Customer Reviews

Venus in Furs [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Generally considered Jess Franco's finest work, Venus in Furs is the epitome of the Euro-cult exploitation/horror genre. It stars Franco favorite, Maria Rohm as Wanda and James Darren as Jimmy, the Jazz trumpeter. Jimmy sees Wanda being whipped and stabbed to death in an S&M scene gone awry. He flees but finds her mutilated body washed ashore on a beach in Istanbul. He then flees halfway round the world to Rio de Janeiro. But horror of horrors, Wanda or someone who looks like her walks into the Jazz club where he's performing. He falls for her and they become a couple, much to the consternation of his girlfriend played by the black singer Barbara McNair. Suddenly, one by one, the people responsible for Wanda's death, end up dead, beginning in Rio and ending up back in Istanbul. Is Wanda really dead? Is it her spirit coming back for revenge? Well, as we find out, Wanda really is dead and so it eventually turns out, is he. Is your head spinning yet? In this acid-tinged psychedelic movie, it really isn't all that important. It runs on a logic all its own. But the final twist, which predates The Sixth Sense by decades, brings this trippy masterpiece to a fitting close. Audience reaction to this movie often falls into two diametrically opposite camps, either you love it, or you detest it. I found it very enjoyable and taken as a whole, the most satisfying of all of Franco's works.

Among Franco's output, this has probably the least amount of gratuitous nudity or sex, and what there is of it, is beautifully lensed by Angelo Lotti, in his only collaboration with the director. None of the cheesy soft-porn fare we see in his other films. In fact this has probably the best camerawork in all of Franco's movies. With its use of a classy jazz score, specially written and played by Manfred Mann and Mike Hugg, psychedelic imagery, glossy sets and generally high production values, it transcends its sexploitation origins.

On a separate note, do not confuse this work with Leopold von Sacher-Masoch's literary classic of the same name. The only similarity is the title and the name of the main character, Wanda. Franco's explanation tells us the reason. His film was orginally titled Black Angel and he originally envisioned a black actor for the male lead. But social attitudes at the time prevented the casting of a black actor having intimate relations with a white woman. Hence the change to a white male lead. Then the money-men decided they wanted him to produce a film based on Masoch's novel "Venus in Furs". As he was already planning to film Black Angel, he conveniently changed the title, gave his main star Maria Rohm a full length fur-coat to put on, changed a few things in the script and hey presto, his Black Angel became overnight what the producers wanted, "Venus in Furs". This sleight of hand to get funding for his movie meant that the film had little in common with the original novel. The kindest thing is to say that it was inspired by Masoch's novel. By the way, Masoch's novel has been translated many times into film, some bearing the original title, others not. Franco's version bears the least resemblance to it. (Masoch is the origin for the word masochist which is what the protagonist in the novel was and what he definitely isn't in this movie).

Blue Underground has done a remarkable job restoring and remastering this film for DVD. It is not perfect but for a film shot in 1969, it looks stunning. The colors are rich and vibrant, skintones are accurate, black levels are spot on with impressive image detail. Film grain is visible throughout, especially in outdoor shots but this isn't too distracting. There are dirt specks and debris in certain scenes, especially in the slow-mos, which makes you wonder if they were culled from different sources. But for most of the movie, picture quality is simply outstanding. Blue Underground presents the film in its original 1.85:1 widescreen with anamorphic enhancement. Sound is 2.0 mono but a very beautifully recorded and remastered mono it is. No hiss, no crackle. The music comes though crystal clear and with great presence. Voices are dubbed throughout although all the actors spoke english. While James Darren and Barbara McNair dub their own parts, we never get to here Maria Rohm, Margaret Lee or Klaus Kinski. With each new release I stand in awe of Blue Underground. They are to Genre/Cult films what Criterion is to mainstream cinema classics.

Extras include a 20min interview with Franco where he discusses the genesis of the film, an 11min audio-only interview with Maria Rohm who declined to be filmed preferring fans to remember her as the radiant beauty she was in her heyday, a single US trailer for the movie and finally a gallery of stills and posters. A treasured addition to any Franco or Euro-cult collection.

This is a movie masterpiece make no mistake about it. It combines erotica, surrealism, mystery and stunning scenery interwoven with inspiring jazz music. The backdrops of Rio and Istanbul in the late 60's are as exotic as the storyline itself. This is the tale of a jazz trumpeter who finds a girl washed up on a lonely beach. He realises that he has seen her years earlier at a party getting involved in a "heavy scene" of sadistic sex games. Then she arrives alive once again to revisit her old acquaintances and lead our trumpeter on a confused journey of self-discovery. The plot is mildly surreal, but genuinely captivating. The allusions to risque sex are dealt with tastefully as erotica and not porn. The soundtrack is just brilliant - a memorable highlight of the film. Whereas some of Jess Franco's movies loose the plot in parts, this is tight and brilliant from start to finish. The power of this film is only going to grow with time. The print copy on this DVD is good - like every other blue underground release I've seen it is colourful and beautiful to look at. The DVD also has enough extras to keep people happy.

Legendary cult director Jess Franco has made a staggering amount of films in his career, and regardless of how non-existent the budget or incoherent the narrative is, nearly all of his pre-1980 work is at the very least interesting, and in many cases, fascinating. Jess Franco always provides us with sensuous eye candy and a great soundtrack, but in the case of "Venus in Furs", he goes far beyond that and creates a film that is more than just a great exploitation film - it's a great film period.

Along with his two other masterworks, "Vampyros Lesbos", and "She Killed in Ecstacy", this is one of the few Franco films that has not only a strong story idea to start with, but a solid and well paced narrative to carry it along. The film benefits enormously by a great cast, anchored by leading man James Darren, who turns in a low-keyed, solid performance that is reminiscent of something you might see in a Hitchcock or early Brian Depalma film. Maria Rohm is as sensuous and captivating as ever, and both the lucious Barbara Lee and the sultry Barbara McNair round out what might be one of the best trio of "Franco women" ever cast together in one of his films. Also on hand is Franco/Euro-horror regular Klaus Kinski. He is solid as usual.

It goes without saying that the movie looks great (given the age of the film, the transfer is superb), and is loaded with erotic imagery, but Franco outdoes himself here. The score by Manford Mann and Mike Hugg is outstanding and goes a long way toward creating the film's hypnotic atmosphere. This is a movie that Franco buffs and fans of Euro exploitation will simply love. Even non-Franco film buffs who enjoyed the likes of "Jacobs Ladder", and Mary Lambert's "Siesta", also might want to check it out.

If "Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls" actually made sense to you, then you likely have the correct mindset to appreciate this trash epic from director Jesus "Jess" Franco. "Carnival Of Souls" meets "Blow-Up" in this gothic-horror-psychedelic-sexploitation fest. Light on plot but heavy on atmosphere and rich cinematography. Maria Rohm is the mysterious siren who stirs the loins of a brooding jazz trumpet player, played with a perpetually puzzled expression by James "Moondoggie" Darren. Temporarily forgetting that he has a girlfriend (Barbara McNair, who would probably prefer that we not remember her for appearing in the worst Elvis movie ever, "Change Of Habit"), Darren follows Rohm to the back room of a mansion, just in time to witness her (apparent) demise at the hands of a decadent playboy socialite (the ever disturbing Klaus Kinski) and several of his kinky friends, who all appear to first enjoy a little sado-masochistic foreplay with the victim. Some time later, Darren is playing his trumpet on the beach, where Rohm's body washes onshore. Next thing we know, she has somehow "revived" and sets out to wreak revenge on her tormentors, in between love scenes with Darren (Or did she ever really exist, outside of Darren's mind? Tune in to find out!) Believe it or not, the story was allegedly "inspired" by a conversation director Franco once had with the tragically doomed jazz great Chet Baker. Manfred Mann and his band (circa 1969) supply a surprisingly accomplished jazz score (which involves slightly more complex chord chemistry than, say, "Do Wah Diddy"). Darren actually played his own solos (he apparently started in show biz as a trumpet player!) Blue Underground does a nice job with packaging and remastering, and adds present day interviews with the director and star Rohm. Would make a perfect double bill with "Siesta" (if someone would ever release it on DVD-hint hint Blue Underground!).

Jazz trumpeteer Jimmy (James Darren), his girflfriend Rita (singer Barbara McNair), playboy Ahmed (Klaus Kinski), wealthy old coot Dennis Price and kinky, lesbian photographer Olga (Margaret Lee) all figure in the strange death and reappearance of mysterious, beautiful Wanda Reed (mysterious, beautiful Maria Rohm). Wanda was murdered in a sadistic sex scene with some of the above people and her body has washed ashore on a beach. Jimmy witnessed the incident but didn't know she died. He finds her body and when she suddenly shows up at his club in fur (and still beautiful) he enters into a relationship with her as the other characters start dying mysteriously. Jess Franco's bizarre mystery is narrated by Darren's character as he readily admits he's losing his mind. Rohm is gorgeous and frequently nude. The photography is exellent with only minor scratches to the DVD print in places. The music score is by Manfred Mann (remember them?) and McNair sings a couple of odd songs including "Venus in Furs". The story takes place in Istanbul and Rio with shots of Carnival included and there are some psychedelic color sequences. Whether you appreciate this truly odd film is up to you. I found it, well, odd. The DVD extras include interviews with Franco and Rohm. Blue Underground has done a good job here with their appreciation of strange Euro-shockers. And this one is really strange.

Mesmerizing, haunting, sexy, and colorful are some of things Jesse Franco has confidence in doing while ranking this as one of his most assured pieces of work. Provided that this film was also recommended to me it has also open up a different path for me to expand my horizon (along with his other films I've seen so far). In this story we see Trumpeter Jimmy Logan's (James Darren) life starts to unravel when he discovers the dead body of Wanda Reed (Maria Rohm) on the beach one day. He soon remembers that she was the woman at the party he attended a few weeks before. He had witnessed three of the guests as they sadistically beat and raped her. Now in Rio, Jimmy discovers that Wanda is still alive. Jimmy refuses to leave Wanda now that he has been given a second chance. Has Jimmy found happiness or will his obsession lead his demise? Sorry can't say no more then that but that it's a fascinating film for you to find out.

I came to find out that Jess Franco is a prolific director who has directed around 200 films over the past fifty years. Several of his films were released in alternate versions which often contain footage not shot by Franco. His career as a director can be broken up into distinctive periods with his most successful films made in the late 1960's and early 1970's. "Venus in Furs" has several alternative titles like "Paroxsysmos" and "Black Angel." This film is totally a product of its time the late 1960's. Psychedelic music and films filled with surreal imagery ruled the pop culture landscape. This film bears similarities to two films from this time period Michelangelo Antonioni's "Blow Up" and Franco's own film "Necronomicon" (known as Succubus) in the America. "Venus in Furs" main connection to "Blow Up" is their use of rock musicians for the films score. Both films also feature Protagonist's who witness a murder that consumes them like an obsession. There is also a scene in this film were Wanda Reed is photographed by Olga in "Blow Up" like stylized camera set ups. In "Venus in Furs" Franco expands the dream like tapestries that he had first explored in "Necronomicon."

Franco has used various locations for this film including Italy, Rio and Istanbul. Cinematographer Angelo Lotti uses every inch of the frame as he composes picturesque compositions. There is a car chase in the film that proves Franco can more then handle himself when shooting an action sequence. I have also realized that Franco through the years has worked with his fare share of talented actors and the cast for "Venus in Furs" is one his strongest casts that he ever worked with. The casting of James Darren in the lead role of Jimmy Logan may appear like an odd choice on the surface. His subtle performance perfectly compliments Maria Rohm sexually charged portrayal of the films heroine Wanda Reed. Margaret Lee and Dennis Price are very good in supporting roles. Klaus Kinski does what he does best play characters with piercing eyes that have a tendency to be sadistic and charming at the same time. Unfortunately Kinski's role in nothing more then a mere cameo as he makes an appearance at the beginning before returning briefly near the end of the film. "Venus in Furs" has many elements that Franco would use in many of his films and even with all these things in place there is something about the film that makes it feel unlike any other Franco film. "Venus in Furs" is the good starting point for anyone who is just getting into the cinema of Jess Franco. Overall Franco made a nearly flawless film and outside of the overused slow motion technique everything else perfectly falls into place.

Found this while I was browsing the cult cinema section. Never heard of it before. Never seen a Jess Franco film that I can recall. Figured any movie that shares a name with a song from the first Velvet Underground album was worth a look. Am I glad I didn't buy "Freaks" instead? As Larry Flynt might say, "You bet your sweet ass!" What a psychadelic trip, and another notch in my quest to watch every weird movie made between 1959 and 1979. What's the story, morning glory? A jazz trumpter finds a dead girl washed up on the beaches of Istanbul. He seems to remember some strange goings on involving her at a party he played at. Freaked out by the experience, he runs off to Rio de Janeiro, and falls in with a foxy singer named Rita. One night while he plays an engagement, the dead girl walks through the door. And of course he follows, as do we. Nothing seems to make any sense. Another figure from the Istanbul scene arrive in Rio, a redhead named Olga who favors wearing a fur coat topless. What does all of this have to do with a mysterious fakir who lives in the palace of a fallen sultan and an art dealer? Our trumpeteer, Jimmy, eventually returns to Istanbul, but the answers he finds aren't exactly the ones he expects. The score is haunting, the imagery and colors a feast for the eyes. An added interview with director Franco, who reveals the inspirations behind the script, is just the delicate frosting on a multi-layered cake. The crystal ball says more Franco films in my future. This one should be in yours.

Venus in Furs, by Jess Franco, is a wonderful time capsule to a jet-set, jazz world of night clubs, parties, hedonism, and morbidity. Shot in a lurid, psychedelic style, Venus in Furs has indy/underground stamped on it with a vengeance. Maverick filmmaker Franco goes to Ken Russell-like excess with an almost documentary approach to a story that will make M. Night Shamalyn fans re-think their opinions about their hero's originality. Made in the days when Franco was at his hottest, this must have torn heads wide open in it's day. As a side note; the sound track( featuring Franco on horn, at times )may never leave your mind. This film is for admirers of The Frightened Woman, Succubus, Blow Up, and Baba Yaga.

Jesus Franco is probably one of the worst directors of film history, but I was surprised by his updating of the famous S&M novel. He has changed the story into a nightmarish thriller where the sado masochistic stuff is coincidental. A woman's dead body washes on the shore of the Black Sea. She was murdered by a bunch of rich perverts. Later a dead ringer for the murdered girl turns up and enacts revenge. Manfred Mann did the music. My only complaint is that Klaus Kinski's voice is dubbed.

Fantastic eurotrash!

ok this movie may not be for everyone but if you are in the mood for a trully strange film (by the also srange jess franco) that is both sexy and stylish, has a brooding jazz score, and is about a down on luck trumpet player who finds a corpse on the beach in instanbul only to see the dead woman again apearing to him in a fur coat and stockings, in rio then give this a go, but be warned this is more a mood driven film not naration driven. that is not to say that the film has no plot but rather the plot takes a backseat to mood, i thought this was one of the most brooding films i have ever seen and enjoyed it for that. if the above doese not sound like your thing then i would be the first to say give thiss one a miss. if on the other hand you still feel like giving this one a go then you too may just fall into its spell. as for the disk its by blue undergound so you know your getting the best nuff said go see the movie