A Frenchman who spent much of his youth in Italy surrounded by gorgeous fashion models, Kris Kramski has become one of the most original directors working in porn. Although he hasn't shot all that many flicks, each of them is a unique erotic experience. He's a man who strives to make artistic sexvids, eschewing gonzo-style antics and silicone-stuffed sirens in favor of visually breathtaking excursions in lust.

Kramski claims that his mother opened Milan's first modeling agency during the 1960s. His uncle Franco Sheickenbauer was a high fashion photographer, and Kris followed in his footsteps. He worked as a fashion photographer in London for five years, but tired of being constantly told that his pictures were too sexually provocative. He took his talents to British Penthouse, where they were definitely more appreciated.

Eventually, Kris moved to Southern California on the arm of his then-girlfriend, a former Penthouse Pet herself. He got work shooting stills on porn sets and quickly became appalled by the lack of professionalism, originality and talent he found himself confronted with. True to his outspoken nature, he told everyone what he thought. To his surprise, one of his clients at Sunshine Video came to him one day with a check and told him to shoot his own movie if he thought he could do any better.

The result was 1996's 'SexHibition 1,' a fantasy-fueled flick that focused on a young woman who was shooting a sexual documentary to be shot into space, to teach aliens about earthly erotica. The film was an instant smash, and its artistic use of black-and-white imagery and still photos edited into the mix showed Kramski to be a true talent behind the camera.

Kramski shot two more 'SexHibition' flicks, each one developing and honing his carnal craft. Within a couple of years, he had established himself as one of the true visionaries in his field. Kris Kramski was one of the most talked-about directors in the biz.

1997's 'Lisa' remains one of his best efforts. This shot-on-film features stars Liza Harper as a woman who's misused once too often by men, and ends up in the arms of lesbian lawyer Houston. The film showcased some real innovations, and the sex was as close to reality as Kramski could get it. His sex scenes weren't drowned out by swelling background music, but stuck to ambient sound. The scene also stopped and started, with performers stopping for cigarettes, drinks, or just to catch their breath. 'Lisa' was also filled with gorgeous location shooting, realistic dialogue and decent acting. It was a throwback to old-school story-driven porn, but with 90s-style action.

1998 saw the release of 'Models,' in which James Bonn played a fashion photographer who's drawn into his models' sensual world. The film contained one of Kramski's most controversial scenes, a plunger-based back door segment with Nancy Vee that concludes with her vomiting. 'American Girl in Paris' was another controversial outing, a Brooke April vehicle that found her wandering into some seriously strange sexual situations during a trek to France. The film's centerpiece scene saw Brooke chopping off a chicken's head, then accosting a Gallic thug who ends up climaxing on the dead poultry. Strong, strange stuff, indeed.

1998's 'Cape Sin' was a triumph of couples-oriented porn, a breathtakingly well-shot tale of friends, lust and sex on the beach that once again starred the stunning Brooke April. This glossy, sensual production remains one of the best couples features of the decade.

1999's 'Chloe' might just be Kris Kramski's masterpiece. It's a sometimes eerie, always off-kilter tale of a woman who falls under the sexual spell of a Svengali-type doctor played by James Bonn. Chloe stars in the lead role and turns in the performance of her life, delivering a convincing and naturalistic acting job even as she's surrounded by forced lesbian sex, pill popping and sex involving fried eggs. The film is one of the most emotionally engaging hardcore features of recent times.

Recently Kramski has shot a couple of flicks for Hustler, including the rave-scene spectacular 'DJ Groupie' and 'Porno Vision,' a hallucinatory collection of sexual images and artistic collages that is among his most opaque features yet. He made waves in the porn industry with his documentary 'Porno,' in which he cast an unsparing eye on the excesses and lies that all too often go hand in hand with the skin biz.

Love him or hate him, you must admit that Kris Kramski never makes boring films. He depicts sexuality in a gritty, grippingly realistic fashion that doesn't gloss over anything. You have to take the good with the bad in a Kris Kramski film. His dedication to producing professional, emotionally involving porn makes him a throwback to the industry's Golden Age, but his down and dirty action places him firmly in the here and now. Anyone interested in where porn is at and where it might possibly go in the future should take a hard look at the carnal catalog of Kris Kramski, one of the porn scene's true originals and a man who never shies away from the erotic edge.

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