Playboy talks to the director of a new Sundance film that examines the lives of porn extras
Ever wanted something so bad you’d die for it? Steve Driver and Tom Wong wanted money, fame, power and love. Who doesn’t? The path, so they thought, was the adult industry. In the late 2000s, the quick-to-become best friends tried to market themselves as the Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan of porn, and before ending in a tragic bloodbath, it worked.
Based on a true story you’ve probably never heard, MOPE begins as a cringey, dark comedy about making your dreams come true before transitioning to a drama about the dark side of aspiring fame, to a slasher film. After becoming obsessed with the tragic story of Steve and Tom, first-time feature director Lucas Heyne explores humanity through the lens of two losers in the San Fernando Valley who can’t seem to transcend past being an extra in a bukkake scene. Your own dreams aside, for three-quarters of the film, it’s easy to relate, and almost cheer on, our protagonists. You want them to get on the covers of DVDs, find their female porn star girlfriend counterparts, and have their families accept them.
The duo are classic mopes, an offensive slur for entry-level, straight male porn talent that lacks star power. At first, the two get into the business for the right reasons: They truly love porn. Steve’s blind faith and obsessive motivation to keep going inspires Tom’s occasional doubts and quit-while-you’re-ahead attitude. They’re a match made in heaven, or in a grimy, converted warehouse bunkhouse for mopes. Elements of a Superbad-esque friendship is present.
While Steve and Tom’s circumstances were as crusty and amateur as you can imagine, the film’s goal is not to harp on the adult industry. Authenticity was Heyne’s number one priority, visiting plenty of sets before shooting his film and enlisting adult film actors as extras in his film to provide additional guidance.
Premiering during the midnight section of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, MOPE’s logline intimidated some and attracted others. It is a cautionary tale about extremity, not about having sex on camera. You aren’t sad about the underwhelming actors’ goals because they’re in porn, but rather because they’re out of their reach. After all, porn is just people doing their job. Hopefully well. Easily the only film in the festival with ninja swords and ball kicking, Heyne is able to say something about the acceptance of failure and the camaraderie between friends.
It is a cautionary tale about extremity, not about having sex on camera.
When people look at the porn industry, they don’t think about low-end male talent. What did you learn about this demographic to make MOPE?
I’ve heard quotes like, “load droppers, lowest of the low.” They’re treated in a pretty derogatory way, but it was never really said to their face. Everyone just thinks of them as losers because they usually lack the penis size, or they have something about their personality that makes them unable to cope or succeed at being a star. A lot of people don’t realize that [being] a regularly working male porn actor is very difficult. It’s really just about performing consistently. Most just can’t function at that level, but they have the same dreams, and generally they’re very delusional dreams. So I was very careful to be respectful throughout the shoot. In the opening sequence, in that whole scene, we shot that at a real bukkake stage with real guys that shoot bukkake. Almost every single person in the movie was from that industry and knew Steve and Tom as well.
Women seem to be an afterthought in the film. Why is that?
I definitely portrayed it exactly like I saw it, as realistic as I could. The movie is through Steve and Tom’s eyes, it’s from their perspective. They didn’t have real relationships with women. In terms of how the scenes were happening, a lot of that was taken from serious actresses I cast, who would explain to me, ‘This is how it is. This is what our daily lives are like.’ I was very careful to make sure—90 percent of my effort was making it a safe environment. Like none of these actresses have trusted how much they could feel comfortable.
People leave the movie with a sense of dread because that’s what it felt like. For instance, when you see rougher scenes like the opening sequence—if you talk to [the actors], they don’t see it that way. They had a good experience. It’s tough for people to understand that, but if you talk to them they’re very clear about it. One thing that I’ve learned is that some people are into very different stuff. That’s totally fine. That’s their choice as an adult.
“A lot of people don’t realize that [being] a regularly working male porn actor is very difficult. It’s really just about performing consistently. Most just can’t function at that level.”
Were you making a statement about the adult industry with MOPE?
Because of Steve and Tom’s experience, the portrayal is pretty dark. It’s not meant to be a take-down of the adult film industry because I think Steve Driver could’ve worked in many different industries and had these issues. There are many problems in the industry with racism and toxic masculinity. But this particular industry was kind of like the perfect storm for his issues. There are many people who work in the porn industry who have normal lives, and they are perfectly happy. I wasn’t out there trying to make some overall thing about the adult industry. It was more to introduce people to what a mope is and what this world is like. People are going to take what they take from it.
It’s funny how many people make porn versus how many people go crazy. People are looking for a way to indict them, but they’ll never hear that from me. Because I’m a consumer of it. Like anybody else, I would be a hypocrite. The interesting thing is, I went to many sets, and I never saw people being mistreated. I didn’t see drugs, I didn’t see anything. I didn’t see any of the clichés. That’s why you don’t see any drugs in the movie.
As a filmmaker, how did you relate to the pornographers you capture in MOPE?
They’re the exact same. There’s nothing different. It’s someone with a creative idea that wants to explore their art or their passion. Almost every single person with access to a computer consumes porn. It’s a part of most people’s lives. Like Jim Lane, he’s a super creative director who pushed boundaries, who makes edgy, provocative content. He’s doing what he wants to do. There are a few problems, but there’s problems in both industries. Everyone should be comfortable no matter what you’re shooting. That’s the tricky part of MOPE because it feels so crazy and realistic, but it was actually an easy shoot. All the actors had good experiences.
How did you go about depicting a character with a mental health disorder?
What did you do to encourage the audience to have empathy? Steve was diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder. He had a lack of awareness with social cues. He doesn’t have the ability to understand how he makes other people uncomfortable. Just like the way when he gets in people’s faces, and he’s kind of obnoxious with women. He can’t read their social cues, so he doesn’t know that he’s being annoying. They’re not crazy enough to be committed, so they kind of tried everything they could to help him. When he killed Tom, nobody was surprised. None of them. They knew it was him. Unfortunately both of their dreams were kind of clouded by bad ideas. However, I definitely wouldn’t want somebody to hate them because they didn’t deserve what happened to them. There were so many things that could’ve stopped it.
While you’ve said MOPE isn’t a political film, America loves to consume porn while also vilifying it. Why do you think that is?
It’s hard for people to understand that people want different things in life, and there’s nothing wrong with it. If you’re an adult, and you like to act in porn or direct it or whatever, who cares? You’re doing a public service because everybody wants to watch this. Of course, there are certain types of content that are not for everyone, but that’s the same thing with movies. There are films that promote violence, and they seem to get a pass, right? I had to show it because I feel like if I toned down anything, I wouldn’t be doing these people justice.