Source: The Azurix Group USA
By: Company Press Release
(LOS ANGELES, CA) — Adult industry powerhouse Wicked Pictures is pleased to announce that it is shipping the latest release from multiple award-winning director Michael Raven (Black Widow, the Visitors). Simply titled “The Wicked,” the two-disc DVD production is one of the most ambitious and most personal projects of his career – a stylish erotic horror tale that fuses explicit sex with the kind of graphic special effects mayhem found in what filmmaker Eli (Hostel) Roth calls the “gorno” genre of the post “Saw” era. The Wicked stars Kaylani Lei and features her contract sisters Stormy Daniels and Mikayla Mendez in key supporting roles. The movie arrives on store shelves across the nation Monday, September 29th.
A sensual meditation on the terror film mythos that pays subtle tribute to some of the genre’s forerunners, the Wicked was a very personal undertaking for its creator. “I had wanted to do something similar to ‘the Visitors,’ but larger in scope,” Raven reveals. “And I believe we’ve accomplished that. It’s a bigger production and more entertaining overall. For me, the characterizations run deeper, which makes you really care about what happens to these people.” the movie’s intricate, sixty page screenplay was penned by the director and Jennifer Allison. The duo’s previous collaborations include the much-acclaimed Black Widow.
The movie stars XRCO and Adam Film World award winner Kaylani Lei as a young woman who embarks on a desert road trip with her friends, only to see their journey turned into a bloody nightmare when they’re attacked by a group of supernatural beings. The Eurasian beauty makes no secret of her enormous enthusiasm for the project. “I am absolutely ecstatic about how this movie has turned out,” she raves. “From the cast to the crew, everyone pulled together and did an amazing job. The cast is just incredible, they used tremendous creativity to flesh out their characters. I’m really proud of what we’ve accomplished!”
Ms. Lei is joined in the cast by multiple 2008 award-winner Stormy Daniels, as the sexy and mysterious Baby, and the project also showcases exotic Wicked beauty Mikayla Mendez. Other cast members include Tori Black, Sophia Santi, Roxy Deville, Annabelle Lee, Scarlett Fay, Barrett Blade, Voodoo, Derrick Pierce, Evan Stone, Johnny Castle, and Barry Scott.
The director has nothing but raves for the performers who bring the Wicked to vivid life. “Kaylani really went on an emotional journey. You see her start as someone who’s a bit cold, but she really embraces life when she’s thrust into this bizarre environment.” On Daniels’ iconic performance as Baby, he says simply, “She was dead-on perfect. She nailed the character instantly.” and he tantalizingly promises that viewers “Will see a whole new side of Mikayla” once they witness the gothic transformation she undergoes for the movie.
Erotically, he believes the Wicked excels because the sex scenes stay true to each performer’s character arc. “Kaylani and Barrett’s scene together is great – they’re true to where each character is grounded at that point in the story. At the same time, Tori Black and Voodoo stand out because they’re so passionate and raw.” He also singles out Stormy and Derrick Pierce. “Their scene together is just incredibly hot.”
Finally, no post-Hostel horror film can hope to succeed without generous helpings of explicit make-up effects, and Raven is pleased to say the Wicked reveals his willingness to play ball in the gore arena. “There is some fine make-up work in the movie, both in terms of creature make-ups and some judicious use of splatter effects. You’ll get to see some interesting, intricately made-up creatures and some pretty convincing exploding heads!”
In an innovative touch that reinforces Wicked Pictures’ ongoing commitment to innovation, the two-disc DVD contains a special digital copy of the Wicked that can be uploaded to your portable digital player. In addition to the digital version of the movie, the DVD also contains many other extras, including Blood and Lust: The Making of Michael Raven’s the Wicked, the Girls of “The Wicked,” interviews, a special effects reel, and much, much more.
On both a technical and creative level, this unique project represents a successful XXX reboot of the erotic horror genre. Michael Raven, Kaylani Lei, and their fellow cast and crew members have every right to be pleased with what they have achieved in the Wicked, the horror film for adults available exclusively from Wicked Pictures.
Writing and Wire Services Provided by the Azurix Group.
