LOS ANGELES — Denny Recob, the founder of Cyberspace Adult Video Reviews (CAVR) and a veteran adult film critic, has passed away at his home in Dayton, Ohio, after a bout with cancer. He was 67.
The man known to the adult industry simply as Den in April had announced his retirement from reviewing movies online at CAVR.com. He had reviewed more than 27,000 DVDs, VHS tapes and internet sex scenes since starting the site in 1996.
“I consider him an inspiration to me,” said Roger T. Pipe, a veteran adult film critic who knew Den as a friend since both began reviewing movies around the same time. “We were extremely friendly colleagues. He was from Ohio and I was from California so we would only really see each other at shows, but we emailed frequently. I knew Den was very ill and it was very serious.”
A porn fan since the days of silent black & white, 8mm loops, Den also produced and directed some 200 amateur titles in the mid-1980s.
Pipe, a member of Den's CAVR Hall of Fame for his contributions as a respected critic at RogReviews.com, said Den had great passion for the material and the adult industry.
"That was the only thing that really motivated him," Pipe said. "He was extremely knowledgeable about the industry and kept track of performers in a way that I can’t believe to this day."
The number of adult movies Den reviewed will likely never be exceeded by another critic. Pipe is the second most prolific online adult reviewer with some 7,000 reviews to his credit. "I'm at about a quarter of what he did and third place is far behind me."
Jared Rutter, the former chairman of the X-rated Critics Organization (XRCO), told XBIZ, "Den was very respected among people who review porn movies. If you wrote a review and you got a detail wrong he would contact you about it. ... He was a real devotee of porn."
Den's closest friend was Bob Krotts, aka Dirty Bob, another veteran adult film critic and current XRCO co-chairman. The fellow Ohio native told XBIZ, "Den was always a fighter for the consumer. Some companies, on a regular basis, had DVD box covers that routinely claimed extras like BTS or other things which never appeared on the DVD. Or perhaps they listed cast members who were not in the DVD. Or exaggerated running times. It was these little details that he loved to catch and complain about — and, while it may often take a while, it always seemed that the companies eventually took better care at what they advertised as being on the DVD."
Dirty Bob added, "He believed in truth in advertising."
Pipe said that Den was "incredibly friendly and gracious always." He wrote his own tribute to Den upon his retirement that can be read here. One of Den's favorite adult performers, Francesca Le, had already paid respects on her Twitter feed Saturday, calling Den "a great guy."
CAVR.com remains online today courtesy of Jeff Vanzetti of IAFD.com.
When he signed off of CAVR.com, Den wrote a farewell message to his loyal readers, a group that included porn fans, porn stars and industry professionals alike.
To read it, click here.
