Conventional Wisdom:
A Photo Diary of the 1998
Video Software Dealers Association show
By John Douglas
Shyla Foxxx
(Metro)
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Tia Bella
(Vivid)
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Deelicious
(Cream)
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Nina Hartley
(Adam & Eve)
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Leslie Glass
(Vivid)
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| Three times a year, the entire adult industry gathers for trade shows displaying the latest video releases and, more importantly, their stars and company contract players.
Pornhounds from across the country, as well as many business people who actually come to the show to do work, converge on the shows.
In January, Las Vegas, Nevada plays host to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the annual AVN Awards Show. Similar in nature, Atlantic City, New Jersey is the site of the East Coast Video Show each October.
But undoubtedly the hardest show in town to get in to is the annual Video Software Dealers convention, held for the last three years in Las Vegas. |
Jenna Jameson
(Wicked)
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This last July saw the return of the annual convention. For four days, video producers, manufacturers, and retailers from around the world assemble in the gambling Mecca to talk business about home video. |
Tia Bella
(Vivid)
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| Without a doubt, one of the largest draws to the convention is the adult video section, populated by all the largest video companies and many of the talent they employ. Talking Blue reporters were on-hand to cover this summer spectacle and had this report to file. |
Candy Roxxx
(Fallen Angel)
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Misty Rain
(Metro)
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Randi Rage
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Dee
(Sin City)
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Click on any of the images on this page for a larger view |
Melanie Stone
(Metro)
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Anna Malle
(Sin City)
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Taylor St. Claire
(Adam & Eve)
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Wicked Pictures
Sporting one of the slickest looking booths on the floor, Wicked Pictures brought out it's stable of contract players to guarantee constant crowds.
Veteran team members Serenity and Jenna Jameson signed for conventioneers as did the recently signed duo of Missy and Mickey G.
Although not exclusively signed to the video giant, the hugely popular Shayla LaVeaux and Juli Ashton also spent time signing autographs and posing for pictures.
PR maven Joy King and company honcho Steve Orenstein met with buyers to outline the upcoming slate of Wicked releases. In the next few months, Wicked fans will want to keep an eye out for the Brad Armstrong-helmed "Heartache" starring Missy, "Pandora" starring AVN award winner Johnni Black, and Serenity's "Wicked Covergirls".
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Midori
(AVN)
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Adam & Eve Representing the adult video and catalogue giant was industry legend, Nina Hartley who wiggled that still incredible ass for her adoring fans. |
Dee
(Sin City)
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| Also putting in time at the booth was new-to-movies, Taylor St. Claire who, based on the crowds she was drawing, shows real promise in the coming year. |
| Metro Home Video
Hiding at the back of the convention floor was Metro Home Video who brought along a bevy of beauties to help push their Fall line up of video titles.
At the forefront was recent Metro acquisition Houston, who, in addition to meeting and greeting the fans, was actively recruiting talent for her upcoming attempt at the world gangbang record. Touted as "The Houston 500", the big event will go down this upcoming February.
Also seen around the booth were Metro regulars Misty Rain and Shyla Foxxx. Shyla tells us that she has completed
her two final movies for Metro, but that she will continue to appear at Metro events to promote the company and its productions.
Saucy newcomer Melanie Stone flirted with everyone within eyeshot and looks to be Metro's hottest new thing.
Additionally, Metro promoted their upcoming line produced by contract boy Julian, entitled "Titman".
Other upcoming titles to keep an eye out for the next time you find yourself lurking in the adult section of your favorite video store: "Red Vibe Diaries 2: Dark Desires" starring Stacy Valentine and Misty Rain and the continuing saga of Toxxxic Entertainment's "Backseat Driver" series with "Backseat Driver #2: Rear-Ended".
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Sunset Thomas
(AVN)
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VCA Porn patriarch Russ Hampshire's company, VCA Pictures, packed a lot of talent into a rather small booth as part of the larger General Video of America booth at the center of the convention floor. |
Shyla Foxxx
(Metro)
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| Contract girls Stacy Valentine and Kylie Ireland had to squeeze in all that beauty to share a five foot wide counter, which made the already substantial crowds seem all that much more profuse. Taking second shift at the booth were the Russian duo that has stormed the country in a fashion that Kruschev would have admired: Nikita and Vicca.
Look for the upcoming VCA titles "Vortex", a sexy time travel adventure starring Juli Ashton, the very promising-looking "Forever Night" a gothic romp starring Stacy Valentine and directed by Michael Ninn, and Jim Holiday's "More Precious Than Gold" featuring Jill Kelly in five of it's twelve sex scenes.
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| Adult Video News Magazine (AVN) Representing the trade journal and handing out free copies of the industry Bible were cuties Jill Kelly, Sunset Thomas, and Midori, filling in for the not-quite-as-attractive editorial staff of the magazine.
Sunset also plugged her upcoming appearance at one of Nevada's legal brothels outside of Reno. Curious fans willing to pony upwards of one thousand dollars to experience the popular starlet would get their chance on a first come, first served, first cum basis.
"I have taken grief from others in the industry about my decision to do this," Sunset stated, "but my husband (Zach Thomas) supports my decision to do (it)".
The bubbly blonde added that she felt that there was not much of a difference between prostitution and doing adult movies.
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Jill Kelly
(AVN)
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Sin City
Promoting their upcoming titles "Possession", "Club Sunset", and "California Cocksuckers", Sin City Home Video, as part of the larger General Video of |
Dyanna Lauren
(Vivid)
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| America booth, rotated a steady stream of talent through their booth including Anna Malle and super sexy newcomers Dee and Temptriss. Dee also pushed her recently released Spice Girls spoof "The Five Sins", where she plays the porno version of Scary Spice.
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| Vivid Video
The video giant grabbed the biggest piece of real estate on the convention floor with its expansive double-sided booth featuring its most amazing assets: the Vivid Girls.
Consistently drawing the biggest crowds of the convention, attendees passed before the ladies of Vivid assembly line-style. Noticeably impersonal, no one in line seemed to complain about the wait or the manner in which fans were trafficked through.
Gathered to do the meet and greet were Tia Bella, Dyanna Lauren, Leslie Glass, Heather Hunter, Kobe Tai, and Lexus. The lovely Janine Lindemueller begrudgingly promoted her first ever boy/girl video featuring her and Motley Crüe lead singer Vince Neil.
Of the many titles that Vivid will release this year, fans should keep a lookout for "Shipwreck" featuring Lexus, "Camera Shy" with Tia Bella, and for those with a persuasion for Asian, "Mission Erotica" which teams up Kobe Tai with Asia Carrera.
Vivid chose the convention to announce its latest contract girl, the incredible Raylene who will appear later this year in Vivid's "As Sweet As They Come". Look for Vivid's other recent contractee Leslie Glass in "Fantasy Lane" which is now available.
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Heather Hunter
(Vivid)
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Free Speech Coalition
Perennial convention fixture Bill Margold diligently manned the Free Speech booth, imploring porn fans to contribute to the worthy cause. |
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| Margold was aided in his imploring with the aid of British strumpet Kiss, who gave Bill a run for his money in the barkering department, as well as hefty-chested Minka, and, at the other end of the breast gamut, charming newcomer Alison Chains, who traded photo opportunities for donations. |
| Extreme Associates
The fledgling video production company made an impressive debut with a stylish booth that featured company founders Tiffany Mynx, Tom Byron, Rob Black, and Van Damage.
At a press conference held on the first day of the convention, director Black announced the recent signing of the back-from-retirement Ashlyn Gere and ex-Cream player Jasmin St. Claire who caused a bit of a stir when she made a grandstanding entrance at the convention.
Gere will star in "Rubber", an extreme video directed by Black as part of the company's "Hostile Takeover" line. Other titles in the line include Tom Byron's "Planet of the Gapes", Van Damage's "Lewd Behavior" series, and an "Asswoman" series featuring Tiffany Mynx.
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Ashlyn Gere
(Extreme Associates)
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Sydnee Steele
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Alison Chains
(Free Speech)
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The story continues tomorrow with:
The VSDA Parties
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