by Ernest Greene

If the setting - a minimalist-chic hotel suite with a view from LA’s Sunset Strip toward the smog-cloaked towers of downtown - seems a natural setting for erotic film auteur Andrew Blake and his leading lady of choice, Dahlia Grey, the circumstances are hardly usual. Though Blake wears his familiar black leather jacket and jeans and his trademark round glasses, today he is without his trusty 16mm Bolex camera. And Dahlia, casually stunning in tight black sweater, revealing just a hint of cleavage and leg worshipping black slacks, Dahlia displays neither the smoldering gaze nor the feline moves with which she has stalked and slithered her way through a series of Blake’s hit movies. The purpose of today’s encounter: conversation. The subject: an extraordinary collaboration between two highly visual artists, one a director, the other a performer.

Her legions are accustomed to seeing a svelte, brunette Dahlia costumed in everything from custom-sculpted body jewelry to powdered wigs and hoop-skirts in productions from Blake’s company, Studio A Entertainment (among them CAPTURED BEAUTY, DARK ANGEL, WET, HIGH HEELS and their latest PIN-UPS). They might well be surprised by the easy, unaffected casualness of the poised, articulate young woman describing her creative partnership with the noted director. Her first appearance in a Blake film, a brief ‘centerfold’ in his smash-hit HIDDEN OBSESSIONS (under the name Jami Dion), marked the beginning of their celluloid journey. “I’d done a centerfold layout for Penthouse and they wanted me to do a centerfold video for their Pet of the Year feature (again as Jami Dion), which Andrew was shooting for them,” Dahlia recounts. “After that, he contacted me about doing some additional film work for his other projects. I had no prior experience in film, hadn’t worked with any other directors before Andrew and haven’t worked with any others since.” If Dahlia hadn’t previously contemplated a career in erotic films as of that point, Blake was already well aware of her incendiary potential. Dahlia lost out on becoming Penthouse’s ‘Pet of the Year,’ but won a permanent place in Blake’s films, a much more lucrative and creative opportunity.

“I saw her centerfold layout in Penthouse, which explicitly displayed this magnificent body and face.” Blake recalls, “and I knew this was somebody I was going to want to work with. I put her in HIDDEN OBSESSIONS as a kind of screen test, just to see how she would appear on film, and after that I knew we’d be working together in the future. There was just something about her that came across in the camera, a naiveté with an underlying sexuality that ran deep. It was like the two sides of the coin, the innocent girl and the sexual animal. Since then, she’s really built on that quality, embellished on it, become more intuitive about it.”

Asked if she was aware of this process of evolution as a performer, Dahlia is typically modest. “I wasn’t aware of these changes at all as they were happening”, she insists. “I think just becoming more comfortable working with Andrew enabled me to explore the character I play. His approach is so professional, and at the same time so laid back, I never feel that what we’re doing is lewd or pornographic. Nothing we do ever makes me feel uncomfortable.”

Warming to the subject, Blake amplifies on the extent to which the interaction, and the influence, has been a mutual experience. “Dahlia has taken me down a different road from the one I was on before,” Blake explains. “I was doing hard girl/boy movies, trying to satisfy the market, and doing it very successfully. But then, meeting Dahlia and photographing her, particularly during the last few years as she’s really grown into what we’re doing. I’ve found myself adapting to her strengths and preferences. Knowing how she likes to be portrayed sexually - only working with girls, presenting herself explicitly but not turning herself inside out on camera - those kind of things have really changed the direction that I was going. Dahlia became the canvas I was able to paint on.”

Evidently, Blake’s change of brush strokes did nothing to diminish audience enthusiasm for his lushly realized features. In a video marketplace glutted with rough, raw gonzo grit, Studio A’s subtle and sophisticated approach more than holds its own, according to the director. “I’ve been able to satisfy my own whims, my own fantasies and keep an integrity in the product that I thought I might be losing by shooting things that were kind of distasteful to me, with no slackening of demand from the public. If anything, the films have become more popular as this approach has evolved.” Indeed, a cursory review of video sale and rental charts in the publications that track the adult video industry tells the story in numerical terms. Blake’s latest release invariably appears in the top ten on every list. Reviews (nearly reverential) and awards (plentiful) provide further tangible validation for his away-from-the-pack trajectory, a course he had already begun plotting back in the video-centerfold era.

“I really liked the video-centerfold format, because here you could take a girl and really concentrate on her. Not very many models can support that kind of focused attention, but some have a way of relating to the camera that sets them apart. I think of (Penthouse Pet of the Year and film-star) Julie Strain, who has a presence, an attitude to her posing that is pure gold to me. Janine Lindemulder (star of HIDDEN OBSESSIONS) certainly has that quality as well. She’s very much into sex and that ‘really enjoying it’ quality transmits through the camera. But it was Dahlia who had the ideal characteristics for what I was trying to do. To me, Dahlia is pure beauty. This is very subjective and it’s my opinion, but obviously a lot of people respond to her and like what I do with her.”

Asked if, seeing herself in Blake’s films, she sees a reflection of herself or a projection of a fantasy, Dahlia is quick to make the distinction between her on-and-off-camera selves. “I definitely see the projection of a fantasy,” she says with a sparkling laugh. “At first, I didn’t feel comfortable with myself and I didn’t really watch the films. I would do the work and go back to my regular life, which that wasn’t any part of. There were no parallels. Now, I’m comfortable watching myself. The way that Andrew portrays women is breathtaking and I’ve come to enjoy watching not only myself in our movies, but the other women as well. In fact, I’d say this whole experience has become a vehicle for me to feel more comfortable with myself.” As Dahlia has grown into the roles Blake creates for her, the roles themselves have expanded. “In our last two movies, PLAYTHINGS and the new one we just shot called PIN-UPS, Dahlia is really the subject matter. She’s on camera from the first frame to the last frame, creating an erotic portrait of her at this point in time.”

Being the preferred subject of one of the most watched erotic filmmakers might seem like a high-profile profession, but Dahlia reports that she is seldom recognized in public. “I present myself as the opposite of the character I play” says Dahlia. “I’m usually in baggy jeans and a hat. My personal style has more of a hip-hop flavor. These days, I’m pretty secure with my natural image. I used to worry about what people thought of what I do, but now my family and my close friends are aware of my work and they know me for who I really am. I’m comfortable with my personal relationships, so my work in film doesn’t have much bearing on my personal life. You find out who the real people are in your life. Some people I knew had problems with what I do, but those were their problems. I keep a pretty complete separation between my working life and my private life. I don’t mix the two.”

The whole tinny notoriety of porn-stardom holds no appeal for Dahlia. “Some girls feel they have to use this medium to become known. They have to do promotional things to get seen. That’s what they do. It becomes their whole lives. I just want to keep on being myself. My expression of the Dahlia character is in the films.” Blake adds “I’m very protective of her image, not lumping her together with the other girls in personal appearances and photo layouts in the men’s magazines. I want to set her apart from the general adult industry, the perception being that she’s the real thing, every bit as beautiful as mainstream supermodels like Tyra Banks or Cindy Crawford, but exposing and using her body at the peak of perfection in a unique way the others have chosen not to do.”

And a popular character Dahlia is. “We get letters every week,” Blake says. “Sometimes they just want to know her shoe size. Some just want to gush about how beautiful she is. We got one very sweet letter from a woman who wanted to have her first bi-sexual relationship and she wanted to know if Dahlia could be her first kiss.” A lovely thought, but unlikely to become reality. Describing herself as “kinda square,” Dahlia doesn’t party or hang out with the crowd. “I go straight back to my room after work. I’m a bit of a hermit, actually. I’m lucky to have a few close friends who keep me grounded. They don’t see Dahlia Grey. They see me and they remind me to keep it real. LA is a kind of Mecca for people who are trying to be something they’re not, which is one of the reasons I don’t spend all my time here.”

As to her long-term ambitions, Dahlia is giving serious thought to moving to the other side of the camera lens. “Obviously, I can’t remain in front of the camera forever,” she states candidly. “There is a point where you need to move on. I’ve developed a strong personal interest in photography that I hope to pursue. Ultimately, I’d like to work toward creating my own black and white photography book, capturing the real emotions of real life. Every individual has an outlook on what’s raw, what’s real in their own eyes Sometimes, when I’m walking on the street, I can feel that emotion and think, ‘Wow, I know I could capture that on film.’ I’ve always been an artistic person by nature. I’ve also been painting for the last year. It’s a matter of deciding what direction to push myself in. I have so many ideas; sometimes it’s hard for me to make things happen. I get lost in my creative thought, which sometimes keeps me from taking the step forward.”

Quick to give credit to mentor Blake for exposing her to the pleasures of visual creativity, Dahlia describes her experiences sitting in on film editing sessions and doing voice-overs as allowing her “to see bits and pieces of the big picture coming together. That arouses curiosity about the whole process.” Blake, in turn, urges Dahlia “not to minimize her own contributions to the work we’ve been doing. She’s very much an artist on camera. She’s an integral part of the entire process. Without her artistry and creativity in posing and expressions, we might as well turn off the cameras and go home. I really consider Dahlia a performance artist.”

While not chasing the dream of stardom per se, Dahlia is nonetheless attracted to the idea of performing in other contexts. “There’s a theatrical school I attend not far from where I live. I’m interested in possibly doing theater and mainstream film work. I’m not looking to become the next Jennifer Lopez, but I would definitely be interested in doing mainstream films if the possibility came along. I’d love to do a part completely opposite from the kinds of things I do now, maybe playing a bag lady or something equally unlikely.”

“Now this,” says Blake, warming to the subject, “is something I definitely want to encourage and promote. Whatever success she gains in that area only enhances what we’re doing in my films.”

When it comes to her own taste in film, Dahlia’s serious side clearly prevails. “I like dramatic and suspenseful films,” she says, “like “The English Patient” and “Schindler’s List.” An avid reader as well, she cites Toni Morrison’s “Beloved” as her current favorite book. Such choices are not so unexpected of a young woman who characterizes her circle of friends as “primarily intellectuals and comedians.”

If Dahlia is open and outspoken about her creative life, she tends to be wary and reserved in discussing matters of a more intimate nature. A self-described homebody, she isn’t pursuing a primary relationship and is uncertain of what the future may hold in that area. “I don’t date around,” she maintains. “I have a lot of friends, but I’m not sure there’s one person out there who’s right for me. I can see myself remaining single and ultimately adopting children if I want a family of my own. I tend to attract the catering type of guy, and that’s not happening for me at all. I like a more dominant personality, someone who is more of a challenge. It doesn’t matter if the person is physically beautiful. It’s the beautiful mind that appeals to me.”

Though her personal values may be on the conservative side, Dahlia considers herself a free-spirited, open-minded person when it comes to sex. “I’m not a fetishist, unlike the characters I frequently play, but in my private life I’m not shocked by the idea of sexual experimentation. If it’s with somebody I trust, I say bring on the whips and chains. I try to be a freethinking individual in every aspect of my life. I’ve learned that, if a man is smart, he’ll take note of the things a woman does to please herself and learn from that.”

The constant theme that emerges from Dahlia’s observations is her awareness of the need to maintain a distinction between her real life and the many masks she wears as she enacts Blake’s visions. Says Dahlia: “I’m not trying to prove anything about myself through these roles. I already have a strong sense of who I am. It takes that sense to handle images dealing with taboo forms of eroticism, so those images don’t handle you. In my view, the female body is beautiful when portrayed with artistic taste.”

Both actor and director agree that the future holds much further collaboration for the personae of Dahlia Grey and Andrew Blake. “As long as I can still shoot, and Dahlia looks and performs like she does, we’ll keep making pictures together for a long time to come,” the director concludes.

PR - Your films are unique within the erotic genre. What are the qualities most important to you?

AB - The erotic beauty of women, most recently through my collaboration with Dahlia Grey and Anita Blond. The style, art direction and production design are equally important to me. While other directors are working for large companies making formulaic films of a pre-conceived idea of what the audience wants to see, I’m making films about my own personal fantasies, fetishes and obsessions. My team consists of a wardrobe stylist that I’ve been working with for about nine years, a make-up/hair artist I’ve worked with for six years and Dahlia, who I’ve known since 1992. These are my three best collaborators. We build the shows around Dahlia and add new girls for each film. I’ve gotten away from girl/boy sex in the last several years, going to a mostly all-girl format. I love the idea of the ‘video-centerfold.’ However, these centerfolds only work, really become a turn-on, if the woman is exceptionally beautiful and knows how to play to the camera.

I'm different from virtually all the other directors because I combine high-style with eroticism. My priorities are beautiful women, fashion and architecture. While the others try to duplicate what I do, they don't succeed because of a fundamental lack of 'vision', design and sense of beauty. Money is another important consideration. Most don't work with the kind of budgets I have. If they do, they spend it on things that don't in any way heighten the eroticism. These people would be better off if they just went ahead and produced a mainstream movie instead! The major special effect in my films are natural breasts!

PR - What artist or photographer has been your inspiration?

AB - My inspiration from the beginning is the photographic work of Helmut Newton. He produces very expensive erotic images - pieced together with the finest materials - models, wardrobe and locations. His support team of make-up, hair and fashion stylists are some of the best in the world. He’s always photographed his own obsessions and fantasies. I've tried to bring that same quality and integrity to erotic film making. Please note that I said erotic and not pornographic. I believe there's a big difference between the two. Erotic can be 'hard-core', and still not be pornographic, at least that's my opinion.

PR - How is DVD changing the way the audience watches your films?

AB - DVD is changing everything, especially the way you can look at my films. Our first DVD release is WET, and it’s available from the website in the video store. I thought WET was a good choice because it’s a great showcase for Dahlia and a good example of my most recent movies. DVD, of course, has crystal clear picture and audio, so it really rivals Hollywood films in it’s technical and visual qualities. All my films are shot on 16mm film, transferred to digital Betacam, with a completely digital post. But the best thing for my viewers are instant access to the scenes and still frame and slow motion capabilities. You can leave a particular image on the screen for hours; kind of like an electronic ‘painting’. Or go into slow motion and enjoy the subtle variations of the bodies in motion.

PR - What are your future plans with the DVD format?

AB - In the future, I’m planning to design a film expressly for the DVD format, with multiple angles to enhance the arousal factor. I’ve seen other attempts at this in adult films, but they haven’t thought this out to its true potential. At first I thought that the cut I make (for VHS) should be the only way to watch the show, but after playing with the DVD in my studio, it seems there can be a way for the viewer to make his own improvised cut, and still maintain the integrity of the my initial idea.

PR - Who have been your favorite actresses?

AB - Draghixa, from PRIVATE PROPERTY (available only from www.andrewblake.com) with her beautiful natural breasts. I worked with her in Paris, May 1993. Draghixa really knew how to play to the camera. Unfortunately, she left the business shortly thereafter. Celeste, from HIDDEN OBSESSIONS, with her large natural breasts, and again in PRIVATE PROPERTY and CAPTURED BEAUTY after she had them enhanced. With Celeste, the breast implants somehow worked, because she had a really beautiful face and long legs. Celeste has also left the business, but I think she’s radiant in PRIVATE PROPERTY; she never looked better. My other favorite girls include Anita Blond from POSSESSIONS, Janine Lindemulder from HIDDEN OBSESSIONS, Kelly Havel from HIGH HEELS, and of course my all-time favorite, Dahlia Grey. These are all very special women, I feel fortunate to have known them personally, and had the professional opportunity to film them intimately.

PR - How did you find Dahlia?

AB - She appeared on the cover and centerfold of Penthouse as Jami Dion, and the centerfold of Hustler magazine (under the made-up name Alicia), both dated March 1992. I thought, wow, this girl is magnificent. So I got in touch with her and put her into a small ‘centerfold’ sequence in HIDDEN OBSESSIONS. We’ve been working together ever since. For me she’s erotic perfection, with the perfectly proportioned body and the face of a supermodel. I feel really lucky to have found her.

PR - What was it about the pictures that got your attention?

AB - She didn’t look like the usual kind of model appearing in those magazines. Her large natural breasts, beautiful face and full pubic hair all went against the trend of plasticized beauty. Both layouts were very revealing and explicit. In Hustler she appears completely nude, without any shoes or accessories, just raw natural beauty. Her skin is oiled and glistening. There are several close-up portraits of her open lips, surrounded by a full bush of pubic hair. Very natural. The Penthouse layout, by Suze Randall had one shot in particular that was quite beautiful: Dahlia’s nipples spilling over a white bra, her legs wide apart revealing her partially opened pink lips. You could practically see up inside her. I thought that was very exciting and erotic.

PR - Did those pictures have an influence on the way to portray Dahlia?

AB - In all the films we’ve made together, I’ve tried to recapture that same feeling, the same emotion I felt when I saw her for the first time. DARK ANGEL was designed as a visual showcase for Dahlia. Every square inch of her body was shown in close-up detail. You’ll notice that she groomed herself a bit differently in that film. Her lips are shaved and exposed, with just a small patch of hair at the top of her clit. Quite beautiful. She’s kept herself like that since DARK ANGEL. The pubic hair practically disappeared altogether in WET!

PR - What was Dahlia doing before you met her?

AB - Jami / Dahlia did quite a bit of modeling for still photographers in ‘91 and ‘92, before she got heavily involved with Penthouse and me, appearing in virtually all the men’s magazines internationally at the time. What appealed to me was: here’s this incredibly beautiful girl doing these kind of shots. She was 20 years old when those pictures were taken in 1991. It was and still is, very special. I wanted her visually all to myself.

PR - What about Anita Blond, how did you find her?

AB - Through my talent agent connections in Europe. Anita lives in Budapest, Hungary. That city has become a popular place to shoot erotic films. There’s a lot of beautiful girls and they all have natural breasts. I saw some pictures of her and brought her to Paris for a leading role in PARIS CHIC. Besides Dahlia, she’s the woman I’ve made the most films with to date, starting with PARIS CHIC, through POSSESSIONS, WET and DELIRIOUS. Anita is a seasoned performer, making most of her films in Europe. She’s got a great natural body, is rather tall and works with guys as well as girls. She has the face of a fashion model, like a young Elke Sommer, and makes a striking contrast to Dahlia. Their bodies look wonderful together - two very powerful, sexual women.

PR - Any favorite scenes of Dahlia and Anita?

AB - Dahlia and Anita’s ‘Dinner’ scene from DELIRIOUS, and their ‘Blindfold’ scene from WET. I also love the ‘Slave/Mistress’ scene from PARIS CHIC where Anita is submissive to Lea Martini on the streets of Paris in a Rolls Royce convertible. For Dahlia, it would have to be her first full-length appearance for me in LES FEMMES EROTIQUE. It was an outdoor ‘catfight’ scene with PJ Sparxx. PJ ravished Dahlia, exposing her body exquisitely. Other scenes with Dahlia I like - Dahlia nude, sitting open-legged while Misty Rain pours hot wax over her bare breasts from CAPTURED BEAUTY. Also the ‘breast tease and dildo penetration’ of Dahlia from WET. The list could go on and on.

PR - What about Lea Martini?

AB - Lea Martini is a very beautiful woman. Together we have made UNLEASHED, PARIS CHIC, DARK ANGEL and PIN-UPS. I would honestly have to say that while she brings an incredible sensuality to the work, my 'erotic ideal' would still have to be Dahlia Grey. But that's just a highly subjective opinion and based on my personal taste.

PR - What’s your latest film?

AB - PIN-UPS. It’s designed as a showcase for Dahlia and five other women. The release date is June ‘99. There are two girl/boy scenes performed by Katja Kean and Lea Martini, respectively. Also in the cast are Regina Hall, Avalon and another new girl named Petra. These girls have all had limited exposure in the US, mostly in the men’s magazines, so the audience hasn’t seen them much, only in my films.

PR - Tell us about PLAYTHINGS.?

AB - Out right now is PLAYTHINGS, with an all female cast, again starring Dahlia. I think the women were all impossibly sexy and appealing. It received a perfect ‘10’ rating from AVN (Adult Video News). Ashley, Karin and Regina Hall are all striking fashion model types with spectacular natural breasts. Also in PLAYTHINGS is a blond named Victoria Knight. She was the March ‘99 Penthouse covergirl and Pet, under the name Leah Willis. She’s a total exhibitionist. When we were shooting PLAYTHINGS, she would arrive at the location, undress and stay completely naked the entire day (except for heels). Very entertaining for the crew. Most of the girls wear a robe or sundress between takes, but not Victoria, who’s gone on to appear in virtually every major men’s magazine in the world. I particularly liked the way she sucks Dahlia’s toes in PLAYTHINGS.

PR - HIGH HEELS won an award, didn’t it?

AB - Yes. It won ‘Best All Sex - Film’ at the AVN Award show in Las Vegas in January. HIGH HEELS also received a perfect ‘10’ review from the magazine as well. Kelly Havel was so beautiful in that film, shot in Rome last summer. Also, you’ll notice that Dahlia’s breasts were about a cup size bigger on that show. I couldn’t take my camera off of them! Very sexy. . .

PR - What’s it like when you are filming? Is it really sexy?

AB - For me it’s a lot of concentration. Everything has been pretty much thought out in advance regarding wardrobe and production design, so it’s really controlled improvisation when we shoot. I work with the same people from shoot to shoot, so they know what I like. Dahlia knows how to do her thing extremely well, so the only difference from shoot to shoot are the new girls and different location environments. Yes, it can become quite erotic on-set at times, but it’s really important for me to stay focused on what I’m doing. There’s plenty of time in post-production to enjoy the moments! Making my star and the other girls feel comfortable while shooting is very important to me. It definitely effects the final result on film. That’s why the crew is small and there’s not a lot of equipment, just natural light and portable film cameras like the Arri SRIII and Bolex.

PR - You shot exteriors around Paris in PRIVATE PROPERTY and PARIS CHIC. Are there any problems doing partial nudity in public?

AB - The exterior scenes around Paris were shot without any problems. We had a permit from the city. I must admit that I really enjoy shooting that kind of thing. It really gets the adrenaline going. For instance, the shot of Lea and Coralie kissing and caressing in the Rolls Royce in PARIS CHIC was done in a popular tourist spot. Several busloads of Japanese had just pulled up when I began filming with my Bolex. Every time I moved to get another angle, a group of Japanese men would move around with me! Shooting in front of the Louver was no problem, except waiting for a break in the constant stream of traffic. The same was true filming PRIVATE PROPERTY with Draghixa and Celeste making out along the Seine, with Notre Dame in the background. Celeste was dressed in a micro-mini, and Draghixa was bare legged with heels, wearing a very short leather dress with holes ripped in it. A Versace knock-off we had made for her. Celeste kisses her, pulling down her panties and exposing her pussy lips. You’ll see a boat full of tourists go by. They all had a good look, yelling and whistling at us for more! I also shot them under the Eiffel Tower in the rain. Celeste slips a Rose with long thorny stem under Draghixa’s panties. Messy to execute because of the rain, but beautiful to watch on screen.

PR - Why do you shoot internationally?

AB - I like the adventure of shooting in other countries and cities. It brings a certain freshness to the work. DELIRIOUS was shot in Nice, on the French Riviera. I did a week of pre-production in Paris with the help of my French distributor Colmax, then flew with Dahlia, my production manager and stylist to Nice. We met the rest of the cast and crew there. I found this great villa through a location agent in Paris, so the production design was simple. All of the women were booked well in advance, including Anita Blond and Isabelle Camille. We shot in the house for five days. The film is developed in Paris, then shipped back to my studio in Santa Monica for editing. If things are organized well, everything works smoothly. We never shoot more than a ten hour day. Of course there are minor problems from time to time, but on this shoot the biggest problem was deciding whether to have red or white wine for lunch! Our shoot in Rome, HIGH HEELS went basically the same way. On that show I got a lot of help regarding locations and equipment from an associate of the late Joe D’Amato, who based his operations in Rome, and my Italian distributor, Preziosa. I like very much the idea that this is truly an international business.

PR - Women seem to really like your recent movies, even with a lack of naked men. How do you explain this?

AB - I think women enjoy my films because they know I respect them, and would never show a woman in a bad light. They also enjoy the beauty, fashion and design aspects. But most of all they enjoy checking out what other women have, how their bodies are groomed, how they ‘stack up’ by comparison. In our culture, it seems that everybody enjoys looking at beautiful naked women, but most heterosexual men would never allow or admit sexual pleasure from looking at a beautiful, well sculpted male, especially with an erect penis! Lesbianism has become very trendy in the media as of the last few years, so women have become more comfortable with those kind of scenes, especially the way I shoot them with emphasis on the beauty of the naked female form. I don’t think I’m making lesbian movies per se, but movies about looking at women and the combinations of women together. Real lesbians rarely exist in nature as I portray them, so it’s really a projection of my own fantasies. In the US, I’ve been very careful to market these films as a celebration of the female body, not a ‘girl/girl lick fest’ as is commonly seen in the adult industry. My films really have nothing in common with the industry’s idea of a girl/girl film, but the shows have been getting very high review scores. Both HIGH HEELS and PLAYTHINGS received a perfect score of 10 from Adult Video News Magazine, their highest rating. HIGH HEELS won ‘Best All-Sex Film’ at the 1999 AVN Awards in Las Vegas last January. I thought that was pretty good considering HIGH HEELS concerned itself exclusively with alternative sexuality. At the moment PLAYTHINGS is number 2 on the Top 40 Rentals chart, having been in the top 10 for 9 weeks straight. Not many other films in this industry do as well. So someone is watching and appreciating what I do with Dahlia and friends. I’m very appreciative of our fans support, as is Dahlia.

PR - What’s the concept of PIN-UPS?

AB - The idea is to keep the viewer constantly aroused from start to finish, due to a non-stop erotic display of six incredible woman, particularly Dahlia. Kind of like flipping through a picture book or magazine, with images juxtaposed, creating a story thread to be interpreted by the viewer. There’s always emphasis on glamorous legs and tease, so I’m pushing all the ‘turn-on’ buttons for the audience. PR - What’s it like when you are filming? Is it really sexy?

AB - For me it’s a lot of concentration. Everything has been pretty much thought out in advance regarding wardrobe and production design, so it’s really controlled improvisation when we shoot. I work with the same people from shoot to shoot, so they know what I like. Dahlia knows how to do her thing extremely well, so the only difference from shoot to shoot are the new girls and different location environments. Yes, it can become quite erotic on-set at times, but it’s really important for me to stay focused on what I’m doing. There’s plenty of time in post-production to enjoy the moments! Making my star and the other girls feel comfortable while shooting is very important to me. It definitely effects the final result on film. That’s why the crew is small and there’s not a lot of equipment, just natural light and portable film cameras like the Arri SRIII and Bolex.

PR - You shot exteriors around Paris in PRIVATE PROPERTY and PARIS CHIC. Are there any problems doing partial nudity in public?

AB - The exterior scenes around Paris were shot without any problems. We had a permit from the city. I must admit that I really enjoy shooting that kind of thing. It really gets the adrenaline going. For instance, the shot of Lea and Coralie kissing and caressing in the Rolls Royce in PARIS CHIC was done in a popular tourist spot. Several busloads of Japanese had just pulled up when I began filming with my Bolex. Every time I moved to get another angle, a group of Japanese men would move around with me! Shooting in front of the Louver was no problem, except waiting for a break in the constant stream of traffic. The same was true filming PRIVATE PROPERTY with Draghixa and Celeste making out along the Seine, with Notre Dame in the background. Celeste was dressed in a micro-mini, and Draghixa was bare legged with heels, wearing a very short leather dress with holes ripped in it. A Versace knock-off we had made for her. Celeste kisses her, pulling down her panties and exposing her pussy lips. You’ll see a boat full of tourists go by. They all had a good look, yelling and whistling at us for more! I also shot them under the Eiffel Tower in the rain. Celeste slips a Rose with long thorny stem under Draghixa’s panties. Messy to execute because of the rain, but beautiful to watch on screen.

PR - Why do you shoot internationally?

AB - I like the adventure of shooting in other countries and cities. It brings a certain freshness to the work. DELIRIOUS was shot in Nice, on the French Riviera. I did a week of pre-production in Paris with the help of my French distributor Colmax, then flew with Dahlia, my production manager and stylist to Nice. We met the rest of the cast and crew there. I found this great villa through a location agent in Paris, so the production design was simple. All of the women were booked well in advance, including Anita Blond and Isabelle Camille. We shot in the house for five days. The film is developed in Paris, then shipped back to my studio in Santa Monica for editing. If things are organized well, everything works smoothly. We never shoot more than a ten hour day. Of course there are minor problems from time to time, but on this shoot the biggest problem was deciding whether to have red or white wine for lunch! Our shoot in Rome, HIGH HEELS went basically the same way. On that show I got a lot of help regarding locations and equipment from an associate of the late Joe D’Amato, who based his operations in Rome, and my Italian distributor, Preziosa. I like very much the idea that this is truly an international business.

PR - Women seem to really like your recent movies, even with a lack of naked men. How do you explain this?

AB - I think women enjoy my films because they know I respect them, and would never show a woman in a bad light. They also enjoy the beauty, fashion and design aspects. But most of all they enjoy checking out what other women have, how their bodies are groomed, how they ‘stack up’ by comparison. In our culture, it seems that everybody enjoys looking at beautiful naked women, but most heterosexual men would never allow or admit sexual pleasure from looking at a beautiful, well sculpted male, especially with an erect penis! Lesbianism has become very trendy in the media as of the last few years, so women have become more comfortable with those kind of scenes, especially the way I shoot them with emphasis on the beauty of the naked female form. I don’t think I’m making lesbian movies per se, but movies about looking at women and the combinations of women together. Real lesbians rarely exist in nature as I portray them, so it’s really a projection of my own fantasies. In the US, I’ve been very careful to market these films as a celebration of the female body, not a ‘girl/girl lick fest’ as is commonly seen in the adult industry. My films really have nothing in common with the industry’s idea of a girl/girl film, but the shows have been getting very high review scores. Both HIGH HEELS and PLAYTHINGS received a perfect score of 10 from Adult Video News Magazine, their highest rating. HIGH HEELS won ‘Best All-Sex Film’ at the 1999 AVN Awards in Las Vegas last January. I thought that was pretty good considering HIGH HEELS concerned itself exclusively with alternative sexuality. At the moment PLAYTHINGS is number 2 on the Top 40 Rentals chart, having been in the top 10 for 9 weeks straight. Not many other films in this industry do as well. So someone is watching and appreciating what I do with Dahlia and friends. I’m very appreciative of our fans support, as is Dahlia.

PR - What’s the concept of PIN-UPS?

AB - The idea is to keep the viewer constantly aroused from start to finish, due to a non-stop erotic display of six incredible woman, particularly Dahlia. Kind of like flipping through a picture book or magazine, with images juxtaposed, creating a story thread to be interpreted by the viewer. There’s always emphasis on glamorous legs and tease, so I’m pushing all the ‘turn-on’ buttons for the audience.

PR - How do you plan and shoot something like HIGH HEELS, PLAYTHINGS or PIN-UPS; essentially pure visual filmmaking?

AB - The way I go about making a film is highly organized improvisation. For instance, Dahlia and Kelly Havel in the ‘Bondage Garden’ sequence from HIGH HEELS. In one sequence, Kelly kisses Dahlia’s bare breasts, then we cut to Dahlia pulling on black stockings, her full lips explicitly displayed, then she plays with her breasts. Intercut with Dahlia is Kelly, at first being groomed in a tiled bathroom by Isabella Camille, then in a Roman garden, being dominated by Isabella and Pamela Petrokova. We see Kelly in several ‘bondage’ poses, with restraints, reminiscent of the Irving Klaw/Betty Page loops from the ‘50’s. We see Kelly wrapped in gold velvet rope, with the Roman Coliseum in the background. Kelly is then penetrated by a silver dildo. All this unrelated footage was then assembled on the Avid editing system. For me, the editing is really where the film’s themes and content takes shape. Sometimes while shooting, I have no idea how I’ll eventually use a shot, leaving the decision until editing.

Another example is the ‘Up-the-Skirt’ sequence in PIN-UPS. The entire film is designed to be an erotic portrait of Dahlia Grey and her masturbation fantasies. ‘Up-the-Skirt’ starts with Petra (in a first time performance), masturbating alone on a bed. Intercut are ‘up-the-skirt’ shots of Dahlia, wearing a loose mini skirt, bare legs and heels; white panties and a tight sweater without a bra, seductively crossing and uncrossing her legs. Intercut with that are sequences of a submissive Petra and dominant Dahlia in ornate lingerie. Cutting to the bathroom, Dahlia is fingered by the soapy wet hands of Petra in a variety of poses. Both the scenes from HIGH HEELS and PIN-UPS were intercut in a dreamy ‘stream of conscious’ manner. The result is a steady barrage of erotic positions and details. I think they’re pretty hot.

PR - How important was the posing in HIGH HEELS, PLAYTHINGS and PIN-UPS?

AB - Very. In all the films I try to present the women in arousing positions, giving the viewer plenty of time to soak up each angle of the body. In PIN-UPS, I spent a great deal of time displaying Dahlia’s butt and bare legs. Also, we used a very tiny black g-string that barely covers Dahlia’s pubic hair and labia. I always try to have a combination of contemporary takes on the classic ‘pin-up’ poses of Vargas and the early Playboy centerfolds, along with shots of the body in motion. Dahlia is a constant source of inspiration; she always seems to find the right angle for the camera.

PR - You seem to be concentrating on legs a lot lately.

AB - Yes. You’ll notice that I use a lot of full figure or full leg shots in the films. You want to see the woman as a whole, not just as isolated parts. I’ve gone through a lot of fetishes in the last few years that started with CAPTURED BEAUTY. Hot wax, restraints, blindfolds and other specialty items (like facial dildos) have all appeared in my films. But lately, I’ve turned to probably the most common fetish fantasy - beautiful legs and breasts. I’ve included in DELIRIOUS, HIGH HEELS and PLAYTHINGS a real emphasis on legs and panties. Another visual fetish of mine is to include numerous close-up ‘portraits’ of Dahlia’s labia. But I think the sexiest shots are always seeing Dahlia (and the other girls) from head to toe.

PR - Tell me about the stills that accompany this interview.

AB - They’re photos I took of Dahlia several weeks after the PIN-UPS shoot, in March ‘99. I did them in a hotel suite in West Hollywood. These pictures were all done in natural daylight. We’ll be putting up more of these on the web-site in the coming months. Dahlia’s wearing an outfit from the show - a see-thru top and skirt over bare legs without panties. I thought it was a beautiful way to display her breasts. I like the way she points her feet in some of the shots, the same position as if she were wearing fetish ‘ballet’ shoes. This was my idea of the contemporary pin-up. They’ll be used on the box covers and poster for PIN-UPS.

PR - How do you find new models? They’re all so beautiful.

AB - I don’t find them, they seem to find me. I work with several agents around the world who are always on the lookout for someone I might like. They know I like tall girls with natural breasts, and girls that will compliment Dahlia. Many of the women come from the men’s magazine circuit, particularly Penthouse and the Hustler magazines. There are many girls available, but only a very small percentage would be acceptable to me. Quality, not quantity is what counts for me. I have a definite preference for women with natural breasts; 36c is the ideal, and she should be about 24-28 in age. I don’t like working with the younger girls, generally they’re not mature enough. Since I shoot only three times a year, there’s enough time in between for new girls to come into the business.

PR - When you watch your films, what personally excites you?

AB - My first thought is how much work went into getting the shots. It may look easy, but trust me, it isn’t. I loved Dahlia walking up a staircase in a leather micro-mini, with bare legs, tiny panties and ultra-high heels from DARK ANGEL, that was a real turn-on! While my films are explicit, they don't follow the current trend in the business, where the more extreme sex, the better. I personally don't care for the 'gaping anus' and near obsession with anal sex that seems to be very popular at the moment. I'm not sure if the audience is really excited by this kind of thing, or if that's all that's available to them in the market place. The producers of these extreme videos are not creative - their only concern is to shock the viewer and 'one-up' their competition. My films are more concerned with beauty, tease and arousal, and that’s personally what turns me on.

PR - Do you ever want to make a theatrical Hollywood movie?

AB - I think I'd be at a loss to make a so-called 'mainstream" movie. I love shooting nudity and sensuality, themes which are almost extinct in contemporary mass market films. I've found a niche genre for myself, invented it really, where I can play out my fantasies about sex and nudity with production values and film making techniques that rival mainstream films. Making mainstream movies also takes a considerably longer time than erotic films. I think the reason the press outside of the x business are curious about me is that I have such a different approach and style than anyone else in the x business. I know that I have a wide following in the regular Hollywood film making community. Several years ago I was approached by a major studio, but decided that I was quite content producing my own projects and following my own vision and interests, things that always seem to be compromised by a corporate committee.

PR - Have you always been the producer of your films?

AB - I've always produced my films, but early on in my career others handled raising the production funds and handled domestic and international distribution. I had major problems in the past with unscrupulous and dishonest distributors and 'partners'. I lost a lot of money in the process. So if I was going to continue, I decided that all the business aspects would be handled in house by my production and distribution company, Studio A Entertainment. Throughout my career in this business I've always had complete creative control - no one has 'produced' me or guided me in any direction other than the course I was already on. Some have tried to take credit for my success by promoting themselves as Andrew Blake's 'producers’, but that simply was not the case.