Ted is a 1970s Venice Beach poet who spends his days drifting along the boardwalk, reciting his poetry to anyone who will listen. His life changes when a bikini-clad beauty named Linda strolls by him. Instantly, Ted believes he's found his "Venus" and becomes obsessed with Linda. He tries to woo her with poetry, obscene phone calls and romantic overtures, all to disastrous effect.
Bud Cort James Brolin Kim Adams Carol Kane Pamella D'Pella Brian Thompson Rhea Perlman Woody Harrelson Martin Mull Roberta Wallach Timothy Leary Tricia O'Neil Tony Genaro Vincent Schiavelli Andrea Martin Cassandra Peterson Tracy Reiner Arleen Sorkin Pat McCormick Gena Rowlands Lady Rowlands Lily Mariye Bettye Ackerman Thomas Conroy Shelly Werk Victor Talmadge John Blyth Barrymore Rob Moran Clint Allen Show All…
USA
USA
Years ago when I still lived in Florida, I briefly lived with my Dad in a trailer on the beach. I've told parts of this story many times. It was a magical moment, and not until much later did I realize how formative it was. One day amidst a conversation about Brewster Mccloud and my general affections for Bud Cort and the sand castle competition at work, my Dad asked me if I'd ever seen Ted and Venus. He said that it was being filmed in Venice Beach when he lived there in the late 80's/early 90's. His description of it was simple "Bud Cort directed it! And he plays a quirky starving artist who's in love with a girl.…
Harold & Maude was initially trashed by critics before it went on to become the beloved cult classic that it is today. Unfortunately, Bud Cort's directorial debut - which as can be guessed by its title positions itself as a kind of spiritual sequel - is unjustly forgotten after it was trashed mercilessly by the same critics who would’ve been doing the same to Harold & Maude had they been around 20 years earlier. Most fitting is that many of the negative comments about H & M from back when mirror those made of T & V — unsympathetic protagonist, unclear character motivations, too self-consciously offbeat, etc. And the resemblance between the two, though not necessarily obvious, are not merely superficial. There’s a reason…
Also watched because of it expiring from Tubi--this is a genuine WTF movie written and directed by Bud Cort (and featuring many cameos) Cort is a poet living on the beach who's virtually homeless who's a big believer in astrology who falls in love with this woman he sees one day named Linda. When he sees her again while trying to get this low income room available on steep discount to veterans, he essentially goes nuts trying to win her over and basically drives her to the point where she's like getting a restraining order on him. A lot of this is thoroughly wrong-headed as a comedy, but Cort is also clearly suffering from some sorta mental illness so he…
I accidentally watched this! It came on after whatever I was watching on Tubi ended. Super weird movie about a guy who's obsessed with a woman and won't leave her alone. Usually that isn't inherently funny and it isn't in this case either, although I think they were going for absurdist humor. The guy's best friend is James Brolin who is a total dude. There's a bunch of other recognizable actors as well, like the great Brian Thompson.
Works best as background noise but I'd still prefer Soothing Sounds of the Rainforest Volume 3.
bud cort said “i know what the world needs - a film where a deranged and unlikeable cretin (played by me, the strangest looking actor), forms a parasocial relationship with society’s ideal: a beautiful woman working in community outreach that plays the dulcimer”
Bud Cort, who was a handsome young man in movies like Harold and Maude and Brewster McCloud, did not stay so handsome as he grew older. But he developed something more interesting -- character. That is one unique looking man. And in 1990, he directed this weird film, casting himself as the awful, but pitiable, leading man. Cort stars as Ted, a risque poet living from disability check to disability check, hanging out with his alcoholic womanizer artist friend, James Brolin. Brolin is endlessly entertaining in the movie, and a hell of a good friend to Cort's character.
The Venus of the title is a woman named Linda, who he spots from the Santa Monica pier and immediately falls in…
I’m sorry Bud Cort, I love you as an actor, but this really isn’t a great film. Cort acts his socks off in this as Ted, a mentally ill loser who writes poetry and subsequently develops an obsession with a women he sees swimming at the beach. But the script leaves much to be desired and overall is pretty disappointing.
The first 10 minutes had me pretty intrigued, it seemed like a really interesting character study into this broken, strange man. But as the film continues the cracks begin to show in the plot and it becomes harder to maintain the enthusiasm. The fact I disliked Ted and Venus was a shame as I had hope that I would like…
Decided to make it a Bud Cort double feature. Years ago they played “Harold and Maude” at the Alamo (maybe around Valentines) and Bud Cort attended the screening. I remember that near the end of the Q&A he invited everyone to stay and watch this movie he directed back in the early 90’s. I didn’t stay, and I kind of regret it now.
This starts off a little unfocused, but really gains momentum as it’s goes on. I was surprised by how engaged I ended up being by this film’s plot. It’s definitely not for everyone, and to be honest, it’s not even that funny, but it is just really bizarre. It’s also filled with familiar faces and it’s…
A period piece about a 60s acid casualty beat poet, now living off disability in the 1970s, who becomes sexually obsessed with a social worker and decides to stalk her and serenade her with his erotic poetry. I think it’s supposed to be an examination of an acid damaged mind but it’s also clearly written and directed by an acid casualty so it’s unclear how anyone is supposed to interpret these events. One of the most deeply bizarre movies I’ve seen in a long while.
I have to give Bud Cort credit for using his one and only feature film directorial credit to make what is essentially an unpleasant anti-romance comedy. It starts out feeling like it's going to be a far-fetched opposites attract story. The title suggests it's a spiritual successor to Harold and Maude with two very different people gradually forming an intimate bond, but that's not where this movie goes.
Bud Cort's Ted comes across as a socially inept romantic weirdo at first. His sexually transgressive beat poetry is a hit among the late night Venice Beach crowd. Then things get steadily out of hand when it's apparent he's really just a downright obsessive stalker creep that doesn't understand boundaries. Linda, his…
This film... There was a time in the first half hour that it sorta slogged on, but it quickly become a very captivating watch. Admittedly, I listened to the soundtrack many months before finally getting to the film (Very great soul/funk soundtrack btw), and it really paints the picture of its 1970s setting. This has to be one of Bud's best performances in a film; it's a shame we didn't get to see him show his directing chops more. He could've been prolific at short films if he received more opportunities IMO.
Bud should count his lucky stars that it was released when it was as the discourse surrounding this film would've been insane, but at the same time, it…
