Venantino Venantini Movies

When wealthy and divorced tech company president Lucas becomes hopelessly smitten by the beautiful artist he has hired to paint a fresco for his enormous office building, he hires a private detective to discover why such a lovely and talented woman is still single. While Roland is a seasoned private investigator who only uses the latest technology in observing his subjects, he must be especially cautious in this case since getting discovered wouldn't bode well for his powerful client. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Actor-director Pino Quartullo shot this Italian comedy amid the natural splendors of the Abruzzo National Park. The screenplay, with some situations reminiscent of Bette Midler in Ruthless People (1986), is by Quartullo and Claudio Masenza, based on their play. Stefania Sandrelli repeats her role from the stage production. Former actress Federica Birki (Sandrelli), now reduced to hosting a trash TV gameshow sponsored by a furrier, generates gimmicks for the paparazzi in an effort to get back in the limelight. She's kidnapped by park ranger Marco (Quartullo) and his brother Ruggiero (Ricky Memphis), animal lovers who demand the sponsor close down his fur farm and free the animals. However, Federica's past history of staging stories for press coverage works against her this time, and the abductors' threats are ignored. As the brothers try to heighten her consciousness regarding animals, she begins devising new headline grabbers -- until the corrupt sponsor (Rocco Barbaro) steps in with a different spin. The film includes clips from Sandrelli's Seduced and Abandoned (1963). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Axel Corti directed this historical drama starring Timothy Dalton as King Vittorio Amadeo, a 17th-century Italian monarch who becomes obsessed with the wife of one of his courtiers (Valeria Golino). ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

In medieval France, knight Rutger Hauer and lady fair Michelle Pfeiffer both run afoul of evil-bishop John Wood. Through the auspices of bishop's confessor Leo McKern, Hauer and Pfeiffer are placed under a curse. During the night, Hauer takes the form of a wolf, while Pfeiffer assumes the form of a hawk by day. The two lovers can only meet one another as humans at dawn and dusk. The only mortal in a position to rescue Hauer and Pfeiffer from their fate is nebbishy pickpocket Matthew Broderick, who acts as liaison between the lovers. With the help of the guilt-ridden McKern--and a convenient solar eclipse--Broderick endeavors to set things aright. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Cycle-flick habitue Greydon Clark warmed the director's chair for Final Justice. Joe Don Baker stars as a Texas sheriff attempting to stem corruption in his own community. Failing this, the sheriff (Baker) is compelled to follow the mob perpetrators all the way to Italy. It is hardly uplifting entertainment, but it certainly delivers the goods in terms of bloody action. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Although ostensibly set in the future after a nuclear holocaust has destroyed the ozone layer, and much of everything else, this feeble sci-fi road film has gangs on motorbikes or driving 1,000-year-old cars from the 1970s in perfect running order, at war for water, a rare commodity. On the one hand, there is Alien (Robert Jannucci) and his female friend Trash (Alicia Moro), and the bionic child Tommy (Luca Ventantini) who are pitted against the evil bikers headed by Crazy Bull (apparently not meant to be a reference to the film). The brave trio join up with Papillon for awhile, an ex-astronaut with expertise in fixing old cars and broken bionic parts. Once set in good working order, the trio now has to take on Crazy Bull and the bad guys, one of which is actually a really nasty female. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In this run-of-the-mill, derivative film about vulgar road warriors in the year 2019 -- after a nuclear holocaust -- the two macho heroes (Giancarlo Prete and Fred Williamson) have to single-handedly save a band of religious nomads plagued by the evil Templars. Between scenes and characters lifted from several preceding successes, flat acting, and a general lack of originality, I Nuovi Barbari has nothing new about it. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Sirpa Lane, star of the notorious art-house porno The Beast, returns to star in this unofficial sci-fi sequel produced five years after the original and featuring the triumphant return of the lusty, well-endowed man-beast. The story gets under way as Captain Larry (Vassili Karis) stops off at a local watering hole for a cool glass of Uranus Milk. After striking up a conversation with stunning blonde Sondra (Lane), Captain Larry is confronted by an angry merchant named Juan who had been attempting to work his charm on the girl. A barroom brawl ensues, and after Captain Larry defeats Juan he swipes a vial from him and takes Sondra home. The next day, Captain Larry receives word that the vial contained a highly valuable space mineral. The Star Fleet wants Captain Larry to travel to the planet where the mineral was found and bring back more, and they've assembled a skilled crew to accompany him on the mission. Sondra is a member of Captain Larry's crew, but she's distracted from her mission by recurring dreams where she's wandering through the woods and ravaged by a hirsute stranger. Upon arriving on the planet, Captain Larry discovers that it is ruled by an enormous robot that possesses the only known traces of the prized space mineral. Now, in order to accomplish his mission, Captain Larry and his crew will be forced to do battle with a powerful race of aliens that will fight to the death to protect their precious natural resource. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The alluring Laura Gemser reprises the role of legendary erotic adventuress Emanuelle in this scintillating softcore drama from director Joe D'Amato. Globetrotting journalist Emanuelle has discovered evidence of an international prostitution ring, a clandestine organization that sells beautiful young girls to the highest bidder. Now, as Emanuelle navigates her way through Africa, ventures straight into the black heart of New York City, and drifts through the plush bordellos of Southern California to research her story, her unbridled lust takes over. From Sapphic passions to group sex and even an encounter with a transvestite kung-fu master, this proves to be Emanuelle's most debauched adventure to date. The final collaboration between notorious Italian director D'Amato and smoldering sex symbol Gemser, Emanuelle and the White Slave Trade also features Ely Galleani, Gabriele Tinti, and Venantino Venantini. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The first of many sequels to the original, X-rated, soft-core pornographic drama Emmanuelle (1974), this follow-up once again stars Sylvia Kristel in the title role of the beautiful, sexually adventurous model. Emmanuelle sails home from Thailand to Hong Kong and her ambassador husband Jean (Umberto Orsini), with whom she has an open marriage. She finds that Jean has invited a handsome American named Christopher (Frederic Lagache) to stay with them, and she tries to seduce the houseguest, who demurs, preferring the company of Asian women. Jean, meanwhile, has been having an affair with Laura (Florence Lafuma). Both Laura and Christopher find the sexual liberation of Jean and Emmanuelle's marriage surprising, but eventually, Emannuelle and Christopher consummate their desire. Later, during a trip to Bali, Jean and his amorous wife sexually initiate Laura's stepdaughter Anna-Maria (Catherine Rivet). Like most of the subsequent films in the Emmanuelle series, Emmanuelle L'Antivierge is highly episodic in form and remarkably well-photographed. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

This French farce depicts Hitler as the sort of man who issues challenges to opposing countries: win a soccer game against us, or be invaded. All goes invasion-ward until the French send three screwy guys to kidnap the tyrant. At this point, things become incredibly bizarre, as the kidnapper's schemes land them on the German team. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi