Adult star Briana Banks has left Vivid Entertainment to start her own production company, Briana Banks Entertainment. The new label will launch in January at the 2009 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas.

“I felt it was time to open a new chapter in my life, and to make a product based on my own vision and what my fans what to see,” Banks told AVN. “There are no burned bridges or hard feelings with Vivid; they respected the fact that I wanted to move on to new ventures.”

Banks is looking to sign a select number of exclusive contract girls. She emphasized the importance of finding the right performers, and treating them well.

“My main goal is to focus on the talent, and to recognize that without them we don’t have a finished product,” she said. “I want to create a better support system and a better work environment for contract girls. We’re being very picky; we don’t want to have 12 girls. We want to take two or three girls and build them into stars.”

Banks confirmed that she will star in her company’s first production, which is scheduled to roll in late November for release in 2009.

“I’ve put together a great team to back me, and we’ve been working really hard for about a month and a half getting ready to shoot,” Banks said. “I don’t want to give away too much, but I can say that my fans will not be let down. It will be a little more hardcore, but still pretty. The first movie is more of a high-class gonzo - it’s not going to be a cheap $10,000 production. We hope to do some high-budget features; we will mix it up to give all the fans what they want.”

Banks told AVN she in negotiations to reclaim the website BrianaBanks.com, which is currently owned by Playboy as part of the Club Jenna acquisition. She also plans to use her own domain BrianaBanksReloaded.com as a platform for her company.

“We will be doing DVD and Blu-ray, but we’ll also be doing streaming scenes for the Internet and developing ideas for mobile,” she said. “We have all kinds of ideas and concepts; I never got the opportunity to learn how to direct, but now as the president of the company I will get the hands-on experience with all aspects of how a movie is made and distributed.”

Born in Munich, Banks grew up in Simi Valley, Calif., and got into the adult business in 1999 after answering an ad for nude models. The gorgeous, 5′9″ blonde quickly became one of the industry’s most in-demand performers, moving from down-and-dirty gonzo flicks into glossy contract-girl features including the Club Jenna bestseller Briana Loves Jenna.

But even as her career took off, Banks suffered from problems with substance abuse; she took a two-year hiatus from the business before returning at the AVN expo last January.

“I’ve been clean off drugs for few years now,” she said. “And that’s part of what led up to this; you clear your head, and good things start to happen.”

When Banks announced her new company to fans on her My Space blog last weekend, Vivid was not yet aware of her plans.

“We heard rumors about Briana starting her own company but she hasn’t called us herself yet,” Vivid co-chairman Steven Hirsch told AVN on Wednesday. “We would be happy to help her in any way we can. We are sure she will be successful and we wish her the very best.”

Banks is working out a DVD distribution deal for her company, but said it’s “too early to announce the details.” For now, she’s excited about declaring her independence.

“I want to thank all of my fans for the support; I’m excited to give them something new that’s coming straight from my heart,” she said. “I’ve worked my butt off in this industry, and it’s time for me to make my mark.”

For more information and updates, visit myspace.com/brianabanksreloaded.

PHILADELPHIA - Adult entertainment blog PopPorn.com is kicking off the fall season with a week long celebration focused around three top industry performers.

The event will showcase Faye Reagan, Kimberly Kane and Lexi Belle in several unique and playful video webisodes.

“These three stars represent what we love about the industry today,” PopPorn Editor-in-Chief Brian Bangs said. “Kimberly Kane is the veteran performer now coming into her own as a director. Lexi Belle is the fresh-face star on the rise, while Faye Reagan is the wild card. They are three young, unique and soon to be very powerful personalities in the industry. To capture them casually and candidly is something really special for the fans.”

Red-headed and freckle faced Reagan kicks things off today with an informal hotel room-romp with PopPorn host Spock Buckton. The interview, shot in Woodland Hills, has Buckton asking Reagan cutting, in-depth questions surrounding industry challenges and explores some of the myths regarding her legendary “puffy nipples.”

On Wednesday, Sept. 10, performer/director Kimberly Kane is featured in a West Hollywood scuffle with Los Angeles police after a night of drinking at the legendary Rainbow. Kane and Buckton discuss the intricacies involved in transitioning from a performer into directing, as well as their shared love of Prince.

Finally, on Friday, Sept. 12, the lovely and talented Lexi Belle will be featured in a pool-side interview. Captured in a lovely Studio City backyard, which the PopPorn staff snuck into, Belle divulges her inner nerd while insisting that she’s not “literally” on every single box cover coming out today.

PopPorn updates every weekday and features product reviews, webisodes, interviews and articles about adult performers and news articles about the adult industry and porn in general.

PopPorn offers numerous writers on the roster including Digital Playground contract starlet Stoya, AVN Media Network hall of fame member Tom Byron and adult stars Roxy DeVille and Ryan Keely.

For more information and scheduling, visit PopPorn.com or contact Brian Bangs at bbangs@popporn.com.

Ashlynn Brooke and award winning male performer Tommy Gunn make an appearance in rock band Buckcherry’s latest video, “Too Drunk…”

Ashlynn and Gunn are prominently cast as a couple in the video. In most of their X-rated performances the pair are used to being naked and being the center of attention, but for the shoot they were called on to be more modest than usual.

“We’re friends with the band and we were more than happy to come out and support them,” Gunn said. “They like that we’re in the porn business and even though we couldn’t do anything explicit, we could still give a wink and a nudge to our fans and theirs by having sex in the bathroom — or at least, as close to sex as we could get in a video like this.”

The real-life couple added they had a great time during the shoot.

“When the fans see us in mainstream projects like this, they tell me it’s like they’re in a secret club and knowing who we are is the handshake,” Ashlynn, who will appear in New Sensations’ big budget all-sex title “Addicted 4,” added. “We had a fun time and I hope the guys and girls at home enjoy it and keep on looking for us, no matter where we pop up.”

The cover art for Digital Playground’s epic sequel ”Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge” is now available, as well as juicy facts concerning the budget, the special effects, and the raw, passionate sex.

The original ”Pirates” made history as the most expensive adult film ever produced, but it is left in the shadow of ”Pirates II” and its 10 times larger budget. The extra cost can be partly attributed to the over 600 astounding special effects. However, the CGI only plays a supporting role to the fervent sexual chemistry possessed by the star-studded cast.

”Pirates II” marks the 1st time Digital Playground contract star Jesse Jane® and BellaDonna have performed with each other in 5 years. The blockbuster also features the debut boy/girl/boy experience ever, on or off film, for an eager Shay Jordan(TM), as well as the 1st boy/girl scene for sizzling hot newcomer Riley Steele(TM).

The vibrant and sexy artwork for ”Pirates II” will have everyone counting down the days to the film’s release in September. Joone, Digital Playground’s Founder and the esteemed filmmaker behind ”Pirates II”, talks about the cover art. He says, ”I really wanted the girls to take center stage on the cover; they are the stars of the movie. I also wanted the cover to reveal a glimpse of the special effects–fierce storms, dreadful creatures, and magic are all integral parts of ‘Pirates II’. ‘Pirates II’ is much darker than the original, and we spared no expense in this production to get the desired effect.”

Meanwhile, Jesse Jane spared no amount of energy in creating the most wild and intense sex adult film has ever witnessed. Of her memorable scene with BellaDonna, Jesse confides, ”I think Bella was a bit timid at first because she didn’t know what I could handle. I told her to hold nothing back. I’m not like most girls. I wanted to experience first hand why she has the reputation that she does. I have never experienced anything like what happened between us on the set. It was amazing! You’ll have to buy the movie to see what I mean, but let’s just say it changed me.”

Sasha Grey describes the special atmosphere that surrounded the production. She says, ”There was always sexual energy on set. My sex scene with Evan Stone and BellaDonna was amazing! We all wanted to [have sex]; we were all horny. It was what pornography should be–flawless and unforgiving in every sense! This was definitely an exhilarating, filthy sex scene from the three of us. It was definitely one of the best scenes of my career!”

Digital Playground’s newest signed contract girl is Riley Steele and ”Pirates II” contains her first filmed sex scene ever. Riley says, ”What a fabulous film to start my career with. The original ‘Pirates’ was partly responsible for my decision to enter the industry. As if just being in the film wasn’t enough, what was supposed to be my first boy/girl scene turned out to be so much more. Joone added Shawna Lenee to the scene. Shawna is gorgeous. She makes me so hot and bothered. This is the perfect job for me!”

‘Pirates II’ also stars Digital Playground’s beautiful contract girls Shay Jordan(TM), Katsuni, Stoya(TM), and Gabriella Fox(TM). The cast list includes the many talents of Jenna Haze, Brianna Love, Abbey Brooks, Shawna Lenee, Rhylee Richards, Brea Lynn, Shyla Stylez, and Veronica Rayne. Evan Stone, Tommy Gunn, and Steven St. Croix reprise their ground-breaking roles from the original ”Pirates”. They are joined by fellow studs Manuel Ferrara, James Deen, Marco Banderas, Mick Blue, Ben English, and Charles Dera.

All hands are on deck for ”Pirates II: Stagnetti’s Revenge”, which will release in September of 2008. The film is directed by award-winner Joone, and produced by Joone and his business partner Samantha Lewis.

Seymore Butts is proud to announce the launch of his new “Live” webcam site, seymorecams.com. Featuring the hottest “at home” performers from across the globe, seymorecams.com is positioning itself to make a major impact in the “live webcam” arena.

“To me, it’s a natural expansion of our online business and fits into our company philosophy of always trying to connect with the public. The fact that we will be building a community that will enable both professional and amateurs to establish strong relationships with fans and generate revenue at the same time, without having to leave their homes…is a big bonus!” says Adam Glasser (aka Seymore Butts)
Seymorecams.com will be announcing it’s launch date in the near feature. Interested performers can sign up directly online using our automated systems or contact Jarod Cooper at (580) 977.6241 or through email at jarod@seymorecams.com

SugarDVD said a “third party” approached the company Wednesday morning with a 50-minute video of Troyer in bed with a hot young woman of average height.

The tape reportedly includes oral sex, a close-up of Troyer’s naughty parts and several shots of Troyer looking directly into the camera.

“This is one of the most interesting tapes I have ever seen,” SugarDVD CEO Jax said. “We are willing to purchase the tape for $100,000 and release the footage if Vern and his mystery woman give their consent.”

SugarDVD said it will not release the tape without the consent of Troyer and the woman in the video.

The award will be presented at an awards dinner scheduled for mid-November and several RLD and PX personnel are invited to attend, including RLD/PX Owner and President, David Joseph.

“We are excited and proud to be even considered for this prestigious award nomination”, says David. “We also congratulate all who have been similarly nominated and thank everyone who played a part in the Red Light District consideration and nomination”

Director Eli Cross is deep into post-production on his $350,000 adult sci-fi feature Upload, due out Sept. 25 from SexZ Pictures.

“The reason we want to make this available to people for download is that it’s really a teaser as opposed to a full trailer,” Cross told. “It’s only a minute long, but we wanted people to be able to see it on full HD, so it wasn’t practical to put it up as streaming video. At the time we made the teaser, we didn’t have all of the effects done, but we wanted to put something together because we’re getting a lot of feedback from people who are curious about the show.”

Co-written by Cross and Alvin Edwards, Upload stars SexZ contract girl Hillary Scott, Eva Angelina, Derrick Pierce and Kylie Ireland in a futuristic tale influenced by cyberpunk author William Gibson. Following up the success of Cross’ dark, political porn flick Corruption, SexZ mogul Bo Kenney gave the director a 22-day schedule to shoot Upload.

According to Cross, SexZ Pictures will release Upload as a four-disc set, with the movie spread across two DVDs and two additional DVDs containing bonus features. “It’s definitely going to be released in HD,” Cross said, “But we are looking for a Blu-ray author right now because all indications are that Blu-ray is going to be very much the dominant format. Until dual-format players come down in price, releasing on HD DVD is foolish.”

Cross is currently spending up to 20 hours a day in post-production, finishing up the movie’s CG effects. “A lot of it is sort of low-level background stuff that people won’t even notice,” he said. “All of the cars in the movie are actually computer generated, including the one that blows up, because we didn’t have millions to build cars for a futuristic movie, and we didn’t want to use standard cars of today. There’s a fight sequence in a virtual reality simulator where Hillary kicks the crap outta Eva – Hillary’s image is computer generated, except for her head.”

Upload promises to deliver some of the year’s hottest hardcore sex, including Eva Angelina’s first anal and double-penetration scenes. “Eva’s sex scenes rock - and I’m a hard judge,” said Cross. “Boy, did she bring her A-game. For the DP, she performed with Mark Davis and Alex Sanders, and then the first anal happens in a boy/girl/girl with Evan Stone and Sandra Romain.”

Cross praised the efforts of his partner Kylie Ireland, who handled the movie’s production design and supervised the art department. The gorgeous AVN Hall of Famer also makes a welcome onscreen appearance as a 1940s femme fatale in a scene with Pierce and Delilah Strong.

“Kylie was even more involved with this movie than she was with Corruption,” Cross said. “We had 18 different locations in 20 days…we lost an office building location days before we had to shoot, so Kylie and her crew built those sets in our place. I would defy anybody to pick out those sets.”

Cross sees big-budget features as one way for the adult industry to fight the undertow of cheap internet porn.

“We’re going to start focusing more on big-budget stuff like this,” Cross told AVN, “Because as the industry continues to change and the DVD market continues to take a dive, the thing that people still seem to want at home to actually buy is the big, epic stuff. Corruption has been SexZ’s biggest moneymaker – people told them you’ll never make your money back, but it has already doubled its budget in profits and we haven’t even done most of the European licensing. So the idea is to scale back on gonzo and cheap stuff, and start doing three or four big, expensive movies a year.”