Another new Softcore film from Retromedia, recently released on DVD, written and directed by their resident filmmaker Dean McKendrick. This is the latest in an increasingly long line of “science fiction/outer space” themed movies from Mr. McKendrick. And I have to say that in this one he has come up with a pretty decent storyline.

Jazy Berlin plays an astronaut (just go with it) named Susan who, when the film opens, is training with another astronaut named Marty (Brandon Ruckdashel) to pilot a space shuttle into space to deliver supplies to a space station which is currently in orbit above the Earth. During a training exercise in a simulated space shuttle, Marty makes a big mistake that would have gotten them both killed in the real shuttle, and is summarily demoted by the NASA Director Johnson (Mike Gaglio). Director Johnson promotes fellow astronaut Pete (Daniel Hunter) to take Marty’s place and Pete and Susan have two weeks to train before they launch the shuttle. There is a recurring subplot that Susan has a crush on Pete, but he doesn’t notice her, which is hard to believe because, well, it’s Jazy Berlin. But, anyway, while celebrating his promotion that first night at a local bar, Pete meets a woman named Sasha (Karlie Montana) who throws herself at him and they begin dating.

Meanwhile Mary Cary plays NASA Deputy Director Stevens (seriously, just go with it) who is helping Director Johnson oversee Pete and Susan’s training. But we soon learn that she is secretly collaborating with Nikolai (Sergio Kardenas), whom is one of the astronauts up on the space station. They’re part of a terrorist plot to turn the space station into a powerful laser which can target and destroy any nation from space. Stevens has been arranging for the various components to be smuggled up to the space station so that Nikolai can convert the station. There’s only one small piece left to make the laser complete. And it turns out that Sasha is a spy that Stevens hired to seduce Pete, in order to trick Pete into tacking the piece with him when he gets to the space station, so that Nikolai can take it and finish the conversion. Danny Mountain and Cassandra Cruz play Brad and Sam, the two other astronauts on the space station, who are in a relationship and completly unaware of Nikolai’s true plans. After washing out of the NASA program, Marty gets a job working as an Intelligence Agent for the government, and he uncovers Sasha’s real identity, after Susan and Pete already arrive on the space station, and tries to get a message to them in time before Nikolai can finish the laser and put it to use.

Will Marty succeed before it’s too later, or will the world tremble before the mighty space laser? Well, NO SPOILERS, you’ll have to watch the film to find out…

So that’s the plot, now what about the sex scenes?

First up is Jazy Berlin and Brandon Ruckdashel. This one has fast techno-music playing, while the two go at it in the simulated version of the space shuttle. So it begins with Ruckdashel sitting in the pilot chair while Berlin rides him in reverse cowgirl, and ends with him doing her doggystyle while she stands up against the wall. This has Berlin and Ruckdashel doing more “hard” and fast pumping, not the slow romantic scenes that McKendrick directs in his other recent films. These two are usually both good actors but neither seemed really into it, and it was like they were going through the motions. Because of the set, it looks kind of cramped, plus it’s dark in there, so you can’t see everything as well.

This is a similar problem with the scenes on the space station set. Danny Mountain and Cassandra Cruz have a sex scene, although the music and the action is slower. It starts with kissing and then Mountain going down on Cruz, then he does her doggystyle up against the wall and it ends with him laying her on a table and doing her that way. And later Sergio Kardenes and Cassandra Cruz have sex too. That starts with kissing, she licks her way down his chest and goes down on him, then doggystyle against the wall, then reverse cowgirl on that table. Neither of the scenes really stand out, the actors are limited by the set in the number of positions they can do, making the scenes feel repetitive.

Daniel Hunter and Karlie Montana have a very good scene shortly after their characters meet. She takes him back to her place and they have a romantic scene (midtempo music) on her couch. Deep kissing, each going down on each other, then doggystyle and missionary. I noticed Montana’s facial expressions during her scenes, she really looks like she’s into it. She has two other sex scenes, including another B/G scene that is with Brandon Ruckdashel. It’s also back at her place, starting on a chair, moving to the couch, then back to the chair. There’s more deep kissing, and they actual simulate 69, which was interesting, before finishing in reverse cowgirl. And Montana and Mary Carey have a lesbian scene (the only one in this film), with them kissing, taking turns licking each other’s breasts and going down on each other, and then scissoring for the finish. Even though she’s not the cover girl of this DVD, I’d argue that Karlie Montana is the real star of this film.

The big final scene is a 4-way on the space station. Well, not exactly a 4-way. Jazy Berlin and Daniel Hunter have sex while Cassandra Cruz and Danny Mountain have sex next to them. It’s got uptempo music and we watch as both men nail the women while standing them up against the wall. Then the action moves to the table where the women sit on it as the men go down on them (and the two women lean over to each other and kiss). Then the couples abruptly switch partners, so Hunter does Cruz doggystyle on one side of the table while Mountain does Berlin doggystyle on the other side. The problem is, with two couples in the scene, neither couple gets full attention, which makes the scene unsatisfying.

I also have to add that Sergio Kardenas has a very thick Russian accent, and his delivery leave much to be desired. Yeah, I know that we don’t watch films like this for the “acting”, but every time he spoke it sounded like he was reading from a script. Cassandra Cruz had a similar problem.

So with a better than average plot, but mediocre sex scenes and some stale acting from certain cast members, this just isn’t one of Retromedia’s better efforts. I can only give this film a Chacebook rating of THREE STARS.

available on AMAZON