MIAMI - Producer/director Josh Stone has wrapped Law and Lust, a high-end interracial feature set for release in January through Justin Slayer International.
Law and Lust is a big deal for Stone and his distributor/mentor Slayer. The movie boasts slick production values not unlike an 21st century episode of "Miami Vice," with helicopters, boats and fast cars interspersed with the scorching hardcore sex.
"The basic premise of the film is a murder has taken place in Miami of a well known drug dealer," Stone told AVN. "Internal Affairs suspects there is a dirty cop involved in the murder and is determined to get to the bottom of it. In a world where good cops sometimes go bad, who do you trust?"
The 37-year-old Stone is one of the hottest up-and-coming XXX directors operating in the porn hot-bed of Miami. Originally from North Carolina, the director characterizes his entry into the biz as a classic "only in America" tale.
"I had always wanted to get into the business, but never knew exactly how," Stone said. "I had been studying camera under a guy here in Miami named Gino who does a lot of producing for a few major adult companies, and from there had started to produce a few scenes on my own. Nothing too serious; I had a bit of experience, but not much."
Then, Stone had a conversation that changed his career. "I had rented my condo out to another adult company here in Miami and the female talent for the day happened to be from L.A.," he recalled. "She started to talk about her experience in the business, and I started to tell her my desire to get into the business. After the shoot, we exchanged numbers and she flew back to L.A. A month later, she called me out of the blue and told me to take this number and call this guy."
The guy was Justin Slayer, who was preparing to make a big move from his longtime position at Evil Angel to start up his own distribution outfit.
"At that time, I wasn't very familiar with Justin's work, so I Googled him and thought maybe it would be a good idea to call him. I called him a couple days later and he was just so real with me. He told me to give him a call if I was ever in L.A. A month later, I was in L.A. and decided to call him. He invited me to come on set."
When Stone showed up on set, Slayer, Nat Turnher, and Greedy were in action filming Booty I Like.
"That was the first time I had been on that type of intense set," Stone recalled. "After the shoot, Justin and the guys came over to greet me, all sweaty. I was overwhelmed and intimidated at the same time. We sat and talked and I showed him some of my work. To my surprise, he was impressed. He told me about some of his future plans and said he'd keep me in mind. Justin kept his word. When JSI was created, he said he had a spot for me, and here we are today. That first meeting between the two of us was only a year and a half ago; to date, Justin and I have never heard back from the female who connected us. She has no idea Josh Stone Productions is up and open for business...so if you're out there reading this, get in touch with us."
Thanks to his exclusive distribution pact with Slayer, Stone's reality-style series South Beach Cruisin' is enjoying widespread popularity and sales. He recently introduced a raunchy young-girl line called So Fresh So Teen, and hopes the release of Law and Lust will put him over the top.
"When I was given the opportunity to direct for JSI, I asked myself first, how can I compete with all the other good directors out there?" Stone said. "What can I do that would make a statement that Josh Stone Productions is coming into the business with top-quality content, new ideas and a somewhat different look to the IR market? After a month or so of discussion, [production manager] HJ and I came up with the idea to do a high-quality feature in sunny Miami, and from there, Law and Lust was born."
Stone cast Law and Lust with a mix of new and established female performers. The cast includes Gianna Storm, Taj Mendez, Sasha Spice, Kara Tai, Heather Silk, and Flower Tucci.
"Creatively, we wanted to shoot something that a vast majority of porn fans would enjoy by playing on all the senses; the music, mood, and setting, and the most important part: the girls!" Stone said. "Technically, we approached it by planning out the look and getting the equipment that would mix the gonzo feel with a look synonymous with high-end Hollywood films."
Stone broke the production of Law and Lust into two parts.
"We did the beginning parts in about three or four days," he said. "That was with no sleep, barely eating and a lot of determination. Once we got the meat of the movie shot, we came back two months later and filled in the blanks, which only took a day or so."
Considering the quick-and-dirty production schedule, Stone's work on Law and Lust is all the more impressive. And he's already cooked up ideas for a sequel.
"It's funny when you are shooting these types of productions, because your mind wants to go on and on and you get new ideas every day," the director said. "We've mentally already written Law and Lust 2 without even writing one line."
For more about Josh Stone Productions and Justin Slayer International, visit justinslayerint.com. A photo gallery from Law and Lust is now available on AVN.com.
