Wildly Innocent — But More Wild Than Innocent
by Evan Less Wild
Shayla hates it when we start talking about age around here, so if you hear anything that sounds like it might be age-related, well, gosh, you must be mistaken. Don’t let it stress you too much, though: That can happen to any of us.
So Shayla and I have known each other for longer than a whole bunch of women in the business now have even been alive. … Oh, and we met at a topless bar. It’s not like we’ve known each other since we were three years old or anything. (OK. That introduction might have been just a teensy bit age-related. Nobody tell Shayla.) The point here being that sometimes spending time with someone that you’ve known for a couple of decades — particularly in an industry that tends to change players every couple of years — can be rather enjoyable. Never underestimate the value of comfortable relationships. They are rare.
We’re all feeling pretty good around here because Shayla’s going to come hang out at the office next weekend, and then a few of us will be following her back down to Los Angeles where she’s getting a chance to be in an actual Feature Movie for a change, with an actual script and everything. True, it’s about vampires, and it’s a sequel, but that doesn’t diminish from the fact that making movies can be a whole lot of wildly innocent — well, in a way — fun. These tend to be a welcome break from producing, you see, because all you have to do is learn a few lines and then get your groove on. (We did not make that up: Many performers refer to the more intimate activities that way.)
Now we wouldn’t want to suggest that “just” doing sex scenes for what we term a “miscellaneous release” doesn’t have its merits, but you can understand the difference. Let’s face it: If it were only about the sex, any woman in this business could pretty much get laid any time she wanted.
Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place.Billy Crystal
When I asked the director what he was shooting on the “Secretary” movie Cytherea did last weekend, he replied quickly, and with nary an apology, “Internet fodder.” It’s good to get away from that when you get the chance.
Besides, it can be wildly entertaining to look back on what you thought were good movies back when you made them. (Honestly when we look back at sites we built even a few years ago, we mostly cringe. That’s life.) Fortunately technology did improve a lot, and we did eventually begin working on sets where the audio didn’t come off as such an afterthought, and you can’t really see the entire crew in the star’s sunglasses. Every director concentrates on different things. That just adds to the experience.
Speaking of which, the photos accompanying this article come from some wildly innocent time spent with Shayla at a dance gig in New York City over St. Patrick’s Day, back when Donald Trump was still a good guy in the New York real estate scene. (So a long time ago.)
[For the members…] We told Shayla we’d get this “first” scene from the old days up quickly, and now we’ve done so. Try not to be too critical about it if you can. The movie-making business has changed a whole heck of a lot in the last 20 years, although some things apparently remain the same. Shayla has obviously been paying attention to the commune sites here, because she said she wants to go bowling with Cytherea next time we’re in Vegas. And Cy’s supposed to wear that same outfit. Shayla hasn’t even seen the jacuzzi pictures yet either. We’ll get that trip onto the calendar. … Could be May. It’s a Wonderful Life. (Speaking of old fun movies …. Did anybody hear a wildly innocent bell ring?)
Much Less Wildly Innocent Than This Looks
Full disclosure, we were back from New York when someone shot this picture, and whatever happens to be in that spoon, it was definitely not for dinner. The pot contained, you see, some magical ingredients from some kind of special bath in honor of a voodoo queen who shared a last name with Ms. LaVeaux. Most people would not describe either of them as wildly innocent, truth be told, but that would be a story for a different day. [Technically Shayla got her name from an old Bobby Bare song about “Marie LaVeaux” — he being a favorite of the manager that became her lifelong friend, and who happened to write this essay. That too will have to be a future story, however.]
