Eon McKai

Infobox actor
name = Eon McKai


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occupation = Adult film director
yearsactive = 2004–present
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influences = Andy Warhol, Alex de Renzy, The Dark Brothers, Stephen Sayadian
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website = http://www.eonmckai.com/
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Eon McKai (born 1979) is an American director of alt porn-themed adult films. The name "Eon McKai" is a pseudonym and a tribute to punk singer Ian MacKaye.cite web|url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/special/punkporn080505.html|title=I Against…E|accessdate=2007-05-26|author=Dunlap, David Jr.|date=2005|publisher="Washington City Paper", August 5 2005] Ian MacKaye considers this "surreal".cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/content/node/58720/2|title="Ian Mackaye"|accessdate=2008-04-13|author=Kyle Ryan|date=2007|publisher="The Onion AV Club", February 20 2007]

McKai was involved in the internet-based alt porn scene soon after its emergence and photographed some of the early sets on SuicideGirls.cite web|url=http://www.nerve.com/screeningroom/film/newpornographer/|title=The New Pornographer|author=Stoddard, Grant|date=2005|publisher="Nerve.com"] After graduating from film school at California Institute of the Arts, he decided he wanted to go into directing pornography and introduced himself to adult film director Veronica Hart. Hart put him in touch with the adult video company VCA, who signed him as a director in 2004. [cite web | title=Eon McKai Interview | url=http://www.lukeisback.com/stars/stars/eon_mckai.htm | author=Luke Ford | publisher=Luke is Back | accessdate=2007-11-12] In 2006, after producing several features for VCA, McKai was signed by Vivid to head a new imprint of theirs called VividAlt. [cite web|url=http://www.fleshbot.com/sex/news/eon-mckai-goes-vivid-155393.php|title=Eon McKai Goes Vivid|accessdate=2007-05-26|author=Fleshbot.|date=2006|publisher="Fleshbot" (website), February 16 2006]

McKai's films are alt porn-themed hardcore adult films, casting younger actors with an "alternative" punk, goth, or otherwise subcultural look, many of whom are not established porn stars. Going against the predominant trends in adult video, McKai prefers to shoot features with a plotline and high production values rather than gonzo porn. His influences include Andy Warhol, early "artistic" porn directors like Alex de Renzy, The Dark Brothers, and Stephen Sayadian, as well as the aesthetic of alt porn websites such as RaverPorn, SuicideGirls, and BurningAngel. [cite web|url=http://www.eonmckai.com/main/subs/bio.html|author=EonMcKai.com.|date=2004|title=Bio: Who The Fuck Is Eon Mckai Anyway?|accessdate=2007-05-26|publisher="EonMcKai.com"]

McKai's work has generally been well received by alt porn fans, but has also been criticized by those who feel that he is appropriating the aesthetic of alternative subcultures for use in pornography, or who question his credibility and connection to alternative subcultures. After leaving the porn industry, one of the actresses in his films, Keiko, referred to McKai as "edgy as a butterknife". [cite web|url=http://adultfyi.com/read.php?ID=14659|title=Keiko: We're really Gonna Fuckin' Miss Ye|accessdate=2007-05-26|author=Ross, Gene.|date=2006|publisher="Adult FYI" (website), February 15 2006] [ [http://www.odeo.com/audio/1004012/view Odeo: Search, Discover and Share Digital Media from Millions of Audio and Video Clips ] ] Others, such as porn reviewers Roger Pipe [cite web|url=http://www.rogreviews.com/reviews/read_review.asp?sku=3924|title=DVD Review: Neu Wave Hookers|accessdate=2007-05-26|author=Pipe, Roger|year=2006|publisher="Rogreviews.com", September 5 2006] and Scott McGowan, denounce McKai for what they see as his artistic pretensions, with McGowan stating "If people jack off to your art, you're not the artist you think you are". [cite web|url=http://www.eyeonadult.com/modules/xfsection/article.php?page=1&articleid=222|title=Porn, Art, Subculture, and Other Words That Don’t Go Together|accessdate=2007-05-26|author=McGowan, Scott|date=2005|publisher="EyeOnAdult.com", September 14 2005] Tristan Taormino, however, has defended McKai's work as authentically based on his own lifestyle and sense of aesthetics, and views the idea of creating artistic porn as much more worthy than simply churning out product. [cite web|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/people/0546,taormino,69982,24.html|title=The Prince of Alt-Porn|accessdate=2007-05-26|author=Taormino, Tristan.|date=2005|publisher="Village Voice", November 11 2005]

Filmography

* "Art School Sluts" (2004)
* "Kill Girl Kill" 1-3 (2005)
* "Neu Wave Hookers" (2005)
* "Girls Lie" (2006)
* "Debbie Loves Dallas" (2007) [cite web|url=http://www.fleshbot.com/sex/sneak-peek/vivid-alts-debbie-3-dallas-270626.php|title=Vivid Alt's "Debbie <3 Dallas"|accessdate=2007-08-16|author=Fleshbot.|date=2007|publisher="Fleshbot" (website), June 21 2007]
* "The Doll Underground" (2008)

References

External links

* [http://www.eonmckai.com/ Eon McKai] (official site)
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* [http://suicidegirls.com/interviews/Eon+McKai+-+Art+School+Sluts/ "Eon McKai - Art School Sluts"] interview by Daniel Robert Epstein, "SuicideGirls", January 8 2005.
* [http://www.latimes.com/features/printedition/magazine/la-tm-altporn50dec11,0,2695416.story?coll=la-home-magazine "Generation XXX"] by Peter Gilstrap, "Los Angeles Times", December 11 2005.
* [http://gramponante.com/GPtext/em2005.htm "Art on His Sleeve: The Eon McKai Interview"] by Gram Ponante, "GramPonante.com", 2005.
* [http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,443834,00.html "The Berlin Porn Festival: Alternative Smut for the Silver Screen"] by Alex Bakst, "Der Spiegel Online", October 20 2006.
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/gate/archive/2007/02/08/violetblue.DTL "Eon McKai's Altporn Liberation Army"] by Violet Blue, "San Francisco Chronicle", February 8 2007.
* [http://www.sextelevision.net/archives/episodeArchivesDisplay.asp?segmentID=506&seasonID=9 "Eon Mckai: Alt-porn Auteur"] , "SexTV", January 20 2007. (Links to RealPlayer video)
* [http://blog.adultdvdtalk.com/2007/04/eon_mckai_hes_so_alty.html "Eon McKai Interview: He's So Alty"] , "Porn Star Interviews" (podcast), April 13 2007. (page links to MP3 audio file)