During the ’70s and ’80s, science fiction became squeaky clean thanks to George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and others who were all about PG Rated fun. The days of Mars needing women were over as any movie with a rocket meant the cast was chaste. With all the money the producers have to spend on special effects, you’d figure they’d want to save a few bucks and lose the wardrobe for a few scenes. But these science prudes don’t think UFOs have showers. Luckily during the golden age of ’90s Erotic Thrillers, a few producers realized that the viewers renting their tapes at Video Bar might be interested in a brand of sensual science fiction.
Galaxy Girls (1997 – 95 minutes) is a close encounter of the frisky kind. Three women rent a house with a pool in the high desert outside of Los Angeles. Cindy (Cellblock Sisters: Banished Behind Bars‘ Gail Thackray), Becky (Heather Ford) and Shauna (The Escort III‘s Yvette McClendon) arrive for their weekend of relaxation to find a strange woman sunbathing by the pool. She’s not the landlord they were expecting. She cooks them dinner by just throwing uncut veggies in a giant pot. Two goofy government agents are roaming area looking for signs of an alien spacecraft. The ladies stumble upon the UFO and discover their strange hostess covered in goo. Instead of sticking around since they paid for the weekend, the trio pack their skimpy clothes and hop in the convertible to get home. But their escape gets derailed by a coyote that might be an alien. They also encounter an awkward hiker name Matt (Bernie Van De Yacht) who has a rather strange story about why he’s camping. Is he one of the good aliens or bad aliens loose in the woods? Director Scott Harris doesn’t try to spice up the big alien chase with a spontaneous shower scene. But once the chase is over, we get to see that Mars still needs some human ladies. Matt knows how to rock one of the ladies’ world. The science fiction element inside the spaceship has all the production value of a ’70s Doctor Who episode. There are cameos from Jim Wynorski, Fred Olen Ray and Monquie Parent. You won’t want to run away from Galaxy Girls.
Petticoat Planet (1996 – 75 minutes) takes us off Earth to a land that needs a good cowboy. A colonized planet that has a wild west theme hasn’t had a man in quite some time. This makes things easy for Sheriff Sarah Parker (Lesli Kaye of The Bold and the Beautiful & As The World Turns) since the ladies get along. She’s got time to dance at the local saloon with Mayor Westwood (Friday 13th: The New Blood‘s Elizabeth Kaitan) and a little roll in the hay afterward. Early in the morning, the town gets a shock when a man is rescued from his crashed spaceship. Steve Rogers (Team Knight Rider‘s Troy Vincent) wakes up in the bar run by Lily (Lurid Tales: The Castle Queen‘s Betsy Lynn George). She tells him what happened to the men. While he seems excited to be at an all women world, he’s got to get back to his mission. The ladies have no intention in letting him launch. The sheriff locks him up and gives him an extra special frisking through the bars. The mayor puts him on trial and his sentence is sharing a bathtub. This is better than the times Star Trek and Lost In Space ended up with cowboy plots. If the wild West town looks familiar, they are using the same sets from the science fiction Westerns Oblivion and Backlash: Oblivion 2. There’s not much science fiction elements on the screen since the focus is on Steve taking turns with the ladies. Not to be too shocking, but director Ellen Cabot is really prolific director David DeCoteau (Deceived by My Mother-In-Law). The dialogue is full of Gen X references between the hook ups. Steve makes a Cop Rock joke and references Spacely’s Sprockets from The Jetsons. Forget going to Mars, I want conquer Petticoat Planet.
The double feature of Galaxy Girls and Petticoat Planet has two films you’d rent from Phar-Mor VHS section in the ’90s when you wanted a science fiction evening without feeling too nerdy. These films understand that people want to feel a little bit of intergalactic intrigue with a cast not covered in alien masks. Why not a little seduction instead of just alien abduction? Galaxy Girls and Petticoat Planet are perfect for a ’90s blast off to the stars.
The Video is 1.33:1 full frame. Both films appear to be shot on film and edited on standard definition video. They were made for the video market. The Audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo. You’ll hear the freaky science fiction noises on the UFO. The movies are subtitled.
Trailers for Different Strokes, Forbidden Passions, Galaxy Girls, Lurid Tales of the Castle Queen, Midnight Temptations, Midnight Temptations 2, Petticoat Planet, Stripshow, Target of Seduction and Ultimate Taboo. All these films are out from Skin Max on double feature DVDs.
Skin Max presents Galaxy Girls & Petticoat Planet. Directed by Scott Harris & Ellen Cabot (really David DeCoteau). Screenplay by Tony Assenza & Matthew Jason Walsh. Starring Gail Thackray, Yvette McClendon, Heather Ford, Bernie Van De Yacht, Elizabth Kaitan, Troy Vincent and Leslie Kay Sterling. Disc Content: 2 movies on 1 DVD. Rating: Rated R. Release Date: April 23, 2024.
