An exotic dancer named Cynthia (Lina Romay) hooks up with a swinging couple after a gig at a nightclub (or house), so that they can make the sex act. The couple is Alpha (Evelyne Scott), an interdimensional being disguised as a beautiful woman, and her human slave Andros (Ramón Ardid). Alpha infects Cynthia with that mysterious VD scourge of the 1970s known only as “Shining Sex”. Not only does it make her skin ooze a glittery substance, it also turns her into Alpha’s mindless assassin. It seems that some foolish humans have learned Alpha’s secret, so she sends the hapless Cynthia out on some “seek sex and destroy” missions. Only a wheelchair-bound psychic named Dr. Seward (Jess Franco) senses what is going on. Will he be able to rescue Cynthia and stop Alpha and her evil schemes before it’s too late?

If you think that sex is weird and that humans look like aliens when they get it on, then this film is your master’s thesis. Fans of Jess Franco’s uninhibited mid to late 70s erotic films need to see this film as soon as possible. As for folks who enjoy his gothic horrors he did just a few years prior to Shining Sex and its saucy ilk, you might want to open your mind (or loosen your pants) because this is not your average softcore porn film. Franco is in full tilt voyeuristic abstraction mode here and for many viewers, results may vary. What I’m trying to say is that Lina Romay swept the Annual Labia Gyration Awards that year.

If this is what happens when you vacation during the off season of La Grande-Motte in southern France, vacationers beware! Do not bring the family! The architecture and locations that cinematographer Franco (although credited to Gérard Brisseau) lovingly captures are characters themselves. It’s easy to get swept away by the photography of these structures while the amazing music by Daniel J. White hypnotizes the earholes of the average non-interdimensional humanoid. As for the interiors, the color palette could best be described as designer luggage. If ultra-modern (by 1975 standards) kitschy hotel aesthetics are your thing then look no further.

Franco delivers the psychosexual, out-of-this-world madness teeming with moody, quiet, and bizarre moments of dread but sometimes, as I often do with his filmography, I get distracted by long, lingering, and (maybe, just maybe) gratuitous shots of vagina. Beings from another dimension, hypnotism, psychic powers, and mysticism are cool and all but dude, I get it, Lina is hot. Could you like film something else for five minutes? Don’t get me wrong, this is a staggeringly gorgeous film, an exercise in minimalism as only Franco can do, with an awesome cast of Franco regulars. Shining Sex is an essential title when it comes to understanding this director’s work (at least that’s what Stephen Thrower says in extras).

Shining Sex is a bit beat up on this disc but I have little doubt that this is the best it’s ever going to look. Colors are sharp and consistent if just a tad yellow and there’s some minor print damage. The only audio option is the English dub but it and the music score both sound crystal clear. I’m so hooked on dubbed films now that I tried to give my wife a high five when I heard Lina Romay’s amazing voice actress but she did not return my high five. Also, my wife said that during her insomnia that night, she had Lina Romay’s crotch was burned into her mind at 3am. So there’s that.

Severin knocks it out of the park it terms of extras yet again. This disc starts off with an excellent commentary track with podcasters Robert Monell (of the I’m In A Jess Franco State of Mind blog) and Rod Barnett (of the Naschycast podcast). Next up is a featurette called “In the Land of Franco 3”, the third installment of a series where author Stephen Thrower and actor Antonio Mayans visit locations from Jess Franco’s filmography. There’s a featurette where Thrower talks about Shining Sex and the significance of this very personal Franco film. There are fantastic interviews with producer Daniel Lesoeur and filmmaker Gerard Kikoine, who played key roles in the world of Jess Franco. French director Christophe Gans (Silent Hill) discusses what he loves about the films of Jess Franco. It’s also a fascinating watch. There’s a theatrical trailer for Shining Sex with a breathy and ridiculous narrator urging audiences to shine their sex. Last but not least, there’s a reel of extended and rather not softcore sex scene outtakes from Shining Sex that taught me how to love.  

Director – Jess Franco
Cast – Lina Romay, Monica Swinn, Olivier Mathot, Evelyne Scott
Country of Origin – Spain/Italy/France
Reviewer – Richard Glenn Schmidt