The Sex Monster (1999)

Director:

Mike Binder

Writer (WGA):

Mike Binder (written by)

Release Date:

15 May 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

A comedy that answers the question "What would happen if your wife said yes to a menage-a-trois... and loved it!"

Plot:

Marty Barnes gets more than he wishes for when he asks his wife to join him in a menage-a-trois. She loves it and he has created a Sex Monster.

Plot Keywords:

Contractor | Sex | Secretary | Tied Up | Ménage À Trois

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Mariel Hemingway	...	Laura Barnes
Mike Binder	...	Marty Barnes
Renée Humphrey	...	Didi
Taylor Nichols	...	Billy
Missy Crider	...	Diva
Christopher Lawford	...	Dave Pembroke
Joanna Heimbold	...	Evie Pembroke
Kevin Pollak	...	Dr. Jerry Berman
Stephen Baldwin	...	Murphy
Anita Barone	...	Carol
Kara Zediker	...	Ellen
Marisol Nichols	...	Lucia
Holland Taylor	...	Muriel
Melissa Denton	...	Salon Customer
Noah Stone	...	Danny
Jim Killeen	...	Henry
Robin Curtis	...	Woman on Street
Nancy Mura	...	Woman on Street
Judy Scheer	...	Woman on Street
Karen Dyer	...	Woman on Street / Sex Monster Dancer
Kathleen Mahoney	...	Bartender
Andy Fitzgerald	...	Andy (as Andrew Horen)
Crystal Kwon	...	Sex Monster Dancer
Anne Noelle	...	Sex Monster Dancer
Denise Cueba	...	Sex Monster Dancer
Kimberly Jameson	...	Sex Monster Dancer
Michele Bachar	...	Sex Monster Dancer
Krista Buonauro	...	Sex Monster Dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shaune Bagwell	...	Woman on Street (uncredited)
Ben L. McCain	...	Radio Shock Jock (uncredited)
Butch McCain	...	Radio Shock Jock (uncredited)

Directed by
Mike Binder

Writing credits (WGA)
Mike Binder		(written by)

Produced by
Sharon Bialy	....	associate producer
Jack Binder	....	producer
Marc Frydman	....	executive producer
James Harbaugh	....	executive producer (as Jim Harbaugh)
Beth Maloney Jelin	....	associate producer (as Beth M. Jelin)
Peter Savarino	....	executive producer
Scott Stephens	....	producer

Cinematography by
Keith L. Smith

Film Editing by
Erik C. Andersen
Lee Grubin

Casting by
Sharon Bialy

Production Design by
Katie Lipsitt

Art Direction by
Chuck Dutrow

Set Decoration by
Rosie Tupta

Costume Design by
Caroline B. Marx

Makeup Department
Nanci Cascio	....	additional hair stylist
Daniel Curet	....	hair stylist
Cristina Fabiani	....	additional makeup artist
Francie Hart	....	additional hair stylist
Brigitte Hennech	....	additional makeup artist
Sergio Lopez-Rivera	....	key makeup artist
Deborah Mills-Whitlock	....	key hair stylist
Cherilyn Tinnerello	....	additional hair stylist

Production Management
Jack Binder	....	unit production manager
B. Ted Deiker	....	production supervisor
Michael J. Harker	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jennifer Cook	....	second assistant director
Lynn K. D'Angona	....	first assistant director (as Lynn d'Angona)

Art Department
Josh Bendon	....	art department production assistant
Victoria Littman	....	on-set dresser

Sound Department
Sarah Brady	....	adr supervisor
John Brasher	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Chornow	....	sound mixer: second unit
Eric Emery	....	boom operator
Erik Emery	....	boom operator
Cormac Funge	....	sound effects editor
Carlos Isais	....	foley recordist
Bill Jenkins	....	production sound mixer
Jerry Jordan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Rick MacLane	....	sound engineer
Gina Nuccio	....	adr assistant
Elizabeth Rainey	....	foley artist
Scott Rusch	....	foley recordist
Renee Sabath	....	dialogue assistant
Mikael Sandgren	....	dialogue editor
Brian Smith	....	adr recordist
Christopher Sposa	....	boom operator: second unit (as Chris Sposa)
Michael Wetherwax	....	adr editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Nicolas Amato	....	second best boy electric
Richard Avalon	....	additional second assistant camera
Elliot Baum	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Stephen Briggs	....	best boy grip
Sidney Brisco	....	electrician
Glen Brown	....	additional first assistant camera (as Glen Brown)
Glen Ade Brown	....	assistant camera
Marc Cole	....	Steadicam operator (as Marcus Cole)
David DeForest Keys	....	first assistant camera (as David DeForest)
Nicola Goode	....	still photographer
Danny Hernandez	....	electrician
Travis Huston	....	best boy grip: second unit (as Travis S. Huston)
Shane D. Kelly	....	gaffer: second unit (as Shane Kelly)
Erik Loysen	....	key grip
Dale Obert	....	electrician
Mark Petersen	....	director of photography: additional photography
Ben Plotkin	....	gaffer
Viki Redding	....	second assistant camera
Erik Rodgers	....	best boy electric
Rachel Schwimmer	....	camera loader
Martijn Veltman	....	dolly grip: second unit (as Martin Veltman)
John Paul Zawacki	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Shana Landsburg	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alicia Osborne	....	costumer
Nadine Reimers	....	costume supervisor
Ric Spencer	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Ryan Posly	....	post-production assistant
Jim Williams	....	color timer

Music Department
Dondi Bastone	....	music supervisor
Dick Bernstein	....	music editor

Other crew
Laura Aaronson	....	set production assistant
Caleb Bacon	....	set production assistant
Greg Beesemyer	....	assistant to director
Jennifer Bies	....	set production assistant
Sarah Harwich	....	set production assistant: second unit
Denis Hennelly	....	production coordinator (as Denis Henry Hennelly)
Jeremy Horelick	....	set production assistant: second unit
Travis Hurt	....	set production assistant: second unit
Amanda Kronenberg	....	set production assistant
Christian Linton	....	set production assistant
Ed Lippman	....	location manager
Diane Macke	....	set production assistant
Milos Milicevic	....	set production assistant
Mary Mitchel	....	script supervisor (as Mary M. Patton)
Karyn 'Pitch' Pitchley	....	assistant: Ms Hemingway
Amy Rubin	....	set production assistant
Pamela Russell	....	production accountant
Andrew Guy Sanborn	....	set production assistant
David Steiman	....	key set production assistant
Fred Tallaksen	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Greentrees Films
• Sun-Lite Pictures (II)
• Trimark Pictures

Distributors

• Filmax Home Video (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• SBP (2000) (Argentina) (DVD)
• SBP (2000) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Trimark Pictures

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content including dialogue and for language

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Germany:16 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Finland:K-16 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Greentrees Films

Goofs:

Continuity: After the game in the pool, Laura runs to the bedroom. Marty runs after her and has nothing in hands as he reaches the door. But when he enters the bedroom he holds and drops a bath towel.

Quotes:

Marty Barnes:Listen to me, you're taking the whole thing way too far. You're tying women up and you're gagging them now! That's too far! What's next? I'm gonna come home one day and you're gonna be performing surgery on some girl?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Creating 'The Upside of Anger' (2005) (V)

A wacky and entertaining sex farce

This low budget sex farce surprised me and turned out to be a madcap and funny comedy. Laura (Mariel Hemingway) and Marty (Mike Binder) are a regular couple with an ordinary sex life. But Marty is obsessed with a fantasy where he and Laura have a threesome with another woman. He goads her semi-seriously and when she finally shows some interest, he convinces her to invite over a girl from work who has been coming on to her.

But Marty soon learns that you have to be careful what you wish for. After an initial reluctance, Laura gets into it and finds she likes it. We're talking SERIOUS liking here. Marty is initially ecstatic that his fantasy has been fulfilled, but now that he has opened Pandora's Box (so to speak), he is not prepared for the Sex Monster that emerges. Laura becomes a sex crazed Lesbian nymphomaniac and proceeds to seduce all their female friends. This leads to numerous awkward situations, some zany, some silly and some just downright hilarious.

This film is just rollicking good fun. The sex is mostly implied, so if you were hoping to see Mariel Hemingway or anyone else naked, you are pretty much out of luck. There is a lot of moaning and bed shaking but nothing really provocative other than a couple of girl kissing scenes. But explicit sex isn't what this movie is about. It's about the comedy, and the comedy works, so it is just as well.

This is really the Mike Binder show. He wrote, directed and starred in the film. He didn't really excel in any of these roles, but somehow the whole exceeded the sum of the parts. He gave a generally droll performance which was occasionally terrible but more often comical. He was at his best when he was being tormented by Laura's obsession as he tried desperately to get the sex genie back in the bottle.

Mariel Hemingway was terrific in this film and made it truly funny. This is her second role with a bisexual theme having appeared in the heavy handed 'Personal Best' where she was an athlete who alternated between sleeping with her male coach and a female teammate. Her performance in this part was far better and she turns out to be a much better comedian than dramatic actress. She has a great ability to make humorous use of her 6 foot frame and made the most of the many sight gags in the script.

I rated this movie a 7/10. It doesn't redefine the genre, but it is a wacky sex farce that has more than its share of funny moments. If you are offended by profanity, sexual situations and lesbianism, you definitely want to skip it. But if you like a light hearted and offbeat roll in the hay flick, you'll probably enjoy it.