X Critic Interview – Devon by Chris Thorne

More and More it seems that Adult Movies are coming closer and closer to the mainstream with better production values, more attention to what happens around the sex scenes and innovative presentation on DVD. Digital Playground has been leading the pack with a number of films squarely oriented at pushing at the boundaries of adult entertainment and making films that look and feel more like mainstream films than adult. While the days of bad dialogue and cheesy music aren't completely behind us, there is a new era of adult film makers committed to keeping you entertained even the scene you're watching isn't a sex scene.

The most recent example of this cross over is the Nic Andrew's Film 'Rush', an adult feature filled with exploding cars, gun fights, and of course hot sex. But can adult films ever really make their way into the mainstream? We sat down with Digital Playground Star Devon at the 2003 AVN Show to talk about where Adult movies are going and what's it like to make them. Devon was extremely enthusiastic and upbeat, I got the real sense that she was doing what she loved and that she was extremely excited to be doing adult films that are being embraced by a wider mainstream audience.

Everyone wants to be mainstream and these movies are so close to the main stream, and that's what I've always wanted. As you may know Digital Playground is the third company I've been with and it's the place where I feel like I've finally found the home that I've been looking for. With the other companies I've been with, we'd work off a six page script and more often than not go straight to the sex. Now, with Nic, I'm doing a 160 page script with tons of dialogue and hot sex on top of it. I'm now really doing the kind of movies I've always wanted to do.

How many movies a year are you making now compared to when you were working with other companies?

I used to make at least six films a year and now I'm doing only four. This means we get to shoot much longer on each one. Some of the films I worked on with the other companies we did in two day shoots, now we take a month to shoot and almost three months to finish completely. Now the movies I make with Digital are big budget movies, and are movies with sex not just sex movies. They're like amazing movies with amazing sex. When I get back to LA, we're going to start shooting our next film 'No Limits' and we've got a month to shoot it in

So your next movie will be another Nic Andrews movie, how did that come about?

I love Nic, I love doing his movies. His movies are the kind of movies I've always wanted to do. Nic and I have a wonderful relationship, we work very well together. I hadn't planned on being in three of his films back to back, but Tera was supposed to do this movie and things happened with her where she ended up leaving, so I stepped in and took over for her. Now we're doing No Limits and I'm very excited about it.

Do you own a DVD player?

Yes.

Do you ever go back and watch your own films on DVD?

I don't like to watch my own films. I'm so critical of myself, that it's very hard for me to watch my own films. The only time I really watch my films is when I have to do a commentary for it, like with Stripped. We watch the movie and talk about what we're really thinking while we're doing this, and while we're doing that, but that's the only time I watch them.

Do you watch other Adult DVDs to see what other people are doing in this space?

Not really. No. I know everybody in the industry and I've had sex with most of them. So I know what it's like already.

How about mainstream titles? What are some of your favorite mainstream DVDs?

I loved Vanilla Sky, very deep very different, I loved that movie. I love Penelope Cruz, she's so cute I'd take her over Tom any day. Also Lord of the Rings, I absolutely loved it.

Do you think showing what goes on behind the scenes on an adult DVD changes the way people look at adult films?

I think that when people see the behind the scenes of one of our movies they might think we're goofing off all the time, but actually we work really hard. When you see the behind the scenes and we're doing funny stuff like making fart noises and making fun of each other, it's actually because we're usually so tired from being up late and studying our dialogue and doing our sex scenes. Rush was shot out in the desert in Plamdale and it was a hundred and fifteen degrees out. They had a trailer for me to stay in so that my makeup wouldn't be destroyed by the time I had to do a scene. So mostly what you see on the behind the scenes is when we're so tired we're just like letting it out. It's extremely hard work.

Digital Playground seems to be crafting a new breed of Adult Entertainer....

Absolutely. I'm actually doing a lot more now with Digital Playground that I had with any other company I've worked with. I feature dance all over the country and Digital has opened a lot of doors for me. I was a Penthouse pet, I've been in almost every major adult magazine that there is. Now they're putting me in mainstream magazines, like car racing magazines, Guitar World, Revolver, mainstream stuff, which is fabulous and something I've always wanted.

Films like Devon Stripped and Rush seem to be aimed at crossing over to a mainstream audience. What do you think it's going to take for adult movies to really make that leap? Is it more sex, less sex, more story, better quality?

I think quality is really important. With the films I've done with Nic we've worked really hard to make a good film with action, guns, and lots of interesting things that aren't just sex. But I think you've got to keep the sex in there and you have to keep the sex hot for it to sell. Because there are still people who will say "why isn't it just sex why do you have to act I want to just fast forward through it". But we'll continue to make the films better overall so people will want to watch the whole thing and not fast forward. I think eventually a lot of the companies will copy what we've done with films like Rush, because it is so different and it obviously doing very well. What is it that they say..... "Imitation is the best form of flattery"

One of the biggest comment we get from our readers is that they like Adult movies where the performers look like they are enjoying themselves. With films like Rush where you're shooting out in the desert in 115 degree heat, with tons of pages of dialogue, you're having sex in front of a whole crew, how can you look like you're enjoying it?

Yeah I hate watching a girl in a scene who is just like 'when is this going to be over' she's getting pounded by the guy and looks like she'd rather be doing something else. I see that and I think it's just terrible.

But for me I am an exhibitionist and so I LIKE to have people watch me having sex. That's what gets me off and that's what turns me on. That's what gives me the energy after being so tired, from doing dialogue all day and from running around shooting guns, blowing up cars, being tied and bound with tape across my mouth and all the other stuff. The fact that I know my fans and so many people are going to see it and see me in a sexual way gives me the energy for my sex scenes.

How involved are with you with picking who you work with in your films?

I still pick all of my talent. I'm still doing boy-girl and girl-girl. I only do 'non-condom' with my fiancee, and other than that, I work with people I know very well. Many of the guys in the industry like Shane Collins and Julien are people who are friends of mine and I know very well.

You're pretty clear about your limits. I've read you don't do Anal. Is it just something you're saving for your own bedroom?

Some day I may 'give it up' on film, but I don't know when. But to me 'butt sex' isn't sexual. I understand that it gets a lot of girls off and a lot of girls are in to it, and I have nothing against that 'more power to them', but to me it's just painful. Why do an anal scene and I look like I'm in pain having a horrible time? It's not going to be a good scene because I am not going to be enjoying myself. So why do it?

What's next for you? What are you working on?

The next thing up is 'No Limits'. There's Trailer that's showing for it at the show that we actually shot in Nic Andrews garage last week, and it looks great! When I get back to LA, we've got it scheduled for a month of shooting and I've go 160 page script to study. I'm going to be taking a series of acting classes as well to continue to work on dialogue and stuff. I've been doing a lot of TV and Radio, just did something with VH1 and was on the Howard Stern show, and I'm always working on my website: DevonXXX.com.

Do you answer fan email through the site?

Definitely, fans can always get in touch with me at [email protected].

If someone has never seen a Devon film, which should they start with?

I would suggest people star off with Virtual Sex with Devon, that one won 'Best Interactive DVD' at the 2002 AVN awards and is fabulous. From there I would tell them to check out Stripped, and then Rush and then No Limits.

Are there DVDs from your time at other companies that you'd recommend?

You know the other companies didn't really do the kind of movies I wanted to do. So there really isn't anything that sticks out. I am really happy to have work now that I am really proud of.

Digital Playground - Devon movies on DVD:

• Virtual Sex with Devon
• Devon Stripped
• Rush

See our Complete Photo Coverage of the AVN 2003 Show