Extreme Associates, formerly known as Extreme and Extreme 2.0, is an independent pornographic film production company, featuring a catalog of DVD titles and Internet content. It is owned by Rob Zicari ("Rob Black") and his former wife Janet Romano ("Lizzy Borden"). The studio's material is controversial, with its films often featuring erotic humiliation and rough sex. Extreme has faced legal charges of obscenity in the U.S.

History

thumb|right|Rob Zicari and Janet Romano.

Extreme Associates evolved from Rob Zicari's former company, Extreme Video. It became known as Extreme Associates in 1997 when Zicari, Tom Byron and Van Damage broke away from Patrick Collins' Elegant Angel and formed their own company. Tom Byron and Van Damage have since left the company. Janet Romano started to work for Zicari in 1998, first as an actress and then as a director.

In 2003, it was indicted by the U.S. federal government on obscenity charges. The company is known for being controversial, as it has engaged in public relations wars with Vivid Video, Patrick Collins and his company Elegant Angel, Paul Fishbein and his publication Adult Video News, and Larry Flynt.

Extreme Associates has been featured on America's Most Wanted, Nightline with Ted Koppel and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and also in publications such as Time and Details. The company is the subject of the documentaries: PBS Frontline: American Porn (2002)

In April 2006, Extreme films were added to AdultRental.com's video on demand service.

Starting in May 2006, the studio's content could be downloaded to the iPod and PSP.

In February 2007, Extreme signed a deal to be the exclusive distributor of all-black studio Baller Nation's films.

In September 2007, the company announced it would be halting DVD sales, and would be distributing content exclusively through its video on demand service, ExtremeVOD.com, which was launched in February 2006.

Extreme posts approximately one hour's worth of free content on numerous "porn tube" websites every month, in the form of clips lasting just a few minutes. Zicari thinks the various 'Porn 2.0' user-generated content sites are useful for spreading brand awareness, even if it is difficult to measure how much this increases sales.

Obscenity prosecution

The filming of Lizzy Borden's movie Forced Entry, which included several simulated rapes, was covered in the PBS Frontline documentary American Porn which aired on February 7, 2002; Zicari was interviewed in the documentary; he defended the company's content and challenged Attorney General John Ashcroft to take action against him.

Films

Nature of content

Extreme Associates bills itself as having the hardest hardcore pornography on the Internet. In an interview with Salon.com Borden said of Extreme's content, "It's disgusting but I like to watch it because it's shocking".

Actresses

thumb|right|Paris Gables.

Actresses who have worked for Extreme Associates include Alana Evans, Alexandra Nice, Amber Lynn, Anastasia Blue,

Gia Paloma had a contract with the studio until she left in May 2006. She was formerly married to EA director Coffee Ron. Kristi Myst also used to be an EA contract girl. Paris Gables is currently the company's main contract star, and has also directed. Gables initially went under contract in January 2005. Ashlyn Gere, David Luger, Derek Newblood, Gene Ross, Jane Waters, Luis Cypher

Thomas Zupko initially directed for the company from 2000 until 2003. His debut film was In the Days of Whore. Zupko won a Ninfa Special Jury Award in 2006.

Church of Satan member Shane Bugbee directs the satanism-themed Club Satan series. The first title, Club Satan: The Witches Sabbath was released in early 2007. Several crew-members and performers walked off the set of the film when an actor was asked to ejaculate upon and then smash a model of Jesus Christ's head. Actor Rick Masters said that Bugbee had "gone too far".

Awards

The following is a selection of major awards EA has won:

  • 1998 XRCO Award - 'Best Gonzo Series' for Whack Attack
  • 1999 AVN Award - 'Best Gonzo Release' for Whack Attack 2
  • 2000 AVN Award - 'Best Anal Sex Scene - Video' for Anastasia Blue and Lexington Steele in Whack Attack 6
  • 2000 XRCO Award - 'Best Group Sex Scene' for Kristi Myst's gangbang in In the Days of Whore

References

;Other sources

  • American Porn documentary by Frontline (first aired in 2002, updated in 2004), watchable online.
  • Extreme Associates at the Internet Movie Database