Nigel P This is the slickest Jess Franco film I have seen. In fact, the difference in production values between this and something like 'Dracula Contra Frankenstein' is so staggering, they seem like the work of two different directors. The actors, including a wild-eyed Klaus Kinski and a shifty-looking Dennis Price, look immaculate. Only the over-used footage of the Rio carnival betrays the less shiny quality of its spliced-in origins.James Darren plays Jimmy Logan, a jazz musician who becomes obsessed with beautiful Wanda (Maria Rohm), whom he finds dead on a beach in Istanbul (this scene opens the film, with swathes of backstory told in flashback, narrated in film noir-ish style by Darren). We are then treated to a swirling, delirious cocktail of sex and horror intrigue, often threaded through with the image of a girl in furs who looks like a mannequin – there is one lengthy scene where she appears to seduce, torture and kill Price's Percival Kapp whilst alternating between dream and reality. It is very weird, intoxicating and even more impressive because the fantasy is played without any dialogue.One of my favourite characters here is the least complex. Rita (Barbara McNair) makes no secret of the fact that she adores Jimmy in spite of his infatuation with Wanda. McNair's expressions of forlorn longing and subsequent dejection when she realises she has lost her love, are powerful, and we are relieved for her when she finally musters up the sense to make a dignified exit. However, she literally has the last laugh, as it is Rita who sings out the title song over the end credits, full of life ad gusto, which is more than can be said for her ex.For such a delirious, jazzy cocktail of a film, it is Franco's restraint that makes it work so well. His trademark zoom-ins are here, but used sparingly, and only to enhance a mood. Filtered camera effects also abound, but only in tone with what is revealed to be going on. I enjoyed 'Venus in Furs' very much for its consistent storyline (the twist at the end doesn't make much sense, alas) and atmosphere. I also very much enjoy Franco's tatty, less acclaimed works for opposite reasons.

preppy-3 Jimmy Logan (James Darren) finds a dead girl named Wanda on the beach. He also realizes she was killed by Percival (Dennis Price), Ahmed (Klaus Kinski) and Olga (Margaret Lee). Don't ask me HOW he knows--this movie doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Later on he has a girlfriend named Rita (Barbara McNair) and is happy--but then he sees a girl that looks just like Wanda...and becomes obsessed.I should have known better. Director Jesus Franco's movies are little more that soft core porno full of beautiful naked women. This is no exception. The plot makes little to no sense and its moves at a snails pace. With the sole exceptions of Darren and McNair the acting is just terrible (and badly dubbed). The "script" is thoroughly predictable and full of dialogue that makes little or no sense. Franco just seems interested in getting as much female nudity on the screen as possible--it doesn't seem to matter if it fits the plot! Also why he didn't he show any nudity on Darren? He's an attractive young guy and he IS the main character! This gets a 2 solely for Darren and McNair but this basically a boring soft core porno movie.

mrcaw1 I happened to catch this movie recently on TCM (unedited).Let's cut to the chase folks, it's a bad movie. There's just no getting around it.It's also high camp. Sooooo, my gut says, that a bunch of friends, with plenty of booze at the ready would have a hoot watching this late 60's flick.There's hardly any real dialog in the movie; it's mostly narration by James Darren (the male lead in the film).Why Kluas Kinski even bothered to appear in this movie is beyond me since his role is minuscule. I suspect it was a paycheck & the opportunity to work with undressed ladies.The movie has lots of scenes that are bathed in day-glo colors, lots of female skin and scenes that just won't end.But it is true to it's kitschy self, complete with its supposed shocker ending.Again, if you love kitsch & that whole late 60's early 70's drug/sex LSD trip kind of vibe, you'll probably get a good laugh of this really bad movie.

The_Void Jess Franco made a hell of a lot of films over his vast career, and it's not surprising that most of them are trash. When speaking of his best films, it's usually The Diabolical Dr Z and this film; Venus in Furs that get mentioned, and there's a good reason for that! I can't say that this film is better than the fantastic Diabolical Dr Z myself, but it's certainly a great slice of Eurocult and I won't hesitate to say that Franco has outdone himself with this film! Venus in Furs is a sort of mixture of sleazy exploitation and, bizarrely, film noir. This does give the film a very odd tone, though it's made good use of. The film starts off in Istanbul and focuses on a trumpeter who finds himself in the middle of a mystery. While strolling on the beach one day, he comes across the washed up body of a woman. After studying her face, he realise that not only does he recognise her - he was there at the party where a group of people mutilated her! The trumpeter then decides to go to Rio, where he meets a singer named Rita; and bumps into the girl he found washed up on the beach...There are a few films called Venus in Furs - this being the only one that I've seen, though it would seem that this one is unrelated to the rest as it is not based on a novel by Leopold von Sacher-Masoch. Like a lot of Eurocult films, this one gets rather confusing at several points and occasionally you just have to go along with it - even if what you're seeing doesn't make a lot of sense. While this might be a huge flaw in some films, in this one it actually isn't, as even when the story isn't up to much; Franco ensures that the visuals are. Venus in Furs is a hugely trippy affair, and Franco pays a lot of attention to detail in most scenes and the fact that the film features a whole host of beautiful women certainly doesn't do it any harm either. The film boasts a very decent cast, with James Darren doing well in the lead role and getting support from beauties such as Barbara McNair, Maria Rohm and Margeret Lee; as well as from cult stars Dennis Price and the great Klaus Kinski. It all boils down to a decent conclusion, which works well within the context of the film. Overall, Venus in Furs is an excellent slice of sleaze and certainly comes recommended to fans of this kind of cinema!