Chicago – Multi-award-winning prolific director Jim Powers is the latest guest on the Get Schooled with Marcela Alonso podcast, and he educates her listeners on what porn was like in the 1990s and how to succeed in the industry.
Jim Powers’ Get Schooled episode “From Stockbroker to Controversial Director: Jim Powers on Redefining Success and the Porn Industry” is entertaining and educational. It opens with host Marcela Alonso chatting with Jim about the infamous Ava Devine American Bukkake scene with the mariachis. One of the most exciting parts of the interview was Jim talking about Getting the male talent for bukkakes (hint laundromats, LA Weekly, the Bukkake Hotline, etc.) and selling the dream to fans and his appearances on Howard Stern Show. The two also spoke about how Jim started accidentally in the industry, being in the beginning days of Gonzo, making parodies, playing in a punk band, and his menagerie of animals at home (dogs and ducks). Listeners get schooled on the industry move from VHS to DVD, the pandemic, and how OnlyFans was like opening up a virtual peep show in your house, the cycles of porn and changing mediums, and what makes a good performer as a director. Jim even talks about one of his favorite projects, “Texas Dildo Masquerade,” a parody of Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
“This was a fun interview—it was great to teach a new generation what porn was like in the wild 1990s. We could literally do almost anything, and we went for it. Things are much different now, but it’s fun to look back and see how things have changed and give people a porn history lesson,” says Jim Powers.
Listen to “From Stockbroker to Controversial Director: Jim Powers on Redefining Success and the Porn Industry” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all the major podcast platforms.
ABOUT JIM POWERS
Jim Powers is one of the most prolific directors of our time who’s always been known for being controversial and once told Forbes he wants to be the Warren Buffett of porno. Growing up in the Valley in the 1970s, Jim was influenced by comic books, horror movies, fan magazines, and skateboarding, and in the 1980s, all he wanted to do was be a punk rocker and skateboarder. After graduating from Cal State Northridge, he became a stockbroker, a DVD distributor, and a part-time pornographer.
In 1992, while gambling in Ballys in Vegas, Jim wandered into the AVN Awards and decided he could make a better movie than most people there for $5k—he and his friend put up $2500 each to make “The Hills Have Thighs.” Kevin Beachum of Midnight Pictures encouraged him to shoot amateurs on the beach, even though he had never even picked up a camera. While shooting on the beach in Malibu, his set was shut down, and he was hit with felony charges of pandering and conspiracy. He continued to shoot at private houses and swinger parties for Beachum and other companies to cover his legal bills.
In 1993, a chance meeting with Jeff Mike of JM Productions led to history when the two joined forces, regularly pushing the limits of sex while still staying out of prison. Jim helped them roll out their bukkake line and invented American Bukkake—Downtown Larry Melrose from the Howard Stern Show was frequently on his sets. Jim had his own company, Powersville, and directed for legendary adult studios Heatwave, Mayhem, Sin City, Notorious, Immoral Productions, and Smash Pictures. Currently, he directs for Gender X, Devil’s Film, BiPhoria, Dogfart, Zero Tolerance, Adult Time, Transfixed, Fantasy Massage, and Addicted to Girls, and averages over 300 scenes per year. In 2023, ASN Lifestyle Magazine profiled him with a 10-page feature.
With 50 performer credits and thousands of scenes as a director, Jim won Director of the Year (Body of Work) and Best Director – Non-Feature from the AVN Awards and was inducted into the AVN Hall of Fame in 2005. He’s also scored countless AVN Awards nominations for Best Director, Best Director – Feature, Director of the Year: Individual Project, Best Directing Portfolio – Specialty, Best Director – Parody, Director of the Year (Body of Work), Director – Non-Feature, and Best Videography, as well as Gonzo Director of the Year from the XBIZ Awards, Best Producer Nominee from the TEAs, Best Director – Parody from XRCOs, and Top BDSM Release from AEBN’s VOD Awards.
During the Black Flag era, Jim sported a mohawk and toured in punk rock bands. He still plays bass in the punk rock band Killroy at high-end venues like Roxy, Viper Room, and Knitting Factory. Follow his adventures on set, learn more about his upcoming scenes and features, and when he plays punk rock live on stage by checking out his Twitter/X @jimpowersxxx.