Sal Genoa Interview January 2005

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INTERVIEW: SAL GENOA

Tell me there aren't any pictures of you this Anabolic/Diabolic calendar.

There are not, but I designed it.

So this was your creation?

Everybody does the same shit every year. We wanted something different.

These aren't the most flattering pictures of the girls.

That is the way Chris likes it. What do you want, some Playboy bullshit? We're eating ass in this calendar, it's Anabolic.

It's a nice romantic "dick up the ass" calendar.

Exactly.

Let's get to it. Who the hell are you and why am I here instead of over there with Nautica Thorn?

I am Sal Genoa and you are here because you one of the few people who understood my movie to a T.

A little background. You are a director for Diabolic and Anabolic.

Right.

Where did you work before?

I was at Red Light District. I was Vince Vouyer's assistant for three years and I worked for Robby D when we were both at Vivid. They would let me shoot the occasional scene now and again.

You worked with some quality directors.

I had a great education. I started as a PA and Robby got me into the industry. Then I went to work for Vince. Thank God I worked for good directors I wouldn't have ended up here. Things worked out well.

The movie you just mentioned was "Artcore" and it was a really different project for Anabolic. They have had the same style for fifteen years. How hard was that project to sell to Chris?

Not hard at all. Chris has done stuff like this in the past. I have done both gonzo and feature so I came at it from both sides. Why does gonzo sex always have to be on a black couch pushed against a white wall? I wanted to make something that looks great, but has hard sex. Feature companies have great looking stuff, but the sex is horrible. I wanted to put the two together and it's doing really well both here and abroad.

So the fans are digging it?

The Italians love it, so do the French. All of the artsy-fartsy places love it. We just shot part two in high definition so we're excited.

What about the American Anabolic fans?

It may take a while to catch on with the core audience, but people are trying to make their movies look better across the board. I don't think that hard sex has to look shitty.

Why do you think so many people do it then?

Because it's easy. It is easy to go to the same fucking house, push the couch against the wall, turn in your scene and collect your money. I just hate shitty porn and want to do something better.

Do you think these movies will catch on with the main Anabolic audience?

If not, then we can expand the audience. I still have Teens With Tits and the Anabolic Asians lines that are more traditional. Let's just get off the couches and give people something different.

You should just open the movie with a burning couch.

What a great idea. I will open Artcore 4 with a burning couch as a tribute to you Rog. I think that there are fans of true porno who will appreciate hard sex that looks better.

Do you think you could do a more traditional feature with the same intense sex?

I wouldn't want to. The Artcore movies are non-stop sex. You go from room to room with non-stop fucking.

It feels a lot like an Andrew Blake movie.

I grew up watching Andrew Blake stuff so that's great. I want to take the beauty of his work with nasty sex.

But do you think a true feature with good sex is possible?

It's very possible, but I wouldn't want to break it up like that.

Your Anabolic Asians line was interesting.

I wanted to bring in some costumes and shot it outdoors.

Do you see this as a new direction for Anabolic?

Possibly. Chico's stuff is like college craziness, mine is pretty but they are tearing each other up. I am a fan of disgusting sex and have double anal in my movies. I love that, but I want it to look good.

If someone hasn't seen your work, what movie would you give them?

I like my stuff equally, but Teenage Anal Princess was good. I would give them one of all of my movies.

Teenage Anal Princess was great.

Everyone loves that. We had an interactive contest with the fans on that one. Teagan won of course. Digital was cool enough to let me interview her after she won.

Who is your favorite girl to shoot?

This sounds so generic, but each girl has something unique to bring to the scene. I have always been a fan of Asians and Latinas.

That is a very well thought out answer, now who is your favorite girl to shoot?

My favorite girl to shoot is the girl I can take to a new level.

Who qualifies on that level?

Nautica Thorn, Chael Chavez, Meagan Martinez, they are all beautiful girls. I like natural beauty and a girl who isn't looking at the clock the whole time and trying to collect the check.

Is there a girl you would never shoot again and if so who is she?

There were a couple who fell asleep, but they aren't in the business any more.

Who?

I'm not going to tell you that.

Do you have a web site?

I have a domain, but nothing is up there yet.

Isn't it a requisite thee days that you be a meat slinger if you want to direct?

Not here. I'm not, Chico isn't, Robbie Fischer isn't. Everyone who has left Anabolic was talent. What we have now is a talented group of guys who was never on-camera talent. I think that you can see the progression in quality of our stuff.

Who is the best director on the Anabolic/Diabolic team now?

Go ask Chris and Gregg who sells the most.

That's a cop out, who is the best?

I love Chico's stuff, I really do. I can jack to my stuff and I think we have a good group.

So you're saying that you are the best, but just don't want to admit it.

Not at all. I like Chico's stuff, I like Su's stuff, it's a strong group.

What about Tony's stuff?

Tony T? I haven't seen his stuff yet.

Do you watch a lot of other porn?

Not really. I don't like doing that because you may be sub-consciously influenced. I've never even seen a Jules Jordan movie. I like watching mainstream movies.

What is the last movie you saw?

"Stealing Beauty"

What is your favorite movie?

"Requiem for a Dream."

How did you get into the business?

I was a personal trainer and was training Bobby Vitale. I came to CES twice with Bobby before I was even in the industry. He invited me down to the set. Five years later, here I am.

Do you have a mainstream film background?

No.

Artcore looks like a student film.

That is because I'm always studying and trying to get better. While everyone else is out partying I am studying.

Do you edit your own stuff?

No. I sit in on the sessions, but I would love to edit my own stuff one day.

That is where the control is anyway. You can shoot something great and if it isn't edited well, it looks like shit.

Sure. I sit in and learn a lot. Our editors are awesome. Ricky Dynamite is like a child prodigy. He's nineteen and he just cranks it out.

How long did it take you to light the scenes in Artcore? A lot of the action flows from location to location without a cut.

It takes months of planning in my head to picture everything that I need.

Is there anything else you want to add?

I just wanted to thank you for understanding what I was doing with Artcore.

It is a great movie. It looks wrong because it's so original, but the lighting is perfect even if you don't know it at first.

I was trying to create something that works as porn, but works subliminal stuff that will blow people's mind.

People should see it for sure.

Oh I wanted to add one thing. Rog, you're a god.

Ha. OK that's the end.

Thanks.

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