Underworld (2001 Video) User Reviews (2)

Orpheus Descending

[Nodriesrespect · 8/10 · 19 February 2005]

Michael Raven has struck a goldmine translating classic literary material into porno terms. Following VIRTUOSO (plundering Shaw's "Pygmalion") and BEAST (a highly personal revision of "Beauty and the Beast" as a S&M love story), he turns to Greek mythology with this updated rendition of the sad tale of Orpheus and Eurydice.

Following the self-inflicted deaths of his wife D.C. Vegas (Ava Vincent, formerly known as "Jewel Valmont") and his father Apollo Greenspan (adult film veteran Mike Horner), rock star Orpheus (very well-played by Dillion Day) takes a cab (as you do...) down to the underworld run by his uncle Pluto Hades (a scene-stealing non-sex performance by Herschel Savage), hellbent on retrieving his lady love. Let's just say he's in for a less than pleasant surprise.

What impressed me most about this top of the line adult film (and, yes, it was indeed shot on 35mm film) is not the uniformly high quality of the production (sparkling cinematography by industry vet Jack Remy, imaginative editing, awesome soundtrack) but how closely the screenplay penned by Raven and David Aaron Clark actually sticks to the original material. Particularly clever is the variation these writers have spun on the bit of Orpheus not being allowed to look back at his beloved on their way out of the underworld and how his failure to adhere leads to their undoing. I also loved the offhanded remark Pluto makes about his (absent) wife Persephone that will go straight over the heads of those unfamiliar with the story.

Acting is pretty good throughout. In addition to those already mentioned, there are solid turns from the ever alluring Asia Carrera as a fortune teller, former cable cutie (just LOVE the career change !) Taylor St. Claire as a disillusioned denizen of the netherworld and the always reliable Ron Jeremy as cab driver Hermie, and even relative newcomers to mythology should be able to figure that one out.

With all this praise out of the way, I cannot help but concede that the sex does suffer a bit. Just five scenes to go round. The first one with the harpies is interesting if way more stylish than hot. The orgy scene at the Underworld Bar arrives too early in the movie, keeping the story proper from building momentum. Luckily, the A-Ladies (that's Ava and Asia for you mere mortals) save the day with the most plot-related boinking of the piece. It is this occasional lack of integration between sex and story and Raven's usual favoring of style over heat that just barely keep UNDERWORLD from being the knockout sucker punch that was BEAST, still his undisputed masterpiece to date.

THE CURE MAY KILL YOU

[nogodnomasters · 8/10 · 19 May 2019]

The film is based upon Greek mythology tale "Orpheus and Eurydice."

The film opens with a cheap prop suicide of Apollo Greenspan (Mike Horner), billionaire. It shifts to his son Orpheus (Dillon Day) who being taken for a cab ride by Hermes (Ron Jeremy) wearing a funny winged hat. In case you didn't know Hermes was the messenger of the gods, the cab has a bumper sticker which tells you that. Orpheus plans on rescuing his girlfriend D.C. Vegas (Ava Vincent) and returning to earth to the dismay of his uncle Pluto Hades who runs the place. Orpheus gets advice from fate, played by MENSA member Asia Carrera, who still can't deliver a line after 280 movies.

The film was overran with silicon. It included adult scenes that were out of the flow of the film, i.e. the added nothing to the plot and were more of a distraction. I would say for those who like an extensional adult film with a Dante twist that has both intellectual appeal and Amber Lynn I would recommend 1986 " The Devil in Miss Jones 3: A New Beginning" a far superior film.

This film was grainy. There are Russian amateur films of higher quality. What was that all about? Michael Raven didn't think we would notice or care? Also the film "climaxes" too early with an orgy scene being the second adult scene. Since the scene really never connected well into the tale, they should have ended with it, i.e. what normally happens in the underworld and they could have included Ava Vincent in it too.