Venus In Furs & 99 Women: Unrated Director's Cut Combined DVD Review

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Title: Venus In Furs/99 Women: Unrated Director’s Cut

Region: Zero (NTSC)

Genre: Supernatural Erotic Thriller/Erotic Prison Thriller

Stars: James Darren, Barbara McNair, Maria Rohm, Klaus Kinski, Dennis Price/Maria Schell, Mercedes McCambridge, Maria Rohm, Rosalba Neri, and Herbert Lom

Writers: Jess Franco and Malvin Wald/Peter Welbeck

“Venus In Furs” Story By: Jess Franco

Director: Jess Franco

Feature lengths: 86 minutes/90 minutes

Extras: “Jesus In Furs” Interview With Director Jess Franco, Audio Interview With Star Maria Rohm, Theatrical Trailer, Poster & Still Gallery, Jess Franco Bio/”Jess’ Women” Interview With Director Jess Franco, Deleted & Alternate Scenes, Theatrical Trailer, Poster & Still Gallery, Jess Franco Bio

Languages: English Two-Channel Monaural Sound

Subtitles: N/A

Packaging: Keep Cases

Chapter Stops: 24 Each

Sound: Two-Channel Monaural Sound

Year of Theatrical Release: 1969/DVD Release: 2005

Home Video Distributor: Blue Underground

MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Reviewer: Mark A. Rivera

Just released to DVD-Video on Tuesday, February 22, 2005 from Blue Underground is acclaimed cult film auteur Jess Franco’s “Venus In Furs” and “99 Women.” Jess Franco produced some truly genre bending feature films that also pushed the envelope of what might have been considered pornographic for the time in which these films were released. I suspect a lot more filmmakers of the previous generation were influenced by Franco’s work and more than one might expect too. Franco is an uncompromising visionary that somehow can take what otherwise might be considered exploitation and turns it into cult cinema art.

Both “Venus In Furs” and “99 Women” were released and are sold separately, but after watching both back to back I kind of see them as the latest entries in a series of Jess Franco’s feature films that have been released on DVD-Video by Blue Underground that include “The Blood Of Fu Manchu,” “The Castle Of Fu Manchu,” “Eugenie,” “The Girl From Rio,” “Marquis de Sade’s Justine,” and “Sadomania.” I am not a fan of all of Franco’s work, but there are plenty of talented filmmakers out there with films that I like or don’t like. Between these two DVD releases I preferred “Venus In Furs” because it is an eerie odyssey that lends itself to multiple viewings. Though the films are quite different, I found some similarity between “Venus In Furs” and David Lynch’s “Mullholland Drive” and to some extent “Lost Highway” too. Please note that the filmmaking style of both directors are quite different and it is instances from “Venus In Furs” in particular that make me wonder of Mr. Lynch was at all influenced by any of Mr. Franco’s work. For all I know he may never have even heard of Jess Franco.

James Darren (The Guns Of Navarone, Time Tunnel, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) stars as a trumpet player who stumbles upon the scene of a masochistic murder at the hands of a depraved playboy (Klaus Kinski) and his kinky lesbian accomplice (Margaret Lee). Traumatized by the events, our protagonist soon begins to find himself in a situation where he cannot tell if all that is going around him is real or if he is going insane. As people in his life begin to die, he struggles to uncover the truth behind what is going on, which leads him into the arms of a mysterious and insatiable beauty (Maria Rohm), who ultimately leads him to the most profound discovery of his life.

To say anymore about the plot would spoil it, but the film features a jazz score by Manfred Mann as well as a song by Barbara McNair. Blue Underground has struck this transfer from the original vaulted elements remastered for this DVD and presented uncut and uncensored. The picture quality is remarkably clear with only a few slight bits of debris appearing in the frame. The colors are quite solid and the English Two-Channel Monaural Soundtrack is free from any analogue background noise or hissing. “Venus In Furs” is presented in a (1.85:1) aspect ratio enhanced for 16 by 9 televisions.

Extra value materials include “Jesus In Furs” (20:27), a revealing interview with Jess Franco that is subtitled in English. Among the interesting anecdotes revealed in the interview was the fact that originally Franco wanted to cast a black man in the lead role, but because he then intended for the protagonist’s girlfriend be white, he had trouble getting the film made and ultimately had to invert the races of the characters to get the film made. He also wishes in hindsight that he had been subtler in his editing, in particular some peculiar sequences with Klaus Kinski. Actress Maria Rohm participates in an audio interview (10:51) where she discusses her costars as well as the joy of working with Franco and the feeling of sexual liberation she experienced while making the film. Galleries of one-sheet art, lobby cards, black and white and color still photographs are also included along with the theatrical trailer (2:53). DVD-ROM users with a PC or Macintosh will have access to biographical notes about Jess Franco by Tim Lucas, who is the publisher of “Video Watchdog” magazine. The same feature is also included on the “99 Women” DVD.

“99 Women” stars the super hot Maria Schell as well as Luciana Paluzzi, Rosalba Neri, and Maria Rohm. At the mercy of sadistic wardens, played by Herbert Lom and Mercedes Cambridge, on an island prison, viewers witness the inmates being forced to perform for the depraved desires of those around them in a psychosexual hell on Earth. “99 Women” has been released on a Unrated Director’s Cut as well as the X-rated French version, which features pornographic sequences that were shot by another filmmaker with body look-alikes and inserted into the film’s action. Mr. Franco’s preferred version appears to be the Unrated Director’s Cut. The X-rated French version is available on DVD from Blue Underground, but sold separately. Since it appears that the added sex does not forward the story, I suggest Franco fans check out the Unrated Version, which is presented in a digitally remastered anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) aspect ratio with a sharp English Two-Channel Monaural Soundtrack.

Extra features include “Jess’ Women” (17:32), which is somewhat of a self-explanatory interview retrospective on the various actresses who have worked with Franco on this film and others. It is interesting to note that although American distributors were initially not happy with the film, it still earned good box office worldwide and was well received critically too. Fritz Lang told Franco personally he enjoyed it. Three deleted/alternate scenes that can be viewed individually or collectively are included with a short text introduction for each detailing the scene and the source material. The scenes run between just under two minutes and just over 16 minutes and feature materials integrated into the softer Greek and Spanish home video versions. Since two of the scenes were transferred from aged video materials, the quality of these sequences is not equal to the film’s DVD presentation. However this is understandable considering the condition of the available source materials. The theatrical trailer (1:43) and galleries of poster art, lobby cards, press book clips, black and white, and color photos conclude the bonus materials included on this DVD.

The interactive menus for both discs are easy to navigate and well rendered. “Venus In Furs” and “99 Women: Unrated Director’s Cut” are available on DVD-Video now, but sold separately at retailers on and offline courtesy of Blue Underground.

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