Exit To Eden is a 1994 American feature film loosely based on the Anne Rice novel of the same name, directed by Garry Marshall and adapted to the screen by Deborah Amelon and Bob Brunner. The original music score was composed by Patrick Doyle.
Dana Delany stars as Lisa Emerson (named Lisa Kelly in the book) and Paul Mercurio plays Elliot Slater. Half of the film consisted of a new comedic detective story line written by the director. Several new characters were created, including Dan Aykroyd and Rosie O'Donnell as police officers pursuing diamond thieves to the Eden resort.
Plot
Elliot Slater is a young, attractive, Australian professional photographer living in Southern California. Having always been uncomfortable with his sexual proclivities, which tend toward the BDSM realm, he signs up for a dominatrix-themed vacation on a private tropical island known as "Eden" in the hopes of working through his discomfort.
Unbeknownst to him, prior to embarking on his journey of sexual discovery, he has unwittingly photographed an international jewel thief of whom no other photos exist. The jewel thief Omar and his criminal partner Nina are intent on recovering the film in order to retain Omar's anonymity.
They follow the photographer to the island resort run by the dominatrix Mistress Lisa, posing as vacationers. Following a tip that Omar is on the island, undercover police officers Fred and Sheila also arrive, Sheila in the guise of a vacationer and Fred as a handyman.
Comedic antics ensue amid the activities of scantily clad guests and employees, acting out their dominant and submissive fantasies.
In the course of Elliot's experiences as Mistress Lisa's personal submissive, the two begin to fall in love. The action comes to a climax on a quick trip to New Orleans, where Lisa reluctantly admits her feelings for Elliot, all the while tailed by Omar, who attempts to kill them.
Fortunately, Fred and Sheila save the day, sending Omar and Nina to jail, and receive commendations for solving the case.
Public response
The film garnered attention during its release because of the BDSM themes and full frontal female nudity, and because of the high profiles of the director, the cast members, and the author. Promotional materials for the film included photos of Delany in dominatrix attire, resulting in her being a popular inclusion on the early World Wide Web.
It was generally panned by critics, however, who expressed disappointment and confusion about the combination of the original story and the comedic elements.[1][2][3][4]
One controversy for the film occurred when it was banned by the Saskatchewan Film and Video Classification Board. Critics were puzzled by the banning, as Saskatchewan was the only jurisdiction known to have kept the film out of theatres. After a brief media flurry, the Board repealed the ban.
In a recent interview, Dan Aykroyd admitted that this film was his only regret in his career.
Home format
The film was released on VHS tape (NTSC) in 1995, and on DVD (NTSC Region 1) in April 2002.
Main cast
External links
