Fleshbot Party Crash: “La Dolce Vita” Premiere

December 13, 2006
JONNO

A big, splashy, ~~massively hyped~~ porn production requires a big, splashy New York City premiere—and that's exactly what the crowd of downtown demimondaines and gay porn glitterati got last night at the premiere of Michael Lucas' "La Dolce Vita" at the Soho Playhouse. We sent our own paparazzo Nikola Tamindzic to photograph all the pretty people (since we know you can't get enough of looking at porn stars when they're fully dressed) and professional party person and bon vivant Bradford Shellhammer contributed an exclusive party report. In the meantime, watch for our in-depth review of "La Dolce Vita", which we're working on as you read this and which we'll post by the weekend; we would've had it sooner, but being the cinematic connoisseurs that we are we needed a little extra time to give at least two or three scenes a little, uh, closer scrutiny.

Gag on the bold faced names after the jump.

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BS - It appeared that everyone had one question on their mind last night before Michael Lucas unveiled his R-rated edit of "La Dolce Vita": How the hell can you make an hour plus long feature film from a three hour porn movie? But Michael Lucas has balls and managed to pull it off. It was actually darn good.

I'm not in the business of reviewing porn, so I'll leave that to the professionals. Besides, a full review of the X-rated version will appear on Fleshbot over the next few days. What I am in the business of doing is party hopping. And Lucas knows how to put on one hell of a party.

A who's who of Manhattan's downtown scene flooded the Soho Playhouse. Fashion superstar Marc Jacobs arrived, shorn and trim, wearing a suit although missing his on-again/off-again boy toy Jason Preston. He told me he had to cut out of the viewing early, but that he had his copy and he was looking forward to watching it in the privacy of his own home (where all good porn should be watched anyway). Porn goddess and professional vintner Savanna Samson, a joy to watch in the film, revealed plans about her newest wines and let me in on a little secret: Some of her fans don't just drink it. Wine enemas anyone? No thanks. But she did say it pairs well with "meat or fish." So does she!

Downtown trannie diva Amanda Lepore was whisked in all plastic and fantastic with Baby Jun and some hot Latin boys. Members of the audience were heard guessing who had bigger tits: Amanda or Savanna? I couldn't tell. Besides, I was fixated on the row in front of the trannie muse where PJ DeBoy and his partne Paul Dawson were sitting. They play the hot gay couple in John Cameron Mitchell's "Shortbus", and told me they both loved the film; being experts in movies involving real life sexual situations, their opinion is probably worth something.

Big Brother contestant, radio show host, and all around A-Gay Will Wikle hosted a panel discussionwith the stars after the film while his boyfriend Jason Bellini, the CBS News on LOGO anchor, watched from the audience. But somehow porn stars and Q&A segments just don't mix: it was like watching an SNL spoof of a Learning Annex class, though we loved hearing from Lucas Entertainment PR mistress Heather Reznor, who stole every scene she was in (as ace reporter "Heather Weathers") and who was clearly the crowd favorite. Knowing how much Lucas loves his spotlight I wouldn't be surprised if she's no longer employed at Lucas Entertainment for stealing it. Just kidding! (Not really).

Lucas wore jeans with a velvet blazer and mugged and pouted for the camera all night long. While watching the film side by side with Samson he laughed at himself. That's what's great about Michael: despite whatever you may think about him, he doesn't take himself or the industry too seriously. Neither did I, until last night. I was left with a greater appreciation of him as an entertainer. As well as a wicked hangover.