Dennis Silverstein Passes Away
Dennis Silverstein, a partner in Silverstone Entertainment along with Tom Stone, passed away early Wednesday morning from colon cancer. Silverstein had been a still photographer for Playboy magazine for 20 years before getting into the adult business. Silverstein was 48 years old.
Long time friend Marc Bruder had this to say: "This was a close friend. I have a lot of producers that I rep but this was a friend. He was probably one of the most gentle, understanding, supportive guys out there. He always looked at the bigger picture. He had a big heart, he was a nice, kind guy. He had no hidden agenda. He never tried to screw anybody. He took care of his people real well. People who worked for him, loved him. You called him and a second later you got whatever you needed - with a smile. After Dennis left Playboy and went out on his own we started representing him. All of his Pick-Up Lines and Peeping Toms we represented all over the world. His productions were high quality. They were good. Everyone he did went to Playboy to give you a indication of their high quality. It was sad to lose him. Now he's going back east with his mom. What a sad, sad thing."
Partner Tom Stone: "He had been suffering for a long time. It was a long, painful, slow process. He really dwindled away. It was so said. His mom told me that when she went to see him he had stopped breathing and had a smile on his face. He had been in Norris Cancer Center for quite awhile. This final chemo is the one that threw him into a tailspin. It was too much for him. He was a great guy. I'm going to miss him something terrible. We were partners and good friends. He hadn't really been involved for the past year, but he was still there for me. He had been on a morphine drift the past several months. He was completely out of it.
"We met on a Sean Michaels shoot. I was shooting camera and he was shooting stills. We started talking. His professional background and mine kind of clicked. We became friends. He was into Corvettes, and I was, too. We started Pick-Up lines about 4 1/2 years ago. Everybody that knew him and liked him always talked about his smile. He had a nice smile for everybody. It was poignant that he had a smile on his face after he passed away. He was out of pain. It was getting horrible at the end watching him suffer. He was tied to the bed. He was trying to pull the tubes and the IV."
Marc Star on the set of Buck Adams' Babewatch 9 & 10 yesterday afternoon mentioned that he and his brother Darren Star were at the Playboy mansion a few weeks ago. Actually, it was Darren Star who was invited and Marc tagged along. It wasn't long before they parked their cars that the brothers were surrounded by security asking what their business was. Marc identified who he was and was asked to leave. "They weren't nice about it either," Marc said. "I wasn't on the guest list; my brother was, but I think they took one look at my car and figured who's this guy. I've had my car fixed and repainted since then."
Unlike the "homeless" picture painted of him recently on Luke Ford's site, Buck Adams looked like the mayor of Palm Springs - tanned with teeth whiter than Chuck Martino's. Of course Martino's teeth will look whiter in comparison after he gets back from Cancun. Word has it Chuck went there for a sort of spiritual cleansing.
The Earl Slate Catalina boat fiasco still fresh in his psyche, Jim Powers has yet another boat horror tale to tell. This occured Wednesday night as part of the Babewatch shoot. Details in a later posting. Powers says this is the 15th such boat incident he's encountered. Maybe Poseidon is trying to tell Powers something.
The whispered talk at the Babewatch shoot yesterday was something that occured between Buck Adams and Anastasia Blue Wednesday night. It certainly had Anatasia's mouthpiece Scotty Schwartz in a deep huddle with Adams. Adams was vague about the drama but said he was willing to "take the heat" for whatever happened. "At this point in my life they can say what they want about me," Adams said.
Speaking of porn shoots, Janine on the set last week of Where The Boys Aren't 13 last week had some very eyebrow raising things to discuss with Alisha Klass for their Pink Television interview. Some of those details are relayed in the separate interview I did with her. Hope to have that posted by the 'morrow.
More On the Scott Wussow Lawsuit against New Frontier Media
New Frontier Media CEO Mark Kreloff chose to comment on the Luke Ford site about the Scott Wussow lawsuit, even though the news was reported here based on the The Boulder News report. So be it. Kreloff writes that the Wussow lawsuit is "without merit". Here are the complete details of the suit.
Wussow, in April, 1996 was hired by New Frontier Media as its Chief Financial Officer. In July, 1997, Kreloff allegedly promised Wussow that he would receive the same stock package provided to another defendant in the Wussow lawsuit, Andrew Brandt, an officer and shareholder in New Frontier Media.
During the summer and fall of 1997, New Frontier Media was preparing to become a publicly traded company through an IPO [initial public offering]. On November 18, 1997, Wussow tendered his written resignation from New Frontier to accept a position with another company. According to Wussow, beginning on November 18, 1997 and continuing through November 23, 1997, Kreloff was supposed to have placed a number of telephone calls to Wussow for the purpose of convincing Wussow to withdraw his resignation and to return to work at New Frontier Media.
According to Wussow, on the evening of November 23, Kreloff called Wussow at his home. The two of them along with Wussow's wife negotiated a number of specific compensation, stock and employment terms. In this negotiation, Kreloff allegedly made a number of specific promises to Wussow if he would agree to return to New Frontier Media. Kreloff, according to Wussow, promised the following:
1. an immediate raise to $75,000 annually, and to $100,000 annually after the closing date for the IPO.
2. approximately 300,000 shares of registered New Frontier stock.
3. an $80,000 bonus, $40,000 payable immediately and $40,000 payable after the IPO.
4. A car allowance of $500 monthly
5. a number of other non-pecuniary issues regarding the terms and conditions of Wussow's employment.
At the conclusions of their negotiations, Kreloff was supposed to have asked Wussow to meet him the next morning at the Foundry Coffee House to finalize the terms of his employment.
According to Wussow's lawsuit, Wussow and Kreloff met the next morning. During their meeting, Kreloff, says Wussow, expressly promised Wussow that he would immediately give Wussow 20,000 shares of his own personal stock certificates if he would return to work at New Frontier Media. At the meeting, Kreloff was supposed to have promised Wussow a raise to $75,000 immediately. According to the lawsuit, Kreloff also agreed to the $500 monthly car allowance; promised Wussow 300,000 cashless warrants of New Frontier Stock, with an exercise price of one-half the market price. The warrants were to be issued in increments of 100,000 annually, for a period of three years, based upon Wussow's anniversary date.
According to the lawsuit, Kreloff also promised to pay Wussow an $80,000 bonus. Kreloff also promised to pay Wussow $5,000 of the bonus immediately. The remaining $75,000 was to be paid to Wussow upon the completion of the initial IPO.
Wussow says, based on his reliance of Kreloff's promises, he rejected his offer of employment with another company and accepted Kreloff's offer. Wussow returned to New Frontier Media.
Wussow is now saying that New Frontier Media and Kreloff did not honor the agreement. According to Wussow, Kreloff only provided 10,000 shares of personal stock. Wussow says he did not receive a raise until several months later; that he didn't receive the car allowance and wasn't awarded any portion of the 300,000 cashless stock warrants promised him. Wussow says he received only $5,000 of his promised bonus and has not received the remaining $75,000.
According to the Wussow suit, New Frontier Media did award Wussow, and other employees, 25,000 stock warrants in July, 1998.
Wussow resigned from New Frontier Media in October, 1998. Wussow alledges that New Frontier Media has not compensated him with unpaid wages, bonuses, car allowance, stock certificates and stock warrants as required under Colorado law.
Gene sez: New Frontier Media had a similar back wages and compensation suit filed against them by former employee Steve Marshank which they eventually settled out of court.
Mike Albo writes: "Gene: So nice to read on your site about Jef Hickey and his new hair color. Maybe that little punk could forgo the beauty treatment for a while and instead be a man and pay his debts. He's owed me money for over a year (swearing at the time of the loan, "I'll pay you back tomorrow, Mike. We're friends." That was over a year ago.).
"He also owes a ton of dough to HEVG columnist Sid Deuce. Hickey's rationale now seems to be that I don't get paid unless I give him work in the magazine. Unfortunately, his skills as a writer are lacking and the articles I've ran with his byline in the past were completely rewritten by me. It doesn't make much sense for me to do all this work and then pay some lyin' fuck who just can't seem to realize that when you borrow money, you're supposed to pay it back. In a business full of cheats and con artists, Jef Hickey stands out. Not because he's particularly slick or a scam master, but because he's such a whiny little bitch who has a million an one excuses why he shouldn't have to pay back what others have lent him. The last time I broached the subject with him, he started CRYING!! I've seen 10-year-old girls with more honor than this poser.
"And while I'm on the subject of whiny little posers and losers, I've got to give props to Mike South, who whenever I feud with that other internet doofus, always seems to butt in with his two cents. Hey, Mike, why don't you get a life and stay the fuck outta my business? Of course, I realize that if you did that, you wouldn't have the thrilling-to you anyway-experience of seeing your name on the net. Maybe if you spent less time involving yourself in other people's business, you could actually make a movie that's worth watching."
The brewing Internet war between Xplor Media and Legend is perking in the coffee pot..
Jeff Steward from Legend writes: "To Farrell Timlake, It seems as though Nelson has really struck a nerve with you. Maybe you should take your bitterness and focus it on making better product. You accuse us of stealing your directors, but, in fact, they came to us. Max called here looking for a deal, knowing we had the resources to pay him. Maybe, if you spent less time getting high and more time being professional, you would not have suffered such blows. Al Borda was a friend who wanted to join a winning team. He had only been with us for two weeks when someone mailed the box cover of Whoreo to Nabisco, resulting in a 100,000 law suit. Sounds like the work of a bitter person, doesn't it? As for our prices, the reality is you don't know what we sell our tape for. You don't buy from us, so how could you? However, we do buy from you and I'm sure other distributors would be quite interested in what we pay for your product. Each time we pass on one of your "masterpieces" the price gets lower and lower in hopes that we'll buy it. In closing, stop worrying about what everybody else is doing and concentrate on your own business. Then, maybe, one day you will have the same success that we at Legend have.
Jeff Steward, JM Productions/ Legend Video
P.S. Tell Mofitt to quit calling Paul Geyser Morgan for a date.
Jeff comments in a follow-up conversation: "This guy Nelson that works here is a fan. I met him several years ago. I was reading the AVN Readerspeak, and Nelson wrote a letter. He worked at a video store that I happened to rent videos at. I went down there and I'm like, who's Nelson? We talked about his letter. I told him about myself, and he was like a total fan of adult videos. The video store closed down about six months ago and he was looking for a job. Since he's going to college to be a writer I figured, hey, we'll give you a try at p.r. So when he read Farrell's nonsense he came to me saying I watched this movie, and I'm really irritated. I'd like to respond. I said go ahead and do it. It wasn't a dig at Farrell. It was as a fan writing in. Nelson is brand new to the business. He doesn't know the politics. He doesn't even know the people, really. That's how he felt."
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AIM To Expand in New York City, San Francisco and Las Vegas
Sharon Mitchell offers some AIM updates on the first anniversary of AIM. "We've been open a year, and they said we couldn't do it!" Mitchell waxed ecstatically. [Mitchell said AIM, in celebration, is going to have a big party at the Dragonfly Tuesday, August 3.
Mitchell: "Marilyn Chambers and myself are working on a program for PCR-DNA testing and sex education in San Francisco. It should be open in the next couple of months, sort of an AIM 2. Marilyn has gone ahead and got the Mitchell Brothers involved. We're going to begin testing with her appearance up there next week. That's good news. We're hoping in the next two months for New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas, three new sites for AIM Healthcare. There will be PCR-DNA testing, STD testing and sex information and counseling - the same thing we do here.
"Positive Health Project in New York is going to be a test site for AIM Healthcare. They're allowing AIM to go in conjunction with them to do testing for the adult entertainment industry in New York City.
"We had over 400 clients last month. We're getting a lot of the general public as well. We seem to be making a difference.
"We also have a program, a videotape called "Everything You Need To Know Before You Start." It's by Nina Hartley and myself. It's a tape for newcomers. Pacific Media duplicates those for me every so often for free as a donation, and I'd like to publically thank them for their support.
"Steve Drake is also working on a large workshop for newcomers. With the example set by AIM Healthcare, I believe a difference can be made when people set forth to give something back to the industry. I believe it's catching on fire. It just goes to show we can put together some really good programs in this industry that people can take advantage of. I think it's impressive that Steve decided to build a program. And it's really good, too.
"It looks like we're going to do it [the workshop] at Hollywood Community Hospital, and it would be once or twice a month for newcomers. The tape would be included in that.
"A new girl or boy is informed about everything they need to know - that they have choices, there's condoms, microbicides, there's all kinds of things that they can use, and how to conduct themselves, everything from showing up on time to when to douche or not to douche...you don't have to do it as often as you think.
Mitchell, by the way, said she did not fall off the wagon at the AVN Summer Expo as reported by other sources. "It was said I was falling down drunk at my booth," she laughed.
As trite cliches go, it's one of them, but bright eyed and bushy-tailed really does describe James Fortune of Firestorm Productions. Fortune, an alumni of the Houston 500 gangbang where he was one of the bangers, joined forces along with DK, who heads up Royal King Entertainment Enterprises, to start producing adult movies. Their first collaborative effort is called The Sweetest Pieces. Fortune says he's attended film classes at Berkeley and has done low budget independent films.
Fortune: "I've been very fascinated with the adult film culture. I came in here about nine months ago. Ashlyn Gere was actually the one who got me interested in the industry about five years ago. She referred me to Jim South. I came out here finally and started exploring the whole industry, meeting with everyone.I started going to the various conventions, networking. I saw a lot of things in the industry that kind of suprised me in relation to the lack of full STD testing. Of course, with performers there's been a lot more sensitivity toward condom usage, but what I want to do is create a company that's philosophically different. I want to fund and help support full STD testing for those actors who can't afford it. In my productions I'll encourage the use of actors who would support this.
"Unless you talk to a Vivid or a VCA that doesn't seem to be encouraged or thought of by the smaller shops. From what I've heard from other actors, a disclosure like herpes isn't necessarily given to other performers when they do a scene together. By the use of full STD testing you can at least have more knowledge and education.
"From a financing perspective, I'm going to ask my actors who participate in my productions to subscribe, either with their money or my money, to full testing. At least I know the actors who are on the set with me, their risk has been reduced at exposing each other. I think it's time for social readjustment.
"If you look at protection of actors in regular film, there seems to be a lot more. I want to treat our actors as professionals and treat them with dignity. I think this is basic healthcare. One thing I'd like to do, and I know it's hard to turn a profit, especially with start-up but I'd like to dedicate a percentage of our profits to AIM. I've spent a lot of time working with Sharon Mitchell and Stephanie.
"I've been a performer and very limited in this business. I've done amateur labels mostly. But I prefer to be more into direction and production. I enjoy acting. I enjoy mainstream acting."
G. Ross: "You have done mainstream?"
Fortune: "I've done MTV videos and things of that nature."
G. Ross: "Namedrop some of the things.."
[Fortune declined with the tape recorder running.]
Fortune: "Alternative music, 10,000 Maniacs to give you an example...the things I'd like to do especially with those girls who have some business sense to them, I'd like to give them opportunities to co-produce and co-direct. I look at longevity in this business. Unless you're a top name, you'll burn out within a year or two years. This might be one way for them to continue their careers.
DK adds: "I've also brought in some investors who want to invest in adult entertainment for the Internet...with Royal King Entertainment being a new talent agency and a management company, there's things I provide as an agency that all the other adult talent agencies don't provide. I provide transportation for my talent that don't have it to and from their shoots. I sit down with my talent and ask why do you want to get in this business, what encouraged you, what influenced you, what are your goals and aspirations. I try to weed out those poeple that are not really cut out for it. They're in it for a whim or curiosity. I feel that the only people that should be in porno should be those people who are truly cut out for it. My philosophy is, the talent that comes into this business that are brand new and know nothing about how the game is played, know none of the producers, the directors, the slimeballs, the sharks in the business that will try to destroy them in some way..I provide direction for them."
G. Ross: "Bearing in mind, you've been lumped among those slimeballs.."
DK: "I don't know why. If I brought every individual in here that I've represented, I've never done anything to harm anyone in anyway. I've never taken anything from anyone. It's all gossip. It's all out of jealousy and spite. If they hauled me in a court of law and tried to prove these things, they couldn't. It never happened. I could bring in all my girls that I've represented and they would speak nothing but highly of me."
Fortune: "Before I even know him [DK], I heard about this man who was driving this girl around, spending all his personal time. At the time I didn't know it was him. But he's done that with me, too. I think there's something to be said for that. I think what's difficult, with the more established people in the industry, when somebody new comes in as an outsider, it's very much a clique. Jim South hates me."
[Fortune didn't want to comment on those circumstances for the record, but it supposedly involved performers Katie Gold and Chenin Blanc.]
Fortune, however, does relate this story.
Fortune: "I wanted to see what it was like to try out to be in porn. They told me to go into a room. They gave me a Playboy magazine They asked me to jack off. Mia Smiles came in while I was trying to jack off to Playboy. I couldn't. I need Club or some magazine like that. She was going, 'new talent..tee hee hee.' I said this would be a lot easier if you blew me. She went back really offended, and Jim south came in ... 'now, ah don't want ya'll treatin' mah girls like that.' They remembered my name after that. I pissed them off.
"When I realized acting wasn't where it's at, I started up my company. I went to South, and they said they didn't want to do business with me. That's the story. Now I'm sure you'll hear rumors about me not being able to keep my wood, but I don't give a damn. To be honest, my vision is more softcore eroticism for the Playboy Channel and cable. I'm trying to keep and even keel and be as professional as possible."
[Fortune claims he's also been a management consultant and a summa cum laude from a midwestern university, graduating as class valedictorian. "I'm already comfortable, financially. I have a business and career outside this, so I'm not dependent on this [adult] for my success in life," he says. "We'll see what happens."
Was a time when you could set Rob Black off like a firecracker with the slightest hint of scandal or the tiniest bit of alleged dirty laudry hanging on his line. Black takes the latest rumors about Kim Alexus all in stride. Alexus was supposed to have been the victim of sq ualid living conditions and forced anal scenes at the hands of Black and his minions. Black: "There is no story. I don't give a fuck. Tiffany Mynx went to pick her up at the airport. We didn't know she was coming in. It was the last minute. She was going to stay at the house that night and we were going to get her a hotel room. Nobody did nuthin'.. whatever. The scenario was that she was supposed to do anal because Charley Frey said he had this girl who took it up the ass, d.p's and all that. When she showed up we found out she never did any of that stuff before. No hard feelings. The subject was so along ago. People just talk about this stuff thinking I'll talk about them and give them good play."
G. Ross: "There's a story that you put her in a room with a mattress and a kitty litter box."
Black: "Yeah..okay...and me and Tom Byron suck each other off because we love she-males."
G. Ross: "Trouble is, you don't treat these potential scandals with the proper gravity that they deserve."
Black: "That's cause I don't give a fuck. I'm a wrestling promoter, baby. I don't have time to play with these people anymore. Pornography enables us to live and do other things. I like to do other things. I don't like to sit around and talk about whores all fucking day and who's pissed off at me. They're all pissed off at me. They all sleep in cat litter-filled rooms. God bless 'em all."
[Tom Byron was equally glib about the whole she-male photo episode and declined to comment on it.]
Last evening, a wrestling fan got the thrill of his life when he stopped at Extreme Associates to buy a ticket for the XPW July 31 show at the Reseda Country Club and got personally waited on by Jasmin St. Claire.
"Gerry" writes: "Hi Gene, Would you post this inquiry on your website?" In Germany, Tianna did a scene with Christoph (presumably Christoph Clark) in a Dolly Buster video a few years ago. Several months ago, I saw an ad in AVN featuring a company that was making the Dolly Buster series available in the United States. However, I couldn't order the video from that company for two reasons: 1.) The company was a wholesaler, not a retailer and 2.) I don't know the volume number or sub-title of the video featuring Tianna. If anyone can help me locate this video, I'd surely appreciate it. Please e-mail Gene with the requested information. I read his website everyday (Monday through Friday). \n Thanks."
