Page 69 - AVN March 2017

FEATURE
THRILL OF VICTORY Star Showcase winner Abella Danger; Best Supporting Actress Joanna Angel with Doug Benson,Kenna James, Gia Paige and Gina Valentina.
Below, Alex Ladd, Blair Williams, Xander Corvus and Brad Armstrong of The Preacher’s Daughter. Danger photo by Rick Garcia; others by JFK/FUBARWebmasters.com.
PREACHABLE MOMENT
Best Drama winner ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’
At the 2017 AVN Awards Show, it was a
affairs, Armstrong addressed the crowd:
little movie with a small cast that nabbed
“We are very fortunate to be in the
the big prize for Best Drama. And Wicked
business that we’re in. We’re inevitably
Pictures contract director Brad Armstrong
going to have battles along the way, as
took advantage of the platform to share
we did this year with Michael Weinstein
his opinions about more than just making
and Prop 60. [Crowd boos] Exactly. I fear
movies.
we have another battle on the way with
An edgy drama from that featured
a much bigger and more powerful bully.”
Mia Malkova as the title character whose
Armstrong then suggested “everybody
relationship with the town bad boy
in the room” donate one day’s pay to
leads to conflict with her preacher father
the Free Speech Coalition “[which] is
(Brad Armstrong), The Preacher’s Daughter
the reason you are all not sitting with a
had already been recognized that night
Nevada drivers license in your fucking
when Xander Corvus won Best Actor
pocket.” Armstrong invited Executive
honors for his role opposite Malkova.
Director Eric Paul Leue to “stand up and
(And Armstrong himself would later
take a fucking bow. I want everybody to
be named Best Supporting Actor for his
think about this Monday when you’re back
performance.)
in L.A. He’s the reason you are in L.A. ...
When the Best Drama winner was
Not everybody’s flush ... but that one day
announced, writer/director Armstrong
could mean your future.”
invited “anybody who was involved in
“We knew right from the start that
the project, by all means come up and
we had a really cool project,” Armstrong
share the moment,” recognizing cast
told AVN after the AVN Awards Show.
members by name. “I’d like to thank Steve
“When we had the table read with all
Orenstein from Wicked Pictures, who
the characters we knew that this was
gives me, every year, the opportunity to
going to be something a little different.
do what I do. AVN, for recognizing the
When I write a script I’m casting as I
project for what it was. Alex [Ladd] and
go, producing as I go. During the bigger
Barrett Blade for shooting the project,
movies when we do get a chance to do
making it so beautiful. David Lord, who
a table read, you really get a chance to
produced the project. Xander, who was
see the words jump off the page and
my awesome lead, who won Best Actor
characters coming to life. It’s a really good
tonight.”
feeling when it works.
Then, changing the subject to current
“I was very excited to have Xander
recognized for his Best Actor part. When we drove home one of the first
nights, I said, ‘Dude, I can’t guarantee you’re going to win this thing, but I
can guarantee you’re going to be nominated.’ I’ve had a lot of actors win Best
Actor for my movies and I don’t know too many of them that brought this
kind of A-game to the table. This was even before the editing.”
Wicked’s Orenstein expressed his satisfaction with the movie. “Brad has
done it again. He’s been exclusive with Wicked for two decades and has won
more awards than we can count over that time for his stand-out movies. The
Preacher’s Daughter was a great story with fantastic acting that didn’t fit the
usual mold.”
Also breaking the mold is Armstrong’s next project. Written and directed
by Armstrong, Ethnicity examines a diverse group of people as they navigate
the ups and downs of urban life until a fateful night when their destinies
collide.
BEST DRAMA | By Tod Hunter
3.17 | AVN.com | 69