Virtuosity (1995)

Director:

Brett Leonard

Writer (WGA):

Eric Bernt (written by)

Release Date:

4 August 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Justice needs a new program

Plot:

A virtual-reality serial killer manages to escape into the real world.

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Virtual Reality | Android | Ex Cop | Male Nudity

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Denzel Washington	...	Lt. Parker Barnes
Kelly Lynch	...	Madison Carter
Russell Crowe	...	SID 6.7
Stephen Spinella	...	Lindenmeyer
William Forsythe	...	William Cochran
Louise Fletcher	...	Elizabeth Deane
William Fichtner	...	Wallace
Costas Mandylor	...	John Donovan
Kevin J. O'Connor	...	Clyde Reilly
Kaley Cuoco	...	Karin
Christopher Murray	...	Matthew Grimes
Heidi Schanz	...	Sheila 3.2
Traci Lords	...	Media Zone Singer
Gordon Jennison Noice	...	Big Red (as J. Gordon Noice)
Mari Morrow	...	Linda Barnes
Miracle Vincent	...	Christine Barnes (as Miracle Unique Vincent)
Mara Duronslet	...	Beautiful Woman at Olympic Stadium
Michael Buffer	...	Emcee
Karen Annarino	...	'IS' TV Reporter
Miguel Nájera	...	Rafael Debaca
Danny Goldring	...	John Symes
Randall Fontana	...	Ed
Allen Scotti	...	Surgeon
Dwayne Chattman	...	Stripped Man in Media Zone
Ed Marques	...	Blonde Punk in Media Zone
Cheryl Lawson	...	Pretty Woman in Media Zone
Kevin Loreque	...	Animatronic Bartender
Eiko Nijo	...	Geisha Hostess
Gaura Vani Buchwald	...	Burly Man in Video Store (as Gauravani Buchwald)
Rolando Molina	...	Salesman in Videostore
Gary Anthony Sturgis	...	Officer at Video Store
Monica Allison	...	Woman on Train
Susan Mohun	...	Bystander
David Asman	...	Metrolink Cop
Anthony C. Hall	...	Locator Technician
Amy Smallman	...	Aide in Cochran's Office
Ahmed Ahmed	...	Cameraman
Marva Hicks	...	Onscreen Talent
Juan A. Riojas	...	Metromedia Cop
Steven R. Barnett	...	Metromedia Cop
John Walcutt	...	SWAT Captain
Michael B. Silver	...	Undercover Cop (as Michael Buchman)
Jordan Marder	...	Prison Transport Guard
Brogan Young	...	Monitor Prison Guard
Laura Leigh Hughes	...	Suburban Reporter
Dustin Nguyen	...	Suburban Reporter
Anthony Winters	...	Male Newscaster (as Tony Winters)
Virginia Watson	...	Anchorwoman
Beverly Cohen	...	Female Tabloid TV Host
Margot Hope	...	Paula
Una Damon	...	Woman with Video Camera
Mary-Rachel Foot	...	Woman with Video Camera
Jennifer Greenhut	...	Screaming Woman
Lesa Noelle	...	Screaming Woman
Michelle Smith	...	Screaming Woman
Brit Thompson	...	Screaming Woman
Alanna Ubach	...	Eila
Kevin La Presle	...	Paramedic
Daniel Anderson	...	Police Detective
Eric Bernt	...	Building Supervisor
Rob Gomes	...	S.W.A.T. Guy (as Robert John Gomes)
Michael Tamburro	...	Helicopter Pilot
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Frank Welker	...	Special Vocal Effects (voice)
Richard Atchley	...	Rowdy guy at UFC match (uncredited)
Anthony Backman	...	Metrolink Patron (uncredited)
Johnny Kim	...	Lab Tech (uncredited)
Ken Shamrock	...	Ultimate Fighter (uncredited)
Rogan Wilde	...	TV News Producer (uncredited)

Directed by
Brett Leonard

Writing credits (WGA)
Eric Bernt		(written by)

Produced by
Gimel Everett	....	co-producer
Hawk Koch	....	executive producer (as Howard W. Koch Jr.)
Gary Lucchesi	....	producer
Robert McMinn	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young

Cinematography by
Gale Tattersall		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Rob Kobrin
B.J. Sears

Casting by
Deborah Aquila
Jane Shannon-Smith		(as Jane Shannon)

Production Design by
Nilo Rodis-Jamero		(as Nilo Rodis)

Art Direction by
Richard Toyon		(as Richard Yanez-Toyon)

Set Decoration by
Jay Hart

Costume Design by
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck

Makeup Department
Bruce Barlow	....	special makeup effects artist
Yvonne Depatis-Kupka	....	key hair stylist
Chris Walas	....	special makeup effects
Kenneth Walker	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Ronald G. Smith	....	production manager
Stan Szymanski	....	post-production supervisor: L2 Communications

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Albert Cho	....	first assistant director: second unit
Steve Danton	....	first assistant director
Christina Fong	....	second second assistant director
Angela Barnes Gomes	....	dga trainee (as Angela Barnes)
Susan J. Hellmann	....	second assistant director: second unit (as Susan Hellmann)
Jono Oliver	....	second assistant director
Mic Rodgers	....	second unit director
Rebecca Strickland	....	second assistant director: second unit

Art Department
Lori Ashcraft	....	art department coordinator
Robert J. Carlyle	....	construction coordinator
Clete Cetrone	....	construction foreman
Kirk Corwin	....	property master
Mick Cukurs	....	set designer
Steven DeSantis	....	stage foreman
John Eaves	....	concept artist
John Harrington	....	assistant property master
Bruce Robert Hill	....	set designer
Joseph A. Hodges	....	assistant art director (as Joseph Hodges)
Patrick Janicke	....	property designer
Lee J. Jashinsky	....	painter
Carol Lavoie	....	set designer
Robert Lucas	....	lead man
David J. Negron Jr.	....	storyboard artist
Troy Alan Peters	....	on-set dresser
Glenn H. Roberts	....	set dresser
Doug Sieck	....	set dresser
Steven Hintz	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
John K. Adams	....	foley editor
Rick Alexander	....	re-recording mixer
Anna Behlmer	....	re-recording mixer
Sandy Berman	....	supervising sound editor
Thomas Causey	....	sound mixer (as Thomas D. Causey)
Damon Cohoon	....	assistant sound editor
Richard Corwin	....	adr editor
Anne Couk	....	first assistant sound editor
Gloria D'Alessandro	....	sound editor
Christine Danelski	....	supervising foley editor
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist
Tammy Fearing	....	assistant sound editor
Patrick J. Foley	....	sound effects editor (as Patrick Foley)
Cameron Frankley	....	sound effects editor
Rick Freeman	....	dialogue editor
Gary Gegan	....	re-recording mixer
Thomas Giordano	....	sound technician: partial
Galen Goodpaster	....	assistant sound editor
Scott G.G. Haller	....	dialogue editor
Eileen Horta	....	adr editor (as Eileen Horta-Mangino)
Richard Kite	....	cable
Val Kuklowsky	....	sound effects editor
Mark L. Mangino	....	sound effects editor
Courtenay Marvin	....	assistant sound editor
Ron Meredith	....	assistant sound editor
Scott Millan	....	re-recording mixer (as Scott Milan)
Andy Nelson	....	re-recording mixer
Steve Pederson	....	re-recording mixer
Tom Perry	....	re-recording mixer
Frank Serafine	....	sound designer
James Simcik	....	supervising adr editor
Randy Singer	....	foley mixer
Thomas W. Small	....	foley editor (as Thomas Small)
Frank Smathers	....	supervising dialogue editor
Beth Sterner	....	supervising sound editor
Mike Szakmeister	....	sound effects editor (as Michael Szakmeister)
Corinne Villa	....	assistant sound editor
François Blaignan	....	additional sound designer (uncredited)
Dana LeBlanc Frankley	....	apprentice sound editor (uncredited)
Karen Spangenberg	....	additional sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Carol Bauman	....	creature technician
John P. Cazin	....	special effects technician
Kenneth C. Clark	....	special effects (as Ken Clark)
Albert Delgado	....	special effects: second unit
Kim Derry	....	special effects technician
Bruce Allan Donnellan	....	special effects (as Bruce Donnellan)
Stephan Dupuis	....	special effects makeup supervisor: Chris Walas Inc.
Andy Evans	....	special effects (as Andrew Evans)
Jay M. Hirsch	....	special effects
James Isaac	....	project supervisor: Chris Walas Inc. (as Jim Isaac)
Kelly Kerby	....	special effects
Sam P. La Fata	....	special effects (as Sam Lafata)
Kelly Lepkowsky	....	mechanical supervisor: Chris Walas Inc.
James Lorimer	....	special effects (as James E. Lorimer)
Michelle Lyman	....	special effects crew
Hoyt L. Ng	....	special effects
Robert L. Olmstead	....	special effects (as Bob Olmstead)
Jane E. Pepiot	....	special effects
Ken Pepiot	....	special effects supervisor (as Kenneth D. Pepiot)
Gintar Repecka	....	special effects foreman
Alan Rifkin	....	special effects
Bruce Robles	....	special effects (as John Bruce Robles)
Connie W. Siu	....	special effects
Jon Townley	....	special effects supervisor
Paul Vigil	....	special effects
Richard Weed	....	special effects (as Ric Weed)
John Ziegler	....	special effects
Michael Wick	....	creature fabricator (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Christopher Bailey	....	visual effects coordinator: SPI
Tim Boxell	....	visual effects storyboards
Jenny Bright	....	producer: 525 Post Production
Brian Buongiorno	....	digital compositing artist: 525 Post Production
Jamie Clay	....	animator
Richard J. Cook	....	digital effects coordinator: VisonArt
Stewart Daniels	....	lead digital artist: L2 Interactive
Tim Douglas	....	computer graphics supervisor: SPI
Kelly Durkin	....	digital art director: L2 Interactive
Shawn Esposito	....	compositor
Ted Fay	....	senior technologist: VisionArt
Kent Feeler	....	digital compositing artist: 525 Post Production
John Follmer	....	visual effects producer: MetroLight Studios
Lisa Foster	....	technical director
Martin Foster	....	CGI supervisor: MetroLight Studios
Martin Foster	....	animator: L2 Interactive
Alex Frisch	....	digital compositing artist: 525 Post Production
Gina Galvan	....	visual effects production manager: L2 Communications
Brett Gassaway	....	digital imaging consultant
George Gerber	....	creative lead: L2 Interactive
George Gerber	....	head of production: L2 Interactive
Charlotte Huggins	....	digital effects producer: SPI
Christopher Johnston	....	visual effects
Elizabeth Maxwell Keith	....	technical director
Stephen Kennedy	....	digital compositor
Scott Kilburn	....	technical director: SPI
Daniel Kramer	....	technical director
James W. Kristoff	....	executive in charge of production: MetroLight Studios
Jennifer Law-Stump	....	digital effects artist: Metrolight Studios
Kelvin Lee	....	animator
Michele Linse	....	visual effects coordinator: L2 Communications (as Michele Dani Linse)
Dan McDonald	....	production coordinator: MetroLight Studios
Tim McGovern	....	visual effects supervisor: SPI
George Merkert	....	visual effects executive producer
Craig Mullins	....	digital matte painter: L2 Communications
Hoyt L. Ng	....	digital effects artist
Shannon Noble	....	lead digital compositor: L2 Communications
Patrick Phillips	....	visual effects
Karl Raade	....	animator
Laura Richards	....	executive producer: 525 Post Production
Chris Ryan	....	CG artist: MetroLight Studios
Dobbie Schiff	....	visual effects executive producer: MetroLight Studios (as Dobie G. Schiff)
Connie W. Siu	....	digital effects artist
Michelle Steinau	....	digital compositing artist: L2 Communications (as Michelle Steineu)
Tim Teramoto	....	digital artist
Daniel Todd	....	computer graphics line producer: L2 Communications
Jon Townley	....	visual effects supervisor: L2 Communications
Donna Tracy	....	digital compositing artist
Jim Wheelock	....	visual effects producer: L2 Communications
Bernice Kenton	....	visual effects vendor producer (uncredited)

Stunts
Laura Albert	....	stunts
Troy Brown	....	stunts
Shane Dixon	....	stunts
Doc Duhame	....	stunts
Ousaun Elam	....	stunts
Annie Ellis	....	stunts
Lance Gilbert	....	stunt coordinator
Lance Gilbert	....	stunts
Troy Gilbert	....	stunts
James M. Halty	....	stunts
Will Leong	....	stunts
David R. Maier	....	utility stunts
John Meier	....	stunt coordinator (as John C. Meier)
John Meier	....	stunts (as John C. Meier)
Robert Powell	....	stunt double: Denzel Washington
Mic Rodgers	....	stunt coordinator
Mic Rodgers	....	stunts
Jimmy Romano	....	stunts
Pat Romano	....	stunt rigger
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts
Michael Runyard	....	stunts
Cris Thomas-Palomino	....	stunts
Christopher J. Tuck	....	stunts (as Chris Tuck)
Scott Waugh	....	stunts
Joe Bernier	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Ericka Bryce	....	stunts (uncredited)
Randy Johnson	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Roy Bean	....	video assist operator
Mike Benson	....	director of photography: second unit (as Michael A. Benson)
Clyde E. Bryan	....	camera technician
John T. Connor	....	assistant camera: "b" camera
Mike Fay	....	grip (1995)
Michael Genne	....	camera operator (as Michael A. Genne)
Frank M. Holgate	....	camera operator: aerial unit (as Frank Holgate)
Richard Jastrow	....	grip
Scott C. Keys	....	rigging electric best boy
Gary B. Kibbe	....	director of photography: second unit (as Gary Kibbe)
David Luckenbach	....	Steadicam operator
David Luckenbach	....	camera operator
Tim Marshall	....	best boy electric
Wayne Marshall	....	electrician
Michael A. Mendez	....	grip
David L. Merrill	....	key grip: second unit
Paul Santoni	....	camera loader
Nick Shuster	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Paul Taylor	....	Steadicam operator
Michael D. Weldon	....	first assistant camera
James D. Wickman	....	rigging company grip
Troy Kohrs	....	grip (uncredited)
Brian Lataille	....	remote head technician (uncredited)

Animation Department
Kelvin Lee	....	animator

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Alex Wald	....	casting assistant (as Alex Rosenberg)
Mary Tricia Wood	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christopher Gilman	....	costumes
Sam Greenmun	....	specialty wardrobe
Damien Quinn	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Todd Busch	....	assistant editor
Lisa M. Citron	....	additional film editor
Meredith Gold	....	assistant film editor
Polly Holmes	....	assistant editor
Leslie Jones	....	assistant editor
Dennis McNeill	....	color timer
Ray Neapolitan	....	assistant editor
Theresa Repola Mohammed	....	negative cutter
Jonathan P. Shaw	....	additional film editor (as Jonathan Shaw)

Music Department
George Acogny	....	composer: songs
Pete Anthony	....	conductor
Pete Anthony	....	orchestrator
Bob Bornstein	....	music preparation
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor (as Sandy De Crescent)
Robert Fernandez	....	scoring mixer
Alex Gibson	....	music editor
Scott Grusin	....	music editor
Christopher Kennedy	....	music editor
Mark Kilian	....	assistant to composer
Larry Mah	....	music scoring consultant
Larry Mah	....	score mixer
Dick Rudolph	....	executive music producer (as Richard Rudolph)
Lee Scott	....	music editor
Timothy R. Sexton	....	executive music producer (as Tim Sexton)
Rick Winquest	....	music scoring mixer
Christopher Young	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Brita McCollough	....	driver

Other crew
Karen Annarino	....	assistant to director
Adam Burton	....	programmer
Jessica Drake	....	dialect coach
Brenton Fletcher	....	computer/video playback coordinator
Rob Gomes	....	production assistant
Kevin Saunders Hayes	....	synthesizer programmer (as Kevin Hayes)
Ilt Jones	....	assistant location manager
Daniel Licht	....	synthesizer supervisor
Harry Lu	....	armorer
Melanie Miller	....	assistant: Mr. Crowe
Peter J. Novak	....	location manager
Lisa J. Olin	....	legal clearances
Margaret J. Orlando	....	assistant production coordinator
Ray Quiroz	....	script supervisor (as Raymond Quiroz)
Ahmed Saker	....	key set medic
Meryle Selinger	....	production accountant
Michael Tamburro	....	helicopter pilot
John Van Houten	....	synthesizer coordinator
Hope Williams	....	script supervisor: second unit
Wayne Witherspoon	....	production assistant
Yvonne Yaconelli	....	production coordinator
Mark Zimoski	....	programmer: synthesizer
Wendy Goldfisher	....	payroll accountant (uncredited)

Thanks
Billy Weber	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1995) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1995) (non-USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1995) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (199?) (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Video Australia
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Cinema International (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS) (rental)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1998) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (1999) (Netherlands) (VHS) (retail)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• SBP (2000) (Argentina) (DVD)

Special Effects

• 525 Post Production
• Chris Walas (special makeup effects)
• L² Visual Effects (interactive computer screens) (as L² Interactive)
• L² Visual Effects (special visual effects) (as L² Communications)
• MetroLight Studios
• Newkirk Special Effects
• Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI) (computer generated tendril animation)
• Viewpoint Datalabs International (additional 3D datasets)
• Viewpoint Datalabs International (cyberscans)

Other Companies

• Clairmont Camera  camera systems (as Clairmont)
• Cogswell Video Services  video assist equipment
• EFilm  film scanning and recording (as E-Film)
• Pacific Title  end titles and opticals
• Paramount Pictures Scoring Stage M  orchestra recorded at
• Paramount Pictures  digital sound editing
• Radioactive Records  soundtrack
• VisionArt  main title sequence

Also Known As:

Asesino virtual (Argentina) (Venezuela) [es]
Assassino Virtual (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Asesino virtual - El tiempo se acaba (Argentina) [es]
Programmé pour tuer (France) [fr]
Virtuality (Italy) [it]
Virtuosité (Canada: French title) [fr]
Virtuosity (Spain) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong futuristic violence, some brutal beatings and some language.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:16 (cut) | Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-18 | New Zealand:R16 | France:-12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:14 | Denmark:16 | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:16 | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #33489) | Canada:AA (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Hollywood Forever Cemetery - 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Kaley Cuoco's film debut.

Goofs:

Continuity: SID tests his pain response by cutting the tip of his finger off. When he raises his hand to taste his "blood", the entire finger is gone.

Quotes:

Hologram Head: While officers gather evidence of the grisly crime scene, you can only ask yourselves, "What kind of lunatic would commit such unthinkable crimes?" The three adjectives which best describe this killer are sadistic, intelligent and dangerous.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003)

Soundtrack:

Stayin' Alive

It Had A Lot of Potential

Virtuosity is by no means a great movie or a good movie. It is barely above average. That though is because of Russell Crowe's character: SID 6.7 who possesses over 150 serial killer personalities. He is just supposed to be used to train police but he escapes from his virtual reality to the reality. That sounds pretty interesting and this premise could be taken into many different directions especially since he is such a complex character you could go so many different way going about to make this film. Though this movie did not take the worst direction it did not take the best one. This movie went for pure action and no real drama or meaningful message. Now that is OK but it lacked in doing this because of the: The directing which was average by Brett Leonard. He made this into a very exciting TV movie which it is not. He had two very talented actors in Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe yet he was not able to generate the excitement and fast pace feeling that is needed to make a good action movie.

The writing is also at fault too. The writing was not great here. It seemed to have a lot of overused themes such as the cop trying to retain the high status that he used too have and also the idiot cops getting in the way. That is also OK but the dialog made this interesting idea into a movie that was not so unfamiliar. Not much originality in here despite having such a unique character. That is always the script's fault whenever this happens. The writing and directing just made this movie so frustrating to watch.

You cannot blame the acting. You could see that Denzel Washington, already an established actor at that time, and Russell Crowe, not established, really tried to push this movie forward. Yet there was little to work with which made them look really average.

This movie could have been much better if it was made more into a action/drama about the our inner battles. Considering that SID 6.7 had 150 personalities the storyline of his character could have made him have a battle within himself. Now this was done to a minor level which really annoyed me. They are many other ideas or methods that could have really made this movie something but of course this did not happen. It went for cheap effects, an over used clichéd storyline with a little bit of a twist. That may work for some people but not for me.

I'am giving this movie a 6/10 rating because it had so much potential.