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Released by: Scorpion Releasing
Released on: 7/9/2013
Director: Phedon Papamichael
Cast: Brent Fraser, Fiona Hughes, Glen Shaddix, Moon Zappa, Tina Cote, Seymour Cassell
Year: 1994
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The Movie:
Seven years ago artist Julian Jons murdered his girlfriend while she was modeling for his painting. The death of Anna sparked a series of post-murder paintings from the newly inspired Jons (Brent Fraser), as part of an exhibition being put on by gallery owner Bennini (Glen Shaddix). Bennini is apparently agent of sorts to Jons, as he advises him to remain in the shadows for now and not expose himself to media attention. Enter L.A. art critic Jennifer Cole (Fiona Hughes), who becomes very interested in Jons and his work, as well as the murder he committed all those years ago.
Her interest becomes an obsession and she finally corners him for an interview, one that eventually goes into the land of debauchery, and her life becomes entwined with his. Things get a bit complicated when rich-ass Samuel Rourke (Seymour Cassell) gets Jons to paint his “niece†Kristi (Tina Cote). The problem is Kristi looks just like Anna, and this of course causes serious turmoil in the brooding artist. Jennifer suspects more is at hand here than a simple commissioned piece of artwork, and with the reluctant help of a wanna-be artist she gets to the bottom of things.
This mid-90s entry into the direct-to-video genre of erotic thrillers lacks a couple of things, specifically the erotic parts and the thriller parts. Nothing much happens until the very end by way of “thrillsâ€, and even then, not too thrilling. As far as erotica goes, it's incredibly tame, even by 90s standards. Perhaps for a 60-something lady looking for a little late-night man-butt, this might fit the bill, but for someone looking to bust a nut to some Skinamax, this falls way short. Although there are some great boobs to been ogled…
It seems quite obvious this movie was going for something more than just titillation, as it is a very professional looking film. Nice photography, great mood settings, and done in an interesting visual style. The acting is decent enough, nothing outstanding, but Fraser does a great job as the dark and depressed Jons. He's probably the most noteworthy here, even with the bigger names in the picture. Moon Zappa plays Jennifer's roommate and doesn't add much other than some comic relief of sorts, but she certainly isn't annoying. And no, she doesn't disrobe.
While not a waste of time, it's tough to give Dark Side of Genius a recommendation. It's in no way memorable, but then again it isn't awful enough to turn off. It's just an effective time killer that requires very little brain activity on the viewer's part.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The disc shows the film in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen aspect ratio. Film grain is present, as well as some minimal scratching and dirt. Things are a bit on the dark side, and detail is at times lost in the shadows. The movie is of course lit to look dark and mysterious, but sometimes it;s too dark. At any rate, the video presentation is nothing outstanding, but certainly more than watchable. Audio is a 2-channel Dolby track that sounds decent, and is clear with a proper balance between music and dialogue.
This title is under the Katarina's Nightmare Theater banner, and features Katarina Leigh Waters providing an optional intro and outro for the movie, sharing some tidbits about the movie and performers. Other extras include Fiona Hughes in a 15-minute interview with Katarina, going over the stuff you would expect. An hour-long interview with Brent Fraser, not conducted by anyone visible, entails his experiences with the movie as well as his career. Finally some trailers for other Scorpion releases can be viewed: Lurkers, Horror on Snape Island, Irresistible Impulse, Improper Conduct, and Tomboy.
The Final Word:
Go into this one expecting anything more than something to zone out to and you may be disappointed.
