'Submission' Debuts at Premiere Party in Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Members of the adult community as well as fans of the movies written and directed by Jacky St. James and the many products made by Sportsheets all have reason to be pleased today. If you haven’t already heard, St. James and Plausible Films chief Paul Fishbein (yes, the same Paul Fishbein who founded AVN) have collaborated on a new series for Showtime After Hours. Titled Submission, it debuts tonight, May 12, at 11 p.m. And after seeing two episodes last night at a premiere party, this AVN representative has three words to say: Don’t miss it. St. James wrote and directed, and Fishbein was the executive producer. Last night, their colleagues and friends got a peek at the first two episodes at the Submission launch party, which took place at Bugatta Supper Club in Hollywood. Members of the cast and crew, Showtime executives and adult industry luminaries mingled over appetizers and cocktails before the screening. Among those in attendance were adult stars Skin Diamond (who has a large role in the series), Chanel Preston, Charlotte Stokely, Zack Sabbath, James Deen, Aiden Starr, Raylene and Samantha Ryan, talent agents Mark Spiegler and Mark Schechter, Luc Wylder of Fallen Angel, Marci Hirsch of Vivid Entertainment and Steve Volponi of Devil’s Film. Also on the scene were St. James' colleagues from New Sensations—Eddie Powell, Gabrielle Anex and Nelson X—as well as Kylie Ireland and Andy Appleton, who did the art direction for Submission, and former AVN CEO Darren Roberts, who is a co-executive producer on the series. (Click here for a photo gallery from the event.) Also in attendance and very thrilled about the project was Sportsheets founder and CEO Tom Stewart and his wife, Kimberly, who hobnobbed with Showtime movers and shakers. Kimberly said, “It was an awesome event!  It was such a fun evening meeting the key players in this series; Jacky, Paul and the actors: Ashlynn Yennie, Justin Berti, Skin Diamond, Victoria Levine.” Tom and Kimberly reported that they were chatting with actor Berti prior to the premiere and he asked if Sportsheets was the manufacturer of the Edge Leather Blindfold. When Kimberly said yes, the young man was emphatic about telling her how much they “loved that blindfold” on the set. “Sportsheets donated enough products to fill the dungeon,” said St. James. “I was thrilled when I opened up the Sportsheets gift box prior to filming.” In the first two episodes, the crowd saw two items from the Edge collection—the 17-inch leather slapper, and Leather Blindfold—and the Sportsheets Surrender Grip Cuffs. “I was very impressed with the work that Jacky and Paul did on this mini-series pilot. Julie [Stewart, Sportsheets’ president] and I were very happy to answer Paul’s call about having our product in the series. It was such a fun evening for us,” Tom Stewart said. And fun was indeed had by all. The series is intended to offer a more complex and realistic portrayal of the BDSM lifestyle than the infamous Fifty Shades of Grey. The story follows the sexual awakening of Ashley (Yennie), who we see in the opening minutes just poised to break up with her lover and move out. And that move turns out to be life-altering when she meets two new friends (played by Diamond and Levine) and begins to delve into a popular erotic novel titled Slave. The two episodes that screened were deliciously sexy but also showed St. James’ expertise with comedy. It was a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to this new project from Plausible Films and St. James—and hopefully the first of many. To view the trailer click here. Episode one airs tonight, May 12, at 11 p.m., both Pacific and Eastern time. Check Showtime directly for other listings. For more information on Edge or any Sportsheets' products, visit Sportsheets.com or email info@sportsheets.com. And for those who love Submission but want some hardcore sex in the package, check out St. James’ takes on the Fifty Shades phenomenon for New Sensations: The Submission of Emma Marx, The Submission of Emma Marx: Boundaries and The Submission of Emma Marx: Exposed.  Pictured above, from rightJacky St. James, Skin Diamond, Eddie Powell, Paul Fishbein. Photos by Chris King