WICKED PICTURES' JONATHON MORGAN BOOSTING CREDIT? :: Simply Jimmy D :: Breakin' News or Breakin' Balls: It's all the same to me!

jimmyd _writes "Gigi Appleton, CEO of Avalon Enterprises, once told me, "There's no such thing as a porn Emergency." She told me this years ago when she was National Sales Manager for Sin City, and I was working there running post-production.

"There's no such thing as a porn emergency." No truer words describe the importance of important stuff when your toiling in the jizz biz. These words have become something of a porn-credo for me. Hardly a week passes without a reminder of how true they ring.

"There's no such thing as a porn emergency." This axiom can be so universally applied to so many situations in this biz, it's a wonder I don't hear more people mutter it. And I'm sure you've all figured out that it isn't merely meant to address things that in the real world constitute an 'emergency,' per se. It's a universal term to describe anything that suddenly appears to be of great and momentous importance in the biz, and that needs some great and immediate attention. Because if truth be known, this is the business of pornography, and nothing, in my humble opinion, has ever achieved--nor is it likely to achieve--the status of being 'great,' or 'momentous,' or even 'emergentous,' (Is that a word?), with the possible exception of Jenna Jameson's first anal.

Having prefaced this story with that bit of blather, I recieved an email yesterday from Martin Brimmer. Brimmer, of course is a daily contributor to LukeFord.com, and is also a well-known, award-winning scribe who has penned many, many fuck flicks in this emergency-free business. Mr. Brimmer contends he's been slighted in the worst possible way (from a writer's perspective) by Jonathon Morgan, Wicked Pictures' version of an uber-director...or is that Brad Armstrong's job there? Okay, there both ubers; I don't want to piss anyone off. But wait! Come to think of it, Sin City's Michael Raven has recently done some directing for Wicked, and he IS the original uber-director, so sorry Jon and Brad, you two been uber'd out by Mike!

Now I gotta say that I really wouldn't mind using this story to bag on Jonathon. I have some personal motive here. Jonathon beat me out twice by winning "Best Comedy of the Year" at the AVN Awards. I can't remember the names of his movies that won, but it was my movies, "Shooting Sex," and "The Sopornos," that were nominated against him. Being that as it may be, I'm going to rise above petty jealousy and not make the winning of AVN Awards an issue here, even though everyone tells me my movies were funnier.

What is at stake is Brimmer's assertion that Jonathon swiped some of the credit for the writing of a new Jonathon Morgan-directed Wicked flick, "Turning Point." I'm guessing this fuck flick is not based on the Herbert Ross directed, Anne Bancroft/Shirley MacLaine movie of nearly the same name ( How was that Tod?).

My take on this is that Brimmer is hoping his righteous anger is brewing up a storm at Wicked. But remember readers, this is the porn biz, remember the 'emergency' adage? So let's put this in perspective: That's right, it's brewing up a what at Wicked? A storm? No, a 'tempest in a teapot?' Well, maybe close...let's say it's probably brewing tea at Wicked. That would be my guess. Why? Because there 'are no porn emergencies,' and people like Steve Orenstein, Joy King, and Daniel Metcalf know this all too well.

But I don't want to dilute Brimmer's accusations or his indignation, so let me reprint an email he shot over to the big mucky-mucks at Wicked, and then forwarded to me.

* * * * * * * * * *

Hello, Daniel and Joy.

I had the opportunity to screen "Turning Point" last night and I must say that aside from one technical squabble it's the best feature I have seen all year. The performers - particularly Rod, Sydnee and Devinn - do justice to the script and to the complicated characters created for this complex, fun story. The script - originally titled "Sideswipe" - was shot verbatim as written, with the exception of a few necessary location changes. So imagine my surprise in watching the end credits roll to see the following credit: Story by Martin Brimmer and Jonathan Morgan. It's bad enough that the "Screenplay by" credit was omitted by the editor -- ummm, that would be Jonathan -- but J.M. takes co-credit for a screenplay he had absolutely no hand in creating or writing. I developed this script independent of Jonathan. It was, to use a hackneyed phrase, a labor of love. Not one line of dialogue or one set-up in the structure was altered or changed by Jonathan.

This is it. I am, as they used to say in Ernest Greene movies, fit to be tied. Jonathan has insulted and angered me for the last time. Wait a minute ... actually, go cue up the AVN Awards segment of the "Double Feature" DVD for more Brimmer bitch slapping. Not only does Jonathan fail to publicly thank or otherwise recognize my contribution to the movie on two occasions but he thanks "Herschel Savage for looking at my script, saying 'What a piece of shit', throwing it away and giving me five minutes of the best improv ever." Well, Herschel was indeed brilliant in his improvised routine but that "piece of shit" not only won Best Screenplay but provided the concept and structure and a lot of the narrative for "Double Feature."

A one-on-one, personal apology from Jonathan won't cut it. He has deliberately appropriated credit from me in the case of "Turning Point" and if he does not acknowledge this in a public venue -- since the town square is out of the question, a statement by him to AVN would probably suffice -- I am not only finished with my collaborative efforts with Jonathan but I will use the many outlets available to me to voice my dissatisfaction with Jonathan's behavior.

I will reiterate what I have said in the past: In no way, shape or form do I hold Wicked Pictures responsible for Jonathan's reprehensible actions but since you are the only ones who are in a position to offer corrective or even punitive recourse I am, naturally, writing to you.

You have a movie to be proud of in "Turning Point." But your director - who in no small measure has demonstrated that he truly has moments of brilliance behind the camera and in the edit bay - has stepped in a pile of dung for the last time and I think it's high time we all made sure that everyone else can savor the stench of his errors.

Respectfully,

Brimmer

* * * * * * * * * *

Well, there you have it. Jonathon Morgan's hand caught in the 'credit' jar? You be the judge. Wicked Pictures honchos opt to stick heads in sand? You be the judge. Brimmer's been fucked over for no other reason than ego gone wild? You be the judge, but I'll cast a big "yes" vote for that one.

I'd love to hear from other parties to this situation. My guess is I won't.

"


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