Vivid

The premise is that Kari's artist boyfriend (who'd look like a low-rent Charlie Sheen, if Charlie Sheen himself didn't fit that category) can neither paint nor get it on with his ridiculously good-looking girl - until the day that he throws paint over her. Then they roll around on the canvas in ecstasy and he sells the result for loads of dosh. It's actually very funny, sending up her prim impatience and his tortured-artist schtick with equal-opportunity amusement. There's not exactly a plot, as the film is structured - like the soft-porn movie it basically is - in a series of bonk sessions. But because they're always covered in paint, and tastefully filmed (with Ms. Wuhrer's own breathy songs on the soundtrack), it's quirky and strangely involving. (And very sexy.) Plus, in its own modest way, it brings up all sorts of odd questions about the relationship of art and life and the cost of art to the people around the artist. It also has a very funny and extremely soft-core parody of that increasingly boring staple of hardcore, the Anal Sex Scene. Recommended.

4 out of 10

Is it just me or is Kari Wuhrer the most underrated actress currently working? She's stunningly sexy and has genuine acting talent to boot. Why then, won't the Hollywood bigwigs hire her? Sigh, guess we'll just have to suck it up and accept these low budget movies she stars in all the time. In this case, it's called Luscious (aka Vivid). Kari plays the girlfriend of a mentally disturbed painter who has, uh, painter's block until he and his girlfriend get it on with paint all over their bodies. That's about it as far as story goes.

Kari Wuhrer is pretty much the only positive thing this movie has going for it. She's beautiful, shows LOTS of nudity (definitely a plus), and delivers a pretty good performance, the latter of which is impressive given the script she has to work with. The dialogue attempts to add a degree of "hipness" we've come to expect, as well as a measure of "profound" depth. The mixture comes off as laughable. If you're a Kari Wuhrer fan, her presence here makes the movie bearable so it's not a complete waste of time.

Steve Shellen and Kari Wuhrer certainly are eye candy, and if they weren't so endearing, it could have been a bore, but they are quite likeable and that makes the film work. I liked the relationship between them, the characters are well drawn and it presents us with a happy ending as well as their lovely bodies writhing about in paint for a good bit of the film. Not too shabby, if you ask me.

IMDb mark: 7

'Vivid' is only good for one thing: to watch Kari Wuhrer take her clothes off. And you can believe she looks fine, if they made a movie with that sole purpose. Anyhow, don't expect an artsy movie with some nudity, expect a nudie flick with some art in it.

-Nudity: Like I said, Billie, played by Kari Wuhrer (Salin, in this movie), is naked lots of times. Her nudity lasts for about 20 minutes out of the movie's total runtime of 83 minutes. But the nudity is much better in the beginning, the whole paint thing kind of ruins it later on. 30/38

-Actresses: Just two actresses are featured in 'Vivid', the second one being an older woman, much less attractive than Ms. (or is it 'Mrs.'?) Wuhrer. So, after doing the division by two (actresses), and the estimation of attractiveness (for each one)... 17/28

-Sex Scenes: I'm no expert at rating such scenes, but I would say they are okay. Like another reviewer suggested, watch for the anal problem that the main character encounters, later in the film. This text refers to the version entitled 'Vivid'. 8/10

-Suspense: There is hardly any suspense in this. 1/7

-Ending: The ending was well-suited for the film, but not great by any standards. 3/6

-Acting: At least they tried. 2/5

-Soundtrack: It's not great, but it does its job, which is to accompany the sex scenes, well. 2/2

-Genre: This is an erotic film 3/4

-->Overall: 66/100

Don't consider this movie a box office film deserving a general mark of 7 out of 10; consider it an erotic movie deserving a general mark of 7 out of 10 only as far as erotic movies go. So, this isn't even among the very best of sexy movies. Only some will like it. From Swordlord, 2 swords up!

This film is an exceptional erotic romp; sensitive and engaging look at tension and depression with scattered moments of exhilarating release and a vibrant climax. Unlike similar films which no doubt inspired this mostly unknown Canadian-only release (ie. 9 1/2 Weeks, Wild Orchid, Erotica), this movie focuses on two characters, an ailing artist (Shellen) and his tempestuous girlfriend (Wurher/Salin), as they wander through sexual tension and bursts of self (and "other") discovery as they attempt to find balance in themselves, their relationship and in the art which the artist creates. It's a classic "suffering artist" cliche' which is early on tossed out the window to be replaced by a wild splattering of lovemaking and love-creating. This film is fun and sensual. It is a great couples film, if erotica is your cup of tea, and it's not too serious. Some of the dialogue is rather humorous, and the film's only weaknesses are in the sophomoric delivery by Shellen and leading lady neophyte Wuhrer/Salin. But all that is forgivable because in the end this film is just a heck of a lot of fun. Plus the soundtrack was noteworthy -- which is mostly unheard of in this genre -- and features a track by the starlet called "Venus Bound" and a wonderful closing track called "Love,Love,Love" by Hemingway Corner.