Director B. Skow Hailed by Critics for 'Progressive Porn'

VALENCIA, Calif.—It’s not every porn director who can make the case for being the leader of a movement, but director B. Skow does indeed make a compelling argument. In a statement released by the director, Skow defines his mission as one of improving existing porn genres through creativity, embracing taboo subject matters, and pulling believable and dynamic performances from adult talent. “This uncharted approach obscures stereotypes of adult entertainment. I want to make us think about porn in a different way,” Skow said. Through his Skow for Girlfriends Films label, Skow asserted, he is doing his part to alter the landscape of the adult industry, taking his experience from mainstream and adult work into a new movement which he is labeling "progressive porn." Skow’s self-described "progressive porn movement" focuses on his unique style in how he approaches gonzo and feature porn movies. Skow uses the term "avant-gonzo," which he sees as pushing the boundaries and status quo of gonzo porn. Skow also invokes what he calls "Dogme 69," a play off of Lars Von Trier's unconventional genre, called Dogme 95, which rejects special effects and gimmicks. “I have a lot of respect for B. Skow and what he’s accomplished in the past year alone,” said Girlfriends Films President Moose. “He’s always reinventing, re-envisioning, and creating new things in ways that nobody could have thought about, and it’s those things that really get people excited about his movies.” Tinkering with traditional gonzo elements and making the genre more intimate, Skow’s 1 Room 4 Girls 1 and the recently released Volume 2 takes viewers into a room with each of the girls one at a time, as they take direction from him on how to touch and pleasure themselves. XCritic’s Don Houston wrote that the series is an example of why Skow is “hailed as a genius.” “B. Skow is one of the most technically proficient directors in porn today, his creative mind always trying to spin something worthy of fans as he explores the fringes of the industry,” stated Houston in his review of Auditions 2, another of Skow’s gonzo series making waves. The demand for Skow’s "avant-gonzo" productions has led the director to expand the content in his popular series Sexually Explicit, with all future volumes containing two discs. The series prompted Fleshbot’s Tucker Bankshot to state, “B. Skow is nothing if not ridiculously prolific.” Sexually Explicit 5 will begin shipping August 21. The soft-core trailer may be viewed here. Critics and fans are also taking note of the way Skow’s features are shaping a new style of intellectual, story-driven, anti-blockbuster features, the result of his Dogme 69 style. 3HatterGrindhouse.com’s Richard Moreland hailed Skow’s vision in Control, his BDSM-themed hardcore drama. “B Skow’s Control is [Henry] James revisited. It’s illusion and defied logic that is clever and disarming, a classic from a director who is quirky, imaginative, and full of fantastic distortions and implications,” Moreland wrote. Skow’s imaginative In the Flesh showed more of Skow’s edge by exploring religious themes. “We won't spoil the rather touching ending, but suffice to say, not only does In the Flesh have its share of smokin' hot sex, it also has a surprisingly good religious message for the masses who might actually see this movie,” said AVN’s Mark Kernes in his review. Skow’s disquieting The Gardener takes the audience into the twisted mind of a creepy psycho who holds a young woman hostage in a home that he calls “The Garden.” The psychological, hardcore porn drama plays out with Jessie Andrews as a kidnap victim who ultimately bares her captor’s child. Skow has never shied away from controversy in his work, such as with the sequel to 2013’s Daddy’s Girls, which AVN and others heralded as one of the year’s most controversial and best reviewed movies. “Incredible heat … A great showcase of Riley Reid,” wrote Adult DVD Talk’s Sean DPS. Mother’s Little Helper, Skow’s newest feature, begins shipping September 4. Whether it’s recent releases, like Auditions 2, Sexually Explicit 4, or Girlfriends Films’ popular all-girl series Bad Lesbians, Skow continues to bring his cutting edge vision and sensibilities to porn. For access to all movies from Skow for Girlfriends Films, as well as box art and trailers, click here. “I never set out to revolutionize the industry or try to create the next ‘big thing',” Skow said. “I make movies about things that appeal to me and that have elements that I would like to see in an adult movie. I just get these ideas and put them to work with the best people I can find.”