Sextraterestrials (1999)
VCA DVD (region 0 NTSC)

d. Fred J. Lincoln; cast. James Bonn, Tina Tyler, Randy Spears, Halli Ashton, Katie Gold, Julian, Teri Starr, Taylor St. Claire, Vicca (100 mins)

The hardcore porno genre has often parodied or, if you will, “pornographized” mainstream works. 

The mainstream-source adaptation is indeed a standard and popular sub-genre within hardcore, with its own system of allusions covering content.  Although such movie homages are often primarily in-name only parodies, with only passing regard for all else, some do make an effort to consistently comment upon the mainstream source material as much as they may appropriate its contents.  So it is that Fred J. Lincoln’s Sextraterestrials owes its premise to not only science fiction as a genre but specifically to the small screen legacy of TV’s hugely popular The X-Files, itself already turned into a series of sexually-inspired softcore porn tales in The Sex Files for cable entrepreneurs.  As The X-Files was something of a late C20th pop-culture phenomenon, inspiring an adoring cult feeding off of the episodes, books and movies that followed the series, this would seem fertile ground for the continued pornographization of culture.  With the sexual tension of the series a common talking point amongst fans, a taking off point was already in existence.  However, Sextraterestrials ultimately fell into the trap of many such parodies, exhibiting only the slightest regard for its generic source material – not only the TV show, but science fiction in general – and instead focusing on the banal, routine aspects of the pornographic medium.

Two federal agents, named Muldane and Scuzzy (Tina Tyler and James Bonn: previously teamed in the superb Models) are on the trail of alien visitors to Earth in the hope of finding out the reasons for the apparent defection of one of the previous agents sent on this trail. 

On a road, they examine the signs of intercourse linked to alien presence.  In their possession is a videotape apparently offering evidence of alien visitation.  Tyler thus explains that the aliens have been documenting their every move on Earth.  When Bonn views the tape it is in the form of a series of pornographic episodes.  Tyler elaborates the alien plot: pirating cable TV signals in preparation for discovering sex – the alien species were produced entirely in the laboratory.  Bonn watches the video extracts as the film then dwells on these extracts and is punctuated by brief bits of dialogue between the agents as a framing device.  The extracts unfold in what seems a deserted tourist venue on a Western theme.  In the first encounter, an alien male watches a couple have intercourse.  Subsequently, the alien males engage one woman in a threesome and a seeming tourist (Vicca) also with a video camera is approached and seduced.  Finally Bonn watches the defection of the former agent when showing an alien woman about sex.  The two agents split up to explore the area although it seems that Bonn is involved in a secret plan to entrap Tyler.

The film’s intriguing premise, which would later be used in the mainstream Mike Nichols sci-fi comedy What Planet Are You From?, is spelled out in the first few minutes and barely referenced as a plot point ever again. 

Indeed, Sextraterestrials is wholly unable to fuse its expositional storyline into its sexual scenes in any engaging manner.  Instead, the sex scenes stand out as set up in premise but perfunctory and thus episodic with the surrounding “plot” merely a sparse context – a framing device revealed in banal exposition rather than really dramatized.  Only towards the end, in Bonn’s machinations to entrap his partner, is there the hint of a bureaucratic power struggle within the federal agency in question.  However, this is handled by director Lincoln with a rather tongue-in-cheek misogyny: that the powerful Tyler gets her comeuppance and that the male agent is restored to a position of true potency and mastery.  This concern for male dominated power plays informs all the sex scenes, with the possible exception of Vicca’s involvement, and seems very much a Lincoln concern as such masculine dominance would also inform his later, even more episodic, pseudo-horror movie Last Whore House on the Left.  After setting up its science-fiction premise, Lincoln here just refuses to elaborate on it in any truly discursive manner.  Instead, he turns his attention to the sex numbers as indicative of an on-going process of power definition.

In this, there is one intriguing theme running through the film.  As mentioned in the film’s opening exposition, the aliens have been monitoring cable TV broadcasts as a means of sexual arousal. 

In this way is at least suggested a process of a kind of individual sexual self-actualization precipitated by exposure to erotic culture.  With Lincoln’s visual stress on shots of penetration and the ubiquitous money shot in particular, it seems that the orgasm here is the essence of human being – needed to validate existence and identity.  The aliens then are less extra-terrestrial figures that symbols of the innate drive for sexual self-definition as the quality of humanity that alone offers actualization.  This acquisition of a sexual identity in the practice of sexual technique is thus the human will-to-being.  However, Lincoln must finally relate this to male authority as the governing perspective.  Hence, the initial curious aliens are male, whilst the females discover sex merely in order to contextualize the defection from the agency of a male agent.  Likewise, although Tyler appears the dominant agent, the rather add on aspects of gender infighting within the agency serve to re-establish Bonn as the superior figure.  Although there is a fear that reproductive technology will render the human sexual processes obsolete, this is, like all the film’s themes, not treated to any discursive ideation and remains sub-textual, unrecognized by the filmmakers.

DVD DETAILS:

Vision
The fullscreen visual transfer of this shot on video work is competent throughout.  It is all filmed in and around the one location and the sex scenes vary with the buildings on this rather touristy site (a makeshift dude ranch of sorts) – ranging from indoors to a shower scene.  The opening credits sequence is an effective demonstration of video graphic special effects but sadly for a supposed science fiction work, there are no subsequent effects works in the movie itself.  Much of the framing device consists of two people talking by the side of a road before wandering through the site, and whatever pace is consistently leisurely.  On viewing the incriminating videotape, black and white images change to color to signify entry into the alien-documented world of the video.  Although the setting is unusual and the camera position has some panning work throughout, much of the sex is merely functional.  However, there is a very self-conscious voyeurism motif throughout, with everything being watched by someone or videotaped: everything in this world exists to be seen – sex seen through alien eyes, aliens watched watching and having sex.  Thus, there are layers of self-reflexivity about watching constantly surrounding and even framing the emphasis on close-ups of genital action.  Some low and tilted camera work seeps into the film although some angles expose more detail than wanted – Vicca’s breast surgery scars for instance.

Sound
The sound transfer is a capable Dolby Digital stereo, advertised as “CD quality”.  However, there is little room in this design for any audio effects within the stereo soundscape and thus the sound is at its musical fullest during the opening credits.  These opening credits feature a nice use of radio waves extending out into space, recalling the film Contact.  The background score can be repetitive within the episode although overall tries for different tonal qualities and a succession of differing musical genres (ranging from country and western to techno to Euro mood music) to add some individuality to the episodes.  The expected moans of pleasure are edited into it, combining the diegetic and the extra-diegetic in the typical porno movie fashion.  The wooden dialogue is mouthed indifferently by the cast, although the sense of near robotic alien speech is slyly amusing at times.  Vicca’s European accent adds a touch of the exotic to the proceedings.  A motif is made of the framing device of running commentary by the agents in between the episodes, to the point where the film finally becomes enmeshed in their private rivalries and power battle.  Isolated diegetic effects work well, such as the noise of running water during the shower sex scene with Vicca.  However, other than some minimal effects caught by direct sound recording on site, the design here is dominated by the background score, the sounds of pleasure and the little dialogue.

Special Features

In the way of special features are cast profiles, offering VCA credits only for Tina Tyler, Teri Starr and Taylor St. Claire.  There is also a promotional video for VCA interactive and previews for Cashmere, Sex Commandos and Devil in Miss Jones 6.  In addition is a photo gallery of film stills from Sextraterestrials.