''Sins of the Fleshapoids'' is a 1965

underground film An underground film is a film that is out of the mainstream either in its style, genre or financing. Notable examples include: John Waters' ''Pink Flamingos'', David Lynch's ''Eraserhead'', Andy Warhol's '' Blue Movie'', Rosa von Praunheim's '' ...

directed by

Mike Kuchar Mike Kuchar (born August 31, 1942 in New York City) is an American underground filmmaker, actor, and artist. Kuchar is notable for his low-budget and camp films such as '' Sins of the Fleshapoids'' and ''The Craven Sluck''. Biography Raised in The ...

. It is a low-budget,

campy Camp is an aesthetic style and sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its bad taste and ironic value. Camp aesthetics disrupt many of modernism's notions of what art is and what can be classified as high art by inverting ae ...

sci-fi movie about an android revolt a million years in the future after humans have become too lazy and selfish to take care of themselves.

Plot summary

One million years in the future, human beings have created a race of human-looking androids called Fleshapoids to fulfill their every desire. As a result, humans have become selfish and lazy as they no longer need to work or do anything to take care of themselves. One day, a Fleshapoid named Xar (Bob Cowan) revolts, kills his female human master (Gina Zuckerman) and hooks up with a female Fleshapoid named Melenka (Maren Thomas), who services Prince Gianbeno (

George Kuchar George Kuchar (August 31, 1942 – September 6, 2011) was an American underground film director and video artist, known for his "low-fi" aesthetic. Early life and career Kuchar trained as a commercial artist at the School of Industrial Art, now k ...

) and Princess Vivianna (Donna Kerness). While Xar and Melenka fall in love in secret, the marriage between the Prince and Princess is falling apart. As the Princess tries to deceive her husband and run away with her lover, Ernie (Julius Middleman), the Prince uncovers the Fleshapoids' illicit romance and attempts to stop them. But Xar flips out again and he and Melenka kill the Prince. But, with death also comes life, as Xar and Melenka's unusual lovemaking produces a cute baby robot.

Production

''Sins of the Fleshapoids'' was the first film

directed himself after co-directing movies with his twin brother

for many years. However, on the commentary track of the Other Cinema DVD release, Mike reveals that George did shoot a quick sequence in which a semi-nude Princess Vivianna admires herself in a mirror. The film was shot in 16mm and has a musical soundtrack, but all of the dialogue, rather than being spoken, is printed in giant word balloons that appear directly on the screen. Financing from the film came from the paychecks Mike Kuchar earned while working a day job as a photo retoucher. However, after the film became a modest midnight movie success, Mike was able to quit his job and live off of the income he made from ''Sins of the Fleshapoids'' and other films.

Reception and legacy

The film was a major influence on cult director

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

who has said that ''Sins of the Fleshapoids'' "really shows what an underground movie was."John Waters' Extremely Strange DVD Favorites : NPR
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References

External links

* * * {{rotten-tomatoes, sins_of_the_fleshapoids, Sins of the Fleshapoids 1960s science fiction films Films shot in 16 mm film 1960s avant-garde and experimental films 1960s English-language films