The Venus Factory

THE VENUS FACTORY was a very troubled production and the ending of the film was botched. So the producers and the director went their separate ways. It was then partially re-shot as STARRING DUNCAN WILEY which was so misguided as to have a making of doco get a higher profile than the film itself. Enter a twist nobody expected: it was all re edited by a master TV editor Paul Healy and turned into a flat out farce. It worked and was re named MONEYSHOT. Released in Feb 2003 it ran 6 weeks in its first run and now has the amusing reputation as the film saved by the scissors. MONEYSHOT is a very funny 71 minutes that works; THE VENUS FACTORY does not. To see all 3 versions of the film together and the doco MAKING VENUS is a treat every film student can look forward to and marvel at the whole astonishing process, creative or salvage. The production values are good and the lead actors have nothing but smiles for it all now.

If you want to see a movie that isn't glossed over like BOOGIE NIGHTS, then this is the one. Set in the Aussie porn industry, there are no holes barred; excuse the pun! The mis-match of color and character contrasts the dark subject into a friendly movie, that had me thinking hours after viewing. I am very eager to see the next movie to be directed by Glenn Fraser. If Venus Factory is anything to go by, I am in for a treat.