Gayniggers From Outer Space

Here’s a true oddity: a short film made in the early 90s that parodies old 50s sci fi by throwing in a lot of straight-faced gay jokes. I can’t really say that I fully liked it, but at the same time I can’t really say that it didn’t have my undivided attention, either.

The film follows the crew of an alien spaceship from a deeply advanced race where women are extinct and men are perfectly happy. While out exploring the universe, they stumble across Earth, and their initial scouting expedition meets with disaster when they come face to face with wild, hedonistic women that seem to have come straight out of a speakeasy. Armed with this news, the entire crew decides that it is their solemn mission to save this planet by using their ray guns to wipe out every last woman on the planet.

The visual and audio style is a large part of what makes the film entertaining. It really captures the cheesy, yet earnest look of those no-budget sci-fi efforts from the 50s, all black and white and shimmery. The special effects are dead-on, and the fact that it seems to have had all the dialogue and sound effects dubbed over just adds to the cheese factor (given that I first saw this done in Beast of Yucca Flats, a cheesy black and white science fiction movie from the 50s, sure doesn't hurt). There’s also a nice bit at the end when, after saving Earth from women, the film suddenly shifts into color as we get to witness the new paradise that all the men can enjoy (as they go swimming in their tighty whiteys). This isn’t a perfect movie (the overwhelming need, for instance, to give every crewmember a gag gay name like Sgt. Shavedballs is a little tiring), but for a 27 minute long film it certainly entertains well enough.

Rating: **