Released in 1972 as a softcore pornographic send-up of the old Flash Gordon serials, Flesh Gordon features sfx scenes that are real gems. Master effects artists Jim Danforth, David Allen, Dennis Muren, Doug Beswick, James Aupperle and Steven Czerkas all contributed to the film’s look.
Go ahead and watch the whole movie. The story is silly and entertaining, and a bit of titillation is good for your soul.
A highlight of Flesh Gordon is the beetleman sword fight sequence, animated by Jim Danforth. You’ll recognize the character design from Pete Peterson’s bettlemen test reel. Danforth restored and upgraded one of Peterson’s stop-motion puppets, and it shines in Flesh Gordon (literally – it’s painted gold). His masterful animation of the sword fight outdoes even the sword-fighting skeleton from The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. I’m particularly impressed by the miniature staircase, which is more convincing than the corny plaster rocks that decorate the live-action set.
When I was eighteen I rented this movie from Captain Video on Market near Castro. I dubbed it onto a Betamax tape and (mostly) ignored everything except this scene.