In the Flesh at Anthology Film Archives Dec 5-Dec 8, 2013 at 8 pm.

In less than 48 hours Anthology Film Archives  in NYC, will be hosting In the Flesh, a film series which focuses on classic erotic films from the golden age. Curated and organized by film historian, Casey Scott, this is the first run of the series and it is certainly going off with a BANG! The series is scheduled to be 4 nights, 4 films ( one each night), and each night will have at least one or more guests that will help to give the film some historical context. The four films chosen are all East Coast films and all from the Distribpix Archives, and each one is as good as the next. Each night will also have some very entertaining 35 mm trailers from the Distribpix vault.

Lobby Posters at Anthology Film Archives.

The series is beginning with a very strong line up of NYC staples: High Rise with Music Composer Jack Urbont in person, Through The Looking Glass with director Jonas Middleton in person, Take Off with set photographer Larry Revene in person, Wanda Whips Wall Street with director Larry Revene in person, special guest Scott Baker and mystery guests as well. The guest will be introducing each film and will also be on hand to participate in Q/A session to follow each film. There will also be some fun trivia for prizes, which include DVD’s, posters, press books and more.

It is going to be a very special series and I am very happy to be involved. It is obvious that general interest in classic erotic cinema has been on the rise in recent years. Retro as a whole has made a huge comeback since 2010, but there is no doubt in my mind that the dedication to preserving the films in High Definition and bringing them back to life has fueled the resurgence. Running a film archive is a non stop job and it can be very tedious, so to be able to see these on the big screen is a huge reward.

There have been many email responses to the series and we expect to have a wonderful mix of fans and experts at the theater during the screenings. I have a feeling that it is going to be a very special series and I really hope to see you there.

DEC 5th – HIGH RISE, 1973 directed by DANNY STEINMANN:

Hailing from a show business family background, Danny Steinmann started his directorial career shooting commercials in Puerto Rico and soon returned to New York, where he continued successfully producing, directing, and editing toy commercials. Seeing the success of Gerard Damiano’s Deep Throat in 1972, Steinmann decided to attempt to make his own profitable adult film, resulting in High Rise, now considered the first comic masterpiece of the X-rated genre. For a first time director, High Rise is an impressive debut, filled with visually stylish flourishes and clever comic scenarios. The film’s success, however, did not lead to further ventures in the hardcore realm. In fact, Steinmann would not return to the director’s chair until 1981, when he helmed the sleeper horror classic The Unseen. Its success led to the two most famous films of his career, Savage Streets (1984) and Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985). To his dismay, the horror sequel would be his last film as a director. Steinmann was finally receiving his due credit as a director and connecting with his fans at film conventions when his life was unexpectedly cut short in 2012.

High Rise Movie Poster at Anthology Film Archives, facing 2nd avenue.

Dec 6 – Through The Looking Glass, 1976 directed by JONAS MIDDLETON:

Hailing from the great state of Georgia, Jonas Middleton made one great big, but brief, splash in the adult film genre of the 1970s. Following his low-budget debut, Cherry Blossom (1972), Middleton’s next film, Illusions of a Lady (1974), hinted at the director’s storytelling talents that would be demonstrated in full force with his final and best X-rated film, Through the Looking Glass (1976). The worldwide success of the film did not interest him in continuing to make adult films. His next film project, the sleeper horror hit Just Before Dawn, would be his last before moving into the world of finance for much of the 1980s. Middleton returned to the entertainment industry in 1994, when he began producing instructional videos, and in 2000 he successfully entered the video game business. Today Middleton continues to produce thought-provoking independent features.

Cherry Blossom and Through The Looking Glass, directed by Jonas Middleton

Dec 7 – Take Off, 1975 directed by ARMAND WESTON:

A director who came to the film world from a background in commercial illustrating and artwork, Armand Weston is one of the adult genre’s legendary auteurs with the smallest oeuvre. All of his films are established classics, from his very first collaboration with future fellow legend Cecil Howard (1972′s Personals) and continuing into his dark noir-ish thrillers, The Defiance of Good (1974), The Taking of Christina (1975), and Expose Me, Lovely (1976). Weston was also the first director to shoot a feature directly onto the new video format with 1977′s Blue Voodoo. But his most lavish and arguably finest adult film must be his swan song to the genre, Take Off (1978), a sprawling epic following the sexual adventures of Darrin Blue, who stays forever young through the magic of an enchanted stag reel. When he wasn’t making films, Weston was designing the beautiful and eye-catching poster art and ad campaigns for the adult film classics of his contemporaries. He made one more film, the unusual horror film The Nesting (1981) with Gloria Grahame, before his untimely death in 1988.

The Nesting, Oil on Canvas, by Armand Weston.

Dec 8 – Wanda Whips Wall Street, 1984 directed by LARRY REVENE:

A true jack of all trades, Larry Revene started his career at the very beginning of the “golden age” of adult cinema and continued to its eventual conclusion with the onset of video production. Revene got his feet wet shooting loops for notorious producer Bob Wolf and was soon serving as photographer and editor for a variety of projects in both the X-rated and commercial industries throughout New York City. He developed a reputation as one of the most talented and visually inventive photographers in the business, allying himself with auteurs like Roger Watkins, Ron Sullivan, Gerard Damiano, the Amero Brothers, and his most famous collaborator Chuck Vincent. Vincent’s films exhibit a glossy and professional look that benefit greatly from Revene’s solid work ethic and artistic eye for composition and lighting. Revene eventually struck out on his own, directing his first film Fascination in 1980 and continuing to direct roughly one film a year for the remainder of the decade in-between a wide variety of photography assignments. Revene’s films told breezily comic stories featuring engaging characters and an infectious sense of fun. Talents like his naturally graduated to the commercial world, where he continues to work as a sought-after cinematographer.

Legendary Director, Larry Revene, on set of a Bob Wolf Production.

AND DON’T FORGET, THERE WILL BE TRIVIA WITH SOME VERY UNIQUE PRIZES:

Original Radio Spots on 1/4 inch tape stock, a very rare collectible from the Distribpix Archives

Original Press Books for Through The Looking Glass

Original Press Books for Take Off

www.distribpix.com

In the flesh at Anthology Film Archives Dec 5-8th, 2013

The first of many “In the Flesh” series had ended  Sunday night December the 8th, with the grand finale 35mm print of Larry Revene’s Wanda Whips Wall Street, and many stars were in attendance.The festival was a complete success on many levels. Each night a different person or persons who were involved with each film came out and got to experience the 35mm screenings as well as participate in the Q/A sessions afterward. Each session was more amazing then we even expected, I mean none of us ever expected, brilliant -83 year old composer, Jack Urbont, to bust out with the Bumble Bee Tuna Jingle, which we wrote. More on that later. But anyone, who cared about the golden age 0f erotica and was in the NYC area was there!

The festival started on Thursday night Dec. 5 , where famed composer and lyricist, Jack Urbont, was on hand to discuss his role in Danny Steinman’s, High Rise, 1973. This film is about a woman(Tamie Trevor) who goes on one of the most amazing apartment hunts in NYC history. The film features a stand out performance by adult industry veteran, Harry Reems, where he, a model train set and Tamie Trevor all share in on the fun. There is also in insanely erotic  threesome,featuring Jamie Gillis, and not too mention that over the top climax– a 20 minute orgy scene, with some great cinematography and editing. One of the best of 1973.

The 35mm print was in decent shape, and was UNCUT. There was laughter and the crowd was around 75-80 people. It was wonderful to see on the big screen. Before the film, a trivia session was performed were movie related questions were asked and the correct answer earned some really great golden age ephemera, like original press books, posters and even original 1/4 inch radio spots.

Afterward, there was a Q/A session with Jack Urbont-How was he involved? Why was he chosen?etc, etc, etc. He answered all of this and much more. First and foremost he brought a bunch of wonderful guests with him, including his wife, and he mentioned how proud he was of the job he did on the film so many decades before. The music is solid and it holds up. Jack also mentioned that the way he intertwined the theme of High Rise throughout the film was his biggest challenge and biggest success. He went on to let the audience know just how famous he was and it sort of stole the show. All of a sudden the patrons who stick around for the Q/A, including myself, were mesmerized with all of his musical conquests. Besides the fact that his father was a musician, he was clearly driven to let his music pave the way for his success. His resume reads like a “best of’ list of jingles and tunes from all the shows we grew up with. Don’t believe me? Have you ever heard the Soap Opera The Guiding Light? What about Mission Impossible?What about the Surperhero themes we all grew up with?The Hulk? What about Iron Man?How about that old famous Bum-Bum-Bum-Bum-Bumble-Bee Tuna? Well, he wrote them all and so much more. That is really just the tip of the ice berg and what I was able to remember off the top of my head.

JACK URBONT- MARVEL SUPERHERO THEME SONG

High Rise, Original certificate of X Rating.

Jack was very friendly with Herbert Steinman, Imago Films, and through Herbert, Jack met his son Danny. Danny Steinman was shooting this incredibly wacky and possibly ahead of its time film, in the apex of the Deep Throat Explosion and he needed someone to helm the music. Jack was friends with Herbert, he was also incredibly talented and the composer was found. He worked closely with Danny and was able to have the total freedom of playing with the theme and making it fit with each mini-segment of the film. The film itself plays like mini scenes and each one has a different theme, so the same music is used, but in way that is so sophisticated, it has not been done ever before. And remember this is not canned or library music, but original music and lyrics, composed specifically for this theatrical motion picture.

After the film ended, Jack was particularly impressed with his job, mainly in the sense that it has been decades since he has even seen the film and he still thinks the composition is sophisticated and even with his youth was produced with much professionalism. He also specified that they musicians that he was working with ,were the real deal, and had chops to prove it. He even mentioned it would be something that he would like to potentially revisit in the future. One thing for sure about Jack Urbont, is that he loves what he does and that is so refreshing.

Distribpix Man (Steven M.), Composer- Jack Urbont and Curator-Casey Scott

Thankfully, we will be able to capture more of the magic of Jack’s life and his experiences in the film, when we do our commentary and interview for the  re-release of the brand new scan from the negative. This is slated for a 2014 release and will have a remastered soundtrack as well!

HIGH RISE(1973) Hilarious and underrated classic telling the story of a girl looking for an apartment in the Big Apple. Top production values provided by Danny Stone (“Friday 13th”), with highlights including Harry Reems and a model train set, an extremely erotic lesbian threesome, and an 20 minute climactic orgy featuring the best adult film theme song ever. Featuring Jamie Gillis and Tamie Trevor.

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The second night of the festival was to be all about Jonas Middleton’s, 1976, horror and sexually charged thriller, Through The Looking Glass. It is possibly the most sought after cult film of the golden age erotic filmmaking, but this one also has a soft or ‘R’ version. I have met with Jonas before and after contacting Middleton on a whim, he was more than wiling to fly into NYC and be involved with the screening and Q/A session to follow. We all met for a Ukranian meal a few blocks from Anthology and it was quite pleasant. Afterward, we headed into the theater in the rain and wet snow, but made it just in time for the screening to begin. His fiance was so gracious to allow me to share her umbrella with her. Both of them were dressed for success and it certainly showed.

As usual we did the trivia for the night. the items given away were TTLG DVD, posters, press book and most amazingly, an original radio spot on 1/4 tape. Jonas came up and introduced the film, he was so gracious and very poised.

The attendance was the highest for this night with approximately 120 patrons, lots of good energy. We knew it would be a good draw, as the films has roots in both Horror and Adult film communities. The characters, the plot and the music are tops notch, just like the other films in the series. For example, the composer for TTLG, was the same composer who worked on Friday the 13th, Henry Manfredini, and the similar string arrangements can easily be heard. The print was again totally complete, but had it fair amount of fade and splices.

The film concluded with a Q/A session between the director, Jonas Middleton and the curator of the series, Casey Scott. It was a very informative conversation. Many topics were covered, including the fact that Jonas is a recovering alcoholic, and has also taken god into his life in a very serious manner. He is a devoted Christian. He is not ashamed, but rather proud of his short stint in adult films. He also explained a bit more about is mindset and his intent fro making this film. He specified that he really wanted people to pay attention to the underlying themes of the film, sex, taboo, desire and consequence.

Jonas seems very excited to continue to work on the re-release of the film and we are in the process of working on details for the best possible restored release of this epic film. Since Jonas, has particular interest in the ‘R’ rated version, it will also be receiving a full restoration, and not just a transfer. This will possibly allow Jonas, to find some new and interested mainstream outlets for the film.

From Left to Right: Casey Scott, Steven Morowitz, Jonas Middleton, Joe Rubin.

THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS(1976) Cult film par excellence, successfully blending adult and horror cinema into a legendary package. One of only 3 films made by the mysterious Jonas Middleton, “Through The Looking Glass” shows the descent of a beautiful rich socialite (Catherine Burgess) into a surreal, sexual hell. Featuring a career-best Jamie Gillis, the ever wonderful Terri Hall.

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Saturday night was again another stellar event. The film was Take Off and our special guess was legendary director, Larry Revene. Larry did not direct this film, but he was on the second unit and also took a mass amount of stills from the set, all of which are in my possession.  Many cast and crew showed up for the screening and it was a pleasure to welcome them all. Make-up artists, costume, music and actors- they were all there, it was very exciting and they were all proud to see their work on the big screen after all these years.

Trivia again was very special as original posters, press books and original radio spots were given away as prizes.

The Q/A was a bit leisure and ended up being a very welcome free for all, where many were standing up, yelling out questions, etc. It was really great and Larry just went with the flow.

After the Q/A there was a very nice vibe in the upstairs lobby of the theater where many of the cast and crew were able to catch up on lost time and reunite.

One of the biggest surprises of the night was that legendary adult industry veteran, Carter Stevens, came in to see the film, all the way from the Poconos. It was amazing to meet him after all these years and the fans were equally excited. I think he had fun.

L to R: Distribpix Man with Legendary Adult Industry Veteran, Carter Stevens(Mal Worob).

TAKE OFF

(1978)One of the greatest adult films of all time. Superlative on every level, Armand Weston made a stunning visual treat that looks as fresh today as it did 30 years ago. The film is plot heavy, starting in the 1920s and following the hero’s escapades decade by decade through the 1970s. Starring Georgina Spelvin, Annette Haven & Leslie Bovee.

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Then came the snow. Sunday night was the last night of the series and another storm of wet rain and snow hit the city. I was cold and windy, and kept a few people from coming out, but all in all, the outcome was very solid. The film for this night was Wanda Whips Wall Street,1982, a very witty and well shot film, with director Larry Revene in person, along with lead actress, Veronica Hart ( Wanda). Veronica was actually a surprise guest who flew in last minute to be a part of the series. Her presence lit up the event. The print itself was in very good condition, and Larry was thoroughly impressed with how the film has held up after all these years.

Original VHS Box Art elements, from the Distribpix Archives.

The trivia was quick and we introduced Larry and Veronica( Jane Hamilton), the crowd was very pleased with them both. The film went off with a theater full of laughter, some great music and lots of one liners. It is one of the co-sponsor’s, Joe Rubin’s, favorite films of the genre, so he conducted a thorough Q/A, which soon took on a force of it’s own. As with previous nights, many of the films cast and crew were in attendance, and on this night, the screenwriter, was gracious enough to show up with his wife and he even got involved with the Q/A, he just came right down the stage and grabbed the mic, it was gold. They all spoke of the film, Chuck Vincent, Editing and other topics. Afterward, there was a very long line of people waiting to see Larry, Jane and all the others.

L to R: Joe Rubin, Larry Revene, Jane Hamilton- Wanda Q/A

L to R: Veronica Vera, Larry Revene, Veronica Hart, Candida Royalle

It was an amazing night. Many of Jane’s friends had come out to the event as well. I got to finally meet Candida Royalle and spend some time with her, as well as reacquaint myself with Veronica Vera. Many people had said that it felt like a class reunion of the golden age.

Wanda Whips Wall Street(1982)

This is the first adult motion picture to probe and expose the sexy and exciting world of Big Money. Wanda, played by Veronica Hart, sets out to gain complete financial domination of a major securities firm. She uses methods both illegal and immoral in her quest for more of the corporation’s stock. Also starring Samantha Fox, Sharon Mitchell, Jamie Gillis.

Wanda Whips Wall Street is directed by Larry Revene, who was not only an excellent director in the 80′s, but has a tenure that goes back to the early 60′s, and continues through today, 2014. His early adult work began, when he helmed the camera for Bob Wolf and made many of the first loops in NYC, during the second half of the 1960′s. He also went on to continue to shoot for Wolf Productions on actual mini features or shorts. He became an incredibly pivotal part of the golden age of erotica in NYC, throughout the 70′s and 80′s, as a cinematographer, director, still photographer. He is certainly very well known for working with Chuck Vincent, of Platinum Pictures. Without going into great detail, Larry was literally one of the ‘GO TO” guy for the majority of directors of the day, from the Amero Brothers, Ron Sullivan, Armand Weston and others. He was a true professional and he got the job done. As the golden age came to end, Larry’s career and love for filmmaking continued to thrive, let’s just say it is in his blood. from Viet Nam to Iraq, Larry has been filming all over the world, he continues to make feature films as well as documentaries. Larry is an accomplished artist and painter as well. His work and his life are both full of absolutely incredible experiences, they are ones that books are written about, and that is just what Larry has done. He recently finished his first book, which is essential reading for any true fan of the golden age of erotic filmmaking.

Larry had copies of his books on hand and he sold quite a few of them, and signed them as well.  Please do yourself a favor and grab your copy today.

http://www.amazon.com/Wham-Bam-Boom-Trenches-Sojourner-ebook/dp/B00ANZ1UOW

All in all, In the Flesh ,was a total success, and the best part was being able to gather after each night and go out with a group of people for a few drinks, laugh and have some fun.  I got to meet dozens of Facebook friends, and make new acquaintances. In fact, the conversation I had with Larry, over several pints of Blue Moon, after the Take Off screening, was one of the best times I ever had.That is what I will remember most about this series.

Adult Industry Legends, Carter Stevens(R) and Larry Revene(L), reuniting at Anthology Film Archives

Jane Hamilton and Larry Revene.

HINDSIGHT : True Love & Mischief in the Golden Age of Porn

by Howie Gordon aka Richard Pacheco

Published by BearManor Media, Albany

Let me take you back to the early days of Spring 1986.  The setting : a small yet serviceable flat rented by my late BFF Frank in our hometown of Bruges, Belgium.  One sun-dappled afternoon, four freshly out of the closet friends aged 18 to 20 (including the aforementioned Frank as well as yours truly) feasted their fevered fantasies over our host’s carefully conserved copy of Playgirl Magazine’s Men of the Year special issue for the year 1980, lasciviously if tastefully lining up the cavalcade of cock that had graced its pages over the twelve preceding months.  Amidst our personal likes and dislikes, we all ended up agreeing that the selected stud laureate, one Howie Gordon of Berkeley, CA, met all our expectations and then some, therefore declared a worthy winner by our fabulous foursome.  To paraphrase a Cole Porter tune, he’d be oh so nice to come home to.  Sigh…

Among our quarrelsome quartet, though I didn’t let on at the time, I happened to be the only one (and since none of the others could ever stop blabbing contrary to softspoken lil’ me, they wouldn’t have been able to keep such a goodie to themselves) who was able to identify this hunk o’burnin’ love as adult actor Richard Pacheco.  A loyal if criminally underage patron of our local porno palace, which had definitively closed its doors the year before, I had harbored a serious crush on the guy since seeing him as sensitive boy next door stripper Jonathan, sweetly seducing then ruthlessly abandoning spinster schoolmarm Georgina Spelvin in Anthony Spinelli’s 1981 carnal classic THE DANCERS, a first-rate fuck flick first viewed in the early days of ’83 that still stands firmly amongst my personal favorites three decades down the line.
Mind you, this was not the very first adult film I had ever seen but none of the male performers I was familiar with at the time had struck much of a chord beyond the “oh yummy” stage that would traditionally last mere seconds and rarely extend past some masturbatory frenzy they had unwittingly inspired.  What made this Pacheco fella so special that he would stand out among his crowd of pornographic peers ?  The answer was simply : more.  Not necessarily in the penile compartment, as there were far heavier hung horsemen about, but contrary to popular belief (which the Internet does absolutely nothing to dispel) not every gay man, or woman for that matter, is a size queen per se.  No, we’re talking about something more on the inside, going on between the ears and expressing itself in a manner not immediately expected from someone in his line of work.  Conflicting with the conventional superstud image comfortably inhabited by most men in explicit entertainment, Pacheco’s screen persona was like THE DANCERS’ Jonathan very much what we imagined slash hoped the boy next door to be, someone we would like to know outside the confines of the bedroom, fall in love with maybe, at the least could fornicate and have fun with.  In short, a complete person, unafraid to show his softer side, not as some wrongly perceived weakness but as an actual stock in trade few screen studs cared to rival with, apart from Eric Edwards and Bob Bolla perhaps.

And now there’s the one time Richard Pacheco aka the achingly real Howie Gordon’s long-awaited autobiography, which he’s been planning to write since 1984, finally seeing the light of day.  Thirty years in the making !  A cast of thousands !  Was it worth the wait ?  You betcha !  Clocking in at just under 700 albeit lavishly illustrated pages (full color if you catch it on Kindle but beautifully rendered in black and white on the printed page nonetheless), it tells absolutely all about this most personable of porn performers.  Yet to circumsize his character to fit the fuck film frame is to do the man grave injustice.  Although each of his erotic epics is duly elaborated upon and judged as much as a personal experience in making it then as a work of entertainment, if not outright art, his adventures in the skin trade are just the tip of the iceberg, or perhaps in Howie’s case that should be the ever erupting volcano.  A backdrop almost to the greatest adventure of all, a life lived to the full that encompasses everlasting love with wife Carly and fatherhood forever strained yet sometimes also strangely strengthened by gainful employment in the erotic industry.

Gordon appears entirely unafraid to present himself as is, warts and all, described in an infectious style of conspiratorial camaraderie that draws readers in from page one, not to let them loose, equal parts exhilarated and exhausted, till the entire tale has been told.  Frequently interjected with jokey interludes by Marty the agent, pulling him back on track whenever in danger of digressing, and the voice of God (I kid you not), this could have easily ended up an unholy mess of a patchwork quilt but somehow Howie holds it all together beautifully as he guides us through his troubled youth, struggling with obesity prior to having his cherry popped on three (!!!) different occasions, past the relationships that were to shape his life either for better or worse.  Adult aficionados will, of course, hungrily devour accounts of encounters with such lusty luminaries as Marilyn Chambers or the late lamented Shauna Grant, to name but two on opposite sides of the spectrum connecting hilarity and heartbreak respectively.  Fair enough, we would all like to know what these fantasy-fuelling females were really like and Howie’s too much of a Mensch to reduce any of them to predictable stereotypes or performance rating scales.  What audiences witnessed on screen was often but a pale imitation of the interhuman complexities emanating from the brief bonds formed by the author and his leading ladies over a period lasting a mere couple of days stretching to several weeks, depending on what a particular project’s budget and shooting schedule would allow.  Considering the amount of time this book has spent in various stages of gestation, a certain déjà vu effect might inevitably occur among avid readers of men’s publications such as Hustler or Penthouse which have featured embryonic editions of various tidbits included herein over the years.  Equally important were his lasting friendships forged with filmmaker and mentor Sam Weston aka Anthony Spinelli and reigning rooster of the hardcore hen house John Leslie, who teamed up for the monumental TALK DIRTY TO ME and its makers illicit sequel (as title rights belonged to the producer with whom he, characteristically, had a falling out) NOTHING TO HIDE, much deservedly yielding numerous industry awards for people on both sides of the cameras.  Both men sadly no longer with us, Howie pays them touching tribute.

Still, the one character that will stay with readers long after they have finished this massive tome, rightfully so as she’s undoubtedly the most important person in his life, is Mrs. Gordon.  Wife, mother and ultimately grandmother, Carly remains something of a conundrum, a wish fulfilment forgiving spouse for boys who refuse to grow up, until Howie graciously allows her voice to be heard, explaining how it took a whole lotta love, respect and resilience to keep their family firmly fixed.  This essential testimony cements the book’s definitive status as one man’s soul-searching study of his own life and what it all meant, reflected by the views of his most significant other to put it all into perspective.  Like James Stewart’s modern day Job George Bailey from Frank Capra’s Christmas classic IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE or perhaps more appropriately Don Ameche’s on the surface seemingly far more salacious scoundrel Henry Van Cleve in Ernst Lubitsch’s HEAVEN CAN WAIT, Howie’s world eventually turned out a far better place for having him in it.  In a foreword that merits the book’s purchase all by itself, longtime friend and neighbor Whoopi Goldberg (perhaps the most down to earth Hollywood celeb but still) confirms as much and it is further tribute to the guy’s gentlemanly stature that he barely bothers to namedrop her throughout after that glowing introduction.

Somewhere up in the sky, Frank (reread my opening paragraph if you already forgot about him) smiles down at me, shaking his head at his former friend’s impish secrecy, comfortably cushioned between too many dearly departed souls from all our lives, both real and imagined, sitting in the dark even in the most disreputable of movie houses.  At age 65, Dickie Pacheco finally got his autobiography out, timely as so many lustful luminaries have been checking out these past few years (in addition to Spinelli, Leslie and Chambers, there’s also been Gerard Damiano, Juliet Anderson, Harry Reems, Jeez, the list is long and way too depressing !), and its greatest surprise may be that it covers so much more than adult’s flourishing West Coast scene of the ’70s and ’80s when he starred in several of the more prestigious schmeckle movies.  Testimonies such as these are not only valid in covering aspects of cinema history in danger of imminent oblivion, as “polite society” would undoubtedly prefer, but as proof positive of the existence of a compassionate humanity even in the “unlikeliest of circumstances” as the world at large still prefers to pigeonhole the sex industry, an occasional box office blast like BOOGIE NIGHTS barely able to alter that peculiar perception.

Dries Vermeulen aka DirtyMovieDevotee (just this once more for you, Howie !)
BUY NOW:

http://www.amazon.com/Hindsight-True-Love-Mischief-Golden/dp/1593937490

Mike Vraney, founder of Something Weird Video and master collector and comic book expert died last night, Jan.2, 2014.

Mike Vraney, founder of Something Weird Video.

Some of the saddest news to come out of the video industry in some time, and I am afraid that Lisa, Mike’s wife, had confirmed his death was last night. Mike died at home, after a long battle with lung cancer. He dies with Lisa by his side and he was suffering. Mike’ suffering is over, but his legacy will live on forever, through the fans and through his collections. He also go to realize his dream, which was to make the story of sexploitation and work with his mentor, the late Dave Friedman. I am honored to have gotten to actually sit with Mike and Lisa, this past Ocotober, as we watched “That’s Sexploitation” and he was so proud of that, so happy and watching it with Mike and Lisa, was a once in a lifetime experience. Although Mike was very sick, during all of this, he smiled and was truly happy.  The Distribpix Family would like to send it’s heartfelt condolences to Mikes family, his wife-Lisa, his 2 wonderful children and all the other close people in Mike’s small circle. Tim Lewis, Frank Henenlotter, Jimmy Maslin, and all others. I am truly sorry for this loss, but I know he is no longer suffering.

My father, Arthur Morowitz, who was very close with both Dave Friedman and Mike Vraney, was very saddened to learn of this just a few minutes ago, and was rather upset, he knew how ill Mike has been, and is relieved that he is no longer suffering.

He added, “This is a monumental loss to the film community and a diamond in the rough has left this earth. Mike was a very interesting guy and took chances that led him to brand SWV and turn that into a globally recognized name, and that was something that I was drawn to immediately. He released many of our early Distribpix titles to the market and we have been involved in film deals for decades. He was a man of his word, and strong will and that is one of the traits that drew my attention, when we first met. He was aggressive and would always follow through on our deals. He was a man of privacy and when we did get together, we always had fun. Although we have not been in touch for a while, I did get to speak with him before his passing and that was special. he will be missed.

Mike Vraney and his lovely wife Lisa.

I will be doing more stories and interviews on SWV and Mike’s legacy , but in the meantime, all love to the family and close friends. Let’s get That’s Sexploitation into Distribution!!!

From the Distribpix Archives, all content ©Distribpix Inc. All Rights Reserved

For the last month, I have been fortunate enough to have a college student, acting as an assistant in my archive, doing many things, but primarily, his job was to continue on the never ending mission of digitally scanning through our archive. Not large scale stuff, like posters, but rather the countless filing cabinets of contact sheets and their respective negatives, racks of binders of 35mm color slides from the shoots, boxes of 8×10 glossies from all the sexploitation films, old theater shots, original VXP and Sweetheart theater mini catalogs, shoe boxes of never before seen photos, rolodex contents and even daily planners, etc.

As many of you have seen, there is a daunting amount of photo material in the archive, all one a kind and rare. So little by little, we are chugging through it, and backing up our files daily. As much as I love this type of nostalgia, I am drawn to the more personal ephemera, particularly shots of the people who were part of the actual landscape of classic erotica. No matter if they were on the big screen, the owner of the company, the projectionist or the janitor. None of them survived without the other. With the current state of technology today, it is easy to see how and why, many of us take for granted the actual workings of the golden age of erotic films. People today think that they would shoot a film, take it to theater, BAM. It was so much more involved than that and the mechanics of the industry were as complex and fine tuned as they are to this day, maybe even more so.

I have had several people as part time assistants, and this guy was by far the best. He was a worker and smart as well, and technical. He could handle scanning slides, organizing digital files and packing DVD’s at the same time. He did a great job helping me digitize some great ephemera. Almost 14,000 individually scanned files over several months- from contact sheets to business cards to catalogs. He was one of many who have helped me chisel yet another notch in the arduous task of unraveling the Distribpix legacy, which is Pornography in New York. Distribpix is Pornography in New York and more!!

I wanted to share a few of the more recent pictures from the golden age of NYC erotica, these have been hidden away for over 30 years, it is a pleasure to see some of them.

Legends of the Golden Age of Erotica, Joe Sarno, Gloria Leonard, Arthur Morowitz

Joe Sarno and Gloria Leonard were both key players in the early days of New York hardcore.  Joe was making films when he met Arthur and Howard, but he was still growing as a filmmaker. It is safe to say that he is a as synonymous with Distribpix, like bread and butter. Gloria was a legend in her own right. This photo was taken around the time that Joe directed, All About Gloria Leonard( 1978-79), which was a popular film from Video-X-Pix.

Porn Queen, Annie Sprinkle and Arthur M.

Annie Sprinkle and Distribpix/Video-X-Pix Founder, circa 1982. Annie Sprinkle was essentially discovered by Gerard Damiano while she was working at a theater out west. She followed him back to New York and the rest is history. She was vibrant, kinky and collected. As far as I know, this is has never been seen before and totally exclusive.

Distribpix Founder- Arthur Morowitz, working the theater.

After legendary Bobby Sumner ran the World Theater is was taken over by the owners of Distribpix. The ran it with several other theaters that became part of the legendary Sweetheart Theater chain (The World, The Orleans, The Circus Cinema, The East World, The Harem). Arthur was a true businessman, and when it came to making a buck, he had the brains and the balls. He really did help to create and industry and move it along. His business sense was as keen as it could get. He would eventually own many theaters in NYC, and the surrounding areas.

Original Distribpix Business cards.

Well, if you thought that Distribpix was isolated to only New York, your dead wrong. As much as it was a NY based institution, Howie and Artie, had branched out to the west coast, to make sure that their films would have equal representation in the theaters of Los Angeles, as well as other west coast venues. Those were the days, but not long after, 35mm began to die and of course for Artie and Howard, that was an obstacle that they conquered with ease( VIDEO-X-PIX and VIDEO SHACK). It really is an intense story and I am hardly able to scratch the surface. He talks about it with much passion and we have recorded so much of it. It is almost much better told by him.

One of many Video Shack, window displays, 49st, NYC.

Now, I want you all to listen up! Take a moment and make sure you digest the following little tidbits. This is a window display of the Flagship Video Shack on West 49thst, 7th and Bway, which was owned by Distribpix founders. As many of you know, it was the first and certainly the best, of the big biz video chains, that had created and helped to define home video.( 20 plus locations). In other words, like the slogan boasted, ” WE HAVE THEM ALL”, and they did.

Anyway, so this is a shot of the last window of the store, and the display is all ADULT product, nothing else, and what is the product? It is all Video-X-Pix product in the window. Next to the Video Shack, you can see the entrance to the porn theater, All American Girls is showing. That theater is also owned by Distribpix founders, and they operated it. So here is the lesson, which is obvious when you hear it from me, but it took me many years to see all of this and actually put it together. So they owned some of the best real estate in NYC, on that block they owned and operated a huge video store, which sold their own Video-X-Pix produced adult product, next to a theater that showed their own 35mm productions( and others)……….Holy shit, are you with me, talk about a little fucking empire! No doubt, the rents in NYC are as high as they can get. They got in at the right time, they had the brains to create and pave a niche and the drive to succeed.

Video Shack catalog, 1983.

The story can go really deep and as much as I want to tell it all, it is for another time. We may produce a short documentary that focuses on the basics of Video Shack, or bring back the brand in the form of a blog.

Screw founder and legendary actress, Gloria Leonard.

When I was around 7 or 8 years old, the words- Al Goldstein, Seka, Porno and Video were commonplace. I did not have the most typical upbringing. Totally normal in the sense that I would go to school, was an average(or below) student, and hung out. Not typical, in the sense that I was constantly surrounded by the adult business and I have 2 brothers, as well. So you got 3 boys, living and breathing this biz, all living in the same house. There were pictures of my father and Al Goldstein on the walls of our home and when I look back on it now, the pictures were hanging up, because he was proud of Al, and proud of their relationship. I still have those pictures, and they are amazing. I know I met Al, when I was a young boy, and have no actual memories that I had of him and me interacting, other than seeing him in my father’s office.

Al Goldstein, hopefully now resting in peace, is pictured here in much younger and thinner days. He is in the Distribpix offices eating cake and possibly celebrating the release of All About Gloria Leonard, or maybe not. I have not shown this to my father yet, but he is very quick to remember the most random stuff, and he may be able to identify the context of this photo.  In order to discover the context of some of this ephemera, I have to almost act in a forensic manner.

Video Shack was a family business, even my grandmother worked there, for many years.

The great Syliva Millhauser (my mom’s mom and only surviving grandparent), my grandmother, worked at one of the Video Shack locations on Long Island, I think it was the Carle’s Place store( I have to double check). She was an amazing employee and worked their for so many years. She is still alive and I want to interview here before it is too late. She would take me to work and I loved to stay with them, in their tiny apartment in Little Neck. My mother would drive me to Queens, and I would stay with her so many times. My grandpa Jerry would leave at 5 am and take the train to the garment district, where he worked for his entire life, until he was canned, it was sad. Oddly enough, at that time, the Video Shack on 49th st, was a cash machine and to keep grandpa Jerry busy, my father gave him a job as a security guard, to keep an eye on the ADULT room in the back of the store, which was a hot commodity. So my grandpa continued to get up at 5 am and head into the city, but instead of going to the garment district, he headed to Video Shack.

This amazing shot, shows grandma Sylvia, working the porn counter and working it well. Look at that selection in the glass counter. It is the mecca of adult VHS! I remember her so gracefully charging someone’s credit card for hundreds of dollars of VHS porn( which was like 2 movies)! Or asking why they did not rewind Debbie Does Dallas. Again, it is in hindsight that I realize all of this.

Original Sweetheart theatre mini-catalog, these are priceless.

“Take Your Sweetheart to a Sweetheart Theatre”!! The Sweetheart Theatre chain consisted of 5 film houses- The World Theatre, The EastWorld, The Circus, The Harem and The Orleans. These were all prolific film houses, some more historic and important than others. The World Theater had an amazing reputation and if you had your movies play at the World, it was a good thing. It was like, ” If it is playing at the World, it must be great”. Gerard Damiano’s Deep Throat  premiered at the World in 1972 and so did many of Radley Metzger’s films, such as The Opening of Misty Beethoven in 1976. The Circus around the corner was more gritty, but also a cash cow. I grew up around the theaters, I was too young to be a patron, but it never stopped me from going inside. I would go along for walks to pick up money bags from the theaters, with large men, that carried guns. I hung out with a Philippino projectionist named Raleigh, who would lift weights in the projection booth, between reel changes- NO JOKE. He was packed with muscle and if I remember correctly, he was a runner up or a winner of the Mr. Philippines contest, before he came to the US. I mean, I was thrown into this projection booth and I would peek down into this packed theater of perverts, it was awesome. I remember once, going down to the front entrance and asking for a soda and candy bar. I am not sure if I was even 10 years old at the time?

The World Theater.

I hope you enjoyed my little mini tour of some of these rare and unique images, there are so many more stories and images, they really can fill volumes of coffee table books, but right now, I have to get some sleep. Long live New York’s golden age of erotica.

-Distribpix Man

All About Gloria Leonard, Original theatrical Invitation- Art Board.© 2014 Distribix Inc.

Gloria Leonard: Another Legend Passes, August 28, 1940 – February 3, 2014

Gloria Leonard was not just a porn star. Gloria was a friend and maybe even more like a distant aunt. She would call my mom by her first name, she would always ask, “How’s Harriet”? I heard her name all the time growing up, as she was essentially one of the main contract stars, for much of the early Video-X-Pix classics, which was a company, run by my father and his partner. She got along very well with her cohorts.

She was an activist, a mouthpiece for the industry, fighting for the rights of her fellow performers and censorship issues. She was a business woman, worked on Wall Street. She helped invent the phone sex revolution. She was the publisher of High Society. And a pornographic  film star. She was a single mother, and a wife. An AVN Hall of Famer and XRCO Legend. A friend to so many and an icon to thousands more. She will never be forgotten.

Gloria Leonard.

Gloria got her start in the film industry after meeting Radley Metzger in 1976. She starred in 2 of his films, The Opening of Misty Beethoven(1976) and Maraschino Cherry(1979).

The Opening of Misty Beethoven and Maraschino Cherry

Gloria Leonard and Constance Money, The Opening of Misty Beethoven.

She continued to work throughout the industry as a star and a often made cameo appearances. Her starring role in Joe Sarno’s, All About Gloria Leonard (1978) , and later appearances in Chuck Vincent’s Misbehavin(1979) set her apart from your average star. We even get to see her as a blonde in Silky (1981).

All About Gloria Leonard, 1978. ©2014 Distribpix Inc.

Gloria was very pivotal in the early years of the Distribpix Video arm- Video-X-Pix. The industry had just gone thru it’s porn-chic prime and was on the down slide-  the self named “Movie Mongoloids”(Morowitz/Farber), had sequestered Joe Sarno to helm the camera for some good old NYC porn features on 35 mm, to implement their newly acquired Sam Lake Enterprises. Gloria was there at the right time, she was a real lady and she had an incredible sense of humor, An excellent quality that most know about her.

Distribpix founders, with Gloria Leonard, circa 1978.

It has been hard to try and write something since the news hit all of us last week. We were in touch with each other, not every month, but we spoke. I flew her to NYC in 2009, we worked together on some interviews and extras for Radley Metzger’s ,’Maraschino Cherry’. We had fun, and I distinctly remember her flying in, and we had her picked up at the airport, and she was beat and needed a pick me up. She was so up front, so straight forward and looked at me and said, ” Do you have any pot to smoke”? I knew I had my dream girl! We shared a joint, it was great. We had tons of fun. After our visit, she headed into the city and then on to visit her daughter down south.

We saw each other again, and it did not seem that long ago, I want to say it was 2012. I was working on a deluxe and remastered package of Radley Metzger’s,  ’The Opening of Misty Beethoven’. This was Gloria Leonard’s first adult role and a hell of a role it was. I wanted her to do a commentary track for the release, as well as perform an HD interview, which she did in Hawaii, at a cinematographer’s studio. In return for her services, I flew her into NYC, so she can spend some amazing time with her lifelong friend’s of Club 90( Gloria Leonard, Kelly Nichols, Sue Nero,Veronica Hart, Veronica Vera, Candida Royalle, Annie Sprinkle, as well as attend a wedding of her dear friend, Veronica Vera. ( Again, I hope I am getting these details right, sorry if they are jumbled).

Gloria also attended a Club 90 reunion at the Museum of Sex in NYC, where all the girls got together on a panel. They spoke of their lives, their work and we got a solid glimpse of what they are all about. It was a great event. Even dragged my father out, and he has always had a soft spot in his heart for Gloria.

Club 90 reunion, June 2012.

Arthur Morowitz and Gloria Leonard, 2012.

They had a wonderful relationship, and it showed. We took her out to dinner after the event at the Old Homestead, the oldest steakhouse in NYC. Now this detail is faded in my mind, but this is no joke- at the table were Arthur Morowitz, Gloria Leonard, Joe Rubin, myself and Bill Lustig? LOL. I am not kidding, I just forget how Bill got into the mix. Anyway, it was a great meal, a good time. Gloria and my father had a slap stick relationship, they joked all the time. They would also talk business and of course some politics. She would often use the same jokes on him and vice versa. At the last dinner we had, He joked, that if he fucked her, he would be arrested for necrophilia,  and she coyly reply, “Hey Arthur, if you want to commit suicide, just jump off you wallet”. The same old jokes.

The Old Homestead Stekakhouse- Arthur Morowitz , Gloria Leonard, Joe Rubin and Bill Lustig(not pictured).

The loved each other, and I loved her too. I genuinely knew of her much of my life and since 2009, had kept a semi continuous relationship with her. Even recently, she had taken to Facebook and was doing some nice communicating, between old and lost friends, and even new fans. This came as a huge surprise to me, not sure why, I mean, these things happen. But, for some reason, I just thought of Gloria sticking around for a long while. I wish I had a chance to say good bye, I am sure we all feel that way. As I get older, death becomes something that I have been dealing much more often. We get older, our elders, get older. Life moves quick, and I know we can’t fight death, we must accept it. BUT, we can make sure that people are not forgotten. We can make sure that legends live on forever. I will do what I can in my life, to help keep Gloria’s legend alive. Preserve her on film, tell stories, share images, etc.

Gloria Leonard and Distribpix Founder,Arthur Morowitz, 1978.

I love you Gloria. I am posting some gorgeous and not too often seen images of you throughout your career. These are from the archive and there are hundreds of them, and hopefully they will be part of a coffee table book on the genre! But for now, these are for old fans, new fans and anyone else. You were an original, one of the pioneers, a legend. With all of our love forever.

Gloria Leonard, 1978. ©2014 Distribpix Inc.

Gloria Leonard. ©2014 Distribpix Inc.

Phone Sex Fantasies-Gloria Leonard. ©2014 Distribpix Inc.

Gloria Leonard, 1978. ©2014 Distribpix Inc.

Screw founder and legendary actress, Gloria Leonard.

The one and only, Gloria Leonard. ©Distribpix Inc.

Honcho of Blue Underground, Manic Cop Maven and Anchor Bay Bandit ,Bill Lustig, was once called Billy Bagg….yup- Billy Bagg!

Yes, this is absolutely true. He made 2 films using that alias, The Violation of Claudia and Hot Honey, both from the late 1970′s. These were his first films, Violation of Claudia was shot in 35mm and Hot Honey in 16mm. Distribpix owns both of the films and the original elements. They were recently scanned in 2k resolution and had digital restoration and color correction performed. They both look very clean, maybe too clean!

Several years ago, Bill Lustig, along with famous movie director, Nicolas Winding Refn,were both gracious enough to come to a sound studio in Burbank, to perform audio commentaries on both films, both full length, it is gold! Nic actually moderates the commentary with a cynical tone that changes from astonished to comical, but all in all, it is very informative, and the complete stories of both films are told. Bill is wonderful with his memory, he is accurate and shares many details. I am hoping that all of the Blue Underground fans will give this release a chance, if not only for almost 4 hours of unique and rare commentary, but equally as gorgeous film restorations. I think this will become a valuable collectible.

The films are being authored and should be able to see the market by late Spring, early summer.

It will be billed as a double feature that will contain both films, from 2k scans, full length audio commentary for each film and an exclusive slideshow/ephemera gallery.

I have wanted to release this for a while now and I am excited to see things finally moving along again.

I hope you enjoy The Billy Bagg Double Feature.

The World Theater, The Violation of Claudia

Bill Lustig and the films of Billy Bagg – Distribpix Podcast episode #2

The Distribpix Podcast Episode #2- Bill Lustig and the films of Billy Bagg

Before he was known as Bill Lustig, he was called Billy Bagg, want to know why?

Before he became the legendary head of Blue Underground and years before he was releasing his favorite films to DVD for Anchor Bay, he was Billy Bagg.

Billy Bagg was an alias for Bill Lusting when he directed 2 X rated films in the late 1970′s, Hot Honey and The Violation of Claudia. Both of these films are getting a special release as a double feature, with brand new 2 k scans of each film, as well as amazing commentaries on both of the films, moderated by Hollywood director Nic Winding Refn.

Bill Lusting and Nic Winding Refn, 2010.

The details of the audio commentary are amazing, and any Blue Underground, Nic Winding Refn fan or just fan of classic erotica must pick up ,this soon to be released DVD. This project has been a huge undertaking and the restorations of both films are excellent. In order to prepare and celebrate this release, I got together with Bill Lustig in his West Hollywood apartment in late January 2014 and we sat down and talked a bit about his career, his love for cinema and we touched briefly about the films. Lustig also talks about growing up in NJ, escaping to the grind houses of NYC as a child, his early influences and so much more! BUT, we made it a point to leave out all the exact details of the films and keep them exclusive to  the commentary tracks. But, with that said, I hope you enjoy our conversation together, it is honest, simple and to the point.   In the podcast, he refers several times to “your father”, he is referring to Arthur Morowitz, the original founder of Distribpix.

Listen to the podcast here:

Or download it here: Bill Lustig Podcast

Coming this summer from Distribpix Inc.- Bill Lustig’s NY Erotica, a double bill featuring both of his X rated films from the 1970′s. Both films have been restored with brand new 2k scans, color correction and digital scratch removal. Each film has an intensely educational commentary track moderated by Nicolas Winding Refn. You will learn so much from the commentaries alone.

This will be the first installment of the Sweetheart Theaters Home Video Cinema line, which is perfect as both of these films, debuted at the Word Theater.

Please enjoy the brand new HD trailers for The Violation of Claudia and Hot Honey.

She shoots, she scores!

Once again, the incredible GGG, goes above and beyond with a stellar review, in her own style, as usual! I can’t tell you how much that I appreciate your support on all of these projects.

READ REVIEW HERE

Another journey to visit our soft spoken pal, Eric Edwards!

It was about 3 years ago that I had gone up to the mountains, about an hour north of Los Angeles, to visit legendary adult actor and all around gentlemen, Eric Edwards or Rob Everett(his real name). In 2010, I had wanted to go and visit Rob to meet him, as well as be able to talk to him about some of his adult roles as well as his life in general. I have been been around the adult industry in one form or another for much of my life, even as a youngster. I brought a professional camera crew and we were able to capture some amazing HD footage, some of which can be seen as extra bonus footage on the release of The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann, in the form of an interview. The remaining footage, much of which has not yet been seen, has been set aside and is reserved for upcoming  projects, as well as video doc clips!

Eric Edwards and Distribpix Man, Frazier Park, CA. 2013

When we initially posted the pics and clips from our first visit in 2010, so many of Rob’s fans came out of the woodwork, the Distribpix Blog lit up and people were happy to hear from him. This made Rob happy. We had kept in touch, but I have not made it back out to California, since I saw him. So you can imagine how happy I was, when I realized that I had to be back on the west coast for business reasons. It was the perfect opportunity and I would make sure to never go out there again, without visiting him. He is such a legend and sweetheart, for real. He is only about an hour and a half outside of L.A. and it really is quite beautiful in the mountains, the air is clean, fresh. There is a sense of calmness where he lives, almost a cross between the desert and Big Bear Mtns.

I would never want to feel like I am bothering anyone, nor do I make it a habit to knee-jerk retired adult stars or directors, so that I can get them on film or for certain DVD extras. Rob, genuinely wanted me to come and visit.

I was already going to be meeting with several of my colleagues in the Los Angeles area, but as usual I had the pleasure of chilling and traveling with close friend Joe Rubin, for much of my time in that great city. His love for L.A. is infectious and he loves to be there. Considering he is an archivist and one of the most astute minds on sexploitation films in the country today, he was more than thrilled to be visiting Rob, and I was happy to have him along for the ride!

Legendary adult director, Cass Paley( Wesley Emerson) was also going to visit Rob with his crew- for his own film project, and it was planned that way. We all know each other and we had set it up, so that we can see him at once, to not make things so invasive, as Rob has settled into a quiet lifestyle. They had arrived a few hours before us and had gotten some early morning footage of Rob feeding the ducks in his local park, which happens to be a tradition for Rob…….The park itself is gorgeous as well, and a great place to shoot pics and enjoy some good old mother nature.

Adult Industry Legend -Eric Edwards, Distribpix owner -Steven M. and Adult Industry Veteran- Cass Paley, September 2013.

Myself and Joe arrived about 2 hours after they had already started shooting, and I was greeted by Rob. We embraced each other and he gave me a warm hug, a big- warm hug. It felt great. I had introduced Joe to Rob and instantly we all hit it off. It was like, I never left. I mean we are both 3 years older than the last time we saw each other, but besides that, I think he looked great. He was smiling, but he always does. He was so cordial, but he always is. He is such a joy to be around. For hours we all spoke and it was wonderful to hear many different stories, and ones that I had never heard before.

An interesting aspect of this visit, is that Joe is a virtual encyclopedia of Erotic films and the film genre as a whole, and at one point, Joe got into the interviewer’s chair, to give Cass a breather, and it was really exciting. Joe was able to cite specific scenes, exact dialog -on a dime, and geographical locations where Rob’s films were even shot, and it truly helped to bring Rob back to the golden age. I mean, I had never known about Rob’s beloved bed, his amazing bed, that he had custom made in every way, the story is amazing and sad(HINT-future clip). He also opened up to us in even more detail about his battles with cancer, his treatments, the loves of his life, his children and how he is doing today.

Eric Edwards Interview – September 2013

Our day was running out and eventually we all had to head back toward L.A. But we decided to have a nice meal together on our way down the mountain and went to Rob’s favorite Chinese Restaurant, with a great view. Rob ordered some saki with his meal, we all relaxed and enjoyed some very soft conversation.

Eric Edwards and Joe Rubin enjoying some nice conversation.

Rob is such a wonderful person, with a great sense of humor. In my opinion, Rob( Eric Edwards) has found a place in his life where he has solace. He has been through the meat grinder, to hell and back, from his battles with cancer, to lost loves. But, even since the last time we saw each other, he seems to have grown even more, and of course I am saying that from a distance and I am far removed from his day to day life. I just sensed during our day together that he truly speaks his heart, he is an absolute romantic, a lover and had just opened himself up, like I had not seen years ago.

He went into detail about his past loves, both with Arcadia Lake and Renee Summers.  He went into an almost play by play of his entire career, including his occasional perusal to his coffee table where he had arranged stick em tabs, complete with penciled notes.  From his loop days with Bob Wolf and Wolf Productions, to his mainstream acting career and commercials, through his adult industry tenure.

He really was prepared, even allowing us to view his treasured portfolio, complete with baby pics and head shots! Much of what we spoke about off camera is off the record, I mean we have a genuine friendship and that is something I would not want to jeopardize. But, he was very open about the majority of things we spoke about, and it was in front of the camera, and I think he is happy to let the world know that he is doing alright. I am more than happy to have Rob on board to work on any future projects, but I am more excited that I will be back in Los Angles much sooner than expected, and that will give me another chance to get together with the great Rob Everett( Eric Edwards).

In a huge sense, I am very thankful to Rob, for it was his sincere and candid conversation with us, detailing his battles with cancer, and what he dealt with on a daily basis for several years. He talks about the details of his treatments and why he decided to make those life changing decisions. His words are inspirational, they are truly from the heart and from the hip. I was so touched that he allowed us to record this very intimate look at his personal life, that I wanted to share some of the outtake footage from the B roll camera. I think it is a really special clip, and for those of you who want to see what Rob (Eric Edwards), looks like today, please enjoy this exclusive clip from our recent interview. And please feel free to send a note to Rob, he gets all of his messages thru the Distribpix Blog and or the The Distribpix Inc Facebook page. He is always happy to hear from his fans.

All in all, I am very thankful that we saw each other.  It was a very mellow and low key event, we really just hung out, talked and enjoyed each other’s company. I will see you again very soon, Your a legend of the adult industry, an absolute survivor of many hardships and possibly one of the most gentle and soft spoken souls that has come out of the golden age of adult filmmaking.

Eric Edwards, as Frank, The Private Detective in The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann.

ANTHOLOGY FILMS- IN THE FLESH SERIES 

All About Gloria Leonard, Original theatrical Invitation- Art Board.© 2014 Distribix Inc.

Gloria Leonard: Another Legend Passes, August 28, 1940 – February 3, 2014

Gloria Leonard was not just a porn star. Gloria was a friend and maybe even more like a distant aunt. She would call my mom by her first name. I heard her name all the time growing up, as she was essentially one of the main contract stars, for much of the early Video-X-Pix classics, which was a company, run by my father and his partner. She got along very well with her cohorts.

She was an activist, a mouthpiece for the industry, fighting for the rights of her fellow performers and censorship issues. She was a business woman, worked on Wall Street. She helped invent the phone sex revolution. She was the publisher of High Society. And a pornographic  film star. She was a single mother, and a wife. An AVN Hall of Famer and XRCO Legend. A friend to so many and an icon to thousands more. She will never be forgotten.

Gloria Leonard.

Gloria got her start in the film industry after meeting Radley Metzger in 1976. She starred in 2 of his films, The Opening of Misty Beethoven(1976) and Maraschino Cherry(1979).

The Opening of Misty Beethoven and Maraschino Cherry

Gloria Leonard and Constance Money, The Opening of Misty Beethoven.

She continued to work throughout the industry as a star and a often made cameo appearances. Her starring role in Joe Sarno’s, All About Gloria Leonard (1978) , and later appearances in Chuck Vincent’s Misbehavin(1979) set her apart from your average star. We even get to see her as a blonde in Silky (1981).

All About Gloria Leonard, 1978. ©2014 Distribpix Inc.

Gloria was very pivotal in the early years of the Distribpix Video arm- Video-X-Pix. The industry had just gone thru it’s porn-chic prime and was on the down slide-  the self named “Movie Mongoloids”(Morowitz/Farber), had sequestered Joe Sarno to helm the camera for some good old NYC porn features on 35 mm, to implement their newly acquired Sam Lake Enterprises. Gloria was there at the right time, she was a real lady and she had an incredible sense of humor, An excellent quality that most know about her.

It has been hard to try and write something since the news hit all of us last week. We were in touch with each other, not every month, but we spoke. I flew her to NYC in 2009, we worked together on some interviews and extras for Radley Metzger’s ,’Maraschino Cherry’. We had fun, and I distinctly remember her flying in, and we had her picked up at the airport, and she was beat and needed a pick me up. She was so up front, so straight forward and looked at me and said, ” Do you have any pot to smoke”? I knew I had my dream girl! We shared a joint, it was great. We had tons of fun. After our visit, she headed into the city and then on to visit her daughter down south.

We saw each other again, and it did not seem that long ago, I want to say it was 2012. I was working on a deluxe and remastered package of Radley Metzger’s,  ‘The Opening of Misty Beethoven’. This was Gloria Leonard’s first adult role and a hell of a role it was. I wanted her to do a commentary track for the release, as well as perform an HD interview, which she did in Hawaii, at a cinematographer’s studio. In return for her services, I flew her into NYC, so she can spend some amazing time with her lifelong friend’s of Club 90( Gloria Leonard, Kelly Nichols,Veronica Hart, Veronica Vera, Candida Royalle, Annie Sprinkle, as well as attend a wedding of her dear friend, Veronica Vera. ( Again, I hope I am getting these details right, sorry if they are jumbled).

Gloria also attended a Club 90 reunion at the Museum of Sex in NYC, where all the girls got together on a panel. They spoke of their lives, their work and we got a solid glimpse of what they are all about. It was a great event. Even dragged my father out, and he has always had a soft spot in his heart for Gloria.

Club 90 reunion, June 2012.

They had a wonderful relationship, and it showed. We took her out to dinner after the event at the Old Homestead, the oldest steakhouse in NYC. Now this detail is faded in my mind, but this is no joke- at the table were my father, Gloria Leonard, Joe Rubin, myself and Bill Lustig? LOL. I am not kidding, I just forget how Bill got into the mix. Anyway, it was a great meal, a good time. Gloria and my father had a slap stick relationship, they joked all the time. They would also talk business and of course some politics. She would often use the same jokes on him and vice versa.

They loved each other, and I loved her too. I genuinely knew of her much of my life and since 2009, had kept a semi continuous relationship with her. Even recently, she had taken to Facebook and was doing some nice communicating, between old and lost friends, and even new fans. This came as a huge surprise to me, not sure why, I mean, these things happen. But, for some reason, I just thought of Gloria sticking around for a long while. I wish I had a chance to say good bye, I am sure we all feel that way. As I get older, death becomes something that I have been dealing much more often. We get older, our elders, get older. Life moves quick, and I know we can’t fight death, we must accept it. BUT, we can make sure that people are not forgotten. We can make sure that legends live on forever. I will do what I can in my life, to help keep Gloria’s legend alive. Preserve her on film, tell stories, share images, etc.

I love you Gloria. I am posting some gorgeous and not too often seen images of you throughout your career. These are from the archive and there are hundreds of them, and hopefully they will be part of a coffee table book on the genre! But for now, these are for old fans, new fans and anyone else. You were an original, one of the pioneers, a legend. With all of our love forever.

Gloria Leonard, 1978. ©2014 Distribpix Inc.

Gloria Leonard. ©2014 Distribpix Inc.

Phone Sex Fantasies-Gloria Leonard. ©2014 Distribpix Inc.

Gloria Leonard, 1978. ©2014 Distribpix Inc.

Screw founder and legendary actress, Gloria Leonard.

The one and only, Gloria Leonard. ©Distribpix Inc.

The Billy Bagg Double Feature (The Violation of Claudia/Hot Honey),presented by Distribpix Inc. will be the first DVD package of the Sweetheart Theatres DVD line, a line which celebrates the erotic films and cinemas that operated under the Sweetheart Theatre umbrella. This first double feature installment, takes us back to the Word Theater, for a WORLD PREMIERE of both titles, one took placed in 1977, the other in 1978.

Before he became one of the most famous and important horror filmmakers of the 1980s, Bill Lustig(Manic Cop, Vigilante) directed these two X rated oddities. Both films have been newly restored in 2K from their original negatives and each audio commentary with Bill Lustig is moderated by Danishfilm director, Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Only God Forgives, Valhalla Rising, Bronson).

The package will be available for pre-order next week, August 25th, 2014. The product may even ship as early as next week, as well.

In THE VIOLATION OF CLAUDIA (1977), the incredible Sharon Mitchell stars as Claudia, a beautiful, wealthy housewife who enters the seedy and bizarre world of prostitution with the help of her manipulative tennis coach (Jamie Gillis).Also starring Crystal Sync, Long Jeane Silvers and Don Peterson.(63min)

BONUS FEATURES: •Director Commentary with Bill Lustig and filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn •Original Theatrical Trailer (Hot Version) •Sildeshow & Ephemera Gallery ______________________________________________

In HOT HONEY (1978), young Honey (Heather Young) refuses to put out for her boyfriend,preferring to tend for her wheelchair bound brother (Jamie Gillis). But soon, Honey begins a strange sexual awakening, seducing men and women alike! Co-starring Serenaand Robin Byrd.(71 min)

BONUS FEATURES: •Director Commentary with Bill Lustig and filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn •Original Theatrical Trailer (Cool Version) •Bonus Podcast with Bill Lustig

www.distribpix.com

Introducing, the brand new DVD Release of the The Billy Bagg Double Feature: The Adult Films of Bill Lustig, is now available for pre-order on many online sites, or directly for retail from Distribpix.com. The package contains both of Bill Lustig’s early X rated features, The Violation of Claudia and Hot Honey. Both films haven been restored in 2k from their original negatives. Color correction and digital scratch removal software was used to help restore the image and bring the films back to life. They now exits for the first time ever on home video in their original aspect ratios of 1.85:1. Besides both UNCUT features, original theatrical trailers, and an exclusive slide and ephemera gallery, there are 2 stellar audio commentaries with director Bill Lustig(Maniac Cop, Vigilante), one for each film. Each commentary is moderated by super famous, Danish Filmmaker, Nicolas Winding Refn(Drive, Bronson, Valhalla Rising).

Nicolas Winding Refn and Bill Lustig, Audio Commentary

I truly feel that these commentaries are very special. They were recorded while Nicolas was in Hollywood filming Drive, he was gracious enough to take 3 hours out of his day and meet with Bill, in a Burbank Sound studio. What came from that recording session was magical. The sessions were not only incredibly entertaining, but full of facts and tidbits about Bill Lustig’s early days of filmmaking. For any fan of Bill Lustig or Nicolas Winding Refn, this package is a must have.

Here is the reversible box art for this release, which is also the first edition of the Sweetheart Theatres, line of DVD’s, now available at www.distribpix.com

Full DVD Box Cover, Front Side (Clear Case)

Full DVD Box Cover- Reverse Side(Clear Case)

DVD Main Menu, The Billy Bagg Double Feature

Here are a variety of screen grabs taken from each feature:

In VIOLATION OF CLAUDIA (1977), the incredible Sharon Mitchell stars as Claudia, a beautiful, wealthy housewife who enters the seedy and bizarre world of prostitution with the help of her manipulative tennis coach (Jamie Gillis).Also starring Crystal Sync, Long Jeane Silvers and Don Peterson.(63min)

Sharon Mitchell, 1977

In HOT HONEY (1978), young Honey (Heather Young) refuses to put out for her boyfriend,preferring to tend for her wheelchair bound brother (Jamie Gillis). But soon, Honey begins a strange sexual awakening, seducing menand women alike! Co-starring Serenaand Robin Byrd.(71 min)

Check out some really kool ads/reviews and other rare ephemera:

Original records for Theatrical Distribution

Original Playdate and Records for The Violation of Claudia

PODCAST: The Films of Billy Bagg…. Why did they call him Billy Bagg? How did he even end up making these films?  What kind of upbringing did he have? The answers to those question and many others are all contained within a concise podcast, between myself (Steven Morowitz) and Bill Lustig, it is very informative and descriptive. You can check it out, by clicking the link: BILL LUSTIG PODCAST.

The Distribpix Podcast Episode #2- Bill Lustig and the films of Billy Bagg

Joy on 35mm- Sharon Mitchell Live in Person-Sunday Aug 31. Anthology Film Archives, New York, NY.

Please come and join us this Sunday night at the Anthology Film Archives in NYC, for the X rated screening of Harley Mansfield’s, 1977 classic, Joy( aka Sex Crazy, aka Meet The Rapists).  Sharon Mitchell plays the lead character, Joy. She takes on the roll of a reverse rapist and with the help of all the females in the entire city, her mission quickly spreads into an epidemic. Men are raped at an alarming rate, they are not safe anywhere, not even in an elevator( Herschel Savage), not in the streets( R. Bolla), nowhere. The rugged and seasoned cop( Jake Teague) takes on the case and assigns his best man(Jesse Wilson) to try and turn the tables on Joy.  The films is funny, but also can be very dark at times. Excellent performances by Sharon Mitchell and Richard Bolla. Some great scenes, including a ride on a NYC subway car( Frank Kenwood) and a sizzler in the bathroom of Newark airport, with many legendary woodsman and performers of the era.

This is going to be a wonderful event and I would encourage you to come out and attend. I will be with the film’s star, Sharon Mitchell, and other special guests, including the film’s director!!!!There will be the screening and Q/A with the cast/crew.

Here are some never before seen images from the Distribpix contact sheets for Joy. This weekend, I will be sitting down with Sharon Mitchell and Harley Mansfield, for a thorough audio session, where we will discuss the making of this hilarious and rather odd film. It will be used for the new HD version, as well as an informative podcast recording. Take a look at some of these images and tidbits, you will be satisfied.

Joy, 1977 directed by Harley Mansfield, starring Sharon Mitchell, Melinda Marlowe, Jack Teague, Richard Bolla.

As you can see from the above illustration Joy is certainly the aggressor, this is part of the art campaign.

The infamous Newark Airport bathroom scene- “a reverse orgy scene”–Joy has her way!!.

In this amazing and epic scene, Joy takes on 2 sailors (Dave Ruby, Roger Caine) one pilot( Terry Austin), and a businessman( Eric Edwards). Yes, this was shot in Newark Airport, now called Liberty International, I think.

Jay Pierce, plays Joys boyfriend.

A very interesting fact that Sharon had shared with me during our last commentary a few months ago, was that the day before this above scene was shot, Jay had undergone surgery for his appendix. Amazingly, he was at work and on the set, with no problems. If you look closely at the contact shot above, you can see a bandage, on his right abdomen.

The Wonderful subway-car scene, with actor Frank Kenwood.

Where did the above subway scene get shot? Was the train really moving? How did they ever pull of off this type of high profile filming on a public mode of transportation, in NYC? All these answer and more, at the Q/A sunday night!

Sharon Mitchell, on the set of Joy, 1977.

Cast/Crew – Joy, 1977.

Sharon Mitchell, prowling the streets.

Sharon Mitchell, with tough guy cop, Jesse Wilson.

From The Archives-JOY Exclusive:

Ultra Rare- Original Radio Spots from 1977 for Joy

©Distribpix Inc. All rights Reserved.

PLAYER BELOW

To purchase Joy, click here: www.distribpix.com

The Films of Henry Paris: Update Fall 2014

Since 2010, Distribpix Inc. has been working very hard to restore the films of the legendary filmmaker Radley Metzger. More specifically, the 5 X-rated films that he created using the alias Henry Paris. These 5 films, which were all created in a span of about 2 years, and released from 1974-1979, had helped to further bolster the modern porn movement.His films along with others, like Gerard Damiano, Chuck Vincent and the Amero Brothers, all began to take on artistic merit, with larger budgets, real scripts, sets,talented actors, locations, etc. They were produced during the climax of the porn-chic period, right in the heart of NYC.  It was kool to go and see a porno, it was hip, it was the thing to do!! It was a time that can never be replicated, and it did not last very long. But, after 30 plus years, these films have not only stood the test of time, but continue to be sought after by legions of film fans, in both the mainstream and alternative cinema circles.

The goal was to be able to start from scratch and remake all of the DVD versions, beginning with the release of deluxe versions and possible Blu Ray’s, in order to really try and get the attention of more mainstream fans, who took this stuff seriously. It worked. The long and hard efforts paid off. I learned so much in one year. Starting with the original negatives and doing proper film restorations on each one was the basic starting point. As well as a burning determination to uncover as much as we could on each film, to properly set the historical context. We began to complete each film one by one, in the same order in which Metzger had released them theatrically, beginning with The Private Afternoons of Pamela Mann(1974). It was an exciting time for me and one in which I will never forget.

Like Pamela Mann and all the other Henry Paris films, I have refused to cut or censor any of them, like many of the previous distributors before me. I knew this from the beginning, as it was a practice I had already adopted and clearly the only person in the classic adult genre, who was not afraid to do this, I did not veer away, but at the same time, I would have to accept the consequences. If the film had fisting, I wanted it kept intact. Urination, no problem……some bloody sex, Oh well! Insinuated rape, big deal……. If it was in the original negative, I want it to be in the final version. I did not make these films, but as a secondary producer, I believe in proper film restoration, especially for these archival motion picture film elements. Film restoration is a bit complex, it can be simple to explain, but the process itself has so many variables, some include the age of the film, the film stock itself, conditions in which they were stored, and how the negatives or prints were actually handled, by projectionists, colorists or even the director themselves. The more you work with film collections and elements, the more you learn, just like anything. The bottom line is that unless it is absolutely necessary, I would never want to play censor on a film that was made 35 plus years ago and one that I did not create. As we all know, once we start to censor, we get into dangerous territory. And I have spoken with several directors from the golden age of erotica, who whole heartedly agree, that once these films are cut up and butchered, they are no longer the original creation, and in many ways, the message or soul of the film is missing.

Films were cut for many reasons, sometimes it was an issue of playing time, other times it was a concern of potential legal issues, and other times, it was done to be able to distribute the film on home video. But I truly feel like these films all lose their true essence, their ultimate meaning, if they are edited, censored or cut up. Especially, when in most cases, it is the most climactic, or unparalleled scene, from the film. For example, when the staged abduction takes place in Pamela Mann, it is such a vital scene, it is obvious that the revolutionaries(Jamie Gillis and Darby Lloyd Rains) are not only having fun with their captor, Barbara Bourbon, but it may be the highlight of the film. It further sets the tone and helps illustrate just how incredibly silly, eccentric and over the top, these character’s lifestyles are.

Without that scene, the film is not complete. So leaving that scene intact, was really refreshing and I think many realized that I had a different approach to restoring these films. And keeping the film’s original run time and scene order is vital. Proper restoration is first, and if money is going to come from the release, it comes second. It is nice to know that several other film restoration companies share the same opinions that I do about quality.

Naked Came The Stranger (1975) was next and a great experience, maybe one of the most unique for me. I learned a lot on this project and really fell in love with the music on this one. I realized what true genius George Craig(director of music)really is. The film has become one of my all time favorites, I love the music and story, and the day we shot the bonus features for the DVD all around NYC and Long Island, was amazing.

Then it was on to the big one, The Opening of Misty Beethoven(1976). We needed to go Blu, that was the way to go about introducing classic erotica in 1080P HD. A no brainer. It was a hard 7 months of my life, producing both the 2 DVD collector’s edition, the 50GB Blu Ray, the CD Soundtrack with over 13 licensed songs, not too mention the Kickstarter(KS) campaign, in which we were kicked off, about a 10 days into our campaign, while we almost raised our goal or 10k!!! Thank you so much Kickstarter.

It was the best thing to ever happen, talk about great and free press, and publicity! It was everywhere.

We generated a good amount of income with our own independent fundraiser through Project Misty,which was well over the 10 grand goal. This, in turn showed me that there was enough interest in moving on the blu ray, the fund helped out in a huge way, but was just a fraction of what was needed to get this produced. So many came out of the woodwork to show their disgust at KS, especially university professor-Laura Helen Marks, film archivist-Joe Rubin and of course, my sidekick, Ian Culmell . They all took the time out of their schedules,and really put things into perspective for me. They began sending messages and emails to Kickstarter. Eventually, many others followed they even shut down the KS site for a short time, they were caught off guard, and I loved it. No matter what anyone says, Kickstarter dropped the ball on this one, they were caught in their own bullshit and did not care to step up.  I will never forget that and still have all of that correspondence, between us. It was amazing to see how many people from around the world, stepped and supported us.

It also gave me a very unique experience when it comes to social network funding. I mean, I did it right, IMO. We had a kick-ass campaign video with a great message, very professional rewards, and a reasonable goal. And we had our campaign approved as well. I simply wanted to raise money  and awareness to restore one of the greatest erotic films of all time(won 4 awards in 1976, including BEST PICTURE, BEST ACTOR, BEST DIRECTOR). All of you who stepped up to support me, thank you so much, you are great. We all still made it happen.

A huge year and learning experience and to this day, I am still amazed at the whole thing. Right before the release, we got hit by Hurricane Sandy and it took even longer to get the packages out. Most of the general public, don’t have a clue of all the work involved in a release of this magnitude, not a clue about the amount of research, travel and dedication, not too mention the costs involved. People think it was just a matter of authoring a few DVD’s, and that is so far from what we created, which was basically an entire make over of this cult classic! Myself and small team, took on that project and kicked its ass!! Great job guys.

The Misty Beethoven Blu Ray has sold very well, although it is essentially-almost of of stock, as the 2 DVD Collector’s editions have been out of stock for several months. These were both aggressive packages and the 60 page liner note books that came with both, are no longer available. Looking back, I may have spent a bit too much on the packaging on all fronts, but that is why I said that they may be limited in some aspects.

Leaving the social fundraising behind, I jumped right into the next films, Barbara Broadcast and essentially treated it the same way as Misty, but had more fun with it. It is a much more dialogue light film, but the sex is key and the steamy eroticism and comedic one liners, really move this one along. Both the 2 DVD set and Blu Ray plus 2 DVD combo pack are decent sellers, they are great packages with lots of value and there are plenty still in stock. The Barbara Blu Ray has not sold nearly as well as the Misty, which has been a great eye opener, considering that dozens of fans are requesting the remaining Henry Paris films to be made available on Blu Ray.

That brings us back to Maraschino Cherry(1979), which has been recently scanned in 2k, b0th the hard and soft versions, and now completes all 5 of the Henry Paris films being scanned and restored. Before we commit, to another deluxe DVD version of Maraschino Cherry, or even the Blu Ray, we want to be able to get a bit more feedback on the best way to approach this. For example, do we do a Blu Ray 3 Pack, of the remaining titles(Pam, Naked, Cherry)??? As well as  a standalone Maraschino Cherry Deluxe dvd set??? AND, do we keep all the extras, or trim these Blu Rays down to the bare minimums, like the hard versions and maybe the trailers? A bit more to decide.

So, now as I look back, while trying to move forward, I am in the process of making some very important creative and business decisions in order to be able to get these great deluxe packages back out. We are exploring ways to make the packages more cost efficient, while still being able to keep the high quality of both the content and the package as a whole. Many of the original deluxe versions are at very low stock levels, it is important for me to be able to get these back on the market with some new features as well as other surprises.

One negative aspect of the higher end, deluxe packages, is that many of the adult retail outlets have not been able to carry them, due to higher than usual wholesale pricing, or simply that they did not have the clientele, who would purchase the higher end collectibles. Pricing is very important in every part of the market, but collector’s are, in my opinion, a better customer for my product, as they understand the value and work involved, they appreciate the hard good and want to see it thrive. They also enjoy standing behind independent labels and support much of the work involved. While,the typical adult buyer, really just wants to see the film and in many cases, they don’t want extras and don’t even care about the quality of the film, which I can’t understand, at least not with todays technology, so easily accessible, to film studios and reasonably priced.

With all this said, I have some very good news to announce, that I think will appease a large part of the adult market, particularly-retail stores and their distributors. And anyone else who wants to get in on the action.

All 5 of the Henry Paris films are now all available in single DVD versions. Each DVD contains the full- uncut feature, the film’s theatrical trailer and a slideshow/ephemera gallery of images. Each film has been scanned in 2k resolution from the original negatives. These will all be very reasonable priced and are a fair balance between efficient DVD features and also, clean looking, yet affordable packages. Each DVD comes in a clear case, with reversible box art. Below is a sample of the front and reverse sides for the Barbara Broadcast Single DVD (2014).

Barbara Broadcast Single DVD version Box art- Front Side

Barbara Broadcast Single DVD Version 2014- Reverse Side

As a special bonus for the fans that want too buy all 5 of the DVD’s at once, we are now offering a very awesome looking and totally limited 5 Pack Collector’s Box Set, with a hand numbered case and 500 custom postcard magnets(4×6). There are only 500 numbered box sets and they are a great gift for the hard good DVD collector. A very attractive set indeed.

*Please understand, these are the single DVD versions of the Henry Paris films, if you already invested in the deluxe versions, you do not need to purchase these. These Single DVD editions, will allow many people to purchase and experience the films. in an efficient manner. And the Box Set will get them all 5- in a great package without going overboard. If your a die hard collector and love the hard good, than you may want to buy one anyway, for your shelf. These will make great gifts as well.

The dvd’s from the Henry Paris collection are now all available for sale as standalone versions OR as the complete 5 pack collector’s set.

The 5 Pack Collector’s Box Set set is exclusively available from Distribix.com

www.distribpix.com

Move over Leonardo DeCaprio, Wanda Brandt is here!

Before the Wolf of Wall Street, there was Wanda Whips Wall Street…….

Larry Revene, one of the best adult film cinematographers of all time, took to the director’s chair for this wild and wonderful tale of sexual intrigue and economic espionage. Legendary superstar Veronica Hart gives one of her funniest and hottest performances as the scheming small town financial wizard who treks to New York to work her magic at one of the top investment firms in the city. Teaming with her girl Friday Janie (Tish Ambrose), Wanda sleeps her way through the company’s stock holders, using blackmail to absorb their shares. Corporate investigator Lou Perrini (Jamie Gillis) and his assistant Ed (Ron Jeremy) set out to uncover the culprits behind this corporate crime spree. Featuring appearances by adult film legends Samantha Fox, George Payne, Sharon Mitchell, Ron Hudd, and cult favorite Sondra Hillman, this is sophisticated sex comedy as its finest.

Wanda Whips Wall Street was scanned in 2k resolution and encoded for DVD. The source material was a 35mm theatrical print. Although many hours of color correction and digital scratch removal have been performed, there are still instances of scratches/splices, etc. The film is now presented in it’s original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 for the first time on home video.

HD Screen Grab from Wanda Whips Wall Street. (L to R) Tish Ambrose, Samantha Fox and Veronica Hart.

Wand Whips Wall Street, Original Theatrical Poster. ©Distribpix Inc.

DVD Features:

2k scan of Wanda Whips Wall Street (1982)

Feature Length Audio Commentary with Director, Larry Revene and Lead Actress, Veronica Hart

Video Interview with Larry Revene and Veronica Hart

Restoration Featurette

Slideshow and Ephemera Gallery

Technical Specs: 

AR = 1.85:1/Color/82 minutes/Stereo Sound

Packaged in a clear DVD case, with Reversible Box Art

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE DVD

The Legends come out for Serena’s Book Signing in Hollywood!

Bright Lights, Lonely Nights: The Memories of Serena, Porn Star Pioneer of the 1970’s.

Bill Margold and legendary adult actress, Serena.

Legendary adult actress, Serena, signed her brand new book at Larry Edmunds bookstore on Hollywood Boulevard on Saturday night Dec 8. I was in Los Angeles and would not miss an event like this, being just a few miles away. I was fortunate enough to spend time with another ‘larger than life’ character a few hours before this signing, a man by the name of Bill Margold, who is essentially the grandfather or great uncle of this adult industry. A guy who was there since the early days, he lived it. He has a very special place for Serena in his heart, and she always refers to him as, “Brother Bill”! I was honored to accompany Bill to this signing event, and before hand enjoyed some wonderful Tai cuisine as he reminisced about Serena and how emotional of a night it was going to be for him. Bill is a very serious guy when it comes to this type of milestone, he is a man who has deep roots with much of the talent of the adult biz, from the 70’s to today.

Bill Margold, and Actress Serena.

We headed to the bookstore on Hollywood Blvd. and Serena, who looked absolutely breathtaking. Even from a distance away, she had an aura of peace about her. I mean she was strikingly beautiful, absolutely striking. I never spoke with her before in person and it was sort of exciting to just be there. It is a small space, and hard not to be somewhat intimate, when it comes to conversing and reuniting of sorts. And a few others were in a small group, chatting and smiling. I recognized a few of the faces, Karen Summer was there, I saw her and knew right away as she has that same look and smile! Anyway, Bill headed right over to the the group and the hugs began flying.

Re-unitng, with Karen Summer and Richard Pacheco, both adult industry legends.

I backed away for a bit, before making my introduction with Serena, as the legends were throughly engulfed with each other, and I did not want to break that up. I hung out in the store, chatted up lots of people, some close friends, other new friends. Of course I hung with my gal, Kelly Nichols, who I always love to see, and she looks better each time I see her.  I saw my old pal Roy Karch, he was very chatty and I loved it.  And then, another highlight was getting to rub elbows with Howie Gordon (Richard Pacheco), even if for a short time, as well as Karen Summer. Howie is another legend of the golden age of erotic film-making and also shares the promo circuit with his cohort Serena, where they both promote their recently published books. I even spent some time waiting out front for my guest to arrive, another legend  named Ron Jeremy. Waiting out in front of the store was a bit surreal and strange. I got to share some some great laughs with Cass Paley, another old school director and documentary filmmaker.

Legendary actress, Kelly Nichols.

The place got packed with faces from yesteryear, and Bill Margold began his introduction. He was strong but eventually wept as he knew he would. He was overcome with emotion, as Serena sat beside him. Serena spoke about writing her book, and even mentioned her next book, now in the works, which is more of an art book. Her voice was very soft and at some points you could barely hear her. She was beyond soft spoken, like a talking whisper. We had to remind her to speak up a bit. I enjoyed listening to her speak and I appreciated hearing about some of her past experiences and interests. I had no idea that she was such a talented artist. She had a a very “peace and love” vibe to hear, like a love child from the Bay Area. She answered some questions from the crowd and afterwards in Larry Edmunds style, there was a mass photo shoot and book singing, meet and greet.

Bottom: Christy Cnayon and Ron Jeremy. Top: Howie Gordon(Richard Pacheco) Karen Summer, Kelly Nichols.

I got to my chance to meet Serena,face to face. Of course, she had no idea who I was, but I knew who she was. I told her it was great to meet her and that she looked amazing, and she smiled and thanked me. I really enjoyed just sort of sitting back and taking in all the reuniting and hugging and love. I mentioned working with her on some future projects and she seemed very excited. She left me with a major sense of wanting to know more and learn more about her, which I really think is ideal. Thank you for letting me share in on the celebration.

The plan that was after the signing, we were all going to go across the street to Musso and Frank. And let me tell you, the table of characters at that meal was one for the record books, a great group of people doing what they do. And yes, this is another story in itself. I think we had a table of  12 or 14 of the most unique characters, I guess I am one of them too? We were all hungry, tired and wanted to eat, but for some reason it took Ron Jeremy 2 hours to make his way across the street…LOL, I am kidding, just one hour! Oh, and in typical Ron fashion, I can almost swear he picked up an old friend on the street and she ended up at the table, where she scarfed down a short rib special,  with veg and potatoes and then took off like the wind. God, I love any meal I have with Ron Jeremy, I really do.

It was a great night and one that I will always remember. Thanks so much. Best of luck to Serena and all the other legends who are penning their stories/memoirs.

Here is a link to purchase Serena’s new book Bright Lights, Lonely Nights:The Memories of Serena, Porn Star Pioneer of the 1970’s,directly from the publisher BearManor: http://bearmanorbare.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=73

The Naughty Nurses Double Feature

The incredibly long wait is soon over, as dozens and dozens of the original Distribpix Inc. productions and releases will be hitting home video on DVD and choice VOD platforms. These lost sexploitation gems will be packaged as double features with a common theme, by director, actor, genre, etc. Each film is transferred in High Definition and each original trailer is also included, as well as other extras, depending on each release. The films are being revived and released for the first time ever on home video, under the umbrella of the Distribpix Archive Collection (DAC).

The Distribpix films themselves are incredibly important to sex film history, as they fueled the grind-houses as Americans were thirsting for more filth. These sex exploitation films bridged the gap and filled that temporary void, between the pre-white coaters and all out X rated fare! Although one can argue that these films in our collection are hokey and downright bad, all I can say is that they would be dam right!!!! Well, not really. They might be some of the most entertaining, and in some ways groundbreaking erotic films of the modern day. I was really alluding to the fact that many of these are at the very low end of the spectrum as far as production value is concerned, even though they were shot in 35mm, they are bad in almost every way. Fingers seen in the frame, poor lighting, and even worse acting are a few of the dead giveaways. But keep in mind, that even with that said, many of these are still among the best sexploitation films ever made, like ones produced by the late and great Joe Sarno, as well as the Amero Brothers, the Findlays, Ron Sullivan,  and so many more.  The collection as a whole is invaluable and stands for a vital part of American sexploitation history and over the next few years, we hope to be able to bring all of these into your living rooms, as gorgeous, remastered films in HD, 2k, or even 4k.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the first installment of the Distribpix Archive Collection!! Enjoy.

The Naughty Nurses Double Feature- Distribpix Archive Collection.

Head Nurse, 1972 Kirt Films International

In Head Nurse, director Tim Davies takes us on a tour of NYC’s most bizarre hospital. While there are similarities to a “white coater”, it is clear that producer Jones Gregor, had other ideas…gorgeous nurses, crazed doctors, test tubes and corpses! Not too mention, one of the most unforgettable scenes involving a human skull, ever captured on film. Starring a moustache-free Harry Reems, a young Marc Stevens, and rare sex appearance by disco superstar, Andrea True. With original music by the Bushels.

Marc Stevens, Head Nurse, 1972.

Andrea True, Head Nurse, 1972.

Head Nurse, 1972.

Harry Reems, Head Nurse, 1972.

Nurse-Made, 1971 Mansfield Ltd.

Some early sex-exploitation films have a cheap and amateurish look. Low quality audio dubbing, sloppy edits and poor lighting are just a few of the signs. Nurse-Made is the epitome of a NYC sexploitation film. Written, directed and produced by Robert B. Mansfield, this film explores a unique relationship between an ailing patient and his young nurse. Starring Jean Ashley, Lee Tucker, Dick Baker. Original music by Bob Mann. Assistant director, Gary Kahn.

Nurse-Made, 1971.

Nurse-Made, 1971.

Nurse-Made, 1971.

Nurse-Made, 1971.

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