Don't listen to the negative reviews

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Space Thing (1968) * 1/2 (out of 4) Corny, low-budget sexploitation film from producer David Friedman has nerdy husband James Granilla (Steve Vincent) too caught up in his sci-fi comics to pay much attention to his beautiful and horny wife. Later in the film, a look-a-like of the same character (and same actor), but now an alien, takes human form and enters a spaceship where there are plenty of beautiful women.SPACE THING is one of the best known sexploitation films out there but I honestly don't see why. I guess the science fiction might bring a few people to the film who wouldn't normally watch these softcore films but there's very little here in regards to entertainment. The film was obviously shot on a shoestring budget but this adds some campy charm and especially with the ultra cheap sets. The film also manages to load up on the beautiful women and as you'd expect there's non-stop nudity from start to end.I really wouldn't be shocked if this thing had a lower budget than PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE or ROBOT MONSTER. Those two films were so bad yet they're entertaining and rather charming. I can't say the same thing about SPACE THING because it's just too slow for its own good.

It's the year 2069; Col. Granilla is a Planetarian, an alien in human disguise so that he can infiltrate the space ship of Captain Mother, whose crew is basically made up of females that like to strut around in little clothing. These Terranians really confuse and disgust him in the way they perform their intimate ways, as most of the girls have really got it for Granilla and the feisty lesbian Captain Mother doesn't like the idea of her girls getting it on with men. So he becomes caught up in a tussle between Captain Mother, a couple girls and one of the two men who's incredibly jealous of his intentions. But there's more a greater purpose for him being on the ship and that's to stop them reaching his planet.Oh boy this should be a true stinker, just look at the film's outline. True I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but this inter-galactic, exploitation z-grade production has some sort of trashy appeal to it, because you won't see anything quite like it. That appeal would be in the slightest of doses, though. This surely would've been rated one of the worst films of all time if not for its exploitative context which is why it probably went by unnoticed. It's bad, real bad but entertaining in certain aspects of this awfulness and amateur set-up. On this occasion I would say its one of those times when the commentary on the DVD outdoes the actual feature. The producer David F Friedman spends the beginning talking up how bad it is and I tend to agree with him when he claims that 'Plan 9 from Outer space' has a new contender, and it really makes Plan 9 look like an epic, yep that's true. I'm not exaggerating! What we get here is buckets of female nudity and soft-core sexual acts. There's definitely no innuendo going one here! To begin with is a drawn out prologue involving man reading Sci-fi stories while his wife is complaining about that's all he does and she's sexually depraved. Well, not too long we get our first sexual play and then it moves into its nude space story that he might be dreaming about. It's either focusing on its cheap looking sets or that of the woman who are basically in little clothing, if none at times. Oh that might be great, but hell at times it got a bit tedious with the same old shots and actions occurring. Really, there's little if no plot but to stage one sexually passionate act and some ladies walking and lazing about in the nude after another. They seem to find an opportunity to just shove it in the film. Although don't expect it to be rather erotic, because it doesn't really have that effect. But who's to complain when the woman involved in this skin flick are rather ravishing to say the least. That especially goes to the busty Captain Mother who loves her lesbian action and (tamely) sadistic pleasure. Also were given a tongue in cheek narration, which flows throughout the feature and actually will raise a chuckle if you let it. I thought this one was of its better things, among the bad. The goofy script is better off, as it plays for a comedy and it does have some moments. The way this comes across as, it's like a parody on people having sex for the first time. Well, more so a parody on sex and love education for aliens. But the actual plot is nothing but little set pieces, which are set-up to prolong the running time, that's why some do come across rather repetitive and tedious. Really nothing does come off together. Well, it's mentioned on the commentary that they had a time limit to reach and with no real story, it was always going to be a hard ask to complete.The budget really shows. Cheap, that's very cheap. That's even if they had one? If I remember correctly the producer said on the commentary the budget was something just under $40. Yeah, I can believe that! As technically the shaky foundation is household items, with cardboard and model sets. Some props are just laughably bad that it looks all primitive with toys and conjured up items hanging by strings. The imagination truly blew me away… I wish. The only thing that had an ounce of freshness might have been how they staged the opening credits. But everything else is just plain horrifyingly inane from the soundtrack that's all over shop that it resembles that of cheesy elevator music to the disjointed and weirdly style of editing and the very intrusive camera-work that didn't venture away from its few and usual frames and angles. The constant heavy breathing during moments involving the characters getting it on had me questioning was that on camera or behind it? Both I say. The effects (maybe that's a overstatement?) are another story, as the explosion to end the story off seem to be out of time by already being on fire before exploding. It's a whopper! Also that spaceship, called the erection was a dish… I think (?) and sometimes seamlessly it didn't fit the size ratio that it's supposed be when on screen. There's even a moment involving a person going out to see if a planet is safe enough for them to leave their spaceship, but when he leaves the ship by it's door, there's no airlock. Therefore, possibly releasing dangerous gases into ship. Oh heck, forget about this as it was the limitations that caused this trash, but lovable trash… to some agrees;) Maybe I spent too much time on this, so I'll wrap it up.Nude in space with gallons of tempting female flesh and campy dialogue, that's about it. Nothing more and nothing less.

Much like Flesh Gordon, Space Thing is a porno movie from the days when they actually tried to be movies. It centers around an alien who takes human form to learn the ways of lovemaking. The women are refreshingly real looking but the guys ought to have worked out some more. If whip wielding sadist lesbians are your cup of tea, you can't go wrong with Space Thing.

If sex movies are your thing, then this is definitely for you! This is the rarest thing you'll ever come across, with a blend of science fiction and very attractive space girls, not to mention the silliest looking sets in movie history. So why am I canning a nice little sex show like SPACE THING? Let's face it, even after 30 years, it's still not regarded as wholesome valuable entertainment, and just like those expensive shot-on-video productions designed to drain away your apartment funds, it's a dramatic waste of your time and money! A little spice and cheesecake is alright, but too much sauce goes an awful long way! Leave this and other sexual garbage movies alone!!!