Chatsworth, Ca- Don’t let his new slimmed down appearance and the curtailing of the heavy cerebral edge in his recently lauded gonzo work fool you; Zupko is still a heavy hitter in the highly competitive and increasingly cannibalistic world of contemporary porn. With the recognition of his critically acclaimed gonzo series, Big Wet Asses, Zupko virtually redefined his adult entertainment persona, shedding the limitations of his perceived stereotypes like thin snake skin, and proving once and for all that he stands as a definite threat no matter which genre he lasciviously embraces.
In fact it would be fair to say that in a lot of ways Zupko has been misunderstood prior to the unveiling of his recent incarnation. After all, it doesn’t take a graduate student to discern that his previous body of work, peppered with paeans to Dostoevsky and laced with a unrepentantly giddy Neitzschian flare for nihilism, spoke more to his abilities as a savvy and referential transgressive artist rather than showcasing his edge for erotic artistry.
With his recent foray into the world of gonzo Zupko has dispelled any misgivings about his abilities as a ‘dyed-in-the-wool’ pornographer by infusing elements of his stylized sex symbiotically with a brash candor for niche fetishization. Knock-off artists and the uninspired purveyors of sausage-factory-style, grind house, cookie-cutter-porn stand aside. The architect of a new era of raincoater porn has arrived and is carrying the coveted blueprints of his demented vision in his hand. Moreover he’s bringing his considerable talents to play for the dirty perverts over at Mayhem.
And just so there are no misunderstandings and no one gets their feelings hurt, allow me to explain what that means for those of you who have trouble deciphering the text. Allow me to spell it out for you. Thomas Zupko is going to direct a gonzo title for Mayhem and everyone at Mayhem is excited about it. Anything else you chose to read into that is on you.
“It’s like everyone is trying to rip each other off as fast as they can,” explains Sin City publicist Devan Cypher. “The level of originality in this industry is sub zero but with Zupko you get that fresh approach, you get that originality, because he just doesn’t work any other way. When you hire Zupko you know that you will be treated to a singular and unique experience of pornography that is without parallel.”
After a stimulating, early morning conversation with the multi-talented, award winning director, Zupko got to the core of his new project for Mayhem, Anal Assylum, and what he hopes to achieve during its creation.
“It’s gonzo with an artistic edge,” Zupko modestly confesses. “The girls talk about their obsession with anal sex creating a build to crescendo so that what we marry is great gonzo with a great tease. It’s not going to be too cerebral.”
“I am a fan of his work, both his features and his newer stuff, and I am really looking forward to seeing what he comes up with,” Cypher exudes. “I think it’s going to be one of those must have titles that no collection can be complete without, that it’s going to come to define this generation of porn, the way that Debbie Does Dallas or Deep Throat once did.”
For now, both his detractors and those who praise him will have to wait and see the final outcome. Anal Assylum is scheduled to be shot early next week with no date set for release at this time. For more information on release schedules please visit http://www.sincity.com-
Some of the awards that Zupko has been honored with are the AVN Award 2005 for the Best Anal Themed Feature for Big Wet Asses 3, Rog Reviews Best Video Feature of the Year for Opera 2004, the AVN Award for Best Music 2004 for Opera, the AVN Award for Best Actor In A Non-Sex Role in 2003, the 2003 Ninfa Award for Best International Director, the Adam Film World Award for the Best Anal Feature for Opera 2003, the AVN Best Anal Sex Scene 2001 for In The Days of Whore, and the AVN Most Outrageous Sex Scene 2001 Award for In The Days of Whore.