Virtuosity (1995)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1995
Running Times: 97 mins (Germany)      105 mins (Belgium)     106 mins (USA)     107 mins (Argentina)
Format: colour     Super 35mm (anamorphic)
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Dolby Digital     DTS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Paramount Pictures
Executive Producer: Howard W. Koch Jr
Co-Producer: Gimel Everett
Producer: Gary Lucchesi
Associate Producer: Robert McMinn
Production Co-Ordinator: Yvonne Yaconelli
Assistant Production Co-Ordinator: Margaret J. Orlando

SCRIPT
Script: Eric Bernt, Daniel Pyne (uncredited)

DIRECTION
Director: Brett Leonard

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Gale Tattersall
2nd Unit Directors of Photography: Mike Benson, Gary Kibbe
Camera Operator: Michael A. Genne
Aerial Unit Camera Operator: Frank Holgate
Steadicam Operator: Paul Taylor
Grip: Richard Jastrow
Camera Technician: Clyde E. Bryan
Computer / Video Playback Co-Ordinator: Brenton Fletcher
Colour: DeLuxe
Raw Stock: Kodak 5293

EDITING
Post Production Supervisor (L2 Communications): Stan Szymanski
Editors: Rob Kobrin, B.J. Sears
Assistant Editors: Todd Busch, Meredith Gold, Polly Holmes, Leslie Jones, Ray Neapolitan

MUSIC
Music: Christopher Young
Songs: India, Louis Vega (I Can't Get No Sleep); Peter Gabriel, George Acogny (Parker's Theme); Peter Gabriel, George Acogny, Tori Amos (Party Man); Shaun Ryder, Danny Saber (A Big Day In The North); Ben Watkins, Johann Blay (Samurai); Adrian Thaws, Mark Saunders (Abbaon Fat Tracks); William Orbit, Christopher Leach (Into The Paradise); Jimmy Chambers, William Henshall, Jimmy Helms, Alan Glass, Lati Kronlund (Build It With Love); Praga Khan, Jade 4 U, Oliver Adams, J.K. Magick (Young Boys); Traci Lords, Ben Watkins, Johann Blay (Fallen Angel); Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison, T. 'Blast' Murray (No Talking Just Head); Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb (Stayin' Alive); Richard Rudolph, Michael Sembello (Ka-Pow); Scott Hackwith (Ho Ho Ho); Cathal Coughlan (The Loyaliser); Chad Taylor, Edward Kowalczyk, Patrick Dahlheimer, Chad Gracey (White Discussion); Sol Kaplan (Two Into One)
Songs Performed By: India and Masters at Work (I Can't Get No Sleep); Black Grape (A Big Day In The North); Juno Reactor (Samurai); Tricky (Abbaon Fat Tracks); William Orbit (Into The Paradise); Londonbeat (Build It With Love); Lords of Acid (Young Boys); Traci Lords (Fallen Angel); Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth, Jerry Harrison, T. 'Blast' Murray, Deborah Harry (No Talking Just Head); The Bee Gees (Stayin' Alive); U.P.F. (Ka-Pow); Dig (Ho Ho Ho); Fatima Mansions (The Loyaliser); Live (White Discussion); The Worldbeaters, Peter Gabriel (Party Man)
Songs Produced By: Peter Gabriel, George Acogny (Party Man)
Conductor: Pete Anthony
Orchestrators: Pete Anthony, Christopher Young
Executive Music Producers: Richard Rudolph, Tim Sexton

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Costume Designer: Francine Jamison-Tanchuck

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Effects: Chris Walas Inc

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: 525 Post Productions; L2 Visual Effects; MetroLight Studios; Newkirk Special Effects; Sony Pictures Imageworks

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Nilo Rodis

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Raymond Quiroz
2nd Unit Script Supervisor: Hope Williams
Legal Clearances: Lisa J. Olin
Special Vocal Effects: Frank Welker

CASTING
Voice Casting: Barbara Harris

CAST
Denzel Washington (Lieutenant Parker Barnes)
Kelly Lynch (Dr Madison Carter)
Russell Crowe (SiD 6.7)
Stephen Spinella (Dr Darrel Lindenmeyer)
William Forsythe (William Cochran)
Louise Fletcher (Commissioner 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)
Mari Morrow (Linda Barnes)
Miracle Vincent (Christine Barnes)
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)
Rolando Molina (videostore salesman)
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, Steven R. Barnett (Metromedia cops)
John Walcutt (SWAT captain)
Michael B. Silver (undercover cop)
Jordan Marder (prison transport guard)
Brogan Young (monitor prison guard)
Laura Leigh Hughes, Dustin Nguyen (suburban reporters)
Toni Winters (male newscaster)
Virginia Watson (anchorwoman)
Beverly Cohen (female tabloid TV host)
Margot Hope (Paula)
Una Damon, Mary Rachel Foot (women with video camera)
Jennifer Greenhut, Lesa Noelle, Michelle Smith, Brit Thompson (screaming women)
Alanna Ubach (Eila)
Kevin La Presle (paramedic)
Daniel Anderson (police detective)
Eric Bernt (building supervisor)
Robert John Gomes (SWAT guy)
Michael Tamburro (helicopter pilot)
Derek Kim (lab technician - uncredited)
Ken Shamrock (ultimate fighter - uncredited)

In the near future, the Law Enforcement Technology Advancement Centre (LETAC) develops a new form of law enforcement training - SiD 6.7, virtual reality construct created from the combined personalities of over 150 serial killers. LETAC plan to train their officers by pitting them against SiD in a virtual environment. To test the system, they send in a prisoner, disgraced cop Parker Barnes. But SiD is smarter than anyone expected and manages to download his personality into a nano-machine android and is let loose on the real world...

Argentina
Video Distributor: Argentina Video Home

Australia
Video Distributor: CIC Video Australia

UK
Video Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment (VHR4225)
DVD Distributor: Paramount Home Entertainment (PHE8069)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: United International Pictures
Video Distributor: Paramount Home Video

Argentina
Rating: 16

Australia
Rating: MA

Denmark
Rating: 16

Germany
Rating: 18 (this version is cut to 97 minutes)

Spain
Rating: 18

UK
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: R (for strong futuristic violence, some brutal beatings and some language)

1995
August
4: USA - theatrical release

October
18: Spain - theatrical release

November
16: Argentina - theatrical release

1996
January
3: Belgium - theatrical release
3: France - theatrical release

May
31: UK - theatrical release

June
8: Japan - theatrical release

July
5: Finland - theatrical release

1997
February
Day Unknown: Portugal - video release

June
2: UK - video release

2000
January
24: Sweden - television broadcast

2001
May
7: UK - DVD release

Justice needs a new program

Asesino virtual - Argentine/Venezuelan title
Assassino Virtual - Brazilian/Portuguese title
Asesino virtual - El tiempo se acaba - Argentine title
Programmé pour tuer - French title
Virtuality - Italian title
Virtuosité - French Canadian title

SEE ALSO
The Wizard of Oz (1939)

INCLUDES FOOTAGE FROM
Star Trek (1966)

NEWSPAPERS

Chicago Sun Times 4 August 1995 (USA)
review (by Roger Ebert)

San Francisco Chronicle 4 August 1995 (USA)
review (Virtual Villain in Virtual Thriller: Vengeful ex-cop hunts digital killer by Mick LaSalle)

San Francisco Chronicle 16 February 16 1996 (USA)
review (Virtual Villainy in Sci-Fi Thriller Virtuosity by Mick LaSalle)

San Francisco Examiner 4 August 1995 (USA)
review (Tired Virtuosity rehashes action cliches by Scott Rosenberg)

Washington Post 4 August 1995 (USA)
review (by Hal Hinson)

the future, television, nano technology, helicopters, lasers, virtual reality, serial killers, computers, police, dismemberment

Last Updated: 3 May, 2009