Hello,

What's going on? I thought Private wants to sell quality.
Now you've introduced a new label Pureplay by Private (http://shop.private.com/shop/listcat.asp?catalog_name=DVD_EU&category=180&lang=EN&resid=0&subval=&locale=EU) with products which already have been released by other companies.

greetings
Dutchy

I've heard a rumour from my local adult shops, that states that Private has been bought out by Score. I don't believe it, but could this be true?

The relevant press release: http://www.prvt.com/press/pressdetail.asp?id=150. These items do not appear in the US locale of the Shop (and shouldn't), though we're always months behind now that Pure Play distributes here. It was the price to be paid for getting rid of that albatross Private USA. Personally I don't see anything insidious in this any more than the PeepShow Special line or Private slapping it's label on wine now. What worries me are Private produced new labels Bukkake and Coming on my Face and now Fantom Seducer no. 1 (whatever that is), and the apparent abandonment of DVD transfers of Castings and Classics. Ah well, Private has to do what it has to do to keep afloat in today's degraded porn market. Sad to think they probably simply can't afford Pierre Woodman, for instance. (Perhaps no one can.) They do at least have Adamo back on the Gold line, though Sex Rebels was disappointing to me. And I see Susi Medusa is doing the next fetish movie ("Enjoy the Abyss" with Angel Dark!).

I think Milton said the keel will even about mid-year, in terms of cash-flow problems and the ability to resume quality productions.

the apparent abandonment of DVD transfers of Castings and Classics.

I hope this isn't the case!

I have selfish reasons... We were only a couple of Castings DVD releases away from #41 - the edition starring Vanda (Vitus), one of my favourite girls. I've been waiting for #41 ever since Madboy gave an assurance about it months ago (in General Chat: 'How much would you pay to be in a private movie?'):

Well there's good news and bad news baskkk...

The good news is that Castings X 41 will be released on DVD, but the bad news is that Castings X movies are released monthly and we are only up to no.29 at the moment... so that means, I am afraid, that Vanda won't be on DVD until March 2005.

Sorry we can't do better than that!

Madboy

And the Classics range is surely too good, and too quintessentially Private, to be abandoned...

baskkk

Hi guys,

Well first thanks for your comments, we have passed them on to the production department. I am finding out about the next Classic and Castings movies and will get back to you on it.

As you rightly said, we are no longer working with PNA, and now we are working with Pureplay Media to distribute our movies in the US. We thought that it maybe a good idea to see what interest there was in the Pureplay by Private range in Europe, of course it is a very different style, but it is an added offer that some people may enjoy.

I am not sure what the situation is with Pierre, as you know we have the new range "The Private Life of Pierre Woodman", but as you said this is not new movies he is directing for us. Will try to find out.

Anyway keep the comments coming.

Fiona
P.S. No we haven't been bought out, and we are not intending to be anytime soon!

Hi, Fiona

If the new distribution deal links the Private logo with a variety of American-produced titles at the same time that DVD releases of the Classics and Castings ranges are put on hold - and if Private continues to use American genres as the basis for new ranges which feature European directors and cast (such as 'Cum On My Face') - there is a danger that, in time, the distinctive appeal of the Private logo, and the connotations which have made it such a hit, will wane: the logo will flatten out across a ho-hum morass of American/ised porn product and become too diffuse to retain the fierce brand loyalty it once enjoyed. Private's style should, I think, remain essentially European and Woodmanesque, even though Pierre himself has moved on. Then again, I'm not a businessman, so what do I know???

baskkk

if Private continues to use American genres as the basis for new ranges which feature European directors and cast (such as 'Cum On My Face') - there is a danger that, in time, the distinctive appeal of the Private logo, and the connotations which have made it such a hit, will wane: the logo will flatten out across a ho-hum morass of American/ised porn product and become too diffuse to retain the fierce brand loyalty it once enjoyed.

(Maybe I should eat my words - or some of them, at least! I've just watched 'Cum On My Face #2', and I think that it does have a lot of Euro-style Private pzaz about it - more so than #1. Antonio Adamo is part of the directorial line-up this time, and that certainly makes a difference. There are some big-name Private girls in the mix, looking as foxy as ever - e.g. Victoria Swinger, Nikky Blond, Mya Diamond and Simony Diamond. I also really like the scenes with Yasmine Gold and Kitty Sixx...

baskkk)

Hi guys,

Ok well I have talked to Production. There are no more Castings or Classics scheduled for release on DVD in the next few months. There was no policy to stop them, poor sales was really the deciding factor.

I have requested that Castings be scheduled for release again, as this has been requested by you guys a few times, so lets see what feedback I get.

Fiona

Thank you, Fiona. Bad news, but good to know. I hope your request is heeded regarding the Castings at least. For the remaining vid mags, I guess I'll have to scrounge them up on VHS somewhere.

Management seems enthusiastic about cell phones and TV/Internet broadcasting and otherwise making money in new technologies that have nothing to do with porn, but the lip-service paid to their "premium content library" (the only important thing to me) now rings hollow in my ears.

I hope Private gets back up on their (financial) feet soon.

Hi guys,

Ok well I have talked to Production. There are no more Castings or Classics scheduled for release on DVD in the next few months. There was no policy to stop them, poor sales was really the deciding factor.

Yes, thanks for the information! If Classics sales were poor, maybe there's another way of incorporating scenes from 'Triple X' and 'Private Stories'... How about including one or two vintage scenes in each edition of 'Reality' - alongside the usual number of brand new vignettes? Perhaps a selection of hand-picked 'golden oldie' extras (well - not that old, after all!) would strengthen the appeal of the 'Reality' line-up.

baskkk

I can't believe that the Castings series was stopped being released on DVD just before it ended. Releasing 39 titles out of 50 and then abruptly stopping... this does not seem fair! Since I have almost all titles in the series, I'd be naturally interested in vols. 40-50. If Private decided that they would only be released on one format (either NTSC or PAL), I can live with that, but not releasing them at all... that is a horror!

I don't know if this is any consolation, but Private appears to have taken hold of one element from the classic series of Woodman Castings and is relaunching it to very good effect... specifically, the scene which comprises video foootage of a magazine photoshoot. Check out the 'Extra Scene' in 'Private XXX: Fuck My Ass!!!' - it's footage of Cindy Lords' 'Triple X 60 Backstage Photoset', with Andrea Moranti and Ramon Nomar. The video of the photoshoot is very exciting to watch, and it's neatly intercut with some of the finished stills as they appear in the magazine. This is exactly as in the old 'Castings' series, and every bit as horny. The affable Andrea gets to chat up Cindy at the beginning of the scene, and she looks very natural at this point because it's before any work has taken place on her make-up or costume. So even this part is like the old 'Castings' series, where Woodman used to interview the girls before testing their bodies... except here there's no pretence that Cindy isn't already a tried and tested porn princess!

baskkk

Hi everybody,

Good news!

We are releasing the Castings X series again.

Castings x 40 will be released in December.

Mermelade.

Mermelade,

That's good news indeed.

Dutchy

Hi everybody,

Good news!

We are releasing the Castings X series again.

Castings x 40 will be released in December.

Mermelade.

That's fantastic news :o

Thanks, Mermelade, for news about the release of 'Castings' #40 in December! Maybe we could see the Classics ranges resume at some point, too?

baskkk

Hi!

I'm glad to hear you all happy :wink:

Mermelade

Baskkk,

To be honest no more of the Classics range will be released on DVD. The sales do not justify it I am afraid.

Fiona

Well, thanks for the info on that. I guess that one day the original videos never getting to see a DVD release will become real collectors' items. How about my idea of picking up odd scenes from the later 'Triple X' and 'Private Stories' videos and slipping them in as Bonus Scenes on new 'Reality' releases... one classic scene in each new DVD? This could be like a Retro Private novelty item in the Extra Features.

baskkk