"Flashpoint," the big-budget Jenna Jameson firefighting feature from Wicked Pictures, won the Best American Movie award here on May 19, as the French adult magazine Hot Video presented their 1999 Awards Show. The Brad Armstrong-directed video upended Looker, the AVN Award winner for Best Film and such stalwarts as Michael Ninn's Forever Night and Kris Kramski's Models, though Ninn did take the Best American Director award.
Perennial winner Video Marc Dorcel took the award for Best European Movie for "l'enjeu du desir," as the awards returned to the Royal Hotel and Casino outside Cannes for the first time in three years. Last year's event was held in a chateau and the 1997 show was in Paris.
Jill Kelly accepted the award for Best American Actress for her role in Wicked's Exile [distributed by Video Marc Dorcel in France] from presenter Kobe Tai. "Thank you to my best friend Jenna Jameson for not running this year," an excited Kelly said from the stage. Later, she talked about finally winning a big award. "I worked my ass off and it's nice to be appreciated. All the girls nominated worked their asses off."
The AVN Award for Best European Release in the United States, went to Private's three-part "Tatiana," directed by Pierre Woodman. The epic feature was a big winner at last year's Hot D'or, as well as winning several AVN Awards earlier this year. The award was presented by Stacy Valentine and AVN publisher Paul Fishbein.
The packed Royal Hotel showroom housed over 800 guests, who feasted on a lavish French buffet and an unlimited supply of wine. Tickets listed a starting time of 7:30, and after a long wait outside the hotel, people filed in around 8:00 PM.
A huge press throng practically attacked the girls, including a large contingent of European starlets and a smattering of American stars. In addition to Jameson, Kelly, Valentine and Tai, such stars as Christy Lake, Vicca, Nikita, Alisha Klass, Missy, Serenity, Stephanie Swift and Jewel D'Nyle attended. Jewel, in fact, upset AVN Award winner Alisha Klass for the Best New American starlet award. It felt much like "Shakespeare in Love" defeating "Saving Private Ryan" at this year's Oscars.
"I'm thrilled and excited and I want to thank everyone," an excited Jewel gushed. Klass, Vicca and Nikita helped give out awards, as did Mark Davis. Others in attendance included Vince Voyeur, Herschel Savage, Chuck Martino, Max Hard-core, Melody Love, Mickey G, Matt Zane and several company heads. However, the American attendance was down again this year.
No-shows who were scheduled to attend included Chloe, Shane, Sky and Taylor Hays, who all canceled for various reasons [some last-minute].
Much like the AVN Awards, few of the attendees at the hot door pay much attention to the proceedings on stage. The show did not get underway until 11:25 and lasted slightly over two hours. The opening dance number "Showgirl" was nicely mounted, but lacked ambiance due to the overwhelming amount of television lighting. The event plays on French television two days later.
DNA Larry performed levitation on fountains during the show, but the best-received entertainment was a montage of funny outakes from the Video Marc Dorcel library. An excellent show-ending dance finale was sadly interrupted as the room cleared out after the final award.
A moving tribute to director Joe D'Amato, who passed away this year at 63, highlighted several special awards. Jenna Jameson, looking fresh and in wonderful shape took one Hot D'Or honor. "I'd like to thank Wicked Pictures, because without them, I wouldn't be here," Jameson said, as she went on to thank publicist Joy King, artist Brad Willis and Video Marc Dorcel. This honor is akin to a lifetime achievement award.
Other special honors went to beautiful blonde French actress Laure Sainclair, 1970's French director Burd Tranbaree and Rocco Siffredi, who did something heartfelt and charming, but spoke in French, so the Americans in attendance had no idea what it was. His wife, Rosa, did join him on stage for a kiss.
Christophe Clark accepted the award for Best French Pro-Am Series for "Hongrie Interdite," and in his best James Cameron said, "I love you all and I know you love me. Merci John Stagliano." Best American Pro-Am series went to John Leslie's "The Voyeur," which is not a Pro-Am series at all.
For the second year running, Mark Davis won the award for Best American Actor (for "La vengeance de Jenna," Video Marc Dorcel) and for the second year running, Davis is still British. When David Perry won the Best Euopean Actor Award for Video Marc Dorcel's "L'enjeu du desir," it prompted Christophe Clark to return to the stage and call up Rocco Siffredi for some kind of reunion/hugfest.
In the contest for Best New European Director, Fred Coppula won over Stanley Lubrick for Blue One's "Niqueurs Nes." They are both lucky that Martin Whorecese wasn't in the running. Coppula also kept the family name alive by winning the award for Best Remake or Adaptation [and they make fun of AVN's Best Sex Comedy Award] and for Best French Movie- Middle Budget [they really do make fun of AVN's Best Sex Comedy Award].
Gary Sage won the award for Best New American Director for "Carnal Obsessions," an Anais release in France. Sage's acceptance speech was in fluent French, though he did say, in English, that all his scripts for VCA, Vivid and Wicked were written on Final Draft, the world's number one screenwriting software. Also of note, Anita Rinaldi enthusiastically accepted the award for Best All-Sex Film for "Planet Sexxx 2."
"I want to thank everyone at Hot Video," Rinaldi said. "This is quite an honor."
Other awards went to Kate More and her 30" heels for Best European New Starlet, VMD's "L'enjeu du desir" for Best Box Cover, Alain Payet ["Le Labyrinthe," VMD] for Best Screenplay, Dolly Golden [the Nina Hartley of France] for Best Supporting Actress and Marc Barrow for Best Supporting Actor for Colmax's "Croupe du monde," Van Scott for Best European Actor- Newcomer, Nikki Anderson for Best European Actress for "L'enjeu du desir" and "Rocco Never Dies" for Platinum Movie 1998, an award whose meaning alludes this author, even after Hot Video explained it 15 times.
By Paul Fishbein (with additional reporting by Richard Face and Bobby Wax Hoff)
