Bill Osco (born William Osco in 1947) is an American film producer and director.
Career
Osco's first production job (in an uncredited capacity) was the 1970 film ''
Mona'', one of the first
adult films
An adult is a human or other animal that has reached full growth. In human context, the term ''adult'' has meanings associated with social and legal concepts. In contrast to a " minor", a legal adult is a person who has attained the age of ma ...
, after
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...
's 1969 film ''
Blue Movie'', to receive a national theatrical release in the United States. The release of ''Mona'' is considered to be one of the
watershed events that helped inaugurate the
Golden Age of Porn
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_talk:Spam-whitelist/Archives/2018/01#Another_Worthy_Journal_Article_on_Wordpress --->
The term "Golden Age of Porn", or "porno chic", refers to a 15-year period (1969–1984) in commercial American porno ...
in the United States.
That same year, Osco directed the documentary ''Hollywood Blue'' with Michael Benveniste (as Mike Lite) and Howard Ziehm. In 1971, Osco produced another adult film, ''
Harlot
Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
'', followed by the 1974 sci-fi spoof of
Flash Gordon, ''
Flesh Gordon
''Flesh Gordon'' is a 1974 American sex comedy feature film serving as a spoof of Universal Pictures first (of three) ''Flash Gordon'' serial films from the 1930s. The film was produced by Walter R. Cichy, Bill Osco, and Howard Ziehm. It was co ...
'', and the 1976
erotic musical comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
, ''
Alice in Wonderland''. The film grossed over $90 million globally.
Produced as a
softcore film, Osco later re-edited it into a
hardcore pornographic version, utilizing footage not filmed during the original production.
Jason Williams, who co-produced and acted in the film, criticised Osco's involvement in the film. He claims he was never paid for his involvement and that Osco overstated his involvement in the creative direction of the film.
Osco produced three films by writer/director
Jackie Kong in the 1980s, starting with 1983's ''
The Being'', which also starred Osco in the lead role under the pseudonym Rexx Coltrane. This was followed by Kong's ''
Night Patrol'' in 1984 and ''
The Underachievers
The Underachievers are an American hip hop duo from Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 2011, the duo is composed of rappers AKTHESAVIOR and Issa Gold. American record producer Flying Lotus signed the duo to his Brainfeeder record label ...
'' in 1987, both of which featured Osco in minor roles. Starting in 1987, Osco began his own directorial career with the comedy special ''The Unknown Comedy Show'', a vehicle for stand-up comic
Murray Langston
Murray Langston (born June 27, 1944), who frequently performed using the stage name "The Unknown Comic", is a Canadian actor and stand-up comedian best known for his performances on ''The Gong Show'', during which he usually appeared with a paper ...
, also known as The Unknown Comic.
In 2007, an
Off-Broadway musical based on Osco's version of ''Alice in Wonderland'' was staged at the Kirk Theatre in New York City, to which Osco was credited with writing the book.
Set in a trailer park in
Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197. , the show was entitled ''Alice in Wonderland: An Adult Musical Comedy'' and flyers advertising it were designated "For Mature Audiences Only."
He was also the owner of a pornography bookstore, Niks and Naks, in
Garden City, Idaho
Garden City is a city in Ada County, Idaho. The population was 10,972 at the time of the 2010 census. Garden City is nearly surrounded by Boise but retains a separate municipal government.
Garden City was named for gardens raised by Chines ...
, and of the Desert Skies Motel, also in Garden City. He bought his
Malibu, California
Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malib ...
home in 1986.
Style
The style of Osco's erotic movies has been described as awful in the sense that the dialogues are plain, the costumes of poor confection, and the sex scenes disturbingly uninspired.
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby (July 27, 1924 – October 15, 2000) was an American film and theatre critic who served as the chief film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1969 until the early 1990s, then its chief theatre critic from 1994 until his death in ...
describes Osco's style as "consistent vulgarity".
References
External links
*
Sex in the Movies GuideBill Osco Productions Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osco, Bill
American pornographic film directors
American pornographic film producers
Film producers from California
Living people
1947 births