The last time I saw John West he looked almost normal. Meaning that John West wasn’t training the way John West used to train. But now he’s the old John West, again, ripped and buffed. “The competition is mean these days,” says West. “It’s economics and marketing.” I never really thought of a split head on your biceps as being a matter of economics but I’ll buy into it.

West explains that sometimes when you have to do three scenes in one day, being human is not enough. West says he tried cutting it as a normal looking guy but, somehow, failed miserably. “I made myself look really bad.” West, like a lot of his fellow actors, is also taking behind the camera. He just finished a project called Oral Fixations which features 13 blowjob scenes, 15 if you count the fact that Pamela Peaks does three of them. West, with 2600-odd boxes and as many tapes sitting in his living room, is looking to make a deal with someone to distribute the tape. But this isn’t the first time that West has tried his hands at producing and directing for John West Productions. “I started off as an in-house director for a company called Taboo Entertainment under Knob Ryder,” West recalls.

“I did a movie called Sex Sells. It did great, sold lots of copies and made the company lots of money. Then they got cheap on me. They said we’re going to give you a budget and you’ll have to skim off the talent in order to make your money. I hate that. That eats me up.” West said he told Know Ryder to fuck off and then he moved on in what described as “uncomfortable terms.” West then got a loan and shot a movie called Sex Fixation. According to him, it’ll be released later this year and stars Kianna. Besides that West has been editing for other companies and is also handling camera. “I shot Nick Manning’s first couple of movies.” West says he uses the money he makes as talent and puts it in his company.

Oral Fixations stars among others Nikita Denise, Kianna, Chloe D’Or, Mia Star, Bella Maria Wolf, Kaylee, Brooke, Amethyst, Britney Star, Brandi Lyons and Pamela Peaks. “It’s great movie,” says West. “It’s from a talent perspective rather than from a ball-breaking corporation that doesn’t give a shit about the product. I’m so sick of these companies that don’t really know what they’re doing. Asked what frustrations he’s been encountering, West says he’ll get called to do a scene and sometimes there won’t even be a director on the premises. “And then they’re coming to me for lighting questions. They have no clue. I’ve been doing this for ten years. I know exactly what I want. I know what the customers want and I know what you can masturbate to at home. I know what gets the dick hard.”

West might want to tidy up that last comment a bit. I asked him about the scene he does with Olivia O’Lovely in Guy Capo’s new movie, American Gunk. “I love working with her,” says West. “She’s got one of the best asses in the business. And she’s a cool chick. She’s one of my favorite girls to work with. I request her as much as possible.” West is an assman, as you might gather. “Big time, by far. Anybody can buy boobs. But you got to work for an ass with a combination of genetics.” West says he and his younger brother, whom West describes on the order of a Michael Ninn, might be working together on an upcoming project for Hustler perhaps later in the year.

Gene: You’d know what I’d like to see? You in a movie with Peter North, Mike South and Nick East.

West: That would be interesting. It would probably sell.

Gene: You could call it Compass or something like that.

West recalls the time he was sitting in Jim South’s office and was asked his stage name. “I worked out with Peter North- the one guy who really got me started,” says West. “I was bartending in Lake Forest. Him [North], Jon Dough and Randy Spears come in. I knew them right off the bat. I had been jerking off to these guy’s movies for years. My eyes lit up. Throughout the night I’m hooking them all up with drinks and being as friendly as I can. At the right time I went up to Peter North. I asked how someone like me could get involved. He told me to see Jim South. He [South] took a picture of me and Savannah picked me out. My first movie was Starbangers. John Bowen shot that for Amazing Pictures. That got me a lot of play. And then Bill Whitrock got me some good gigs. I also did stuff for Mitch Spinelli and worked for Rob Black back in the day.”

If given the choice, West said he’d just as well concentrate on producing. “I’ve got some good ideas. But I’m looking for distributors. I know nothing about distribution. I’ve paid my dues and feel I deserve a tiny piece of the pie.”