Flesh Gordon (1974)

Directors:

Michael Benveniste
Howard Ziehm

Writer:

Michael Benveniste (screenplay)

Release Date:

30 July 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Not to be confused with the original "Flash Gordon"

Plot:

Emperor Wang (the Perverted) is leader of the planet Porno and sends his mighty "Sex Ray" towards Earth...

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Ray | Football Player | Planet | Emperor

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jason Williams	...	Flesh Gordon
Suzanne Fields	...	Dale Ardor
Joseph Hudgins	...	Dr. Flexi Jerkoff
William Dennis Hunt	...	Emperor Wang the Perverted (as William Hunt)
Candy Samples	...	Chief Nellie (also as Mary Gavin)
Mycle Brandy	...	Amora, Queen of Magic
Steve Grumette		(as Steve Grummette)
Nora Wieternik
Lance Larsen	...	Prince Precious
Hillary Summers		(as Judy Ziehm)
Leonard Goodman
Donald Lee Harris		(as Don Harris)
Howard Alexander	...	Airplane Passenger
Jack Rowe
Alan Sinclair
Ron Darby	...	Airplane Passenger (as Mark Fore)
Annette Michael	...	Airplane Passenger (as Annette Anderson)
Maria Arnold	...	Sex Slave in Red Collar (as Maria Aronoff)
Shannon West
Ric Lutze	...	Archer with Arrows (as Rick Lutze)
Patricia Burns
Sally Alt
Nancy Martin	...	Sex Slave in Blue (as Nancy Ayres)
Howard Ziehm		(as Linus Gator)
Kathy Foster
Susan Moore
Terri Johnson	...	Amazon in Red Boots
Pat Hudson
Linda Sheppard
Duane Paulsen	...	Sex Slave in Golden Collar
Dee Dee Dailes	...	Black Amazon
John Hoyt	...	Professor Gordon
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Terran Benveniste	...	Baby (uncredited)
Rene Bond	...	Brunette Sex Slave in Gold Belt (uncredited)
Sandy Carey	...	Fleeing Citizen (uncredited)
Damon Charles	...	Sex Slave (uncredited)
Con Covert	...	Fleeing Citizen (uncredited)
Norman Fields	...	Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Robert V. Greene	...	Narrator (uncredited)
Butch Griswald	...	Fleeing Guard (uncredited)
Billy Lane	...	Sex Slave in Black Belt (uncredited)
William Margold	...	Fleeing Citizen (uncredited)
Linda Marie	...	Amazon with Chain Bra (uncredited)
Craig T. Nelson	...	The Monster (voice) (uncredited)
Tricia Opal	...	Blonde Sex Slave (uncredited)
Neil Perlman	...	Fleeing Citizen (uncredited)
George Peters	...	Sex Slave with Mustache (uncredited)
Jill Sweete	...	Cheerleader in Green (uncredited)
John Vincent	...	Mass Hypnosis Theorist (uncredited)
Kay White	...	Sex Slave in Gold Belt (uncredited)
Jason Yukon	...	Sex Slave in Gold and Blue Collar (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael Benveniste
Howard Ziehm

Writing credits
Michael Benveniste		(screenplay)

Produced by
Walter R. Cichy	....	associate producer
Bill Osco	....	producer (as William Osco)
Howard Ziehm	....	producer

Original Music by
Ralph Ferraro

Cinematography by
Howard Ziehm		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Abbas Amin

Production Design by
Michael Minor		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Donald Lee Harris		(as Donald Harris)

Costume Design by
Ruth Glunt

Makeup Department
Marcina Motter	....	assistant makeup artist
Bjo Trimble	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Abbas Amin	....	post-production supervisor

Art Department
Tom Reamy	....	properties
George Barr	....	designer: Penisaurus (uncredited)
Joseph Musso	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Brasher	....	sound recordist
Dan Dillon	....	sound re-recordist
Robert L. Harman	....	sound re-recordist (as Robert Harmon)
Nick Spaulding	....	assistant sound recordist
Jack R. Woltz	....	sound re-recordist (as Jack Woltz)

Special Effects by
Rick Baker	....	special properties
Michael Minor	....	special properties
Tom Scherman	....	special properties

Visual Effects by
Dave Allen	....	special visual effects (as David Allen)
Rick Baker	....	effects technician
Doug Beswick	....	effects technician (as Douglas Beswick)
Walter R. Cichy	....	special effects designer
Walter R. Cichy	....	special effects director
Jim Danforth	....	special visual effects (as Mij Htrofnad)
Bill Hedge	....	special effects photography
Michael Hyatt	....	special effects photography
Gregory Jein	....	effects technician (as Greg Jein)
Gregory Jein	....	special miniature construction (as Greg Jein)
Craig Nueswanger	....	effects technician
Lynn Rogers	....	special effects designer
Lynn Rogers	....	special effects director
Tom Scherman	....	special photographic effects
Russ Turner	....	effects technician
Howard Ziehm	....	special effects designer
Howard Ziehm	....	special effects director
Jim Aupperle	....	stop-motion animator (uncredited)
Robert Costa	....	special effects photography (uncredited)
Stephen Czerkas	....	effects technician (uncredited)
Jim Danforth	....	matte artist (uncredited)
Jim Danforth	....	stop-motion animator (uncredited)
Laine Liska	....	effects technician (uncredited)
Rob Maine	....	stop-motion animator (uncredited)
Michael Minor	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
Dennis Muren	....	effects technician (uncredited)
Dennis Muren	....	special photographic effects (uncredited)
Joe Viskocil	....	effects technician (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Walter R. Cichy	....	still photographer (as W.R. Cichy)
Bill Dannevick	....	lighting
Lynn Rogers	....	camera operator
Lynn Rogers	....	key grip

Music Department
Ralph Ferraro	....	music arranger
Peter Tevis	....	music producer

Other crew
Corny Cole	....	title designer
Bill Dannevick	....	set technician
Donald Lee Harris	....	set technician (as Don Harris)
John Rowe	....	set technician
John Sefick	....	set technician
Richard Serpe	....	set technician
John Talt	....	set technician

Production Companies

• Graffiti Productions

Distributors

• Mammoth Films (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Entertainment (UK) (theatrical)
• SND (1975) (France) (theatrical)
• Allied Entertainment Group (2000) (worldwide) (all media)
• Astro Distribution (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• CMV Laservision (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Danton Films (Canada)
• Entertainment (UK) (video)
• Front Row Entertainment (video)
• Hen's Tooth Video (USA) (DVD)
• Hen's Tooth Video (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• Media Home Entertainment (video)
• Video Dimensions (video)

Special Effects

• Cinema Research (special optical effects)
• Ray Mercer & Company (special optical effects) (as Ray Mercer)

Other Companies

• Corny Films  title design
• Magic Film Works  negative assembly

Also Known As:

Runtime:

78 min | USA:90 min (collector's edition) | 72 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | West Germany:18 | Australia:R | Austria:18 | Canada:16+ (Québec) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | France:-16 | New Zealand:R18 | Norway:16 (cut) | UK:18 | USA:R (edited for re-rating) (1975) | USA:X (original rating) | Netherlands:18

Company:

Graffiti Productions

Trivia:

For years, all of the standard sources reported that this film was edited from a hard-core "porno". However, when the "original, uncensored version" was released on video in the late 1990s, it proved to be only slightly more explicit than any previously released cut.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Flesh, Dale and Jerkoff's brief orgy on the way to the planet Porno Dale is seen starting to get dressed. In the next shot she is naked again, and stays naked until Jerkoff gives her something to wear.

Quotes:

Dr. Flexi Jerkoff:[to Flesh, looking at Little Nelly and her lesbian warriors] My God, Flesh! They're dykes!
Flesh Gordon:[Terrified] DYKES?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 1 (1996) (V)

An unusual and surprisingly successful blending of low budget genres

The filmmakers of Flesh Gordon spent so much effort lovingly recreating the look and feel of the original Flash Gordon serials of the 1930s that they actually created a soft porn movie with real (if very modest) cinematic worth. In fact, it's in some ways superior to the original Gordon flicks - particularly its special effects - with an extensive and surprisingly good use of stop-action animation.

Fortunately, sub-par acting is common in both porn and the old serials and this adds to the authentic feel of this parody. But there is also some genuine acting going on too. The best actors in the movie deliberately over-play their roles to wonderful effect. Emperor Wang and Dr. Flexi Jerkoff brilliantly recreate the essence of Emperor Ming and Dr. Zarkov. Craig T. Nelson gives the voice of the monster a kind of laid back (yet lewd) sophistication. It's a voice that reminds me of Bing Crosby, which makes the scene just plain weird.

What makes this film work is that instead following the usual porn formula of using the plot as a mere device to show sex, Flesh Gordon uses sex as the fundamental source its humor, enthusiastically blending the rather banal soft-core porn of the seventies with the hackneyed storylines of the thirties. The sex takes the hackney out of the story, and the story takes the banality out of the sex scenes.

Is this movie a masterpiece? Clearly... OBVIOUSLY... not. But it is distinctive and original. Flesh Gordon is an unusual case where the quite good and the very bad somehow manage to complement each other and average out to make a very entertaining movie.