LAS VEGAS—It had already been a good night for Peter Pan XXX: An Axel Braun Parody at the AVN Awards. Braun had won Best Director — Parody, Steven St. Croix won for Best Supporting Actor and the production was named Best Parody. Then the envelope was opened for Movie of the Year—the top-of-the-line award for the best among the winners of the genre categories—and Peter Pan won. (photo galleries)
"This is so unexpected, and so great," Braun said Saturday night from the AVN Awards stage.
"Everybody was so fucking great in this movie that I'm humbled to be able to work with these people," he added, before getting actor Ryan Ryder, who had played Peter Pan, to sing a snatch of the re-worked song "We Will Fuck" (Music by Sammy Fain, lyrics by Axel Braun) from the movie.
In his AVN review, Senior Editor Peter Warren gave the production an AAAAA rating, saying "Axel Braun's moviemaking powers seem to be most potent when he's visiting the fairy tale realm—whether it's the true kid in his heart showing or just an unparalleled flair for the material ... Peter Pan XXX is another dazzling example of that type of movie magic ... In short, Peter Pan XXX is a somewhat unexpected lightning strike of pure porno gold; as Braun himself has said of the production, every element sort of just comes together sublimely, and the result is utterly enchanting. This, like the tale that inspired it, is a future classic in its own right—one whose universal appeal will not fade as time marches on."
"This is the sixth consecutive time that I won Best Parody, and the second consecutive that I won Movie of the Year, so thank you AVN," Braun told AVN a few days after the ceremony. "It is a pretty awesome feeling! My team and I always work really hard, but Peter Pan XXX was an especially beloved and complex project that barely made it in time for the nominations deadline, so these accolades are particularly sweet. Being recognized by your peers is always a thrill and an honor, but being able to make movies that I can be proud of, and having the privilege of being part of Wicked Pictures along with exceptional directors like Brad, Stormy, and Jonathan, is still the greatest achievement."
"It was my first time working with Axel, so I had no idea how the movie would play on screen," Best Supporting Actor winner Steven St. Croix told AVN. "I just trusted he'd do the right thing and gave it my all. Axel actually petitioned God for 48-hour days so that he could finish this on budget."
Regarding his performance as Captain Hook, St. Croix said, "Axel wanted me to do Hook as I saw fit; not parody [Dustin] Hoffman [who played the part in Steven Spielberg's 1991 film Hook], so I chose to play him as a bully 'playing' with his make-believe friends until he gets tired of playing. It was another choice, as opposed to playing him as a villain. That would have been boring. So I channeled a drunk Eddie Izzard for it."
St. Croix also had praise for his fellow performers: "I will add that Keira Nicole was amazingly calm and professional, along with being in good spirits for the long hours and a pleasure to act alongside. I was nudging Axel for a 'bonus' scene with Wendy! Ryan was fantastic and anyone who risks looking like the love child of Carrot Top and Conan O'Brien for a whole week deserves an award. Ryan fucking dyed his eyebrows red! C'mon! I grow a mustache and get an award."
Ryan Ryder, who was nominated for Best Actor for his portrayal of Peter Pan, was also proud of the movie.
"When I got the call from my agent at ATMLA saying that Axel wanted me to play Peter Pan for him as the title role for his new Wicked Fairy Tales feature movie I was over the moon," Ryder told AVN. "I had always been a fan of his movies, and being a singer and actor all my working life before moving into adult I am particularly fond of performing in feature movies. The whole experience was great. All the cast, crew and Axel himself worked incredibly hard and maintained a positive happy working atmosphere for the entire week. For me it was one of the highlights of my year."
