Venus Rising (1995)

Simply A Masterpiece

One of my all time favorites.

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The story is so convoluted, I wanted to know what other crap they can throw in the mix. It's basically about a woman named Eve, as in Adam and Eve, who escapes an abandoned island prison and starts living a semi-normal life and gets involved in a virtual/reality relationship, along with a bunch of people getting killed. A bunch. This was most of the fun of the movie. The film starts by showing us an island with captions stating that this was a prison, after a prisoner riot the corporation that owned the prison abandoned it, prisoners, guards and their family all stuck on the island with food shortages. Then we see a guy named Vegas finding a castaway and his boat. He kills this dude without a second thought, and takes his food to Eve, his girlfriend? Who knows, that would have been a decent intrigue here, but no they are just best buddies. Eve is then attacked by an older dude/prisoner by knifepoint and wants to know where Vegas found the food. The three of them go to the boat and embark to the mainland. The owner/police commissioner/ Wyndham of the prison detects the prisoner's implant device, and he then hires a convicted murderer/Nick to kill the escapees. The logic being he doesn't want the prison and the escape to be public knowledge, and once Nick kills the escapees he will kill Nick.Eve and the prisoner wash up ashore. The prisoner decides to rape Eve. Eve rips the prisoners implant, which release a deadly poison killing the prisoner. It turns out in flashbacks that this is the same guy who killed Eve's father who was a guard in the prison, and this same guy also killed her mother.Vegas is nowhere to be found, but later is shown to kill a bum, and hide in a derelict lifeguard tower. Eve steels some clothes, later prostitutes herself for food, when the guy refuses to pay and tries to rape her, she stabs him to death. We are then shown a woman/Maria, in a duplex apartment, a divorcee with all her expenses electronically paid. She's addicted to pleasure pills and virtual reality sexual encounters, bored and depressed. Maria sees Eve wondering on the beach and invites her in. Maria tries to make a pass at Eve, but Eve won't have it. Next day Maria jumps off the cliff leaving Eve with the all-expense paid apartment. Good deal. Eve plugs into the virtual reality, but doesn't take the pleasure pills. In the VR the participants can hide their identity. Eve chose Venus. By convenient coincidence she hooks up with Nick, the guy who is looking for the prison escapees. Eve befriends an older neighbor for knowledge. Then gets a job at a nightclub. The same nightclub that is frequented by Wyndham and Nick. It is also Morgan Fairchild. She is in two short meaningless scenes, even though she on the VHS cover. Fairchild may be the real owner of the prison, but this is not disclosed. Eve pumps into Nick in real life. She's trying to live a normal life. Then one day she sees Vegas, and he demands money food and a place to stay. She gives him money and tells him to get lost. Eve and Nick hook up in real life. Vegas and Nick get into a fight by the lifeguard house and it looks like Nick is shot dead.Eve comes home after getting some fake Id's to leave town and finds Vegas has broken in and killed her neighbor. Nick comes in, Vegas shoots Nick, Eve shoots Vegas. Wyndham shows up, and Nick kills him. Eve takes off. Nick got some lead in his belly and should be dead this time. But no.3 years later, somehow Nick is the new police commissioner and Eve has come back to town and somehow is super rich and has bought the nightclub and moved back into Maria's old apartment. Nick and Eve meet. Later that night the meet again in Virtual Reality, but this time not in disguise. The prison is shown again with captions, stating, who knows how many children were born on the island. The End.As stated earlier, this is some convoluted story. 1, prison island abandoned with prisoners, guards and other civilians and children. 2, Private police commissioner who operated then abandoned the prison 3, A depressed divorcee addicted to pleasure pills and virtual reality commits suicide leaving an all-expense paid apartment. What luck. 4, Virtual Reality romance conveniently turns into real life romance, and changes in fortune. Acting is generally sub-par except for Eve, she did well. Cinematography was decent. The story was convoluted with too many thread that go nowhere or are coincidences and plot holes. The editing and pacing was all over the place.What saves this film is some of the death scenes and twists. Eve as a child sees her guard father killed in the prisoner riot. She then sees her mother raped and killed while being locked in a jail cell. Eve rips the implant from this prisoner, releasing poison into the prisoner's body and killing him. Eve killing the dude under the peer. Vegas killing the bum after the bum calls him a bum. Vegas and Nick fight and Nick's supposed first death. Sight of Eve's neighbor killed by Vegas in the bathroom. Vegas being shot by Eve, and what should have been Nick's second death, a bullet to the gut. Nick shooting Wyndham. And we have Maria jumping off the cliff. There was also the first kill, when Vegas killed the castaway. So, the story is all over the place and the acting is horrible on the most part. If you can forgive this and watch the body count there may be some entertainment for you.

I saw this movie, really... but really longtime ago ! Making it a personal classic (as many others). True the plot and story line was more than hard to follow, but hey ! I like stuff which are really hard to follow (see Lynch's and try to say what's the plot, only from the first view !).Well, as I managed to understand, the movie is an erotic thriller (if I may use the therm, but understand, there's no pornography in this sentence), with really interesting frames and lights and sequences !!! As I already said, I'm a lousy writer and many of the points and elements of this films are very inspiring for my works.OK, about the movie, the cast played well : Audie England was perfect as Eve !!! (love that actress, to bad we haven't seen her lately), even Morgan Fairchild has an interesting role here (besides her acting as Chandler's mother in friends, she's so bad that... you should flee her like the black pest ; but in this movie, she's fascinating) ; alright, males characters aren't so well developed, besides Costas Mandylor (who does a good job).Well, haven't seen it lately, cause is easy to guess : this is not your regular movie at french TV... and for the rentals, impossible to find what you're looking for ! Yet, this movie is a good classic for the purist of odd plots and small pace ; only bad thing... well, don't remember, perhaps to unnecessary the blood shade or not knowing what happens to Fairchild later... longtime I saw the movie, but my memory is good ! If one day any of my works are publish (don't think so... I'm realist), I'll recommend my readers to see "Venus Rising" as a reference.9 over 10, really a small masterpiece ! To bad it's underrated here ! Thanks & don't let me be misunderstood

first off, I am not a jessica alba fan, so I really could care less that she is in it. she does not "save" the movie in the 30 seconds she is in it, as most morons will claim. she is only 14 in it for God's sake. I really love this movie, and you really have to appreciate the art and direction of the film. England, Mandylor, and Wirth give great performances, and they continue to be three of the most underrated actors of the last 15 years. good ending that is mysteriously refreshing, and it leaves you with the feeling that knowing more would spoil the point of the film. Audie England is terrific as usual, and Fairchild gives a small cameo. great movie all around. A+

I purchased this film for the soul purpose of adding to my JESSICA ALBA library. She was in it for a whole 15 seconds. I will never get the other 90 minutes of my life back I spent watching this film. I felt there never was a clear plot to this film. At times the acting seemed a little sluggish also. The film also uses Morgan Fairchild as a star of this film...not! She only appears a couple of times. I feel this is kind of just milking someone in to rent or purchase this film. The ending comes to a close really fast and leaves nothing to the imagination.A pyramid that dispenses pills to make you feel however you want; how clever.