Why Vintage Porn Was Better (and What Killed It) with James Avalon

Holly Randall Unfiltered

Holly Randall

Health & Fitness, Sexuality

4.6 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Holly sits down with iconic director/editor/photographer James Avalon, a filmmaker whose 40+ year career spans the underground origins of adult film through the golden era and into the modern creator economy.
James opens up about growing up Mormon, how a mission to Europe cracked his worldview wide open, and the unexpected path that led him from headshots and magazines to some of the most story-driven adult features ever made. They break down how sets used to run, why older films often feel more “watchable,” how technology reshaped performance and production, and what the job of a director really looks like behind the curtain.
If you’re into film history, industry evolution, and great stories from someone who’s truly seen it all this one’s for you.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You were listening to a pleasure podcast.
0:03.3	For more from our sex podcast collective, visit pleasurepodcasts.com. Hello, everybody, welcome back to Holly Randall Unfiltered.
0:28.6	My guest today, grew up Mormon in the 70s, moved to Hollywood in the Wild West Days of Adult Film,
0:34.8	accidentally fell into shooting headshots, and somehow ended up becoming one of the
0:38.7	most influential directors and editors the industry has known. This man has lived through every
0:44.4	era of adult filmmaking and has the stories to prove it. Yes, my friends, I am, of course,
0:50.5	talking about the one and only James Avalon, and I'm so excited to welcome him to the show.
0:56.5	Thanks. That was a great intro.
0:59.0	Isn't it nice to hear, like, all your accolades been put into, like, one little paragraph.
1:03.3	Kind of makes you realize how much you've accomplished.
1:05.8	Yeah, I've been around.
1:07.3	You've been around.
1:08.8	Been here for, what, over 40 years?
1:11.1	That's amazing.
1:12.2	I mean, that kind of longevity in the adult industry is not very common.
1:16.7	What do you think has kept you here?
1:19.5	It's because I changed positions a lot.
1:22.9	I started off as a stills photographer and then went into magazines and we'd go on sets,
1:30.9	shoot the production stills and interview talent.
1:35.4	Then we'd put all that in the magazines.
1:38.4	And then you got known for that and then moved into editing and did a little bit of publicity for a couple of companies, a couple directors.
1:50.8	But I wasn't really into that.
	...

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