Reviews (26)

Wild Orchid - both versions
WILD ORCHID was released in 1990 surrounded by controversy that the sex scenes between Carre Otis and Mickey Rourke were not faked. They were a couple at the time, and it is possible that there is some truth to the rumor, but in the end does it matter?

It's a typical Zalman King affair -- rather thin plot revolving around some business intrigue and mostly a sexual awakening of a girl from the country traveling to Rio. The setting provides incredible material for the brilliant cinematography, and the music is sexy and moody. A very fun role for Jacqueline Bisset, but unfortunately too little for anyone else to do other than pose and preen ... and ... well... do love scenes. Zalman King movies are soft and sensuous, and revolve around mood and sex scenes. Don't expect anything more than well-photgraphed love scenes, and you will be fine.

To all you DVD geeks out there (like me) -- edge enhancemnet is at an all-time high here. Colors are good, and its nice to see this movie in widescreen format. You get both the R-rated version and the unrated versions, but this is done on sides of the disc and not by branching. You get a 2 channel stereo mix that is not very good, but probably the original soundtrack without any remastering (pity because this one needs the extra ooomph in the sound department). Grain and print flaws are obvious, the film shows its age in the transfer. But at the low retail price fans of the movie will like it, but certainly not a demo disc by any means.

Mickey Rourke and Carre Otis HEAT up the screen
Ok, I'll just state first that the film isn't the best your ever going to see, and there might be some scenes in the movie that are ok, but once you get past that and be a bit forgiving- you are going to LOVE this steamy, excitable film. First off the scenery and the music are just beautiful and captavating. From the moment I saw Mickey Rourke and Carre Otis I was hooked. Both are uniquely interesting. Mickey Rourke is HOT, and Carre Otis is sensational and beautiful as attorney emily reed. When these two come together, for the duration of the story I desperatly wanted these two to get together and boy I was not disappointed. The atmosphere and scenery are steamy and sensual, and the main love theme is excellent I LOVE IT. And if you want to see these two in action your head is going to blow off. I have not seen a sex scene shot so superbly, sexy and beautiful in my life, with a soundtrack to complement it beautifully. And for the die hard fans who buy this YOU GET BOTH VERSIONS OF THE UN-RATED AND THE R-RATED VERSIONS OF THE FILM. The R-rated is just as mesmerising as the un-rated one, it is maybe more passionate, more kissing and holding each other which I LOVE and can't get over. I'm SO in Love with this movie and scenes from this film are mesmerising. Mickey and Carre are excellent. I'v read reviews where Carre Otis is put down, but in my opinion I don't believe a word of it. Carre Otis is the BEST. A very talented actress, a beautiful women and model. I loved Carre as Emily Reed, no one else could of played Emily as well as Carre. She has a special quality to her that leaves you wanting more, to watch more of her. Good work from Zalman King.- And who could forget the end scene when Wheeler finally gives in and surrenders to Emily. That moment from when she goes to leave and he embraces her which leads to the love scene, anyone that see's that scene will instantly love this film.

wild as it may seem
this is the definitive zalman king classic which follows on the heels of o'rourke's last erotc drama 9 1/2 weeks. no, this is not a sequel & the two films have little in common. while orchid may be flawed, it is certainly an entertaining & beautiful film which i'm sure you could watch over & over. carre otis plays the newcomer here & she has the expressions down pat even though some of her lines are delivered quite like we'd hope. jacqueline bisset is beautiful & fun to watch even though most of the screen time is focused on o'rourke & otis, whom eventually married & divorced in real life. carre otis plays emily reed, who has just accepted a position as a legal assistant under bisset & the two are off to rio de janiero. yes, that's right! brazil!! it's everything you'd ever hoped it would be so mr. king did a wonderful job with the sights & sounds. brazil was truly a daydream come true. as i'm getting off the subject a bit here, bisset throws emily off of o'rourke by making her wear the dress he initially had given to her many years back. as you can guess, o'rourke does find ms. reed completely charming & attractive but somehow cannot bring himself to show his true emotions. in the beginning of the film, he is also unable to touch her as he is emotionally withdrawn from the world. will she ever be able to break through this exterior to find real wheeler inside(o'rourke) or will she not? like 9 1/2 or red shoe diaries which are both projects zalman has worked on, wild orchid is very erotic & almost what you might consider borderline softcore pornography although far more complex & even a bit artsy. if you love passionate love stories with a twist, then wild orchid is a must see. i have no favorite scenes to mention here as i love the film in it's entirety. at such an affordable price, you too should own wild orchid if you don't already. much love.

Compelling story!
I absolutely love this movie! MICKEY ROURKE does a GREAT job and I liked Carre Otis too - they DEFINITELY have chemistry! - it's NOT your ordinary love story but it pulls you in and keeps you there. Add in great music (I bought the CD too), and beautiful scenery - well, I'll be watching this movie a lot!

an art movie, if you look closely enough
Wild Orchid gave me a headache when I first saw it over a decade ago - what was all of this psychological drama? It quickly occured to me that I was watching an art film. There are scenes of sexuality that are mistaken by many as "soft core porn". I disagree -- every scene advances the story for the characters, and it is tastefully done in every instance. There is also a misconception that Mickey Rourke plays a "macho multimillionaire" -- no, he plays a sexually impotent multimillionaire that finds the will to love. This is a beautiful story, with strong characters set in an amazing city... a work of art, if you ask me. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A woman's movie for sure--how erotic!
This movie is on my list of "chick" movies or those movies that would appeal to our female need for sexiness, erotic content, and, sometimes, a competent storyline. Other movies on my list would be "Two Moon Junction", "Against All Odds" and "Thief of Hearts". I don't know why David Duchovny seems to shy away from mentioning his participation in this movie and the Showtime cable series that came after. He was so palpably sexy in this movie, and in the "Jake's Story" episode of "Red Shoes" the series. Billy Wirth is also mighty fine to look at as well. How can a girl choose between these two fine specimens? Sigh...

David Duchovny or Billy Wirth...what a choice!
A young woman(Bridget Bako) is torn between her fiancee, played by a pre-X Files Duchovny, and a shoe salesman she is having an affair with, played by gorgeous Billy Wirth...not that Duchovny isn't bad himself! She can't decide between the 2 men...so she committs suicide! After her death, Duchovny finds her diary, along with a pair of sexy red shoes she purchased from Wirth, and tries to put the pieces together. This is bascially the jist of the film. It is shown in flashbacks as Duchovny sorts painfully through her belongings. He reads her diary hoping it will provide some insight as to why she took her life. What he learns about the woman he loves is devastating! I have watched this film many times. I enjoy it very much. I like director Zalman King's films. (Another good one is Two Moon Junction) I think he is able to make sensual films from a womans point of view, which is why they come across as erotic, not smutty. The only thing I don't like is, the version originally aired on Showtime and the rental version have different endings. I prefer the cable version. You end up liking Wirth much better. I don't know why King found it necessary to have 2 endings, the difference drastically alters the tone of the film. If possible, try and get your hands on the cable version first. You can purchase both versions, so know which is which. I must admit that I don't care for the Showtime series, Red Shoe Diaries, for which this movie was the pilot. Bridget Bako is absolutely lovely in the scene were she manically dances about her apartment. She reminds me of a young Jane Fonda. Billy Wirth's smouldering character posesses the uncanny ability to guess his customers shoe sizes the moment they walk into the store. But his character is not as shallow as he appears. Wirth is SO incredible in this film! Then again, let's face it, most woman would be content to watch Wirth read the phone book aloud! This was the first time I ever saw Duchovny, and I immediatly liked him. He has a nice screen presence. He is subtly sexy. I am glad I got to know him in this film before I became familiar with the stone-faced Muldar on X-Files. He CAN do more than play the straight man. I really can't say too much more about Red Shoe Diaries without giving up too much of the story. All I can say is, if I had the dilemma of choosing between Wirth and Duchovny, I certainly wouldn't kill myself! I'd be on the phone boasting to all my girlfriends!

DEAR MEN: This is porn for women!
A sexy guy who talks a woman into a pair of outrageous red shoes and into his bed for some seamy steamy forbidden sex....a nice guy lover who thinks everything is perfect until he comes home and finds her in the bathtub with her wrists slit.... THis is a tragic love story with complicated emotions and no true resolution. Every woman I know loves this movie- it speaks to us. The eroticism is classy and tasteful- even the obligatory bimbos are treated with class as are all of the women in Zalman King's work.

The Red SHoe Diaries worked as a series on Showtime because they discovered that like Fred Savage's mom- women tend to be the viewers of soft porn on cable late at night. We ogle mens bodies, enjoy the sizzle but want a story! Red Shoes the Movie, and the episodes deliver up a healthy serving of fantasy and escapism that is comepletely safe.

A recommendation- guys if you want to give your lady some steamy stuff to read to get ideas and fantasy scenarios from- the Harlequin Blaze line of romances read not too unlike the letters to Penthouse! Fantasy and building a scenario, setting a mood, prolonged foreplay- this is what Zalman King is all about in visual form. Use the books for times when you can't watch a movie ( ie kids are still up!)- try anything by Vicki Lewis Thompson- Notorious has a wild sex scene in a hot tub and in a Vegas hotel that any man would love to have read out loud.

Romantic Tragedy
Duchovny is great in this Red Shoe debut movie. If you ever caught one the series on Showtime, but often wondered how did Red Shoe Dairies ever start, this explains it all. It keeps one guessing throughout the emotional rollercoaster of love. Too bad David didn't make more of these types of films. He is much better as one of the stars (such as in this title) rather than just the narrator, as the series goes. It's nice to see him sensually interactive on film, pure enjoyment, especially if you're one of his fans.

The saddest, most beautiful film ever made.
... it's just an amazingly touching film, about a successful, romantic, loyal man (Duchovny), his neurotic girlfriend (Bako), and the "hottie" she meets by accident (Wirth). What happens next is up to you to watch it.... it's a beautiful and sad film.... ...please check out this film. You will not regret it. It has basically nothing to do with the Showtime cable softcore porn series that followed... this is a beautiful, intelligent, engaging film with a gorgeous score (thanks to George S. Clinton)... Duchovny rules in this film.... it always makes me cry... always. Intense, passionate, and yes, there is sex in the film (don't shy away from it because of that).... just watch, enjoy.... and prepare to have your life and perspective of love and lust forever changed. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Wild Orchid - both versions
WILD ORCHID was released in 1990 surrounded by controversy that the sex scenes between Carre Otis and Mickey Rourke were not faked. They were a couple at the time, and it is possible that there is some truth to the rumor, but in the end does it matter?

It's a typical Zalman King affair -- rather thin plot revolving around some business intrigue and mostly a sexual awakening of a girl from the country traveling to Rio. The setting provides incredible material for the brilliant cinematography, and the music is sexy and moody. A very fun role for Jacqueline Bisset, but unfortunately too little for anyone else to do other than pose and preen ... and ... well... do love scenes. Zalman King movies are soft and sensuous, and revolve around mood and sex scenes. Don't expect anything more than well-photgraphed love scenes, and you will be fine.

To all you DVD geeks out there (like me) -- edge enhancemnet is at an all-time high here. Colors are good, and its nice to see this movie in widescreen format. You get both the R-rated version and the unrated versions, but this is done on sides of the disc and not by branching. You get a 2 channel stereo mix that is not very good, but probably the original soundtrack without any remastering (pity because this one needs the extra ooomph in the sound department). Grain and print flaws are obvious, the film shows its age in the transfer. But at the low retail price fans of the movie will like it, but certainly not a demo disc by any means.

Mickey Rourke and Carre Otis HEAT up the screen
Ok, I'll just state first that the film isn't the best your ever going to see, and there might be some scenes in the movie that are ok, but once you get past that and be a bit forgiving- you are going to LOVE this steamy, excitable film. First off the scenery and the music are just beautiful and captavating. From the moment I saw Mickey Rourke and Carre Otis I was hooked. Both are uniquely interesting. Mickey Rourke is HOT, and Carre Otis is sensational and beautiful as attorney emily reed. When these two come together, for the duration of the story I desperatly wanted these two to get together and boy I was not disappointed. The atmosphere and scenery are steamy and sensual, and the main love theme is excellent I LOVE IT. And if you want to see these two in action your head is going to blow off. I have not seen a sex scene shot so superbly, sexy and beautiful in my life, with a soundtrack to complement it beautifully. And for the die hard fans who buy this YOU GET BOTH VERSIONS OF THE UN-RATED AND THE R-RATED VERSIONS OF THE FILM. The R-rated is just as mesmerising as the un-rated one, it is maybe more passionate, more kissing and holding each other which I LOVE and can't get over. I'm SO in Love with this movie and scenes from this film are mesmerising. Mickey and Carre are excellent. I'v read reviews where Carre Otis is put down, but in my opinion I don't believe a word of it. Carre Otis is the BEST. A very talented actress, a beautiful women and model. I loved Carre as Emily Reed, no one else could of played Emily as well as Carre. She has a special quality to her that leaves you wanting more, to watch more of her. Good work from Zalman King.- And who could forget the end scene when Wheeler finally gives in and surrenders to Emily. That moment from when she goes to leave and he embraces her which leads to the love scene, anyone that see's that scene will instantly love this film.

wild as it may seem
this is the definitive zalman king classic which follows on the heels of o'rourke's last erotc drama 9 1/2 weeks. no, this is not a sequel & the two films have little in common. while orchid may be flawed, it is certainly an entertaining & beautiful film which i'm sure you could watch over & over. carre otis plays the newcomer here & she has the expressions down pat even though some of her lines are delivered quite like we'd hope. jacqueline bisset is beautiful & fun to watch even though most of the screen time is focused on o'rourke & otis, whom eventually married & divorced in real life. carre otis plays emily reed, who has just accepted a position as a legal assistant under bisset & the two are off to rio de janiero. yes, that's right! brazil!! it's everything you'd ever hoped it would be so mr. king did a wonderful job with the sights & sounds. brazil was truly a daydream come true. as i'm getting off the subject a bit here, bisset throws emily off of o'rourke by making her wear the dress he initially had given to her many years back. as you can guess, o'rourke does find ms. reed completely charming & attractive but somehow cannot bring himself to show his true emotions. in the beginning of the film, he is also unable to touch her as he is emotionally withdrawn from the world. will she ever be able to break through this exterior to find real wheeler inside(o'rourke) or will she not? like 9 1/2 or red shoe diaries which are both projects zalman has worked on, wild orchid is very erotic & almost what you might consider borderline softcore pornography although far more complex & even a bit artsy. if you love passionate love stories with a twist, then wild orchid is a must see. i have no favorite scenes to mention here as i love the film in it's entirety. at such an affordable price, you too should own wild orchid if you don't already. much love.

Compelling story!
I absolutely love this movie! MICKEY ROURKE does a GREAT job and I liked Carre Otis too - they DEFINITELY have chemistry! - it's NOT your ordinary love story but it pulls you in and keeps you there. Add in great music (I bought the CD too), and beautiful scenery - well, I'll be watching this movie a lot!

an art movie, if you look closely enough
Wild Orchid gave me a headache when I first saw it over a decade ago - what was all of this psychological drama? It quickly occured to me that I was watching an art film. There are scenes of sexuality that are mistaken by many as "soft core porn". I disagree -- every scene advances the story for the characters, and it is tastefully done in every instance. There is also a misconception that Mickey Rourke plays a "macho multimillionaire" -- no, he plays a sexually impotent multimillionaire that finds the will to love. This is a beautiful story, with strong characters set in an amazing city... a work of art, if you ask me. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Wild Orchid - both versions
WILD ORCHID was released in 1990 surrounded by controversy that the sex scenes between Carre Otis and Mickey Rourke were not faked. They were a couple at the time, and it is possible that there is some truth to the rumor, but in the end does it matter?

It's a typical Zalman King affair -- rather thin plot revolving around some business intrigue and mostly a sexual awakening of a girl from the country traveling to Rio. The setting provides incredible material for the brilliant cinematography, and the music is sexy and moody. A very fun role for Jacqueline Bisset, but unfortunately too little for anyone else to do other than pose and preen ... and ... well... do love scenes. Zalman King movies are soft and sensuous, and revolve around mood and sex scenes. Don't expect anything more than well-photgraphed love scenes, and you will be fine.

To all you DVD geeks out there (like me) -- edge enhancemnet is at an all-time high here. Colors are good, and its nice to see this movie in widescreen format. You get both the R-rated version and the unrated versions, but this is done on sides of the disc and not by branching. You get a 2 channel stereo mix that is not very good, but probably the original soundtrack without any remastering (pity because this one needs the extra ooomph in the sound department). Grain and print flaws are obvious, the film shows its age in the transfer. But at the low retail price fans of the movie will like it, but certainly not a demo disc by any means.

Mickey Rourke and Carre Otis HEAT up the screen
Ok, I'll just state first that the film isn't the best your ever going to see, and there might be some scenes in the movie that are ok, but once you get past that and be a bit forgiving- you are going to LOVE this steamy, excitable film. First off the scenery and the music are just beautiful and captavating. From the moment I saw Mickey Rourke and Carre Otis I was hooked. Both are uniquely interesting. Mickey Rourke is HOT, and Carre Otis is sensational and beautiful as attorney emily reed. When these two come together, for the duration of the story I desperatly wanted these two to get together and boy I was not disappointed. The atmosphere and scenery are steamy and sensual, and the main love theme is excellent I LOVE IT. And if you want to see these two in action your head is going to blow off. I have not seen a sex scene shot so superbly, sexy and beautiful in my life, with a soundtrack to complement it beautifully. And for the die hard fans who buy this YOU GET BOTH VERSIONS OF THE UN-RATED AND THE R-RATED VERSIONS OF THE FILM. The R-rated is just as mesmerising as the un-rated one, it is maybe more passionate, more kissing and holding each other which I LOVE and can't get over. I'm SO in Love with this movie and scenes from this film are mesmerising. Mickey and Carre are excellent. I'v read reviews where Carre Otis is put down, but in my opinion I don't believe a word of it. Carre Otis is the BEST. A very talented actress, a beautiful women and model. I loved Carre as Emily Reed, no one else could of played Emily as well as Carre. She has a special quality to her that leaves you wanting more, to watch more of her. Good work from Zalman King.- And who could forget the end scene when Wheeler finally gives in and surrenders to Emily. That moment from when she goes to leave and he embraces her which leads to the love scene, anyone that see's that scene will instantly love this film.

wild as it may seem
this is the definitive zalman king classic which follows on the heels of o'rourke's last erotc drama 9 1/2 weeks. no, this is not a sequel & the two films have little in common. while orchid may be flawed, it is certainly an entertaining & beautiful film which i'm sure you could watch over & over. carre otis plays the newcomer here & she has the expressions down pat even though some of her lines are delivered quite like we'd hope. jacqueline bisset is beautiful & fun to watch even though most of the screen time is focused on o'rourke & otis, whom eventually married & divorced in real life. carre otis plays emily reed, who has just accepted a position as a legal assistant under bisset & the two are off to rio de janiero. yes, that's right! brazil!! it's everything you'd ever hoped it would be so mr. king did a wonderful job with the sights & sounds. brazil was truly a daydream come true. as i'm getting off the subject a bit here, bisset throws emily off of o'rourke by making her wear the dress he initially had given to her many years back. as you can guess, o'rourke does find ms. reed completely charming & attractive but somehow cannot bring himself to show his true emotions. in the beginning of the film, he is also unable to touch her as he is emotionally withdrawn from the world. will she ever be able to break through this exterior to find real wheeler inside(o'rourke) or will she not? like 9 1/2 or red shoe diaries which are both projects zalman has worked on, wild orchid is very erotic & almost what you might consider borderline softcore pornography although far more complex & even a bit artsy. if you love passionate love stories with a twist, then wild orchid is a must see. i have no favorite scenes to mention here as i love the film in it's entirety. at such an affordable price, you too should own wild orchid if you don't already. much love.

Compelling story!
I absolutely love this movie! MICKEY ROURKE does a GREAT job and I liked Carre Otis too - they DEFINITELY have chemistry! - it's NOT your ordinary love story but it pulls you in and keeps you there. Add in great music (I bought the CD too), and beautiful scenery - well, I'll be watching this movie a lot!

an art movie, if you look closely enough
Wild Orchid gave me a headache when I first saw it over a decade ago - what was all of this psychological drama? It quickly occured to me that I was watching an art film. There are scenes of sexuality that are mistaken by many as "soft core porn". I disagree -- every scene advances the story for the characters, and it is tastefully done in every instance. There is also a misconception that Mickey Rourke plays a "macho multimillionaire" -- no, he plays a sexually impotent multimillionaire that finds the will to love. This is a beautiful story, with strong characters set in an amazing city... a work of art, if you ask me. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A woman's movie for sure--how erotic!
This movie is on my list of "chick" movies or those movies that would appeal to our female need for sexiness, erotic content, and, sometimes, a competent storyline. Other movies on my list would be "Two Moon Junction", "Against All Odds" and "Thief of Hearts". I don't know why David Duchovny seems to shy away from mentioning his participation in this movie and the Showtime cable series that came after. He was so palpably sexy in this movie, and in the "Jake's Story" episode of "Red Shoes" the series. Billy Wirth is also mighty fine to look at as well. How can a girl choose between these two fine specimens? Sigh...

David Duchovny or Billy Wirth...what a choice!
A young woman(Bridget Bako) is torn between her fiancee, played by a pre-X Files Duchovny, and a shoe salesman she is having an affair with, played by gorgeous Billy Wirth...not that Duchovny isn't bad himself! She can't decide between the 2 men...so she committs suicide! After her death, Duchovny finds her diary, along with a pair of sexy red shoes she purchased from Wirth, and tries to put the pieces together. This is bascially the jist of the film. It is shown in flashbacks as Duchovny sorts painfully through her belongings. He reads her diary hoping it will provide some insight as to why she took her life. What he learns about the woman he loves is devastating! I have watched this film many times. I enjoy it very much. I like director Zalman King's films. (Another good one is Two Moon Junction) I think he is able to make sensual films from a womans point of view, which is why they come across as erotic, not smutty. The only thing I don't like is, the version originally aired on Showtime and the rental version have different endings. I prefer the cable version. You end up liking Wirth much better. I don't know why King found it necessary to have 2 endings, the difference drastically alters the tone of the film. If possible, try and get your hands on the cable version first. You can purchase both versions, so know which is which. I must admit that I don't care for the Showtime series, Red Shoe Diaries, for which this movie was the pilot. Bridget Bako is absolutely lovely in the scene were she manically dances about her apartment. She reminds me of a young Jane Fonda. Billy Wirth's smouldering character posesses the uncanny ability to guess his customers shoe sizes the moment they walk into the store. But his character is not as shallow as he appears. Wirth is SO incredible in this film! Then again, let's face it, most woman would be content to watch Wirth read the phone book aloud! This was the first time I ever saw Duchovny, and I immediatly liked him. He has a nice screen presence. He is subtly sexy. I am glad I got to know him in this film before I became familiar with the stone-faced Muldar on X-Files. He CAN do more than play the straight man. I really can't say too much more about Red Shoe Diaries without giving up too much of the story. All I can say is, if I had the dilemma of choosing between Wirth and Duchovny, I certainly wouldn't kill myself! I'd be on the phone boasting to all my girlfriends!

DEAR MEN: This is porn for women!
A sexy guy who talks a woman into a pair of outrageous red shoes and into his bed for some seamy steamy forbidden sex....a nice guy lover who thinks everything is perfect until he comes home and finds her in the bathtub with her wrists slit.... THis is a tragic love story with complicated emotions and no true resolution. Every woman I know loves this movie- it speaks to us. The eroticism is classy and tasteful- even the obligatory bimbos are treated with class as are all of the women in Zalman King's work.

The Red SHoe Diaries worked as a series on Showtime because they discovered that like Fred Savage's mom- women tend to be the viewers of soft porn on cable late at night. We ogle mens bodies, enjoy the sizzle but want a story! Red Shoes the Movie, and the episodes deliver up a healthy serving of fantasy and escapism that is comepletely safe.

A recommendation- guys if you want to give your lady some steamy stuff to read to get ideas and fantasy scenarios from- the Harlequin Blaze line of romances read not too unlike the letters to Penthouse! Fantasy and building a scenario, setting a mood, prolonged foreplay- this is what Zalman King is all about in visual form. Use the books for times when you can't watch a movie ( ie kids are still up!)- try anything by Vicki Lewis Thompson- Notorious has a wild sex scene in a hot tub and in a Vegas hotel that any man would love to have read out loud.

Romantic Tragedy
Duchovny is great in this Red Shoe debut movie. If you ever caught one the series on Showtime, but often wondered how did Red Shoe Dairies ever start, this explains it all. It keeps one guessing throughout the emotional rollercoaster of love. Too bad David didn't make more of these types of films. He is much better as one of the stars (such as in this title) rather than just the narrator, as the series goes. It's nice to see him sensually interactive on film, pure enjoyment, especially if you're one of his fans.

The saddest, most beautiful film ever made.
... it's just an amazingly touching film, about a successful, romantic, loyal man (Duchovny), his neurotic girlfriend (Bako), and the "hottie" she meets by accident (Wirth). What happens next is up to you to watch it.... it's a beautiful and sad film.... ...please check out this film. You will not regret it. It has basically nothing to do with the Showtime cable softcore porn series that followed... this is a beautiful, intelligent, engaging film with a gorgeous score (thanks to George S. Clinton)... Duchovny rules in this film.... it always makes me cry... always. Intense, passionate, and yes, there is sex in the film (don't shy away from it because of that).... just watch, enjoy.... and prepare to have your life and perspective of love and lust forever changed. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Not for the faint of heart
This movie, as with all of Zalman King's, has its weaknesses, but of them all, this is the best. I never fail to find it empowering, beautiful, envigorating, and, of course, scintillating to watch. Very few of this type of movie reach an emotional level as well as a physical level, and as such, very few are truly aimed at the thinking and feeling woman. Even Red Shoes and the Wild Orchid series (don't forget Shades of Blue) miss at times and sink to the common standard of male oriented meaningless sex. This movie, based on a novel that is about nothing but the meaning of sexual exploration and emotional risk, rises far above the norm to be a cornerstone in any woman's video library. Anais Nin would have been pleased.

A flowing, beautiful, and delightfully erotic film.
Those who are familiar with Zalman King know that he is one of the few directors who is able to create erotically stimulating films without sacrificing production quality, cinemtography and acting. Delta of Venus is, in my opinion, his greatest accomplishment as the film flows with poetic motion, draws sumptuous romanticism from its setting in pre-World War II Paris, offers a lovely musical soundtrack, and excites the viewer with beautiful actors who interact with splendid chemistry.

If you are looking for a simple sex film or a picture exploding with action, this is not the film for you. It moves at a purposefully slow pace, like generous foreplay, leading the audience through a series of visual and auditory climaxes. It will appeal mostly to women, but also to men who delight in the slow, attentive pleasuring of a woman.

Although the R-rated version of the movie is well worth seeing, it does not compare to the unrated copy, which bursts with scenes that will propel any couple into a torrid evening of lovemaking.

Visual poetry
"Delta of Venus" is beautifully filmed. The production values are exquisite. The acting is excellent. The character development is strong. And, yes, it is truly erotic. Beautifully and sensually erotic. The voice-over is softly and touchingly done, and the narration itself uses very poetic language. The editing is first rate. This is not just a good erotic movie. It's a good movie period. I warn you, though. You must be in the right frame of mind to appreciate it. You have to be mentally and emotionally prepared to immerse yourself in this beautiful delirium. I'm a harsh critic of so-called erotic films (check out my review of "The Image"). So believe me when I say, this one is a real winner!

Splendid
I too am a huge fan of Zalman King's, and this is by far the most beautiful film he has ever done. I am now spolied beyond repair.

Beautiful, supremely erotic, evocative, and so real... I can't say enough about this film. The historical references to the war are well researched and depicted, the people are gorgeous. It's an intelligent and very well directed film. I am stunned that I waited until this came out on DVD to see it.

about the movie delta of venus.....
What I can remember a little about this movie is that the movie in the end is something about the escape after the war broke out and what I know is that, this movie at NC17 did not contain explicit, very violent or sex sceneS. What I can say is that it contains two sex scenes inside, one is a few minutes after starting the movie and the other is at the part of the movie where it is at the staircase of the house(something like a house, don't know how people name it). ... Read more