Grimerlana Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Steve Pulaski Though I loathe this saying, as it's often largely unfounded and nostalgic, Flesh Gordon is precisely the kind of film that could never be made today, particularly with the conviction and the straight-faced persona that it was made with in 1974. Flesh Gordon is a softcore parody of action serials that populated radios and Televisions in the 1950's, particularly Flash Gordon and complete with all the genre's tropes: silly dialog, cliffhangers, cheesy costumes, ridiculous narration, asinine circumstances, and outlandish characters. Throw in gratuitous nudity, an occasional sex-scene, and some utterly banal dialog, and you have one of the strangest parodies of the 1970's and one of porn's most curious oddities.My level of prose will hereby be temporarily lessened as I try to thoughtfully articulate the plot of said film. It all begins with a Professor Gordon (John Hoyt), who discovers that the Earth is being manipulated by "sex rays," which turn people into horndogs. When one of these sex rays winds up striking a plane, carrying Flesh Gordon (Jason Williams) and Dale Ardor (Suzanne Fields), the plane turns into a massive orgy, with Flesh and Dale barely escaping the imminent crash. The two land near the workstation of Dr. Flexi Jerkoff (Joseph Hudgins), who is working to try and defeat the sex rays, which are powered by the evil Emperor Wang the Perverted (William Dennis Hunt) and his army of "Penisauruses." Flesh, Dale, and Dr. Jerkoff and his "assholiness" must find a way to stop Emperor Wang while combatting the forces of the manipulating sex rays.This is precisely the kind of film where intense critical analysis and discussion fails it. The more you think about Flesh Gordon and its preposterous title, plot, and existence, the less infatuated with the idea you'll become. It just about defies every cinematic convention and notion you've come to expect, not expect, and not even dream up just by its existence. It's the very definition of an oddity, and the fact that it belongs to one of the most controversial and divisive periods in American cinema's history only makes it that much more of a treasure.The strange part is that Flesh Gordon, however, doesn't always wind up being funny or erotic, rendering its purpose questionable. The sex scenes are sometimes drearily tame (rumors of footage being seized are scattered all over the internet, making me question whether or not this film was supposed to be racier or not) and the humor is sometimes absent for long stretches of the film. The inconsistencies bog down the film from being some true work of parody genius largely because it can hold its identity for too long without changing course.Nonetheless, this is a film that, again, defies a lot of conventional critical analysis, like most parody films. It's a film that works as little else than a fun deviation from the expected, and if you're a fan of Flash Gordon, and still not crippled by the desire for righteousness and moralism in what you watch, Flesh Gordon is a pleasant stroll through the kind of film that couldn't be made anymore without incessant giggling under the breathes of screenwriter's.Starring: Jason Williams, Suzanne Fields, Joseph Hudgins, William Dennis Hunt, Candy Samples, Mycle Brandy, and John Hoyt. Directed by: Michael Benveniste and Howard Ziehm.

figmo-2 Unlike the "Flash Gordon" movie, this one has a cohesive plot and a sense of humor. What it lacks are unnecessary, excessive violence and gore. I found this movie much easier to watch than the "Flash Gordon" movie that came out a few years later (the one with the Queen soundtrack). Okay; this doesn't have as cool a soundtrack, but the writing more than makes up for it.Where else can you see monsters like a penisaurus? This movie also contains one of my favorite lines from ANY movie. I won't spoil it; it's what Dr. Jerkoff utters after he exits the spaceship on an alien planet and takes a deep breath.A friend of mine claims that many of the extras and crew members on the set were Los Angeles- based science fiction fans. After watching this movie, I'd believe it.This is one of the best spoofs of the science fiction B-movie genre. Don't let the X-rating or porn designation scare you. Rent this and prepare to laugh!

birdy123 I first saw this movie while stationed in the US military in Germany during the Cold War, approximately in 1979. The claims on the DVD box that it contains a complete print are somewhat false. For one thing, the following shot or shot groups are left out of the DVD print: When Flesh and Dr. Jerkoff first see Wang's castle in the distance, Jerkoff says something like "Wow! That's fabulous!", to which Flesh replies "No it isn't, it's only a set". There may have also been one or two other comic moments which were also removed. The DVD is in fact longer than the VHS print, however.The sex scenes described as missing were in fact roughly cut out of this movie for military distribution. They started, then were visibly spliced out. This leads me to believe that the true X-rated version of this movie is still out there.Notwithstanding those complaints, I have given this movie a higher rating than most other people for two reasons: 1.) I really, really like Flash Gordon, and I think this spoof was written and produced by people who did also.2.) The 3D camera work and animation is almost as good as Harryhausen in my opinion. You get some really nice effects to go along with the silly story line.I hope more people get to see this movie.

falsecut One of my favorite 'bad' films. The animation is quite good I think if you think of it as a Harryhausen knockoff. Truly, it is well made in that regard. You will recognize many of the characters as being in the original serial. And it has one of my favorite lines in film, where Dr. Jerkoff steps out of the space ship, takes two or three deep breaths, and say, "Good, there's oxygen on this planet"! A porn film, sort of anyway, with a plot, some character development, good humor, and great animation. What more could you want in a flick? Even your girlfriend might like it.I used to have a copy on VHS and lost it. I liked it well enough that I would buy it if I found another copy. So I'd put my money where my mouth is on this film.