Page 114 - AVN Januray 2017

WHO’S WHO
Bree Mills (Continued from page 32)
Fan feedback, she explained, is “actually one of
the most absolutely important cornerstones of how
Alan and I look and shape the Girlsway brand as a
whole. We are talking to our fans every single day.
We talk to them on Twitter. We talk to them in our
very member forums—we probably have one of the
most active forums probably out there. We take a lot
of our casting recommendations from them; members
submit stories that we will go and shoot as member
fantasies. ... It really is a community, and it’s people
who feel very, very invested in being a part of what
we’re doing.”
When it comes to making aesthetic decisions,
however, Mills relies more on her own judgment.
“I’m a cinema vulture, as I would describe it. I spent
a good deal of my 20s trying to challenge myself to
watch every film ever made.”
For each project, she has drawn on different
influences. “The Turning, we were looking at films
like Invasion of the Body Snatchers and It Lives and some
other types of horror films. Project Pandora was really
influenced by one of my favorite filmmakers, Michael
Mann, and the film he did, Manhunter, which is one of
my favorite movies of all time. ... one of the things I
love about that movie is his cinematographer’s use of
color to convey emotion. … And Missing was heavily
influenced by some of the crime thrillers that I really
liked, most notably David Fincher’s Zodiac. And Little
Red has a bunch of influences as well, in terms of
characters, more so. The character of the Fox, played
brilliantly by Penny Pax, was actually inspired by Eric
Stoltz’s character in Pulp Fiction.”
Hearing about her passion for cinema makes
one curious about her take on other adult content.
“I watched porn like everybody else, pretty much
as a means to an end,” she said, but that changed
after spending a decade in marketing at Gamma
Entertainment. “Obviously their main business model
is being the web technology partner of a lot of really
big adult studios, so as a marketing director … I
became very familiar with companies like Evil Angel
and Girlfriends Films and the host of other people
they represent. I got to see more so how people were
consuming their content. ... I got to see the patterns
and trends of what made people tick—what were the
fans looking for. And that was what really fascinated
me even more so.”
Now as a director herself, “I really try to stay up to
date on what people are doing, not just to keep tabs
but also out of respect and appreciation. So a couple
of the filmmakers in the industry who stick out for
me would be what Lansky’s doing with his brands
and taking really hardcore action and morphing it
with high-end fashion photography principles. And
he’s great on branding—I really have respect for him
on that. I think the edginess of the storylines of what
B. Skow does and the Madisons do for Pornfidelity is
really interesting. Pornfidelity is probably the best-
shot porn out there. I mean, it’s amazing in how it
looks. Those are a few people who stick out for me.
“And I also have great respect for other female
directors—Dana Vespoli, Jacky St. James and Mason,
to name a few,” she continued. “I do believe we’re
at a paradigm shift in the industry in the last couple
of years where a new generation of filmmakers are
coming in who really are doing things differently.
Who are breaking conventions, who are mixing in a
few more influences from mainstream, who are trying
to be artistic and creative and pushing buttons. So I’m
actually very proud and humble to be working at this
time in the industry. It is a turning point. And there’s
a lot of amazing stuff out there. There are a lot of
really talented people.”
Asked if there’s anything else she wanted to
add before getting back to her cast and crew, Mills
paused briefly to issue what a mantra worthy of both
Girlsway and its fans: “Keep paying for porn, and keep
making porn worth paying for.”
For more on Mills’ movies, visit Girlsway.com and
PrettyDirty.com. For DVD distribution, visit
GirlfriendsFilms.net.
everything has to be embellished. Choosing to ignore
intricate and delicate themes of this story (death,
coercion, coming of age) by addressing the broad notes
sends a message to viewers. Every film told from a
minority prospective has an opportunity to share and
educate about a potentially misunderstood community.
I was often told by Hollywood producers “It’s not our
story to tell.” Meaning to say, if we hand our stories
over to Hollywood, they’ll whitewash it, gloss over the
more controversial themes, and get it seen by the mass
majority. But what good is getting your story told when
CONTINUED
Brent Corrigan (Continued from page 68)
After walking away from King Cobra, my resounding
it’s not longer serving a purpose? What good is
take was this: it’s offensive. As I read the screenplay,
exploiting gay characters and making fun of an entire
it felt like James Franco and the filmmakers of
genre in media (gay porn) if the real-life lessons are
King Cobra were mocking gay porn. They created
ignored?
caricatures of major gay community archetypes. True,
The filmmakers have gone on record saying I gave
as porn actors and producers, we are a bit ridiculous
the film my blessing. No, what I did do was throw
at times. But we don’t need Hollywood mocking
those suckers a bone. Realizing this was not the
us for it. There were other major issues with the
time to tell my story, I conceded. For a small amount
material, like Bryan being written as if he were a
of money I leased my professional names so King
white lamb falling prey to idiot rival porn producers.
Cobra could go on making, promoting and selling a
In truth, Bryan was opportunistic and manipulative.
movie based on events I lived but butchering it in
But even his death deserves more respect than what
the process. Part of me felt like willing this film to be
King Cobra can offer.
made was about letting go. Letting go and hopefully
In an age that has seen the rise of Sasha Grey
fueling interest in the real-life story.
and James Deen, are we open-minded enough to
HOLLYWOOD HAS
My book is called Incorrigible. I wasn’t able to get it
see the same sort of success for a gay adult star and
producer? Hollywood has always treated the adult
ALWAYS TREATED
done before King Cobra was released. It’s taken me ten
years to get through the process.
industry like the embarrassing red-headed stepchild.
THE ADULT
These days, I’m directing for Naked Sword. I am
Like a neglectful, fair-weather stepmom, she collected
the child support checks and scoffed at us. She never
INDUSTRY LIKE THE
making the kinds of features I have always wanted to
make. A lot of people have called bullshit with this
expected us to grow into the beautiful, prolific swan
EMBARRASSING
whole King Cobra thing. “How can you turn down
that we are. Now, at the family reunion, Hollywood
a James Franco movie if you want to be an actor/
(Stepmom) tries mightily to pull us close to suck
RED-HEADED
filmmaker?” Or “If you didn’t sanction the story why
up. “She” hates us but can’t help cozying up with
STEPCHILD. LIKE A
did you lease your names?”
one curious ear to our hip and wild stories. Oh, how
No matter how exciting being a part of a James
intriguing and salacious our world is. But we know
better. We don’t need Hollywood to tell our stories.
We need them to butt out so we can go on being the
NEGLECTFUL, FAIR-WEATHER
Franco/Christian Slater/Molly Ringwald film may
seem to be, I have spent years standing my ground
with my dukes up. We learn to fight for what we
storytellers and filmmakers we already are.
This is another example of why Hollywood thinks
it doesn’t have to move over and give us due respect.
STEPMOM, SHE COLLECTED THE
will and will not be in the porn world. We run in
alternative circles, view the world vastly different than
most people, and we’ve done a hell of a job carving
We are a billion-dollar industry. They sell sex and
CHILD SUPPORT
out our own corner of media and creation. It’s part
package it in bullshit. We walk a straight and narrow
line, look our consumers and fans straight in the
CHECKS AND
of what makes the adult industry so spectacular. It
makes us into the right brand of different and tough.
face, and approach our lives and work with pride and
SCOFFED AT US.
I didn’t need to make someone else’s movie about me
dignity.
to feel more important. Adult media has that covered,
Hollywood thinks the truth isn’t enough. That
in my opinion.
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