The party, planned by Jeff Mullen and Scott David and scheduled for Saturday night, is the official premiere party of two adult videos, "Not the Bradys XXX" and "Spunk'd The Movie."
The suit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Monday, alleging breach of contract, claiming the managers of the Knitting Factory violated their lease by hosting adult entertainment parties and showing adult movies. Lawyers for the landlords will ask a judge to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the club from hosting the party on Saturday.
"To me this is a huge case of discrimination against our industry with no basis," Mullen told XBIZ. "They just don't want us dirty, filthy people in their club and their property, and they're going to put an injunction on our party.
"If they succeed in shutting us down, it opens up the door to a huge discrimination lawsuit, which we will file. They have no right to do that."
Reporters were unable to reach representatives of the Knitting Factory for immediate comment.
The club, located at 7021 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, Calif., has advertised the event as an "Official X-Rated Premiere Party,'' the suit states.
The suit states that after Knitting Factory landlords found out about the premiere party, which the suit describes as a "major porn party,'' they learned the club has hosted similar events in the recent past, including Sex Z Pictures' "Rock 'N Porn XXX'' in March 2006 and the Los Angeles Erotica Film Fest last September.
The Knitting Factory has disobeyed an order from the city to operate as an upscale restaurant and supper club and not be an entertainment venue, according to the suit. The suit also claims that the club routinely violates other parts of the lease agreement by allowing patrons to line up in common areas, impeding pedestrian traffic, and in front of another tenant, DSW shoes, discouraging customers from entering the store.
The Knitting Factory was started in New York City by Michael Dorf and Bob Appel in 1987; the Hollywood venue opened in 2000.
