for everything that has happened in the past. He's trying to stay on the road to recovery. As far as my end with Randy Spears, all hostilities have ceased. I now look at Spears as somebody who's trying to do the right thing. He looked good. His face looked nice and clear. It's rare nowadays to see people who do something wrong, to be contrite, offer apologies or take responsibility. It was refreshing that Spears did do that."
