|

Editing film is, quite possibly, the most fun one can have outside of a bedroom. Hmm. And outside of a Baskin Robbins -- but that's another story. Creating a something from a horde of bits can be quite addicting. The problem, though, as George Snow (of Us Sinners fame) was so keen to point out once, is one needs something *to* edit. If you're a demented overachiever, such as Mr. Snow, you circumvent that pesky obstacle by going out and writing, funding, casting, directing, and ultimately filming a movie to edit. However, Mike Davis and company came up with a solution that would give any stay-at-home cinephile a glimmer of hope: they spliced together other movies, creating their own editing play land.
Thus we arrive at what is billed as "The First 100% Green Movie." Culled from cheesy sci-fi films that have fallen into the public domain pasture, stock footage and stag films, Sex Galaxy reacquaints the masses with a simpler, though less wholesome, style of film. I'd say it was a long time coming. Who with a heart can watch the grainy, fishing lines, and aluminum foil robot dreams of yesteryear and not wish there was another one -- a new one -- to see? In this day of lackluster economy, and beating away the doldrums with internet porn, a naughty, green romp that doesn't further burden our planet's dwindling resources with elaborate sets and indulgent car chases could just be the back alley zeitgeist we need.
Of course, nothing is ever, truly, 100% green. Going into Sex Galaxy, I had this nutty idea the entire film -- audio track and all -- had been spliced together. That would have been a new kind of headache to watch for an hour and a half. Luckily, it quickly became apparent this was not the case. What Davis has orchestrated is a re-launch of Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women, with over forty-four other film sources thrown in. |
|
There is a fandom for re-dubbed films -- for some geeky souls, manually synching The Wizard of Oz to Dark Side of the Moon just isn't good enough. Freaky, Mad Libs experiments with films become hot items in VHS Ebay underground. I have to say, though, for me, a new voice track slapped onto an entire film just doesn't usually work unless there's a guy and two bots at the bottom of the screen. In this case, however, Sex Galaxy goes well beyond a basement audio do-over -- and surprises with periodic bursts of bosoms and bombshells. The film begins with the Earth in a sad state of affairs. Overpopulation has tipped the scales of global warming to rather catastrophic consequences. Drought, rampant inflation and recycled urine, though, do not even begin to compare to the most grave of those consequences: Pre-marriage fornication has been outlawed! Two astro-plumbers and a space tourist are on their way to save a space station from a fecal pummeling, when their loins begin to ache more and more for those days of whores gone by. A stroke of divine intervention unveils when enough time is left of their space cruise for the trio to embark on locating a population of sex-starved women rumored to be on a nearby planet... The most enjoyable films are those which take the presence of mind to wedge in the little things. Granted, most of the little things Sex Galaxy presents aren't so little. When I say there are "surprises with periodic bursts of bosoms" I don't mean glorified boy-chests of underfed Hollywoodites -- nor do I mean the silicon heavies of other, more doctored, Hollywoodites. These breasts are breasts. Meaty. Real. And.. wow. Right there. I hope I'm not alone in watching, and saying, "Oh! So, THAT'S what was on those stag reels!" Really, though, any fan of Harry Novak is sure to get a bit of a perk. All of which probably makes Sex Galaxy sound much more sex filled than it is. One doesn't see sex in 60's sci-fi -- that rule remains intact. Sex Galaxy is a romp, above all. Its magic lies in the details, especially the unexpected vocals.  | The sex-crazed vixens do exist, but the poor, shapely honeys are being ruled by an oppressive robot. Wron, the robot, really is the star of the film. His form is clunky, and dome-headed -- but profile shots of the pimp-bot (I keep wanting to say, "metallic dictator" but at no point does the robot molest the women, and I certainly don't want to falsely arouse the robot fetishists among us) reveal an uncanny resemblance to an Italian body builder from the Bronx. That said, the voice wavers between a black, or Italian body builder from the Bronx. Who is a pimp. At least, that was my take.
|
Where Wron's lines are spot on, there are some meanderings in the general dialogue which drop the ball a bit, here and there. I don't think it's a case of poor artistry, rather, more a case of me just being a chick. If I had a penis, I probably would have thought the potty humor was a slice of fried gold. Aside from that, and perhaps a bit too much time spent circling the drain in the shuttle initially, Sex Galaxy is a fun watch. Also of note is the story of Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women, itself. IMDB explains of VthPoPW, "This is actually a re-edited version of a film previously released in the U.S. as Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965), which itself was an edited and dubbed version of the Soviet film Planeta Bur (1962)." Re-editing a re-edit of a re-edit. That is a piece of perfection. Did I mention there's a scary part in Sex Galaxy? Oh, there is. It had me curling in my toes and pulling the cover all the way up to my chin -- and I don't even *have* a penis. So, do, gather your friends and take a trip to the Sex Galaxy. It is perfect fodder for a gathering. Even though it's actually just a planet. (For More Info on Sex Galaxy, Visit: http://www.myspace.com/302891224 |  |
Contact Angela Mac:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
|