Venus Flytrap (1987)

Directed by:

T. Michael

Lots of nudity and sex are the main selling points of this videotaped obscurity, which goes out of its way to try to copy the Italian sleazefest THE HOUSE ON THE EDGE OF THE PARK. Three very annoying, overacting punks (two male, one female) rob a music store, beat up the clerk and stick a record in his mouth before following two shop-lifting yuppies back to a snooty party. They threaten to kill everyone, play "strip darts" and Russian Roulette, beat a guy up and try to rape the best looking girl. Little do they know, but the people they are harassing are actually (gulp!) psychotic necrophiliacs. The punks get exactly what they deserve when their unwitting hosts seduce and then kill them all off. Too bad it takes so long to get to that point. A nerdy voyeur videotapes everything, and the victims are all attacked while having sex. Admittedly, it's a good exploitation premise even when it's being recycled, and this film has plenty of flesh on display (male and female) but it's so obnoxious, smug and badly acted, it's not all that enjoyable to sit through. The sets (sparse decor, bare walls, potted plants, etc.), overly bright lighting and videotaped quality all bring to mind the feel of a porn production from the period, so I wouldn't be one bit surprised if director "T. Michael" normally works in that field.

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The cast includes Kimberley Kates (going by the name "Kimberley LaBelle" here), Steve Malis (who also produced the film), Kevin Glover (from LOVE BITES; also a producer) and Deirdre West (HELL SPA). It was released to VHS by the obscure label Legacy Home Video, who also released the awful and equally obscure shot-on-video anthology PIECES OF DARKNESS (1988).

★