Sin City publicist Lysa Stone has quit. I hear that she is furious with Tony Martino, the new head of production at Sin City. Lysa loved her job, so she must've felt upset.
A smart player of industry politics, Lysa writes: "Thanks, but that's not why I'm leaving! I'm leaving to pursue the money! I had a great time at Sin City and I did indeed love my job. I wish everybody at Sin City the best and I'm leaving on good terms. David Sturman is a great person and the only thing I regret is not being able to continue to work with him."
On 10/13 I reported on a confrontation that Martino supposedly had with Stone at the East Coast Video Show. After talking to Chuck Update 10/16/98, I retracted the story. Then I heard later from a source that my original story was dead on. Several Chuck Martino detractors are sources of mine, so that slants my coverage of him.
When I emailed Lysa over the ECVS confrontation, and phoned her, she backed up Chuck's version. Despite Sin City's disorganization, she's been a vocal supporter of the company and of her boss David Sturman, who operates GVA West out of San Francisco.
A source: "Luke, I spoke to David Sturman today and he could not stop laughing at your column today. He loves your "reporting," albeit, skewed. There is a real story in there somewhere, featuring greed, pathos...
"He also is a huge believer in the saying "Any publicity is better than no publicity at all". Keep Sin City there in your updates. Thanks."
Rob Spallone flew to San Francisco to meet today with Sturman.
I understand the turmoil at Sin City extends way beyond Lysa and this troubled company should remain in the news.
"You mention turmoil," writes Dave, "ask them what they did to the video Club Sunset and find out who screwed up the box credits and description of the movies. Somebody is on acid there."
I talked to Martino by phone Thursday afternoon and he presented a picture of a smoothly running company, as did his receptionist and fiance Shay Sweet, a rare porn girl not embarrassed about revealing her real name (Kristy Castle).
Kristy and Chuck will wed in January. She's done about two dozen videos with Martino and about the same number with her friend Katie Gold.
From the Excalibur Porn Star Mall: "Shay's sweet indeed, an absolutely delightful young strumpet whose innocent facade masks a sexual desire that's second to none. With a tight, tiny-breasted figure, Shay exudes a youthful sexuality in every movement. Her cute-as-a-button face is home to a pair of the most dazzling blue eyes in the biz, and her slightly bobbed nose and pixieish grin really give her the look of a fresh-faced and innocent young schoolgirl.
"Shay first hit porno screens in early 1997, and before the year was out she had performed in over 55 hardcore features. Her combination of youthful cuteness and voracious sexuality were impossible for producers and fans to resist. From her early pro-am appearances in flicks like "More Dirty Debutantes #67" and "Video Virgins #35," it was clear that Shay had what it takes to make it big in this business. She's perfect for roles as inexperience coeds being guided through their sexual initiations, and has landed plenty of roles that capitalize on her innocent good looks. In features like "Cherry Poppers: The College Years #02," "Freshman Fantasies #01," and "Kissing Coeds," Shay's youthful exuberance all but steals the show."
Martino: "Let me look at our [Sin City] release schedule. For the first time, we have everything from October and November and December out to the distributors. Everything is shot, edited... Flyers and screeners are going out to distributors 10 weeks ahead of schedule.
"David has put together a good team in this office and it's running smoothly. When everybody read your site this morning, they were disappointed. 'Whoever is writing this, I wish they could come in and see how people are working. Everyone is happy and efficient.'
"We release four features a month, a specialty tape [bondage, she-male or gay] and eight compilation tapes. Next month we release our last Johnny Toxic tape.
"Michael Raven aka Johnny Rocket directs and edits our gonzo line Extreme Hardcore. All threeways in our latest video, anal, using the best guys like T.T. Boy and Marc Davis. A $20,000 gonzo. I produce. I get the girls, locations, director.. We try to only use A girls...
"Shay Sweet and I made The Sweet Life which sold about 3500 pieces. On all of our titles now we're sending out screeners and trailers [promotional tapes] with a flyer [to distributors] and we did 500 [tapes] more out the door than usual...
"We bought another warehouse to put our tapes in... We have a lady in the office who says to me on a daily basis, 'it's nice working here. Everything's smooth...' It hurt her feelings when she read it [this site]... 'God, we work so hard Chuck. You should call him... It's a pleasure to work here now. He [Luke F-rd] should at least get the right information.
"You may be talking to people who used to work here, or want to work here... They're not going to give you the best info. I work in LA and Lysa works in San Francisco. I don't even know Lysa. I don't know how I could've offended her. I don't know why people are always trying to cause commotion with Sin City...
"Yes, we've had GMs [general managers] who've moved on... Turnover... Now we don't really need a GM [Sin City has not replaced Steve, their last GM who quit about two months ago to go to Wicked]."
***
SAN FRANCISCO (Wired) - In an effort to extinguish a new law restricting Internet content, the nation's leading online civil liberties groups filed suit Thursday against US Attorney General Janet Reno on behalf of 17 individuals and organizations.
The American Civil Liberties Union, together with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), and Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), seek an injunction to prohibit enforcement of the so-called Child Online Protection Act, which President Clinton signed into law on Wednesday as part of the $500 billion Omnibus Appropriations measure.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- A former medical student became the first person in the United States to plead guilty to being involved in an international ring that authorities say traded in thousands of child porn pictures on the Internet.
William J. Rosa, 31, a former medical student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, pleaded guilty Monday to sexual exploitation of minors. He is expected to be sentenced Feb. 17 in federal court in Greensboro.
***
Agent Reb Sawitz has finally recovered from his cold of the past seven weeks. He's thrilled with his new contract girl Annabel Chong who tripled attendance at several strip clubs she performed at last week in Florida.
Talking on the phone Wednesday afternoon, Reb said Annabel sold 40 polaroids of herself (at $40 each) absorbing a cigar a la Monica Lewinsky.
Another star returnee, Danielle Rogers (along with her hubby Randy Spears) works frequently, along with Ilana, and Tasha. "We have a girl coming in from the East Coast named China Doll.
"Business last month was real busy but this month is quiet. Extreme Entertainment bounced an $800 check yesterday on one of my guys. The industry [porn] has gotten good about that [not bouncing checks]. Ben Fisher used to bounce them all the time. He must be in Europe."
Reb strongly denies Rob Spallone's assertion that Michael J. Cox shoots up his dick to get erect before scenes. Michael's probably done about 100 videos for Reb as well as lived with Sawitz for about six years.
Reb talked about rival agent Regan Senter. "His real name Andrew Gwander. He's still cheating people. I've had girls coming in here crying their eyes out because of him. He conned them into doing an audition tape with him. They can't stand him." Regan says that Andrew Gwander is nothing like his real name and denies Reb's charge that Senter spent time in prison. Regan says his real name is Regan Senter.
Regan stars in a new video from Jane Waters [a veteran male pornographer] and Extreme Associates entitled The Pornographer. "Regan Senter is just disgusting," Waters told the 10/98 AVN. "We licensed five of his 'demo' tapes to use in this production."
AVN: "For civilians unfamiliar with Senter's M.O., his practice, when interviewing a new girl, is to f--- her himself and videotape it. In The Pornographer, Senter gives a lengthy explanation of this practice he calls "compliance," and how it's a critical factor in determining whether a girl has "star potential."
Waters interviews five girls shown in Regan's demos, and gets their feelings about Senter. One of them in Nina Whett, a busty blonde from San Francisco. Waters captures their lengthy struggle over her "compliance."
My interview with Nina about this ran on Update 6/30. She argued passionately with Regan over the issue but eventually caved in.
I spent an hour on the phone with Regan Wednesday afternoon. Regan says he gets unfairly maligned for having sex with the talent as a matter of course while many of the big shots in the biz have been doing so for years but keeping it quiet (to protect their marriages, etc).
Regan: "The Extreme video is 100% true except his [Waters] views...haha...
"Keeler [Jane Waters] asked me to demonstrate on camera the sexual positions that I put the girls in... But when he asked me to perform oral sex on a dildo [not Waters], I refused to do it. He can be a kinky guy. [Waters makes bi-sexual and other kinky porn.] Lots of pornographers want to do this weird stuff. I just like basic boy-girl sex. He wanted me to stick a dildo up my butt, which would not have been me demonstrating because I've never had the girls stick anything up their butt."
Luke: "Wait, I saw Kimberly Kumings stick a dildo up her butt in one of your demo tapes. [It was why I hired her for WHAT WOMEN WANT.]"
Regan: "Oh no. No. Not mine. Never."
Luke: "Were you demonstrating these sexual positions on Jane Waters?"
Regan: "Oh no, no. I am not bisexual let alone homosexual. No, no."
Luke: "Did Jane try to make a move on you? [Regan, according to anonymous sources, is an attractive guy.]"
Regan: "Oh no. But his persistence, 'come on Regan, don't be silly. It's [dildo] only a piece of plastic. And it's brand new. What's your problem?'"
In The Pornographer, Regan penetrates blonde Regan Starr [disloyal talent according to Regan], Whett, Jolani, Intrusion and Obsession. Hayley Lynn and Cheri LaVeaux came to the shoot too late.
"That was the first and only time I've had sex with Nena Whett. Our relationship was salvaged thanks to the commercial video [for Extreme]."
Regan: "They constantly poke fun of me for operating out of my apartment. Jim South's office used to be an apartment. Reb does lots of work out of his home. I have a figure head office near where you live at 8383 Wilshire Blvd. But who needs an office for the porno business? All they need is the girls, the [photo or phone number?] book and the phone.
"Business was great last month but slow this month because I have not placed many ads and not taken in much new talent. I'm no longer trying to climb the walls of the golden city. I want to keep my business tight and loyal [about 15 main girls at the moment] and small, so that my demand is greater than my supply. If I have 25 girls sitting around begging for work, I might beg the producers to hire them. I may not even care about my fees. I prefer to keep a few solid girls at a time. I've had a weaker flow of talent but I'm making more money because I'm more industrious.
"Jim South is an open door. Anybody can walk in there, sign up and shoot. Same with Rob. He takes people that Jim had problems with. I used to be like that. Now I'm tighter than South. I sign a girl and prepare a girl more for the industry than the other three [agents] because I give her the treatment. 'Ok honey, this is what you need to do.' My preparation is much better than PAW or AIM. It's Reganomics.
"I don't believe your son should be working in your agency [like Jim South Jr. and Jim South], and saying, 'dad, you have a call.' 'Oh son, is that the guy who's going to get the girl to do double anal?' 'I think it is, dad."
Regan says Joey and Shawna Edwards are still working in porn. Regan says she did a demo with Joey in Regan's bedroom before she went near Jim South.
Reb and Rob Spallone have told me that Regan Senter once invented a bank called "Bank of Americas," where he got naive old ladies to deposit money. Supposedly "Regan Senter" served federal time. Regan denies this.
"There's a lot of gossip that he [Reb] hears from third parties and it sounds cute. This was a conceptual idea of an offshore bank. Hey, if we could find a bank to finance short-term loans and adult video production, we'd be rich today.
"There are lots of girls floating about the business who've had sex or oral sex with Reb. Cherie LaVeaux. I brought her over there. [Reb says he does not have sex with the talent except when he was a performer when he did 75 hardcore videos. Reb says he has never heard of Cherie LaVeaux.] Everybody loves the Beautiful Models [Regan's company] because they feel they can..."
Luke: "...Have sex with them."
Regan: "As Regan did. Look at the bigger boys [in porn]. Look at their records. People who "run" the industry. Look at how they met their wives and have they gone to federal prison. Metro and VCA [owners of both companies, Kenny Guarino and Russ Hampshire spent time in federal prison]. And what is the swing background [of these leading porners]? Is it ok as a director or producer to "swing" with your talent? Or you did that ten years ago and now complain about those who have sex with the girls? I don't care. It says in the Bible, 'whoever is without sin, let him throw the first stone.' If Reb has not had sex with any of his talent, as a non-performer... The problem is these people have family and wives so their excuse is not to say that they do these activities.
"I don't want to be the bad guy who says, 'well he has sex with the talent too.' I've been trained not to do that by the industry. I've been trained to keep this industry secret code of 'we don't do these kind of things.' The public doesn't care.
"You know Reb's famous words: 'How do I know that you're not with the FBI? Give me a blowjob right now.' And Lucky Smith has no impeccable record either.
"XXX [porn star] was warned for two years to not go to Regan, and I am not allowed to say if I have had sex with her. For example, when I had sex with Candy Vegas, she told me, 'I will not have sex with you on camera. I don't mind off camera. Because my agent [Reb] would snitch to Child Protective Services and my children would be taken from me...' She tried to keep the fact that she signed up with me undercover. I had an office at Randy Detroit's house at the time. She came up and we went into the other room and had sex. And she said, 'I'm sorry I behaved so mean to you but you've got to understand the pressure I'm under.'
"I don't want my talent wasting their time with X-rated industry events [like AVN's Hollywood bash] so that producers and fans and talent can have sex with them for free?
"I heard that Debi Diamond got her start in the industry through Milt Ingley. Every time that Debi went to a job [at the start of her career], she had to have sex with Ingley. Debi became a star. For three years she told everyone what a no-good guy Milton Ingley was. While some of the producers showed sympathy, why would they care that Debi Diamond had to have sex with Milton Ingley, when they are hiring her to do a sex role?
"Then they became best of friends and he'd say that he was hiring her for $700 a scene when he was only paying her $200...
"I feel sorry for Jim and Reb when girls come from Regan and said that they had sex with Regan, and complain about it... Because they know that probably means these girls are not going to have sex with them [Reb, Jim]."
Please Email Luke F-rd if you have had sex with Mike South or Jim South, Rob Spallone or Reb Sawitz, Luke F-rd or Russ Hamphire or Bill Clinton or Elvis.
***
In reaction to reports from two main sources, I posted Monday afternoon the following, after first emailing Asia the rumors:
"Asia Carrera has been keeping a low profile of late and reportedly has been ill. Stories are swirling about her health. She won "Surfer's Choice - BEST PERFORMER/PERSONAL HOMEPAGE" at the 1998 AVN/IA2000 Adult Internet Awards Show in Orlando, FL last week. She was not able to be present for the show because, according to the speaker, of "health issues.""
A source had sent me this (I would not have posted this rumor but Asia and company discussed it on her chat at www.asiacarrera.com): ""I attended the IA2000 conference last week in Orlando, FL. Asia Carrera won an award but was not there to pick it up. I didn't take note of what the speaker was saying because I was playing with the blonde at my table. Today in a conversation with a friend, who was at the show, I was told that Asia Carrera tested positive for the HIV virus. I was suprised to hear this and was reminded that the speaker stated that she could not be here to pickup her award due to health issues. My friend further went on to say that this is the second time that she has heard this rumor and that Asia confessed to this on a talk show, not Jerry Springer."
Asia replied to me (and I would not quote the personal email except that she has, in essence, repeated her comments publically):
"don't be stupid. you stated on your website yourself that i just shot a movie less than a month ago. if i caught aids between then and now, and i'm already too sick to go out, how the hell did i run around promoting HIV all over talk shows in that 30 day period? i've never done a talk show in my life, and the only reason i didn't go to the awards show is because i hate flying, and i'd just attended a different awards show on the east coast a few months before. and if you steal my bulletins off my site and stick them on yours again, i'm gonna sue the pants off you. the copyright on my front page is not written in swahili, and you did not have permission to plagiarize my writing."
Asia refers to my lengthy quote of a bulletin from her excellent site.
Dirty Bob wrote to RAME: "Just spoke to Asia - it is all "Luke F-rd Bulls---". She is fine. . ."
Tabercil then posted to RAME these comments from Asia in chat:
oh by the way everyone, i don't have AIDS. just thought i'd mention that, since Luke F-rd sent me an email asking if it was true that i was too weak from AIDS to make the AVN internet awards hsow in orlando
F1 because i can't take a chance of him perpetuating a rumor that vicious any further. that is the single most devastating rumor that can be told about anyone in this business, and true or false, it can be hard to live down if it gets out of hand
luke, being the butthead that he is, posted about it in newsgroups BEFORE he asked me, so now i'm getting all these emails from worried fans.
and yes, i threatened to sue him if i saw any more things plagiarized from my site on his evil homepage
kate i know who he is. he did an interview with me at my house once, and made me cry. bud had to tell him to leave
Luke: Kabala (Jewish mysticism) says that women cry more than men because they understand life more keenly.
Asia detractors view the above as Asia manipulating publicity. Asia fans and Luke detractors (not necessarily the same folks) view it as another example of Luke's reckless "journalism."
About the evening I spent with Asia and Bud, I don't remember exactly what I said that made Asia cry. It was a profound and honest evening where we all shared lots of thoughts and feelings. I thought it had gone well.
Remind me to bring this up with my shrink, I seem to make girls cry too often.
It was a painfully honest evening. Bud was honest enough to talk about their drinking and the time he beat her severely. Bud asked and I agreed to not report on this. Then, months later, I read Bud's public denials on this story in AVN, and decided to run with it. My decision makes me queasy.
Asia fascinates me probably more than anyone else in the business. I really like her. It makes me sad when I think about what she has been through and I deeply want to see her succeed. Many of her peers I have little hope for. They strike me as lost souls.
I think I was talking to Asia about meaning in life, God, and psycho-therapy when Bud said that he had an early call time and that we had to call it an evening.
***
Industry whispers: "Doc Johnson can't fulfill its orders. Means [owner] Ron Braverman is inept ...opens up opportunities for Private and Erostar."
Writing on the rec.arts.movies.erotica newsgroup, Jamie Lisk listed the gay and bi films of Eric Price (who lived with Jill Kelly and before her was married to Paula Price) who worked under the name of Charlie Stone.
Bi Ways(1989) Pleasure Video
Typical bi vid.
Butt Darts(1989) Stallion Video
Eric gets plowed up the butt by Danny Brown
Engine 69(1988) In Hand Video
Vincent DePaul piece of crap. Performs gay sex.
Entertainment Bi Night(1989) Pleasure Video
Has a threeway, performs anal sex on Cory Monroe. Sleazy bi vid.
57 Pick Up(1988) In Hand Video
Performs gay sex
Get Bi Tonight(1989) Pleasure Video
Typical bi vid.
Gushing Gonads(1997) Stallion Video
240 Minutes compilation tape. Does feature Eric having gay sex.
Hard To Be Good(1989) Catalina Video
Performs gay sex
Heat In The Night aka Chaleur Dans La Nuit(1989) Huge Video
Matt Sterling classic. Eric is in the big orgy scene at the end- he has sex with Rex Chandler.
Kenny And Friends(1989) Avalon Video
Male jack off tape.
Last Good Bi(1990) CDI Video
When his girlfriend won’t give him any he gets a blowjob from Brandon Wilde. Great bi vid.
Mix N Match(1989) Las Vegas Video
According to Adam Film World Eric got something like 5,000 large ones to take in the butt. Good bi vid.
Naked Juice(1993) Odyssey Video
Sean Michaels directed this straight male jack off tape. Eric does a solo, of course!
Offering(1989) In Hand Video
Tori Welles’ debut video featured Eric in a scorcher with Tim Lowe. If you're into body paint this is a must.
Super Hunks 2(1989) Vivid Video
Another male jack off tape.
Swing Shift(1989) Pleasure Video
Eric gives a man head. Good bi vid.
Switch Hitters 5: Night Games(1990) Intropics Video
Typical bi video.
Tasting Mr. Goodbar(1989) Stallion Video
Compilation tape.