Ted & Venus

Bud Cort does it all in this movie: co-wrote, directed, and starred as Ted Whitley, a walked wounded poor slob in love. It's the best portrayal of an "impaired" individual since I saw Thornton in SLINGBLADE. It's well worth a view! I rated it an 8.

TD says that it was "painful" to watch `Ted and Venus'. That's just what Bud Cort meant to do with this film, as I see it. I own the film and have viewed it many times, and what I like about it is that Bud was very brave to bring what is basically a sad and creepy story, based on a true sad and creepy story of a poet who became manically obsessed with a social worker. It's not a pretty story about `perfect' people; it's not supposed to be. Each character in this film has flaws, though not as serious as Ted Whitley's. That, to me, is more real than a lot of films that I have seen come out of Hollywood recently-be they independent, or mainstream-made. I hope that he gets the chance to direct again.

I liked that Bud took the true story this film was based on and went one step further, and instead of the `happy' ending of the girl moving away and changing her name, and the poet's getting some much needed therapy and moving on with his life, you get a possible, if not probable, extreme ending: something that could happen if such a man as Ted crossed the line with such an obsession as his. It's basically a tale of sexual harassment, and what can happen to someone who refuses to take someone's `no' for an answer.

What I also like about it, as well, is that it's one of the few films that I have seen, which, even for it's subject matter, shows that there can be humor in such a situation. The `courtship' scenes with Kim Adams are quite funny, as are Bud's scenes with James Brolin, Carol Kane and Martin Mull, all giving fine performances.

Bud once had a friend that went through a similar experience, and after much coaxing to see it, told him, upon finally seeing the film, that there were moments she recalled which were very surreal, even comic at times! She told him that the film was a very cathartic experience for her. As in real life, there are moments that happen to us all which are comic, even though we may more often see them that way in hindsight, rather than while we are actually experiencing it.

Even though there are comic moments, the mistake that most people make about "Ted and Venus" is that just because it's a Bud Cort film, it's not supposed have any drama in it.

I say, `Bravo, Bud'!!

I recently watched Ted & Venus (1991) on Tubi. The story follows Ted, an aspiring poet, who is searching for a new place to live. During this process, he dreams of meeting a beautiful woman who will fall in love with him, leading to a happily ever after. When he encounters the woman of his dreams at an apartment leasing office, he believes it's destiny. However, she might not feel the same way...

This film is directed by and stars Bud Cort (Harold and Maude), and features a strong supporting cast, including James Brolin (Traffic), Carol Kane (Scrooged), Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers) and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) and Rhea Perlman (Cheers).

This movie had the potential to be much better than it turned out. The cast is absolutely stellar, which makes you wonder how a low-budget film managed to assemble such a high-caliber lineup. Unfortunately, the storyline is awkward and often uncomfortable, especially given the main character's relentless persistence. While the film attempts to blend comedy into this unsettling premise, the result is more frustrating than entertaining. There are some humorous moments, particularly in the poems, and a memorable chainsaw sequence, but these highlights are few and far between. I did appreciate how the film ultimately ended, but the journey to get there was disappointing, leaving me wishing it had been more like The King of Comedy.

In conclusion, Ted & Venus has the ingredients to be a solid film but fails to put them together effectively. I would score this a 4/10 and recommend skipping it.

Bud Cort's earlier movies often addressed serious issues (car theft, suicidal ideation, murder, etc.) in humorous ways. I was hoping to find similar dark comedy in this one, but frankly it's harder to find; mostly it just seems dark and stupid. Ted's obsession is entirely unreciprocated, his target wholly undeserving of his harassment, and no one in the end learns any lessons or receives (or deserves) any redemption. His lawyer's bafflement in the courtroom and a few other scenes are mildly amusing, but do little to liven the overwhelmingly unjustified threat Ted poses.

I enjoyed the first 15 minutes of this movie. After that all I could do was cringe at this movie and each and every character in it. Stay away. I don't understand why anyone would make a movie like this. I can only imagine that half of the audience walked out.