CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Chi Chi LaRue, Sister Roma and Jason Sechrest will vie for the first-ever Personality of the Year award during the 12th annual GAYVN Awards celebration. During the gala evening, the three seasoned entertainers will stamp the proceedings with their own personal touches, doubtless giving new dimension to the term “spectacle.”

GAYVN Hall of Fame director, DJ and drag diva LaRue possesses one of the most recognizable names and faces in the adult entertainment industry. She began her career in the late 1980s working in the publicity department at Catalina Video, a label she later acquired under the auspices of Channel 1 Releasing, which she co-founded in 1998. LaRue directed her first gay adult film for Catalina in 1988, and since then has directed more than 100 others for her own companies and straight adult studio Vivid Entertainment. In 2008, she opened an eponymous boutique on Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood, Calif.

In addition to producing and directing award-winning porn, LaRue is known as an outspoken advocate for safer sex in the gay and heterosexual realms. Her larger-than-life DJ persona frequently rocks the house at events worldwide.

“I think fans should vote for me [for Personality of the Year] because I’m everywhere!” she exclaimed. “I am the party. And I want everyone everywhere to have fun. I’ve spent my entire career helping people get off and get down in the bedroom and on the dance floor.”

Sister Roma! There’s No Place Like Rome—who explains her name as a “The Wizard of Oz meets the Pope kind of thing”—has been one of the most outspoken and visible members of San Francisco’s benevolent Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence since 1987. She is an activist-fundraiser and champion of free speech, speaking publicly at demonstrations, colleges and universities, on television and radio and in print about topics including human sexuality, homophobia and the adult entertainment industry. Together with her Sisters, Roma has been on the front lines in the war against HIV and AIDS, raising awareness and funds for various HIV service and educational organizations.

Like LaRue, Roma is everywhere. Whether hosting red-carpet events at awards shows or frazzling straight-man Tim Valenti on their web-based talk show, The Tim and Roma Show, “the world’s most photographed nun” is a one-queen tour de farce. She also serves as the art director for Hot House Entertainment.

“I’m thrilled to be nominated for personality of the year...and just between you and me, I feel like I’ll probably win,” she said. “Everybody knows that I have a fantastic personality. Hell, I have five or six fantastic personalities. It’s true—I’ve been diagnosed.

“I’d like to remind everyone that I will exchange sexual favors for votes,” she added. “Which means if you vote for me I’ll do you a favor and not have sex with you. Otherwise, watch out!”

Sechrest has been called both the Oprah and the Perez Hilton of porn, depending on his mood. Published in entertainment tabloids since the age of 15, he began penning profiles and personality pieces about the men and women of gay and straight porn in 2001 when he launched one of the first adult entertainment blogs, JasonCurious.com. Unabashedly sexual, tremendously difficult to embarrass and annoyingly energetic, Sechrest has snagged half a dozen awards for his site, and Arena magazine labeled him one of the “Top 50 Most Powerful People in Porn” alongside industry luminaries like LaRue, Hugh Hefner and Larry Flynt. He parlayed that success into gigs as a web-based talk show host, nightclub emcee, director, talent agent and publicist.

 “A clown…a clown that is a nun…and me,” he said of the Personality of the Year nominees, tongue firmly in cheek. “I don’t think this should really be a very difficult choice. Clowns are scary. Clowns are evil. I don’t know if you ever saw the movie Stephen King’s IT, but I’m gonna be honest: It made me pee my pants a little when I was a child. Chi Chi LaRue and Sister Roma still make me pee my pants today. And then they lick it up. Sick, twisted, child-eating, pee-loving clowns.

“And me? I’m just a guy who started a little site called JasonCurious.com to try to show who porn stars really are behind the scenes, de-objectifying them by portraying them as human beings instead of objects so…. Your call. Vote it up.”

The Personality of the Year trophy will be awarded to the nominee who, in the eyes of fans, embodies the sexiest, zaniest, most over-the-top non-sexual performer in the gay adult industry. All three nominees will appear on stage during the GAYVN Awards gala, scheduled to take place Sept. 24 in San Francisco’s historic Castro Theatre in conjunction with the annual Folsom Street Fair.

Other events scheduled for the weekend include a bar crawl through the SoMa district, the massive Magnitude party, NakedSword’s “Lockdown” after-party and the fair itself. For a complete schedule of events, visit GAYVNAwards.com.

Industry admission is $100 (email Beth Noonan for details). General admission is $145; VIP admission—which includes priority seating and entrance to the exclusive after-party—is $175. Both general and VIP tickets are available at GAYVNAwards.com.

Posted Aug 31st, 2010 02:08 PM

WASSERBILLIG, Luxembourg—The gay and lesbian market represents a key group of customers for pjur’s core products. Right from the very beginning, the GLBTI community has chosen pjur Original as their preferred silicone lubricant and for 15 years has remained loyal to it. pjur values this relationship with the community and it has been taken into consideration when developing new products.

More than two years ago the pjur Man Series was successfully introduced to the international gay market in addition to the top-seller Original, and together with pjur Backdoor glide and spray plus pjur Power, the line has found true fans.

With such a long history it was an easy decision to support the Gay Games in Cologne. In addition to supplying the 12,000 lanyards each athlete and volunteer received at registration, more than 20,000 product samples were distributed to the local shops along with banners, posters and pjur products.

Gay star Alex Baresi from Titan Media teamed up with pjur staff to distribute pjur Original sachet cards and condoms as give-aways to passersby in Cologne. Baresi also took center stage at the wrestling competition, where he awarded the prizes to some excited recipients.

Ingo Toenges, marketing director for the VIII Gay Games Cologne 2010, said, "We are very thankful for pjur’s support of the eighth Gay Games Cologne 2010. Without the commitment and support provided by companies like pjur, we wouldn’t have been able to finance the Gay Games in Cologne. We hope that pjur will continue to show its commitment to events in the gay-lesbian community in the future and thus serve as a positive role model for other companies."

David Newnham, COO of the pjur group, added, “pjur was delighted to contribute to the experience of 10,000 participants from over 70 countries around the world. We have a long history of supporting the gay community and are very proud to be a part of this great success.”

The Gay Games—the largest sporting and cultural event of its kind worldwide—took place between July 31 and Aug. 7 in Cologne. According to the motto “Be part of it!” everybody could participate—regardless of sexual orientation, gender, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, political convictions, athletic prowess, physical capabilities, age or health status.

For more information, visit pjur.com.

Posted Aug 31st, 2010 02:00 PM

CHARLOTTE, NC.—AEBN, a leader in adult video-on-demand distribution, has obtained exclusive VOD rights to the High Definition version of Inside Little Oral Annie, a 1984 production that will be the first classic adult film to be released in HD.

The painstaking conversion of the film to HD from the original 35 mm negatives was done by Video-X-Pix, owner of an extensive collection of older "sexploitation" films. It will be available exclusively on www.aebn.net beginning in mid-September.

"The conversion to HD of this beautifully preserved master is a really remarkable achievement and AEBN is honored to have the exclusive VOD rights to one of the great adult movies from the golden age of erotic entertainment," said Jerry Anders, vice president for sales and marketing at AEBN. "The star of the movie, who was known as Little Oral Annie, was a world-class talent in lingual stimulation, as her name implies, and this movie demonstrates skills that are unsurpassed even to this day."

According to Steven Morowitz of Video-X-Pix, "The performance of LOA made Linda Lovelace look like a schoolgirl, so this remastering was a work of love. In converting the original master we even had to upgrade some of our equipment to be able to handle the large HD files, which are so big that without the proper connection, the system just chokes up. The HD re-mastering takes up 800 gigabytes of space on our hard drives. It now has a clear picture, crisp edges and true color.

“It was shot by sexploitation veteran Joseph Sarno, who made dozens of ’80s films and video features,” Morowitz continued, “so having good film stock and a talented person behind the camera certainly helps to make a successful picture. Inside Little Oral Annie is a great example of smut in the ’80s and it happens to be our all-time best-selling DVD in the adult market."

Side-by-side comparisons are available at http://distribpixblog.wordpress.com/2010/08/19/35-mm-classic-hd-the-blow-job-queen/.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.—Cole County Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem has ruled in favor of a sweeping law that would impose unprecedented restrictions on adult businesses in the state. In denying a temporary restraining order request Friday afternoon by a consortium of adult businesses, Beetem cleared the way for the law to go into effect Saturday.

Among other restrictions, the law prohibits full nudity and the serving of alcohol, forces semi-nude dancers to remain on a stage and at least six feet from patrons—rendering lap dances impossible—prohibits closed-door booths for the viewing of movies, requires that patrons remain within the clear view of employees, and mandates that adult businesses close by midnight.

According to the Associated Press, Judge Beetem said the coalition had failed to show their lawsuit is likely to ultimately succeed or that they will suffer irreparable harm by allowing the law to take effect. The operative word there would seem to be “irreparable.” Thursday, during a hearing before Beetem, lawyers for the businesses insisted that the harm could very well be irreparable, and would certainly seem that way for the employees who will now certainly lose their jobs because of the severe restrictions that are about to be imposed.

But while Beetem acknowledged in his ruling that "the law will undoubtedly change the business practices" of strip clubs, adult video and book stores and other businesses of a sexual nature, and that "they will likely suffer some economic loss,” he added that “economic loss alone does not alter the analysis of the legal issues.”

While that may be true, the economic repercussions will be immediate, according to Gene and Nellie Gruender, who own Passions adult bookstores in Colombia, Marshall Junction and Booneville. The moment the law goes into effect, they will have to lay off two employees who currently work the night shift. The reason is simple. They normally stay open 24 hours a day on Fridays and Saturdays, and will now be required to close at midnight.

Other businesses expect to be similarly impacted, or even more severely.

Rob Call, who owns Rumors Cabaret in Columbia, told the Associated Press that he may have to close on Saturdays altogether. Considering he used to remain open until 4 am, and features between six and 15 dancers a night, the new regulations make business as usual all but impossible.

"By the letter of the law, a great deal of things about the way we operate will have to change," said Call. "We can't have nude dancers anymore, we can't do lap dances anymore, we can't be open after midnight anymore—that alone is going to take a large chunk of our business away."

Despite the cutbacks and forced closures, the plaintiffs are determined to fight on.

"We're not going down without a fight," Nellie Gruender, a former board member of the Free Speech Coalition, told the Daily RFT. "We are going to aggressively fight this. We are going to file a federal appeal.”

AVN has a call into one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs, and will follow this case as it develops.The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Sept. 3, during which a trial date will be set.

BERLIN—HustlaBall Berlin, scheduled to take place Oct. 21-25, has lined up a slate of top-shelf adult and musical talent to delight attendees during the weekend-long event.

“And most certainly they won’t be just standing around like statues, but deliver extreme action as it won’t be possible in any other city in the world — not just on stage,” said Stephan Müller-Bardone, chief executive officer of organizer SMB-Berlin Events GmbH.

Among the international erotic guests scheduled to appear are gay adult stars Ricky “The Hammer” Sinz, Men Magazine Man of the Year 2010 Samuel Colt, Grabby Award winner Kyle King and Adam Killian, all of whom are Americans; Lucas Entertainment founder and CEO Michael Lucas, a Russian-born naturalized citizen of both the U.S. and Israel; Jordan Fox of France and Germany’s Kriss Stahl. In addition, ethnic studio Flava Works' Breion Diamon, DeAngelo Jackson and Baby Star will attend, as will the men of BerlinStarFilm and “Stallion of the Year 2008” Tony Rosselo. The boys of YoungBastard, Spritzz and EroCreations plan to be on hand, along with Cristian Torrent, Jason Torres, Che, Paul Stagg and the go-go group Luchini Base from Zurich. Rentboy.com models plant to put on a special show.

A number of sought-after European DJ’s also have been contracted to perform during the weekend.

“For our parties the best are just what we need,” Müller-Bardone said. “This goes especially for our jubilee, so  once more we booked the best European DJs. Never before so many top DJs were in Berlin for a Cicuit Party weekend.”

Among those scheduled to appear: Steven Redant from Barcelona, resident DJ at La Demence in Brussels; Fabio White from London, resident at Rapido in Amsterdam; Phil Romano from Rome, often at CIRCUIT in Barcelona; Mike Kelly, resident at Greenkomm in Cologne and a regular at the Mardi Gras in Sydney; Chris Bekker from Berlin, resident at GMF; Ricky Sinz from Chicago, who also is taking part as an erotic star; Flash from Berlin, regular at the Piep-Shows at Kit Kat Club; Christal Coke from Ibiza; Hatem, who has filled the dancefloors of Bangaluu, Tresor and KEN, and HustlaBall’s own resident DJ Redtomcat.

A weekend pass costs 71 euros for regular admission or 151 euros for VIP admission. The passes include Thursday’s opening reception at Hotel Axel and the after-party “Testosteron”: Friday’s HustlaBall Awards show and the HustlaBall itself; Saturday’s HustlaBall after-hours party and the parties FUCT and Salvation; Sunday’s Extasy and Monday’s GMF.

For more information or to obtain tickets, visit HustlaBall.de.

LAS VEGAS—Up-and-coming adult site network DirtyHardDrive is making moves to become a major player in the porn star site realm. The program has added official sites for Andy San Dimas, Tiffany Tyler and Kayla Carrera.

San Dimas, who’s one of the industry’s most buzzed-about performers, known for both her intense sex scenes and juicy feature roles, is working on AndyXXX.com, which is currently home to her free blog and will be the future home of her paysite.

San Dimas stars in Cal Vista’s Alice, X-Play/Digital Sin’s Not Charlie’s Angels XXX and as Lois Lane in Vivid’s upcoming Superman XXX: A Porn Parody.

“I met Rick [Barcode] and his partner Katie Kox at a BBQ at Casa de Teagan in Vegas, and I knew my member site would be a great fit on their network,” San Dimas said. “I couldn’t be any more pleased with the work done for me already.”

In addition to San Dimas, Barcode and DirtyHardDrive is building out sites for starlets Tiffany Tyler and Kayla Carrera. Their two sites currently host free blogs as well, until the full members area launches.

“I want DirtyHardDrive to add the features and advantages for both fans and on the business and technology side to make us a strong competitor to any of the biggest guys, while maintaining the great personal service I give each and every client,” Barcode said. “I work day and night with my team to make each site the best it can be. The future is bright for us.”

The company also has relaunched “Blasian Porn Princess” Jayla Starr’s site.

The DirtyHardCash.com affiliate program features a slew of promo tools, galleries, banners and more. The company is running a special 70 percent revenue share program through Sept. 4.

For more information, email Josh at RockStarPRM@me.com.

Posted Aug 27th, 2010 11:43 AM

VISTA, Calif.—Paradise Marketing and Astroglide revealed today that there have already been multiple winners in the Astroglide Golden Ticket Giveaway, which debuted July 1. All products ordered before Aug. 30 could contain one of the winning tickets, which provide $100 of credit on an American Express Gift Card.

Each carton of the brand's best-selling varieties—original Astroglide, Astroglide X Premium Silicone, Astroglide Strawberry, Astroglide Glycerin and Paraben-Free, Astroglide Warming and Astroglide Natural—is labeled with a Golden Ticket sticker. If the sticker is a winner, the shopper can redeem it for the $100 card.

"We've already had several winners redeem their prizes," Paradise Marketing CEO Dennis Paradise said. "And we can say the stores that have so far sold winning tickets include some of the top adult novelty chains in the country, and we'll continue shipping winning tickets until inventory is depleted. We'll be hearing from new winners for at least the next few months."

The Astroglide Golden Ticket Giveaway was developed to entice shoppers to try a new Astroglide formula or select Astroglide over other brands.

The Astroglide Golden Ticket Giveaway applies to select product ordered until Aug. 30. For promotion details and a full list of participating stores, visit Astroglide.com/goldenticket/.

For order details email info@paradisemarketing.com.

For product details, visit ParadiseMarketing.com.

Posted Aug 27th, 2010 10:52 AM

PITTSBURGH—A “Mailing Obscene Matters” case that stretches back to 2007 was settled Thursday with a plea deal. Right Ascension Inc., operating as AdultDVDEmpire.com, agreed to the terms in federal court, and was sentenced to a two-year probation term and fined $75,000 after pleading guilty to Count One of the charges.

The charge of mailing four obscene DVDs from its Warrendale warehouse to undercover FBI agents in Erie was a mistake, said AdultDVDEmpire’s attorney, Gary Zimmerman, who told the court his client has strict procedures in place to prevent just such an occurrence.

“This isn't a company that's in the business of trying to push the envelope of the First Amendment. The films distributed in this case slipped through those guidelines,” Zimmerman said. “These films negligently went out.”

He added that the company had cooperated with investigators from the beginning of the case and has since removed the sadomasochism category that the charged films were apparently listed under.

“The way they're running the business, this should never happen again,” Zimmerman said.

The federal prosecutor in the case, Pamela Satterfield—fresh off the government’s stinging loss in the Evil Angel/John Stagliano obscenity case—countered that the videos were not your everyday “run-of-the-mill porn.”

The company faced fines of more than $500,000, but the government accepted the much lesser fine of $75,000 because of the fact that the company had made less than $500 from the sale of the DVDs.

According to court documents, Right Ascension owner John M. D'Arcangelo appeared in court yesterday morning for the hour-and-a-half hearing, to hear the terms of the sentence and agree to them.

ERIE, Pa.—Pro-am studio Maddy G Productions has partnered with online portal GameLink to provide its Inside Marie's Play Place series and other titles for full-length VoD download in high-definition.

"Our fans love shopping at GameLink.com," said Maddy G owner and performer/director Marie Madison. "The site is so easy to use, and they offer our films in all the most popular formats. Quality is always our number one priority, so when we decided to offer HD downloads, going to GameLink was the obvious choice."

Added GameLink director of online sales Jeff Dillon, "We are proud to partner with Maddy G Productions to utilize our state-of-art technology to deliver their HD content to their customers. Our platform is geared toward full movie consumption, and Maddy G Productions are movies that you definitely must see from start to finish."

Maddy G downloads are available as full-length 1080 HD downloads in the Adult VoD section of GameLink.com, priced at $24.95. Over 30 standard def titles are also available there for streaming, download, iTunes ready and pay-per-minute viewing.

Posted Aug 27th, 2010 09:36 AM

BROOMFIELD, Colo.—For college girls and party animals to stay-at-home moms and working women, corsets are the must-have fashion item of the season and Eldorado is pleased to offer the extensive and exciting lines of captivating corsets from Daisy Corsets.

“Corsets have come a long way from their humble beginnings as foundation garments,” said Larry Garland, founder and CEO of Eldorado. “No longer are they meant to be hidden away under clothing or even just confined to the bedroom. Today’s corsets are versatile, beautiful and well-crafted enough to go anywhere and do anything—from entertaining at home to dancing the night away at your favorite nightclub.”

Introduced in October of last year, Daisy Corsets was founded on the principal that all women deserve to look and feel beautiful. That is why these corsets are as affordable as they are well-made—Daisy Corsets strives to provide customers with the highest quality designs at the most reasonable prices.

“We have really tried to set ourselves apart from the competition in several ways,” said Sarah Wright, sales manager of Daisy Corsets. “We have some of the lowest prices in the industry for corsets. But our low prices don’t mean low quality. Our corsets are made from some of the highest quality fabrics and hardware you can find. And we are designing and manufacturing new styles every day.”

Another way Daisy Corsets sets itself apart is with the wide range of sizes their corsets are offered in.

“One of the most important things that we wanted to do with Daisy Corsets was to make sure to offer a wide range of our corsets to plus-size women,” said Wright. “We believe that there should be no restriction on who can wear our designs, and that is why most of our corsets are available in a size small up to a 6X. We wanted to make it not only easy for plus-size women to find something sexy to wear, but fun as well. And what’s more flattering and fun to any body shape or size than a sexy corset?”

Eldorado is committed to providing products that enhance the sensual experiences of adults everywhere. For more information about Eldorado call (800) 525-0848, email  sales@eldorado.net, or visit Eldorado.net.

It’s only by sticking to their guns and going against the grain that Keith Caggiano and Justin Ross brought their company, The Screaming O, into being.

“What most people don’t know is The Screaming O wasn’t the first and only brand name that Justin had in mind,” Caggiano told AVN. “Believe it or not, he was on the fence between that and Butterfly Kisses, and there were people telling him that Butterfly Kisses might be the better way to go. Thankfully, Justin and I soon realized that The Screaming O was a no-brainer choice, and we secured all of the domain names and trademarks we needed to found our empire.”

That empire started in 2005, when Ross called Caggiano with what seemed to many to be a crackpot idea. The pair had been friends for about 10 years when Ross suggested they go into business together, creating and selling vibrating love rings.

“From the time I hung up the phone and drove down to see him, I could picture the look, feel, color scheme—even the logo and T-shirt design—and within the first day of sitting down to discuss the project, we had the imagery, promotion, branding, attitude and positioning all mapped out. We still use these same tactics today,” said Caggiano, who was working in marketing for a mainstream company at the time. “We later met with Justin’s graphics and web development team and immediately put a game plan together for the upcoming Erotica L.A. show, which was where The Screaming O made its debut.”

Getting to the debut wasn’t always a smooth ride, however. In the beginning, the company developed rings similar to what was on the market, but only got a ho-hum response from the public. So Caggiano and Ross decided to ramp things up a bit and redevelop the entire concept of a vibrating ring.

“We redesigned the ring with a stronger motor—jumping it from 8,000 RPMs to 11,000 RPMs—and increased the motor’s battery life from 20 to 45 minutes. But before we relaunched and debuted this new design, we realized there was something more we needed to do,” Caggiano said.

That “something more” turned out to be focusing on both people in the intimate relationship.

“After some brainstorming we designed the pleasure knob, which we placed evenly around the ring to transfer the motor’s powerful vibration to him so he could enjoy the vibes just as much as his partner,” he said.

Once that prototype was created, The Screaming O partners got the response they were looking for: “Give me more!”

From there, the pair came up with products that fell right in with the new Screaming O brand: The Big O, the Vibrating Ring Condom Pack, and the Screaming O Plus cock ring. In every case, products were designed with the idea of filling a void in the market.

“We wanted to create other sexy toys that shoppers might want to try and market them in a fun and light-hearted fashion to make it clear these items are for everyone,” Caggiano said.

The formula worked, as the company and the products started to receive national and international attention. But rather than rest solely on the success of those early products, Ross and Caggiano continue to come up with new ideas, releasing new Screaming O products on a regular basis each year.

“The idea is that customers can find something new from The Screaming O to try every time they walk into a store,” Caggiano said. “We add variety often enough so that whether the customer is new or returning, he or she will see something completely different on the shelf, but packaged in the same trusted and recognizable packaging of their other Screaming O brand sex toys. And if they come to the store and see the entire product line displayed in one place, they can plan ahead and choose which item they’ll try next time.”

Additionally, the company still strives to fill voids in the pleasure products industry, crafting items that recognize no single product will work for every single person every single time.

Recognizing that need for variety, and releasing items on such a regular basis, has led to The Screaming O cultivating a dedicated fan base.

“We’ve come to a point where shoppers hear about and wait on pins and needles for the newest Screaming O sex toy to come out, and we’ve especially taken things to a new level with our new Carnal Carnival collection, which debuted in July to much acclaim,” Caggiano said. “This series of thrill-seeking vibrating cockrings were designed for those looking to add some new spice to their sex lives, possibly those who fall into the higher level of sexual interest and curiosity. The results of our research and development made it clear that the Carnal Carnival collection lets couples turn their bodies into amusement parks, and that’s just the latest way The Screaming O has reinvented the way couples have sex.”

The Carnal Carnival theme follows another of The Screaming O’s long-standing traditions: unique, fun, and original marketing campaigns. Caggiano said the game plan from the beginning was to make the merchandising and promotion of products work hand-in-hand to solidify the brand at all levels.

“We also giving retailers essential tools to entice new and repeat sales,” he said. “Our product line is available with multiple planogram options, giving buyers and store managers choices of how to display our collections. Each kit comes with separate point-of-purchase tools that also catch shoppers’ eyes even at the point when they make their final purchasing decisions—counter-top displays, coin mats, Frequent Screamer punch cards, hanging signage and posters and more.

“Though our products and their signature red packaging and recognizable O-theme speak volumes, The Screaming O’s display options and merchandising tools are what turn up the sound.”

Tying it all together, however, are the product names. Monikers such as Rock On, Woo-Hoo and OWow lend themselves well to large-scale events and parties, Caggiano said. And there are the Scream Team girls have also been a marketing success for the company.

And the fun is nowhere near ending, Caggiano said. Future plans for the company include more new products, as well as items the industry and consumers might not expect from The Screaming O.

“What we’ve released up to now is nothing compared to what we’re planning later this year and into 2011,” Caggiano said. “Being innovative and maintaining that fresh perspective isn’t something you try for—you’ve either got it or you don’t, and clearly we’ve got it down to a T. Or should I say ‘O?’”

For more information, visit TheScreamingO.com.

This article originally ran in the August 2010 issue of AVN.

Posted Aug 27th, 2010 09:00 AM

SAN FRANCISCO—Bay Area adult retailer Good Vibrations has announced its Fifth Annual Independent Erotic Film Festival, which will feature five nights of screenings and parties culminating in the premiere of the 2010 International Independent Erotic Film Competition at the Castro Theatre on Sept. 23.

Indie film and drag queen star Peaches Christ and Good Vibes staff sexologist Dr. Carol Queen host the film competition. The night kicks off with a pre-party in the mezzanine where filmgoers can warm up with a celebration featuring live mariachis, margaritas, burlesque and giveaways.

On the main stage filmmakers from around the world compete for the audience choice award and $1,500.

“There are a million different film festivals out there, but IXFF gives filmmakers a chance to challenge mainstream media’s definition of ‘sexy,’ and gives filmgoers an opportunity to watch sexy, funny, arty shorts in the company of riotous drag queens at one of the most beautiful theaters in America. What could be more fun than that?” festival producer Camilla Lombard said.

The festivities kick off Sept. 18, with a party at the El Rio that features a clip show of adult fare from Good Vibes sister company, Good Releasing. These edgy indie films and performers were recently honored at the Feminist Porn Awards in Toronto. Following the clip show, San Francisco’s own queer burlesque troupe the Diamond Daggers will delight and entertain.

"People who send us films have a chance to really mate their own creative impulses with their erotic fascinations and social messages," Dr. Queen said. "The results are always interesting and frequently very sexy and moving indeed. These short films represent sexual cinema with the artistry and diversity put back in that so frequently is absent from both porn and mainstream movies."

Sponsors for IXFF include Liberator, LELO, Stockroom, Outlaw Leather, We-Vibe, Fun Factory, Kink.com, Sliquid, Alite, Center for Sex and Culture, Carnal Nation, San Francisco Bay Guardian, East Bay Express, Swirl Radio, Red Vic Theatre, Twin Peaks Tavern, Hot Cookie, Speakeasy Beer, Escape from NY Pizza, Eros, Leather Etc., Joe’s Barbershop, Arco del Cabo Tequila, Pancho Villa Taqueria and Sports Basement.

To view the full slate of events at the five-day IXFF, click here.

HOLLYWOOD—In the end, sex always prevails, even if it’s extraterrestrial. James Cameron’s Avatar is a perfect case in point.

When Avatar was released in late 2009, to great acclaim and even greater box office success, the 3D phenomenon promised a unique vision of sex as performed by the Na’vi, the “sapient humanoid indigenous inhabitants of the fictional moon Pandora.” Ultimately, however, the scene was cut from the theatrical version, though it was still included in the DVD version.

But Friday, along with eight minutes plus change of other additional footage, the sex scene will finally be available for viewing on the big screen—all 20 seconds of it! The planned November re-release standard-def DVD and Blu-ray disc special editions will reportedly include 16 minutes of extra footage, including the sex scene.

As far as the sex scene itself goes, 20th Century Fox posted the complete script online in January, and MovieLine thoughtfully provided the excerpt of the blue scene.

At less than half a minute, it can only provide so much tentacle titillation, especially for fans of explicit alien sex (and you know who you are), but not to worry, the porn version of Avatar—Hustler Video’s This Ain't Avatar XXX 3D, directed by Axel Braun—is due out in late September.

LOS ANGELES—While the porn party scene might be slower than usual lately, it’s no secret that civilians love to party with porn stars. The Los Angeles Times picked up on this pretty obvious trend in an article published on its website today.

Titled “For some L.A. clubs, XXX marks the spot” by Charlie Amter, the article discusses the tactic numerous Hollywood clubs and party promoters use by putting a porn star or Playboy model on its flier in order to spike attendance and club cachet.

“When local DJs or the ubiquitous ‘bikini fashion show’ fail to pull in the masses, an edgy flier featuring a racy adult star can cut through the clutter on Facebook and Twitter, where the battle for club-goers' attention really takes place long before slinking past velvet ropes at night,” Amter wrote for the L.A. Times.

The adult industry has long been throwing parties for movie releases, porn star birthdays and other special events at Hollywood-area clubs. Recent events include a birthday party for CeCe Stone, Charley Chase, Claire Dames and Elizabeth Starr at Aqua Lounge in Beverly Hills, Calif.; Natasha Nice’s birthday at H.Wood; the 2010 F.A.M.E. Awards afterparty at La Vida; and Angelina Valentine’s engagement party at My House.

“Sensual models, Playboy Playmates and porn star pique interest,” Playhouse co-owner Robert Vinokur told the Times. “We know that sex sells.”

The piece points out that while some top-shelf stars like Digital Playground contract star Jesse Jane could command $5,000-10,000 per appearance, other stars agree to host parties for the networking opportunities—or even just free liquor.

"It's well worth it [to pay a porn star to host]," promoter Joshua Kerbis, who’s organized parties with Jane and Sasha Grey, told the Times. "The social media thing has taken these girls to new heights, and every event we've done has been larger and larger each year because porn has become so mainstream now.”  

To read the entire article, click here.

Posted Aug 26th, 2010 04:55 PM by Buzz Killington

SAN FRANCISCO—The releasing arm of adult retailer Good Vibrations has signed on as the exclusive distributor of Matinee, a sexually explicit drama directed by Jennifer Lyon Bell.

Named to its list of Top Five Porn Films for Women by Cosmopolitan Germany, Good Releasing will handle the film’s U.S. distribution.

Bell, a Harvard grad living in Amsterdam, “is a progressive female director with a unique vision of eroticism that bridges the gap between art film and sex film, producing erotic film for people who like film” according to Good Releasing.

“Good Releasing’s titles showcase authentic and hot adult entertainment full of lustful and unabashed sexualities, unapologetic desire, genuine pleasure, helpful information and screen burning chemistry,” Jackie Strano, Good Vibes COO, said. “Matinee is the perfect expression of that, featuring quality filmmaking, original writing, and talented acting to produce a sexy film that can be enjoyed on many levels.”

As described by the company, “Matinee tells the story of Daniel and Mariah, two actors whose performance as lovers has failed to convince the critics, and earned them bad reviews. When various attempts at making their connection authentic fail, Mariah decides to take the ultimate creative risk and hopes that Daniel will follow. In this afternoon performance, they put their careers on the line in an erotic theatrical experiment that leaves no doubt as to their chemistry.”

Director Bell will be presenting Matinee along with several other European shorts at the Good Vibes 5^th Annual Indie Erotic Film Festival on Sept. 21, at the Red Vic Theatre in San Francisco.

For more details about the film fest, visit gv-ixff.org.

For more information about Bell, visit BlueArtichokeFilms.com. She’s received accolades from the Toronto Feminist Porn Awards and Cinekink in New York.

Nominated for a 2010 AVN Award for Best New Video Production Company, Good Releasing offers various lines of edgy, alternative, and educational films that provide an option for people who may be uninspired by mainstream porn. Good Releasing recently received three Feminist Porn Awards in Toronto for its films.

Posted Aug 26th, 2010 04:15 PM

SOUTH BEND, Ind.—A tenured electrical engineering professor at the University of Notre Dame was fired in June after an investigation concluded that he had inappropriately used research grant money and university funds to purchase more than $190,000 worth of equipment, which he then used to take pornographic photos. The professor, Oliver M. Collins, sued in July for breach of contract in a case that is ongoing.

According to the South Bend Tribune, “A university investigation revealed Collins received the grant money for research and instead bought at least seven digital cameras, many lenses, surveillance cameras, an oversized printer and computer equipment he used to produce pornographic photos.”

In his suit, Collins claims the university failed to prove the dismissal was merited. “Collins claims he presented two expert witnesses at a hearing who testified that the equipment he bought might plausibly be used for valid scientific research,” the paper reported.

In its response to the complaint, filed recently in U.S. District Court in South Bend, Notre Dame claimed “Collins took many of these cameras and accessories to his home and used them extensively in pursuit of his personal hobby of photography, including taking landscape and pornographic photographs.”

Collins, who joined the Notre Dame faculty with tenure in 1995, now lives in Key West, Fla., and claims that the fallout from his dismissal has made it all but impossible for him to find teaching employment in his area of expertise.

Notre Dame counters that while the dismissal of a tenured professor is rare, in this case it was more than warranted, especially considering the fact that a campus appeals board upheld the decision, as did the Rev. John I. Jenkins, Notre Dame's president, who sent Collins the June letter notifying him he was fired.

Notre Dame is asking that the suit be dismissed and that Collins be ordered to pay the legal bills, reported the Tribune.

Posted Aug 26th, 2010 04:00 PM

MANHATTAN—James D. Gibbons, a judge for the Manhattan Criminal Court, resigned suddenly Aug. 17 after pornography was found on his courthouse computer.

Gibbons spent 14 years as a prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office before becoming a judge. Mayor Giuliani appointed him to the Brooklyn bench in 2001; he moved to Manhattan Criminal Court in 2003, where he “enjoyed a good reputation on the bench,” the paper said.

As a judge, he had presided over some high-profile cases, including a case invloving Naomi Campbell—who was accused of throwing a cell phone at a maid—and David Tarloff, who was charged with the fatal knifing of a beloved Upper East Side psychiatrist.

According to the NY Post, “Gibbons came on the radar of court officials after rumors began swirling about his socializing during non-work hours with a clique of Legal Aid lawyers—public defenders who represent many of the defendants before him.

“Gibbons, who handles misdemeanor and pre-indicted criminal cases, came under investigation after officials learned he had impregnated a Legal Aid attorney—a possible conflict of interest had she appeared before his bench, multiple sources involved in the investigation told The Post.”

The judge’s computer was seized after the unidentified woman gave birth; officials referred the matter to the District Attorney's office following the discovery of the porn. None of the articles specify how much or what sort of pornography was discovered, or even if a law had been violated.

Court spokesman David Bookstaver declined to tell the NY Daily News whether a criminal investigation was under way, saying only, “"If we become aware of possible criminal activity, we report it to the appropriate law enforcement authority."

Gibbons, who was on maternity leave during the time when his computer was seized and searched, resigned by way of a three-paragraph letter that contained no explanation for his abrupt departure.

"It has been a privilege to serve as a judge of the Criminal Court of the City of New York since my appointment in December 2001," he wrote. "Please accept this letter as a statement of my resignation of that office effective today."

Posted Aug 26th, 2010 03:48 PM by Buzz Killington

CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Lethal Hardcore and Stoney Curtis bring new meaning to the word spinner with the release of Spin On My Cock, a new title that uses a patent-pending, custom table in an interesting way.

“I’ve been shooting porn for 17 years,” Curtis told AVN. “We’ve all run through the motions and used the same positions—it felt stale. I needed new options; I needed to try other things and think of new ways of fucking—if that’s possible.”

Curtis’ new way of fucking comes courtesy of Stoney’s Spinning Sex Table, a patent-pending Lazy Susan-like spinning table with a hole cut in the center of it that allows a guy, laying underneath, to fuck a girl sitting on top of the 360-degree rotating tray.

Curtis said that his invention, which is kind of like a next-generation gloryhole, came to him during meditation “where I envisioned a girl spinning on a guy’s dick through a spinning table.”

Curtis has secured the services of a carpenter to make a new, clear acrylic table that will enable him to shoot through the table for even more innovative angles. Curtis has submitted an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office and has already received offers to build tables from around the world. Ideally, he’s like to see it in adult retail stores worldwide.

So how did the performers react to utilizing a new device in their scenes?

“The girls said it was a brand new feeling,” Curtis said. “They were a little hesitant; maybe thought it would hurt. But they told me that it was a totally new sensation. The table made it easier to better to hit their G-spot. It’s a totally new way to fuck a woman. Now how many porn movies can claim that?”

With it only being possible to perform two positions using the table—cowgirl and reverse cowgirl—each scene moves the action from the table to the couch or bedroom like a “standard” gonzo scene.

Spin On My Cock also features an interesting camera angle that brings the viewer even closer to all the 360-degree spinning action. The camera is mounted on the table as it spins in order to get a close-up stationary of the girl’s pussy as it spins on the dick while everything else around it moves.

Produced by Curtis and co-directed by Chucky Sleaze and Curtis, Spin On My Cock stars Tanner Mayes, Jesse Jorden, April O’Neil, Emy Reyes and Ivy Winters.

The movie ships Aug. 30, and arrives at will be available on Sept. 6. View the trailer by clicking here.

Curtis plans to launch the SpinOnMyCock.com website by the end of the year, but in the meantime, will be releasing exclusive footage on LethalHardcore.com.

To celebrate the release of the movie, Lethal Hardcore is holding a launch party on Sept. 3 at The Highlands in Hollywood, Calif. Confirmed hosts include Curtis, Sleaze, O’Neil and Mayes with Cris Strokes, Christian XXX and Billy Glide (who supply the wood in the movie) co-hosting.

The Highlands is located at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard. Red carpet starts at 10 p.m. RSVP to ryan@kingryanevents.com.  

Posted Aug 26th, 2010 03:35 PM

CHATSWORTH, Calif.—For the first time in the history of the AVN Awards, companies, products and individuals from the pleasure products industry will be recognized during the January event in Las Vegas. The new category, “Sex Toys & Pleasure Products,” will include awards for Best Sex Toy of the Year for Women, Best Sex Toy of the Year for Men and Best Overall Sex Toy Line or Company, among others. Ten awards plus a Hall of Fame entry will be given out in all.

In addition to having some of the awards presented on stage during the 2011 AVN Awards, slated for Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Palms Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, at least one of the major categories will be included in the broadcast of the ceremony on Showtime.

“We’ve always believed that the adult industry should encompass more than content production and distribution and the sex toy business is not only a mainstay in our business, but an important component for growth,” said Paul Fishbein, AVN founder. “I think the industry is going to be excited to see an award like Sex Toy of the Year given out on our TV broadcast on Showtime, where millions of homes tune in. I think having awards for pleasure products at the AVN Awards is long overdue.”

Details regarding the online pre-nomination process, wherein companies can submit their products for consideration, will be announced soon. Final nominations and winners will be voted on by AVN staffers and independent critics, all of whom review pleasure products for the magazine and website.   

While enthusiastic about including pleasure products in the AVN Awards, AVN publisher Tony Lovett is quick to distinguish them from the AVN “O” Awards, which specifically honor the pleasure product industry, and took place earlier this month.

“The new AVN awards are not in any way a replacement of the ‘O’ Awards, which are—and will continue to be—the pre-eminent awards ceremony for the pleasure product industry,” Lovett said. “From the nominations to the final voting, the ‘O’ Awards is a private, trade-only event by and for pleasure product professionals. With almost three decades of notoriety behind it, the AVN Awards provide the perfect public venue in which to recognize an important part of our industry with mass exposure it so well deserves. Though the voting processes are completely different for the AVN Awards and ‘O’ Awards, both are prestigious honors in their own right. I mean, who wouldn't want to win a Nobel and an Oscar?" 

Listed alphabetically, the awards in the Sex Toys & Pleasure Products category for the AVN Awards are as follows:

Best Fetish Product: Any BDSM or other fetish item distinguished by exceptional quality, design, and functionality.

Best Lingerie or Apparel Company: Any lingerie or apparel company distinguished by exceptional fashion design, packaging, marketing, and customer service.

Best Overall Sex Toy Line: Any sex toy product line distinguished by exceptional quality, design, and functionality.

Best Packaging: Any packaging for any individual pleasure product or pleasure product line, distinguished by exceptional quality, design, functionality, and customer appeal.

Best Party, Game, or Gag Product: Any bachelor/bachelorette party product, game, or gag gift, distinguished by exceptional creativity, humor, and customer appeal.

Best Sex Accessory: Any lube, supplement, or other non-toy item distinguished by exceptional quality, design, and functionality.

Best Sex Toy Company: Any sex toy manufacturer distinguished by exceptional product design, packaging, marketing, and customer service.

Best Sex Toy for Couples: Any powered or non-powered pleasure product designed for use by a couple and distinguished by exceptional quality, design, and functionality.

Best Sex Toy for Men: Any powered or non-powered pleasure product designed for use by a man and distinguished by exceptional quality, design, and functionality.

Best Sex Toy for Women: Any powered or non-powered pleasure product designed for use by a woman and distinguished by exceptional quality, design, and functionality.

Hall of Fame (Pleasure Product Branch): Any professional with at least 10 years of adult industry experience who has had an enormous positive impact in the field of pleasure products. (Not a voting category.)

For more information, visit AVNAwards.com.

CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Could it be? Is it fate? Are the stars and planets all aligned in perfect symmetry with ye olde AVN headquarters this day?

Perhaps not, but we can confirm for certain that today is the shared birthday of our recently announced 2011 AVN Awards co-hosts, Riley Steele and Tori Black.

Today, Tori turns 22 and Riley turns 23. Happy birthday, girls! Fans and friends can send birthday wishes to both at twitter.com/misstoriblack and twitter.com/rileysteele.

Posted Aug 26th, 2010 12:38 PM

CHICAGO—With plans to create its own label by the end of the year, Playboy Enterprises is getting into the video gaming business in a big way. Paul H. Lee, the company’s managing director for new digital ventures, told PaidContent.org that the move is part of a larger strategy to nudge the brand in a more mainstream direction.

As part of the lead-up to having its own label, Playboy has partnered with German online gaming portal Bigpoint.net on the launch of its urban crime fantasy, Poisonville, which exited out of beta Wednesday and is currently available on Playboy.com.

According to PaidContent, the games will aim at Playboy’s primary target of 18- to 35-year-old men. Lee told the site that the company has found a lot of overlap between gaming sites and visitors to Playboy.com.

“One of our core competencies involves using our brand to present quality content,” he said. “Gaming is a growing, mainstream area. And part of our plan is to extend Playboy’s brand into the mainstream.”

Without going into detail regarding the specific level of funding for the project—“significant”—or what developers, if any, the company is currently in talks with, Lee did acknowledge that the search is on.

“We’re looking for quality developers and the time I spent looking at Bigpoint showed me that they fit the bill for what we needed to get started,” Lee told PaidContent.org. “Previously, Playboy’s gaming interests included a few licensing deals and some editorial in the form of gaming reviews. But there was no clear, overarching strategy in place. With Bigpoint, we’ve established a clear path in terms of where we want to go.”

The site reported that while there currently is no equity arrangement between Playboy and Bigpoint.net, Lee indicated that future partnerships could include some investment.

“At this point, we haven’t made any decisions, and we’ll see how these first steps go,” he said. “We could possibly do some investing down the road, depending on what we find and what our needs are.”

Posted Aug 26th, 2010 12:16 PM

CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Leading adult novelty manufacturer Topco Sales announces the release of Asylum, a new line of psychiatric medical play and bondage accessories. The line includes wrist and ankle restraints, straitjackets, masks, mouth bits, body sacks and cosplay kits, all in a sterile, medical-white palette.

“The entire Topco team had a blast creating this line,” says Miranda Lancaster, product development project manager for Topco Sales. “One of the places people got really creative was in the packaging. Each product box is actually a little padded cell with a hospital-inspired, mesh-patterned viewing window so you can clearly see the item inside. And we didn't stop there: Asylum's art features dramatic, provocative photos of twisted doctors and deranged patients in various scenarios, shot against real padded walls to add to the effect.”

The new line offers two options for basic bondage: The Asylum Patient Restraint Kit comes with 10 feet of nylon rope, a waffle ball gag with an elastic Velcro strap and a blindfold with an elastic Velcro strap. The Asylum Patient Wrist/Ankle Restraint set is composed of one pair each nylon and Velcro wrist cuffs and ankle cuffs connected via a 4.5-inch chain. Both the wrist and the ankle bindings are affixed with heavy-duty metal rivets and D-ring closures.

Venturing into the realm of sensory deprivation play, Asylum Second Skin is a fully encasing, stretchy, lycra body sack. The breathable suit completely covers the wearer from head to toe with access zippers located between the legs and running up the back from the base of the spine to the top of the head. The unisex suit comes in Small/Medium and Large/Extra Large to accommodate a variety of body sizes.

Available in Small and in Large, the Asylum Multiple Personality Mask is a 100 percent spandex mask with zippered eye and mouth openings and a draping neck that can be worn over the collar or tied at base of the neck. The stretchy material allows the wearer to breathe even when eyes and mouth are fully zipped. An invisible zipper on back of mask allows for quick removal if needed.

“The beginner-to-intermediate Asylum line of bondage accessories takes fantasy to a dark but sensual level,” said Lancaster. “We are giving people the chance to indulge in their kinkiest psychiatric medical fantasies.”

For the cosplay client, Asylum offers the Asylum Play Doctor Kit. The fantasy set includes a doctor's reflector with a one-size-fits-most stretchy elastic head band, a nurse's cap secured with a long, satin ribbon, and 49 feet of self-adhesive medical gauze.

The paddle is a staple to any line of BDSM products, and so Asylum offers the Asylum Prescription Pain Paddle. Set with a hollowed out “Rx,” the solid rubber paddle is built to deliver a solid slap while leaving behind a “Rx” marking on the skin.

Crafted from heavy-duty metal and nylon, and fitted with one-size-fits-most adjustable neck straps, both the Asylum Hook Claw Mouth Spreader and the Asylum Patient Mouth Restraint with Metal Bit are designed to hold the wearer’s mouth firmly in place; whether that be wide open with the spreader or closed tight with the bit.

The Asylum line also includes the Asylum Patient Straight Jacket in Small/Medium and Medium/Large, both of which are currently available for pre-order. The heavy-duty canvas jacket features long wrap-around arms and three fully adjustable nylon straps with metal D-rings closures.

For more information about the Asylum line from Topco Sales, contact your local distributor or Topco Sales account representative today or visit TopcoSales.us.

CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Porn parody maestro Will Ryder has wrapped filming on The Flintstones: A XXX Parody for New Sensations. Ryder auditioned scores of adult actors and spent weeks on casting before arriving at his final cast.

With an eye towards making the most faithful adaptation as possible, Ryder held an industry-wide casting call, which yielded it’s leads: Hillary Scott as Wilma, Brooke Lee Adams as Betty, Haley Winter as Pebbles, Misty Stone as Miss Hathaway, Anthony Rosano as Barney, Seth Gamble as Bam Bam and Peter O’Toole, in a non-sex role, as Fred.

“We have a lively mix of excellent actors, including some big time veterans and a brand new, adorable girl playing Pebbles, who is as cute as a button,” Ryder said. “I’m almost in shock to think she will be getting naked and having wild sex. New Sensations had a great idea to produce The Flintstones: A XXX Parody, and I’m damn glad to be the one directing it.”

Ryder’s attention to detail extended beyond the casting process down to the set. The Flintstone’s living room was re-created down to the stone TV set, a working replica of Fred’s iconic car and the Flintstones house, constructed from 1,200 pounds of plaster, 400 pounds of wood, 60 pounds of metal and 50 pounds of paint.

“Will has proven he is one of the most resourceful directors in the industry, creating awarded parodies with conservative budgets,” New Sensations vice president of global sales Belle Casten said. “Over the past week, we witnessed what he was able to accomplish on set of The Flintstones: A XXX Parody. His attention to detail was impeccable and will result in a fun, authentic adaptation of the hit TV show, including sex scenes fans were only able to imagine.”

The script to the movie was written by Tyrone Shuz and features all the beloved characters from the cartoon with an adult twist. Fred believes Wilma is cheating on him, though she’s actually busy planning his surprise birthday party. The lack of parental supervision allows Pebbles to explore her budding sexuality and play with Bam Bam’s giant club. Even Miss Hathaway and Mr. Slate get in on the prehistoric fun, according to the company.

To view trailers from the New Sensations parodies, click here.

For sales information, contact Casten at sales@NewSensations.com or at (800) 748-6767, ext. 307.

Posted Aug 26th, 2010 11:14 AM

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka—A Sri Lankan juvenile court has ordered the country’s Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) to block mobile access to over 100 adult websites, according to local news outlets. The move comes after the court heard complaints that children were able to access the content. The court also reportedly told the TRC to ban local movies with adult content.

“The court moved to ban these web sites reportedly featuring local men and women following a report filed by the Women and Children Unit of the Police,” reported ColomboPage.com. “The Government last year proposed a ban on all movies that are labeled as 'Adults only' and added that regulations on programs and publications that include scenes of adult content should be toughened.”

Last year, the TRC blocked 12 adult websites, including the popular tube site RedTube.com.

Sri Lanka is an island nation in South Asia, located about 20 miles off the southern coast of India. According to Wikipedia, "Sri Lanka has a multi ethnic and multi religious population. Buddhism constitutes the religious faith of about 70 percent of the population of the island."

Posted Aug 25th, 2010 02:05 PM

LOS ANGELES—LAWeekly and parent company Village Voice Media have announced the launch of AfterDarkLA.com, a new sex-centric website that “dares readers to explore the sexier side of the other city that never sleeps. AfterDarkLA.com was founded as a bridge between sex-focused companies and individuals with something to offer the masses but no forum on which to info-rnicate.” The site will be officially unveiled at midnight tonight following an all-night launch party at Bardot in Hollywood, Calif.

“AfterDarkLA.com is the go-to spot for sex stories, advice and tips, and is without a doubt the sexiest way to procrastinate online,” AfterDarkLA.com Web Editor Anne Hodder said. “Our articles revolve around topics typically tossed around with a dose of giggling, groaning and a gimlet or three—if people can muster the courage to share! AfterDarkLA.com is a place in which to both show and tell, and pick up some pointers while you’re at it.”

LAWeekly’s newest city blog also lifts the sheets to expose Los Angeles’ not-so-private parts, added Hodder, showing readers the local events, clubs and very special occasions they’d never have known existed. From erotic poetry slams to bondage demonstrations to monster sales at the best adult shops in town, AfterDarkLA.com keeps L.A. newbies and nymphos alike in the know.

“AfterDarkLA.com brings carnal news, sex advice and the sex industries’ best writers, designers, performers and entertainers together on one open-minded website,” LAWeekly Advertising Director Mat Cooperstein said. “We now can connect companies, service providers and anyone with the common goal of opening the minds of the masses.”

Current AfterDarkLA.com contributors include sex therapists Dr. Ava Cadell and Dr. Lori Buckley; sex educator and author Jamye Waxman; Wicked Pictures contract starlet Jessica Drake; Burning Angel founder and performer Joanna Angel; adult industry superstar Lisa Ann; Digital Playground starlet and published poet Kayden Kross; and Rascal Video contract star Jeremy Bilding.

AfterDarkLA.com will also give readers an opportunity to become anonymous auteurs with L.A. Libido, a column devoted to user-submitted stories of sex tales and erotic rendezvous too good to keep inside.

“AfterDarkLA.com prides itself on its connectivity with the community and we love getting tweets, Facebook alerts and emails telling us about what went down in the handicap bathroom at My House that no one talked about but everyone masturbated to later that night,” added Hodder.

LAWeekly expressed its thanks to AfterDarkLA.com’s launch party sponsors Bluebird Video, Exotic Erotic, CityVibe, The Screaming O, LELO, Sportsheets, Stockroom.com and Cockstar.

Editorial inquiries and contributions should be sent to ahodder@laweekly.com, and interested parties also can follow @afterdarkla on Twitter and friend AfterDarkLA on Facebook for daily updates.

For more information, visit http://www.afterdarkla.com.

Posted Aug 25th, 2010 01:27 PM

CHATSWORTH, Calif.—Former NBA Atlanta Hawks cheerleader Briana Blair made waves when she entered the adult entertainment world last year, launching headlong into porn without so much as a photo shoot under her belt and wasting no time in establishing herself in the industry.

Blair shot her first scene ever for Naughty America's My Wife's Hot Friend series, and now, NA is highlighting her success with the release of Briana Blair on August 26. The DVD is a compilation of Blair's hottest Naughty America scenes, including that very first scene, plus others from My Sister's Hot Friend and Naughty Country Girls, where the blonde hottie teams up with Sadie Swede and puts the "dirty" in dirty south.
 
The release also features a bonus scene from Naughty America Live, where Briana details what really gets her off. Briana’s Naughty streak doesn’t stop there though—look for her in Naughty Office 20, also new this month from Pure Play Media. The DVD happens to feature Blair's fellow sports professional, fighter War Machine, during his brief foray into porn.
 
Not surprisingly, Naughty America also chose to spotlight Briana Blair as—what else?—the cheerleader she portrays in Naughty Athletics 9, released earlier this year. She performs dressed as the perky, pumped-up dancer she is, shaking her pom-poms in a tiny shirt and short skirt. Look for Blair on the cover in a barely-there cheerleader uniform.
 
Read more about Briana Blair here.
 
For more information on Briana Blair contact sales@pureplaymedia.com or visit www.pureplaymedia.com.

Posted Aug 25th, 2010 12:50 PM

VAN NUYS, Calif. - Digital Playground, a world leader in adult filmmaking, is participating in the 2010 Emmy Gifting Suite. For the first time ever, Digital Playground Novelties, which has received rave reviews from retail and industry critics worldwide, will be distributing their award-winning Pendant Vibe necklace to some of the most stylish and influential people in the mainstream entertainment industry.

"And you thought diamonds were a girl's best friend," Ali Joone, founder of Digital Playground, said with a wink.

After winning the 2010 “O” Award for Outstanding Powered Product, Digital Playground Novelties wanted to share the pleasure with as many people as possible.

"This is just the beginning of our mainstream integration. We plan on selling the Pirates Pendant Vibe to many mainstream companies and boutiques.. After all it is jewelry with a secret treasure," said Digital Playground CEO Samantha Lewis.

The line, which launched in January, is based on the biggest blockbusters in adult film history, Pirates and Pirates II. The Pirates films were created by Digital Playground and have won numerous awards, international acclaim, and incredible amounts of mainstream coverage.

“We are extremely excited to have been invited to participate at the 2010 Emmy Awards Style Lounge where we'll be showcasing the award winning line of Digital Playground Novelties,” said Farley Cahen, vice president of novelty development for Digital Playground. “As the producer of the world's all-time best selling adult features Pirates and Pirates II, we are thrilled at the response of our Pirate-themed novelty line. We're confident that the Style Lounge attendees will enjoy our distinctive line of pleasure products.”

For more information on the Pirates Pendant Vibe, and other items from Digital Playground Novelties, contact Toys@DigitalPlayground.com.

LOS ANGELES—A lawsuit filed in Los Angeles federal court on Aug. 18 by Samson Investments, a Dutch Antilles corporation that owns and operates websites associated with the Teen Revenue affiliate program, alleges copyright infringement on the part of Evan Seinfeld, Lupe Fuentes LLC, Webquest, Netbilling and Local Billing.

According to the complaint, Teen Revenue is managed by First Choice Management, which is run by Paolo Cammarata. Sometime in 2006-7, the complaint states, Cammarata met a diminutive nude model for whom he later coined the stage name Little Lupe. After entering into an agreement with the model he registered, in Samson’s name, and constructed the domain www.littlelupe.com.

“’Little Lupe’ became, and has been for the last three years, one of the most popular and profitable websites marketed through the Teen Revenue program,” the complaint states.

In 2009, the complaint states, Evan Seinfeld began managing and promoting “Little Lupe,” and in April of that year registered the domains LupeFuentes.com and ILoveLupe.com, with the alleged intent “to misappropriate the fame and goodwill associated with the mark ‘Little Lupe,’” and also that Seinfeld, for the benefit of Lupe Fuentes LLC, partnered with WebQuest in the development and management of the above-mentioned websites.

The complaint states that after Cammarata and Seinfeld failed to come to an arrangement to co-promote “Little Lupe,” master copies of numerous videos featuring “Little Lupe” owned by Samson and found on LittleLupe.com were somehow obtained by Seinfeld, and that “Seinfeld provided the stolen videos with the false copyright information to WebQuest, which copied, uploaded, displayed and distributed the stolen videos on www.ilovelupe.com,” and further claims that the “stolen” videos comprise the “vast majority” of videos on the site.

The complaint also alleges that subsequent marketing campaigns undertaken by Seinfeld and WebQuest also infringed on the “Little Lupe” mark, and that the two named billing companies, Netbilling and Local Billing, are “vicarious” infringers “who have the right and ability to supervise, and directly benefit from, the direct infringing activities alleged herein.”

The plaintiff is seeking actual damages of not less than $1 million, an order by the court trebling the actual damages, statutory damages of not less than $2,500 or more than $25,000 per violation, and attorneys’ fees.

Upon request, David Beitchman of Beitchman & Zekian PC, counsel for Evan Seinfeld, Lupe Fuentes LLC and WebQuest, issued the following statement.

"WebQuest, Lupe Fuentes LLC, and Mr. Seinfeld take intellectual property rights very seriously,” he told AVN. “We have full confidence that our clients have acted within their rights in this situation. We believe the action to be without merit, and we look forward to successfully defending this matter.”

Samson Investments is represented by Jay Spillane of the Los Angeles-based law firm Spillane Weingerten LLP.

Netbilling and Local Billing have thus far declined to comment.