Sleazy Sci-Fi of the 1970s

Secret Key Motion Pictures (2010)

R1 DVD

Web: http://www.alternativecinema.com

Grindhouse was a genre of (mostly) cheaply produced films for the non-mainstream cinema market (or, in Australia, the late night drivein shows). They usually had fairly low production values and costs and featured a higher amount of naked flesh than was necessary for the plot. In this collection we have three grindhouse films with a science fiction theme. Unusually one is German and is noticeably higher quality than its U.S. equivalents.

Invasion of the Bee Girls

In a research laboratory in a small town the compulsory evil scientist (female this time) is trying to turn women into the equivalent of queen bees. Since the purpose of the queen bee is to mate and produce offspring that’s what her females do. Unfortunately at the moment of climax the men die. So many men dying with their pants around their ankles is bound to cause comment so an agent of the Dept of the Interior is sent to investigate. The film has an unbelievable plot, not much acting skill, but lots of semi-naked women to make up for it. The transfer from film to DVD is pretty poor, though, but viewable.

Dr Dildo’s Secret

The Doctor is scared of real women after his rough treatment at their hands as a boy. Now he is making his own in his basement, using such incredible scientific advances as a clock and a tape recorder. He brings them to life through sex and seems to have created the perfect woman. Or has he? What happens when his secret gets out? Or when his female stock get loose?

2069: A Sex Odyssey

German, high budget (comparatively speaking), and although the title sounds like another well known SF film the only similarity is the name. An all-female planet is running out of sperm to reproduce. They have come to earth to collect some but they aren’t quite sure how the whole process works – something about “rubbing the man’s funnybone” they seem to recall. The plot is not particularly intelligent but is more than compensated by good photography, attractive women, a moderately funny script and a good transfer to DVD.

None of these films went anywhere near the quality of Flesh Gordon, which I have always regarded as the best of this type. Even so, this collection is a good example of the range of film available in this part of the grindhouse genre. The only extra is a selection of trailers from other grindhouse films.

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No. 3 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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