This year’s walk of fame was videoed for Playboy TV, with red carpet co-hosts rocker/director Dave Navarro and adult star Katie Morgan interviewing the celebrities at the start of the glamorous evening.
Navarro, whose directorial debut title “Broken” (produced by Teravision) also was multi-nominated, enjoyed being a big part of the evening’s festivities and told XBIZ, “I had a great time hosting the red carpet — it was a cake walk. I really am having great fun and it’s about time.”
In the middle of the carpet, more videotaped interviews were hosted by Shane’s World contract star Casey Parker, dressed in a yellow evening gown.
Then the stars were led to a third high-profile video interview with Digital Playground’s Jesse Jane, who wore a beautiful silver lace dress.
The invitation-only red carpet saw elite adult stars, as well as budding starlets like Michelle Maylene, Priya Rai, and Bobby Starr — whose homemade turquoise blue silk dress was one of the prettiest outfits of the evening.
Fashions varied widely, from BurningAngel.com’s Joanna Angel's little black dress that she joked looked like it was made from “a garbage bag,” all the way to starlet Sasha Grey looking all grown-up in a black Vera Wang.
Perhaps the winner for most ethnic-themed outfit was Harmony Films director Gazzman. A Scotsman, he wore an heirloom kilt, but refused to reveal what was underneath even when his dates, performers Sophia Valentine and Sandy Cage, tried to take a peek.
“Under the kilt? I’m not telling you,” Gazzman said with his Scottish brogue. “It’s an heirloom. I just afraid my skeindoo is going to get confiscated.”
Vivid Alt director/performer Dana DeArmond confessed that her champagne-colored dress was BCBG, and was happy about “Dana DeArmond Does the Internet” being nominated for Best Soundtrack.
Causing a major sensation with red-on-red fashion flair, performer Flower Tucci was gorgeously tied up in a vinyl gown with mermaid hemline that laced up the back and showed off her bare, ample assets.
Hall of Fame inductee Dyanna Lauren wore a stunning lavender lace gown she designed herself (constructed by Trashy Lingerie), 13 years ago when she was a hostess at the awards show.
Celebrating the show’s 25th anniversary, Lauren told XBIZ, “It’s a retrospective show, so I figured when could I wear it again but now?”
There was a huge uproar for the cameras as Lauren was loudly attacked by comedian Bobby Slaton, who made an attempt to steal her away from her date, veteran performer Steven St. Croix.
St. Croix was nominated for 6 awards, including a nod for Best Actor in a Video for Wicked Pictures’ smash hit comedy title, “Operation Desert Stormy.”
“It was a lot of fun really,” he told XBIZ. “Stormy [Daniels] wrote the script with me in mind, and initially, they didn’t want me to do the part, but she went to bat for me and she got me the part and I think it wound up better than if someone else had done it.”
Other male performers on hand for the gala evening included Tommy Gunn, Manuel Ferrara and Nick Manning, as well as the appearance of two Universal Fighting Champions: Tito “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz, who accompanied girlfriend and adult superstar Jenna Jameson, and Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, recently victorious in a New Year’s weekend match against Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva.
“Yeah, my friend [K-Beech Video] Kevin Beech has a booth here every year,” Liddell told XBIZ. “He’s a great guy. It’s fun — it’s pretty crowded in there and it’s hard to move around, but it’s fun to take pictures with fans.”
Pleasure Production’s director Matt Zane arrived on the carpet after his successful bid to break the record for being suspended from hooks pierced through his back, having hung for 6 hours straight over the floor of the Adult Entertainment Expo on Friday.
“It was a great experience and I’ll never do it again. It was the most painful, excruciating experience I’ve ever went through in my life,” Zane said. “It was more than a high; I started to see sound and almost left my body. I’m probably going to take a year off from suspending because I’ve done two in the last eight months.”
Aside from Jameson and Ortiz, several other glamourous industry couples made appearances including performers Veronica Rayne and Jack Vegas.
Evil Angel director Belladonna and husband Aiden were quite stylish in their retro fashions, with a matching red-and-black theme, as were awards show hostess Tera Patrick and husband Evan Seinfeld.
Patrick wore a beautiful red gown from her Mistress Couture line and Seinfeld looked gangster cool in his black-with-red trim suit.
Performer Marco Banderas accompanied wife Lisa DeMarco. Banderas stars as Xerxes in NinnWorx/SR upcoming special effects blockbuster “Four,” and told XBIZ about acting in front of green screens.
“It was easy. The results are really good,” Banderas said. “I can’t wait to see this movie.”
Director Jules Jordan arrived with girlfriend, award-winning starlet Jenna Haze.
Wicked Pictures director Brad Armstrong accompanied Wicked contract performer Jessica Drake, along with director/performer Stormy Daniels, who looked stunning in a leopard print gown and sparkling tiara.
Evil Angel power couple Karen and John Stagliano stopped to talk about a dance number John had choreographed for the evening’s show with dancers from his Las Vegas dance review, “Fashionistas.”
“You’re going to see aerialists and some very profound images,” Karen told XBIZ.
“And some political commentary in that respect, and possibly a little humor. If people laugh a little, that’s a good thing,” added John.
John said also that SexZ Pictures director Eli Cross would make a video clip appearance during the dance number, in a cameo as a news reporter.
A strong contingent from SexZ Pictures arrived that included Hillary Scott, star of 2007 blockbuster “Corruption” directed by Cross, as well as Eva Angelina, the star of his latest, multi-nominated big budget sci-fi release “Upload.”
Nominated as Best Actress in a Video, Angelina said she hadn’t prepared a speech in case she won.
“You know what? I’m the kind of person that likes to shoot from the hip, so if I try to orchestrate anything it’ll just make me nervous,” she said.
SexZ owner Bo Kenney arrived with his contract star Paulina James, who is getting ready for the release of her first SexZ title, “The Perils of Paulina.”
“I do my first anal scene with Evan Stone,” James said. “I had a lot of fun. If you go to the SexZ website you can see the trailer, or to my website, PaulinaJamesXXX.com.”
Asked about the increasing visibility of his studio, Kenney said, “Well, it seems to be working — we’re getting a lot of recognition and our movies are starting to stand on their own merits and I think that’s really good for us as a company.
“Whether we win awards or not, I think that people are staring to see that we’re making some really high quality stuff and they seem to be responding all over the world for us, so we did a couple of really big deals today overseas and it’s going to really push SexZ and make it a household name in Europe,” he added. “They appreciate things with a little more edge over there. It fits our style and what we’re doing with Eli, with Paulina and Hillary, and projects that we’ve got planned for them.”
Vivid Entertainment was well-represented by three of the loveliest ladies to appear for the cameras; contract girls Savanna Samson, Sunny Leone and Monique Alexander.
Two hot redheads attracted attention; elusive fetish diva Justine Joli — who looked amazing with her sleek new haircut, ala “Resident Evil” actress Milla Jovovich — and new Digital Playground contract performer Stoya.
When asked how she likes working in video, compared to modeling for the Web where she got her start, Stoya said, “It’s awesome, it’s new and it’s something different. And I love getting fucked in the ass.”
A pair of sexy blondes arrived in tandem as well; Vivid Alt director Kimberly Kane accompanied by performer Brooke Manor.
Other starlets sighted at the event included ClubJenna girls Sophia Rossi and Chanel St. James; Digital Playground’s Adrianna Lynne, Matsuni and Shay Jordan; Audrey Bitoni, Roxy DeVille, Raveness, veteran performer Teri Weigel, Missy Monroe, Jenny Hendrix, Jada Fire, Gina Lynn, Marie Luv, Trina Michaels, Daisy Marie, Gianna Lynn, Lux Cassidy, Sammie Rhodes, Nika and transsexual performer Hot Wendy Williams, among others.
Later that evening, SexZ Pictures scored back-to-back as the big award winners at the AVN Awards, with Angelina claiming Best Actress: Video, Scott taking Best Supporting Actress, and Cross winning for Best Non-Sex Role, all for “Upload,” which also brought home the trophy for Best Feature: Video.
