ALTADENA, Calif. -Max Hardcore, aka Paul Little, got together with some friends for a farewell bash last Saturday, just days before he's slated to surrender to authorities and begin a 46-month prison sentence on obscenity convictions.
Little will turn himself in at Parker Center in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 29. His sentence is to be served at Lompoc Correctional Facility, often dubbed "Club Fed."
His attitude was not goodbye but rather I'll be seeing you-soon. And there were no tears or self-pity on view on any level of the rambling hillside house he was allowed to hang onto by the Tampa jury that convicted him.
Responding to a cell phone call about how late the party would go, he joked, "Until the cops come for the third time."
But this wasn't one of the legendary all-day, all-night blowouts that used to give his well-heeled neighbors fits. It was low-key, intimate, relaxed, as Little reminisced about his early days in porn and how he built Max Hardcore into a worldwide brand.
Among the guests, who included his fiercely loyal staff and crew, there was shared indignation at the sentence (currently under appeal), the verdict, and the U.S. Justice Dept. for bringing the prosecution in the first place.
Little spent much of the time engrossed in his electric guitar as he played along, with almost Zen-like concentration, to tapes of his all-time favorite rock band, The Scorpions.
Long-limbed Layla Rivera, his companion, treated guests to a series of provocative costume changes. "Where do your legs begin?" asked one onlooker in wonderment as she hitched her bikini panties into her crotch.
German actor Chris Charming showed up with a beautiful blonde, Anita Blue. A two-man video crew from a Las Vegas alternative newspaper shot footage for a website profile. Fresh from Sundance came a young indie film producer, with entourage, to chat about a possible documentary.
Ron Jeremy, an old friend, appeared around midnight with a young woman who—he said—he'd found hitchhiking on the 110 Freeway.
Little's frame of mind was remarkably positive for someone who's about to lose his freedom. "I haven't given up. I'm sticking to my ideals. I'll see this out to the end." He was adamant about standing up for what he believes in. "If you're not willing to put your ass on the line, get to the back of the line."
Anyone who thinks he's been broken by what the government has put him through should think again.
While Little is away the business of Max World Entertainment will continue without a hitch under the guidance of Paully, his longtime video editor and DVD author.
He said he has drawers full of unedited tapes, enough that he'll be able to put out new product for a good long time. The market in Europe remains strong, as does the new website, maxhardcoretv.com. A new Hardcore series, Fuck Puppets, will debut soon.
"They're putting Paul Little in jail—not Max Hardcore," Paully said. "And it's a fucking travesty."
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