In 1977, Houston modeled for pop artist Andy Warhol at his Factory in New York. Warhol's silkscreen painting Torso (1977) is based on a Polaroid photo he took of Houston as part of his "landscapes" series depicting nude males.[2] In the book The Andy Warhol Diaries, Warhol mentioned in a November 7, 1977 entry that Houston was writing a movie he had assigned to him about "kids who commit suicide."[3]
Houston and film producer David Weisman acquired the rights for the film Baby Cart at the River Styx, which had been adapted from the Lone Wolf & Cub Japanese action film.[4] They re-edited, re-scored, and co-wrote a script for the English-dubbed film they retitled Shogun Assassin (1980). Houston also wrote and directed several independent films in the 1980s, including the teen comedy Bad Manners (1984).[5]
Houston is also the author of the novel Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, which served as the basis for the 1986 film A Killing Affair.[citation needed]
Houston and his partner Robert Hudson formed their own company, Tell The Truth Pictures, to promote and distribute the documentary film Rock The Boat (1998).[6] It had screened at film festivals titled The Human Race. The film follows a crew of HIV+ sailors who enter the Trans-Pacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Hawaii.[6]