Before the brightly colored cult film ‘Flash Gordon’, celebrated in the hit comedy ‘Ted’ and the start of the ‘Star Wars’ saga, space was more voluptuous: ‘Flesh Gordon’ was made in 1974 a mix of superhero comedy, sci-fi parody and sex filmwhich has long since become a cult following thanks to its shrill, strange double entendres, evocative, silly designs and memorable, eye-catching trick effects.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the cinematic excursion to Planet Porno is getting a long-awaited home theater upgrade: “Flesh Gordon” will be released on Blu-ray for the first time in German home theaters on February 22, 2024 – exclusively at Turbine as a limited media book!
In addition to the media book linked above with the German poster motif, there are three other alternatives with identical content: One with the Japanese poster motif*one with the French poster design* and one with that British poster design*. Super fans of “Flesh Gordon” can also get the discounted price Complete set with all four variants* to grasp. Whichever option you choose, you’ll get a packed home theater edition:
The 2-disc sets each contain the uncut version and the finished German film version of the lusty, strange space adventure. Good to know: in addition to the original sound, the synchro (completed for the first time) is also available! There is also the additional Super8 version of “Flesh Gordon”, which was made for the German market. Other bonuses:
A featurette about the differences between the German and American theater versions, a greeting from protagonist Jason Williams, an audio commentary from director Howard Ziehm and a 135-minute (!) conversation between film experts Dr. Rolf Giesen and Christian Genzel. It’s about “Flesh Gordon” and his charms and relevance. This orgy of extras is rounded out with a 64-page (!!) booklet about the origins and aftermath of sci-fi sex curiosity.
“Flesh Gordon”: The sensual (?) battle against the lustful apocalypse
Alarm, alarm! Intergalactic sex rays make people extremely, dangerously aroused. During a crash, a wild orgy breaks out on an airplane. Only a powerful ice hockey player (Jason Williams) and his lusty girlfriend (Suzanne Fields) survive the catastrophe. They then meet the scientist Dr. Flexi Juckow (Joseph Hudgins), who sends them in a phallic spaceship to the planet Porno, where they must defeat Emperor Hodes (William Dennis Hunt)…
On the planet Porno, the main characters also encounter lesbian Amazons, a gay heir to the throne who has been unlawfully stripped of his power, and a horde of rape robots. So slapstick and jokes are very important. So big that it is a delight for camp and waste fans. The fact that later trick effects masters such as Rick Baker worked on the low-budget effects gives “Flesh Gordon” extra appeal!
And if the story seems “too stupid” for you, according to Ziehm, who co-directed the film with Michael Benveniste, Universal Pictures wanted to take “Flesh Gordon” to court – the first act was too close to the first “Flash Gordon” film adaptation the thirties. That’s why “Flesh Gordon” starts with a disclaimer emphasizing that it is a parody. As if you wouldn’t have noticed otherwise…