Director Will Ryder Reflects on his Director-of-the-Year Possibilities

[XCritic Editor]

Director Will Ryder Reflects on his Director-of-the-Year Possibilities

(Hollywood, CA) When adult movie director Will Ryder contemplated about breaking into the porn movie business a handful of years ago he had no idea that one day he would be a leading contender for AVN’s coveted Director of the Year (Body of Work) award. Fast forward to today and that’s exactly where the musician-turned-porn-director stands as he has had a powerful impact on the industry unlike anything seen in recent years.

Many on the retail side of the adult movie business credit Ryder and his company X-Play with reinventing the porn parody which has been a tremendous financial shot in the arm for DVD stores across America spawning a resurgence that has seen over a dozen other movie studios attempt to copy his success. This fall he became one of the only porn directors to ever be interviewed by Newsweek Magazine.

“I remember when we first started producing movies we were brand new and in awe of the big producers and star names and it wasn’t until Hustler saw something in us they liked and believed in enough to offer us a distribution deal and then later a production deal that was the beginning of our love affair with making movies.”

The production and distribution deals were spawned by the success of a Britney Spears parody called Britney Rears which shot to the top of the charts and became the #1 seller in Larry Flynt’s empire in 2005. That gave them just enough of a hint that they might be onto something big and the rest as they say is history and it’s been one smash hit-after-another culminating with this being the most successful year in the Will Ryder / X-Play five year run.

Ecstatically surprised when they won the 2009 AVN Best Sex Comedy award last January in Las Vegas for Not Bewitched XXX, Ryder and X-Play have churned out chart-topping blockbusters this year including Not the Bradys XXX Marcia Marcia Marcia, Not Three’s Company XXX, Not the Cosby Show XXX, Not Married with Children XXX, Not Monday Night Football XXX and the best comedy contender Flight Attendants. All of these movies have received critical raves prompting Rogreviews to write only a few days ago, “Will Ryder and the X Play team still make the best parodies on the market.” The company also entered the Blu Ray business earlier this year with the release of Not Bewitched XXX on that fabled format.

“We’ve been on an incredible pace this past year and luckily everything we do becomes a blockbuster hit. I don’t think we’ve missed yet,” reflected Ryder aware that it could all go away quickly. “In fact if you told me back when we started that Scott (production partner Scott David of X-Play) and I would have this much success I would have probably thought you were crazy because how could a musician and a hair stylist get this far? It really is one giant accident but looking back I was lucky to have a good adult movie business education when I worked my first year in porn at New Sensations and Scott David here at X-Play is as fanatical about the production details as I am so we’re a great fit and really love making movies.”

Somewhat lost in the shadows of their highly visible feature comedies and parodies is the fact that Will Ryder and X-Play have also produced over one hundred young-girl vignette style movies for Hustler Video and Adam & Eve Pictures including about 20 this past year. Volumes from Barely Legal School Girls, 18 & Easy, Barely Legal Black Chicks, Young & Nasty, Barely Legal Corrupted, Virgin Stories, Barely Legal Latinas, Barely Legal All by Myself and Sweet Candy Girls are among the movies directed by Will Ryder and produced by X-Play over the past year. “I pretty much fall in love with every girl we shoot for at least a few hours,” joked Ryder. “Thank God I’m not married or I’d have to quit golf.”

“X-Play and Will Ryder’s library of successful movies is second to none this past year,” stated Drew Rosenfeld, creative director for Hustler Video. “If you really get down to it they had the best year of anybody and you have to realize that as a director and marketing guy, Will Ryder truly changed the movie business which is no small task,” “It would be crazy not to reward them this year and he certainly has the credentials to win director of the year in Las Vegas. His impact on the business is that big.”

“Hey, there are some great directors out there and I’d be honored if I won,” Ryder remarked. “I’m sure they will give it to somebody else with a bigger name but I’m glad to know that our movies have made a lot of people happy and if we are the spark plug for the entire parody movement then I’m happy to know we did something positive for the industry because I truly love every minute of this business,” Will Ryder concluded.

Make no mistake about it though. Will Ryder wants to win and it might be hard to argue a strong case that any other director has left a bigger footprint on the adult movie industry this past year.

Check out X-Play’s movies at www.sitcums.com