If there is one thing about porn that makes it unique to so many other forms of entertainment, it has to be that so many of its fans have their own definition of when porn’s “Golden Era” occurred. They have their favorite stars and the moments that changed their world forever sexually. For this industry insider, my golden era occurred in the nineties and the birth of gonzo in all its glory. It was during this time period that porn became a household name and the debate began as to what it is that rules the porn kingdom: gonzo or feature films? Since that glorious decade, the debate has raged on as to what is the ultimate form of adult entertainment on film? In more recent years, some porn aficionados have even asked the question, which type of production will win the battle for porn’s very soul as we embark upon a new age of XXX consumption that has a mobile phone and laptop as the go-to source for fan’s viewing pleasures. This is all done with performers doing something they have never done before: create their own productions, their own marketing, and their own brands. It is within this debate that we focus the HotMovies “Indie” Spotlight upon a company that is on one side of the fence of this argument, and is quickly becoming the most sought-after place for directors in the X-rated world to tell their sultry stories.
Cinema, no matter if it is tear-jerking drama, or a flashy gangster flick, needs to have substance to warrant expenditure of my hard-earned dollars. The same goes for the adult films that I consume. An adult film to me must have an introduction, a story that tells a tale of romance, lust, and passion, but also have that one of kind emotion that only comes from two porn stars seducing the viewer’s mind with their clothes still on and their lips locking at most. It is something missed so many times due to the fact you are engaging in sexual activities after these amazing actors’ are able to entice their audience with words, touching, and motion alone. It takes magnificent acting, superb writing, and that same Hollywood magic that makes Bruce Willis look like the toughest man in any room when he is anything but, to pull off such feats. This, dear reader, is where Erika Lust Films comes into the picture.
Erika Lust Films, or Lust Cinema—however you wish to find this company on the rise—is a passion, love, and company that Erika Lust will tell you herself, is “an alternative to mainstream porn” of the world, in ways that you have never seen before. This is a studio that puts more than erotica at the forefront of what sells their pictures. Directing legends Kay Brandt and Nica Noelle are just two prime examples of the in-depth artistry that Erika Lust Films looks to present to the fans at all times and at all levels of erotic fixation. Kay and Nica are both writers, artists, and women of conviction and heart. They are women who have created some of the greatest adult features in the history of adult films, all while making their presence known in other realms of the world such as literature, writing, and fashion. These are the individuals within XXX who have inspired so many in the modern millennium porn generation. Casey Calvert and Cherie DeVille—both shoe-in Hall-of-Fame performers—have starred within these directors’ pictures. They have also now themselves become vested in following the same career path of evolution and growth within their own film careers. Perhaps this is where that evolution of sexuality began for them?
Never is this more evident than in the works that are available to you, the viewer, right now on HotMovies. A Burlesque Story is something more than a tale about erotica. Myself having covered the starlets of this business, on the road, and inside gentlemen’s clubs across the country, my mind fluttered with excitement when I first heard that Kay Brandt was making a film about burlesque, the art of exotic dancing—all with a touch of sexuality and a story that you have never seen from her pen or eye before. The three-part series follows Cherie DeVille through the trials and tribulations of life and love that take her into a world of erotic dancing. In all my years, I asked myself, how is it that a film about erotic dancing had never been made before? How is it that something as popular as erotic dancing has never been shown with this kind of grace, sexiness, and depth? The answer is that we never had Erika Lust Films, and what it allows a filmmaker like Kay Brandt to do, to explore, to create. Cherie DeVille took some time for us to answer some of these burning questions I had about working on this kind of film and what is different with Erika Lust Films, being that she has worked with Kay Brandt for other production companies.
“Their passion for capturing authentic erotic encounters, it’s always a pleasure working for a company that encourages you to express yourself naturally and not feel pressure to be ‘porny’ fake.”
Having been lucky enough to see one of Cherie DeVille’s last feature-dance shows, I can tell you, the HotMovies readers, that this award-winning starlet has more than just love for dancing. Let’s take out the fact that this woman was a competitive dancer for most of her life. For argument’s sake, let’s make believe she is not a multi-time Performer of the Year winner, or that she spent many years on the dance floor learning and competing. When you get down to the bare bones of what and who Cherie DeVille is, she is a woman who enjoys what she is doing and is in this business for those very reasons: no more, no less. The way you would look to bring out the best in a model like her is to naturally bring a dancer into the world of creating a routine and combine that with her sex appeal. Over the years, I have spoken with her on more than a few occasions about this love for dance and this time, when speaking about A Burlesque Story and what it really meant to her creative side, she told me…
“I love dance, I always have, and when the chance came for me to star in an adult film that would allow me to express myself through erotic dance I was 100% in. Kay gave us all the opportunity to choreograph our own dance routines, which was incredible! I loved watching each dancer’s interpretations, it was beautiful!”
I don’t think there is a bigger seller of a film, or a film company, than getting an endorsement from an industry legend, but that seems to be the recurring theme within the opinions of all those who have worked for this company. Cherie DeVille, she has dazzled us with some of the biggest names, the most beautiful faces, and in every single one of these performances, viewers were left on our knees after what she produced. When you have been doing this for nine years, certain things may not have the same spark that they did in the beginning. If you watch her in this film, she has an energy about her that is powerful, that is real. You are seeing the woman behind the performer come out in certain ways I believe. It just seems to flow to every one of those co-stars she watched dance as well. It is that combination of director and performer that defines what Erika Lust Pictures is with a film like A Burlesque Story.
“I am so flattered, but the credit for the magnificent script is Kay’s completely. Kay is absolutely amazing to work with! My first introduction to Kay was from my friend Anikka Albrite, who starred alongside her husband Mick Blue in one of my favorite films of hers: Babysitting the Baumgartners. Anikka had so many amazing things to say about Kay and the movie, that when I had the chance to work for her in a starring role for the film Unfolding, I was over the moon. I would say it was that film that created our bond; she is truly an amazing woman.”
Fans do not see films, productions, and scenarios that touch people this deep as often as you should in the mainstream XXX world. As if that was not enough to get a fan’s attention for this film, we are treated to much of the same with both Sinn Sage—another woman who is changing the world in so many ways—and the unforgettable Aubrey Kate: a starlet who makes us all speechless with who she is, and what she creates within our minds and fantasies. Then, things are peppered to the tastiest consistency with real-life husband Lance Hart, who actually gets to have an intimate, award-nominated threesome with his beautiful bride Charlotte Sartre and industry icon Romi Rain. Where do you see this kind of cast assembled? Where do you find this kind of reality? The true-to-life answer is nowhere but here, with Erika Lust Films.
I myself was unable to stop watching this film as each chapter brought on something new, something more risqué, and a place where I think fans can indulge in a higher level of porn than they are used to seeing. This is where I discovered that Edyn Blair was even the makeup artist for the entire production of Kay Brandt’s. This is a starlet who has always been the captivating actor on set, a legend of the mainstream porn world. Now, she takes her artistry to the next level. I asked her what it was like being on this film, working for this company from a different perspective, and what it was that would possess a performer to go this route behind the camera.
“Working with Kay on any project has always been a pleasure for me. She has been incredibly supportive of my roles in front of the camera and also behind it. The opportunity to work on A Burlesque Story was an amazing one. I got the chance to show my makeup skills on some of the most beautiful women you can imagine. I feel the stories Kay tells are so perfect for Erika Lust Films. They are sexy, sensual stories about powerful women, and to me those are the best kind. I feel the pairing of Lust Cinema with Kay Brandt’s directorial skills and eye for emotional connection, it couldn’t be any better. I hope one day soon I can be a part of those stories again.”
I can tell you this dear reader, you do not see porn stars saying that every day. Erika Lust prides herself as being a producer who assembles that kind of production staff, and I do believe it is that kind of expectation that has porn fans looking for more with the porn they are watching and wanting. I see no arrogance behind what Erika is doing, or within films like A Burlesque Story or The Intern—a film that I do believe lit up something in one of its lead actor’s heart, the great Casey Calvert, who herself is now heading a handful of projects that have also been nominated in the 2021 AVN Awards, all for numerous displays of technical excellence, sex, acting, and writing. From the best script, to outstanding lead and supporting actors, I do not think this is coincidence, but fate, that these things are happening for this new studio. You just do not see such things from a young company like this, and that is what took Casey Calvert to Spain to meet Erika Lust in the first place. To shoot The Intern and have something more come out of a film that was the first US project from this company. This is where the crossroads meet in many ways when it comes to the future of XXX in my opinion. In a film that has the feel of Behind the Green Door in so many ways, fans are being reintroduced to what fantasy really is and what it can be with modern filmmaking where it is.
Casey Calvert sat down with me to tell the tale of how this journey began, how it opened up so many doors for her, and what we can expect from her and Erika Lust Films. That tale is to be continued at a later date. All I can say is that the reason you must take a deeper look into this company, is that we have a lover of fetish with Casey Calvert, doing the kinkiest things in films like Fragments 2. We have Cherie DeVille, maybe the greatest feature dancer of the modern era, getting to make a film about a hobby, a love, a driving force. Where else does a porn fan get that? No matter if it is sex or story, you are met with the best, who are giving their best all due to something as simple as heart.
Erika Lust Films consists of cinema no one else is producing: creating sex that the porn stars want to take part in. What could possibly be better than a porn star, a director, a writer, a makeup artist, all making the films that they truly want to make? In an era where fans debate with the fiercest tongues as to which type of film is superior or worth watching, Erika Lust is doing something that may be beyond both.
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