Page 38 - AVN April 2017

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DOWNRIGHT SMART
Hot House revives one of its most popular series
REBOOT CAMP | By Brady Jansen
F
FETISH. MASCULINITY. PRIMAL URGES. Power play. Pushing
boundaries. Testing limits. These are all words that immediately
come to Nick Foxx’s mind when thinking of Skuff, the iconic series
from Hot House that began with Downright Dirty in 1999.
“You will find all of these things in every scene,” says the
director. “I think Skuff was so successful in its time because Hot
House was introducing fetish to mainstream in a big way. With
Hot House’s video production value and killer quality photos, they
really played an important role in the industry moving fetish to the
main stage.”
The first four installments were directed by founder Steven
Scarborough, with the original followed by Downright Filthy in 2003,
Downright Wrong in 2005 and Downright Fierce in 2009. With Falcon
Studios Group reviving the Falcon Spokes line as part of the studio’s
45th anniversary celebration, it made sense to join the party. Foxx
helmed the two-part Rough Trade to resurrect the hit series.
“Talking to Sister Roma, a key player in the history of Hot
House, and [President] Tim Valenti, we thought it would be a wise
idea to look back on a great success for the company and bring it to
the future of Hot House,” Foxx says. “Have me put my take on the
line, my take on mainstream fetish and make something incredible
and sexy for our viewers new and old.”
He notes that he recently visited the series before filming to
inspire his new vision.
“I loved the styling, lighting, wardrobe and the action. The first
of the line, Skuff: Downright Dirty, was my main inspiration for the
continuation. I’m a big Doug Jeffries fan, and thought his scene
with the fog and billowing light coming into the foreground from
the background was very sexy. The other scene that really stuck out
was with Kyle McKenna wearing tighty whities with ‘Fuck Here’
written in Sharpie. Kyle Reardon rips them apart and goes to town;
that really made an impact. Very key inspiration I was able to use,”
says Foxx.
“I only watched that first movie because I didn’t want to
subconsciously use influence from too many scenes. I needed it
to really be mine. I wanted to get a feel for the heart of the first
movie—and feel the excitement Steven Scarborough must have felt
filming it. That was the inspiration I wanted to take away.”
He notes that getting Rough Trade off the ground took a group
effort. Once the set and cast was done, he talked to each model
about their turn-ons and limits. They choreographed scenes from
THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO PAY
there with specific kink and fetish in mind.
HOMAGE TO THE SKUFF LINE WAS
“It’s how the scenes were so authentic. The guys weren’t ever
going through the motions, they were really into it. The editing
style was important to me, too. I wanted to really enhance the color
TO KEEP IT AS DARK, SEXY AND AS EXCITING AS POSSIBLE.
of the scenes and make them stand out from anything else that has
been filmed recently. The reds and blues pop brilliantly, the smoke
— NICK FOXX, DIRECTOR
and highlights are brilliant. That, mixed with the awesome fucking,
really was the whole package for me.”
Foxx says that setting the stage for the film was vital: Creating a
modern, visually appealing sex space to set the tone for the movie
provided the roots of the film. Selecting performers who were open
to fetish—and had personal ties in leather and gear—worked best
for him during casting.
“They also had to have that Hot House ‘wow’ factor. They
are all a total wet dream. The wardrobe was a key factor of the
film. Rough Trade Gear LA is my favorite modern gear supplier.
They put their modern twist on classic leather, and I have that
inspiration for my scenes. The whole idea was to create something
new and exciting from classic roots.”
It was also fitting that Foxx was able to draw upon the
experience of two studio vets to help keep the series cohesive.
“The best way for me to pay homage to the Skuff line was to
keep it as dark, sexy and as exciting as possible. Working with
38 | AVN.com | 4.17
Clockwise from top left, Jimmy Durano, Johnny V., Mikoah Kan, Jordan, Sebastian Kross and Adam Bryant.
David Hall and Scott Caswell was essential to
this film. They are Hot House’s set designer and
lighting technician from the beginning. With
our combined vision, we really exceeded the
challenge.
“The outstanding scene with Micah Brandt and
Jordan [from Part 2] is my most obvious homage
made to the franchise. A setup taken from the
first Skuff film, with my twist, was my nod to
the franchise. To make it mine, my performers
go faster, fuck harder, sweat more and are
relentlessly going at each other from beginning
to end. I didn’t want to just meet the energy of
the franchise, I wanted to blow it away. And I can
safely say in every scene, in every shot, the guys
are doing just that.”
Foxx’s standout memories from filming
include Adam Champ stroking his massive
cock, getting his head shaved by Johnny V,
seeing Sebastian Kross in all white leather,
having Brandt “come uncontrollably” multiple
times in both of his scenes and seeing Jimmy
Durano (“the sweetest person in the world”)
find his dom side handling Derek Bolt.
“Every day on set was super fun for
everyone,” Foxx says. “The Skuff line will
definitely continue! I’m filming the next one
in a few months. I’m also hoping to make The
Trainer as a new franchise. I’ll be filming the
second installment of that toward the end of
the year. I’m super stoked on it! Always a good
balance of light and dark for success.”