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.

More or less that is. There is a disclaimer at the beginning that tells the audience, that this has nothing to do with the "real" Flash Gordon. Something I only realized when I got the DVD that I bought blindly on ebay. I thought two Gordon movies for the price of one, is excellent. But that is not the reason, I only gave it a weak rating. Nor the fact that this was actually meant to be a porn movie did influence my vote. You can still see the bad cutting away from some scenes, though it seems those explicit scenes might be "lost" forever due to cuts the director had to make, because of an impending lawsuit back when they released it.No, the movie did age badly and while some humor still works, most of it doesn't. I love the passion (no pun intended) that they showed (there is also an audio commentary), but the performances just don't cut it and the story is too paper thin to really work. I guess you can watch it once out of curiosity, but you might not have the strength to watch it through

Everything from ROBINHOOD to KING KONG gets a whack from this early 1970s parody of the 1930s FLASH GORDON serial, which has a story line in keeping with the sexual revolution of the times. A mysterious "sex" ray that turns otherwise normal people into sex maniacs is plaguing the earth--and is eventually traced to the planet Porno, ruled by evil Emperor Wang. And so our hero Flesh, his lady love Dale Ardor, and their scientific genius Dr. Jerkoff set out for planet Porno to defeat Wang... only to find themselves victims of his REALLY kinky ways!As film-making goes, the quality of this parody is often quite poor, the material itself is extremely uneven, and the performers merely so-so--but what the filmmakers lack in experience they more than make up for in imagination. Witness the attack of the dreaded Penisaurus! Behold Prince Precious' Reward! Beware the initiation of the underground lesbians! With everything from stop-motion animation monsters to some truly Freudian art design, cult-film fans and most others will probably find lots to enjoy.There are two versions of the film, one "uncut." In truth there is little difference between the two. Although I would not describe either as pornography there is a great deal of nudity there are one or two couples well gone into X territory in various crowd scenes--whatever the case, it's not the sort of thing you want to throw in the DVD player for your fifteen year old's birthday party; it's better left to the grown-ups, especially those who recall the period in which it was made.Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

While it is most definitely a porny, the writer, director, and cast clearly did their homework. Everything from the lighting design to the scene wipes were solidly based in the classic Buster Crabbe "Flash Gordon" series. The SFX so closely duplicate the effects of the 30's SF films, and are a delight for any adult who remembers seeing Flash Gordon save the Universe in 13 episodes. One of the best scenes is, of course, the Monster vs. Flesh. Animated in the classic Willis O'Brien/Ray Harryhausen style, it's a treat to behold. Not to mention funny and sharp. However the Rapist Robots, and the swordfight scene come in as close second and third.The storyline is coherent (a rarity for a XXX feature), and the actors clearly are having a lot of fun making it...so to speak. Admittedly, the sex and nudity isn't for everyone, but for those who enjoy a well-built film as well as a (mostly) well-built cast, it's a treat. Make sure you get the "directors cut" wide screen version.