Gemini Affair: A Diary

My review was written in October 1984 after watching the movie on Unicorn video cassette.

"Gemini Affair -A Diary" is emblematic of a recent phenomenon, unreleased films finally surfacing for the home video market. Shot in 1973, pic is a mildly interesting but woefully underproduced drama about young women "making it" in Hollywood and is reviewed here for the record.

Marta Kristen and Kathy Kersh, both good-looking blondes stuck in a near-sex film format which would probably get a soft X rating if submitted, topline as two girls from Indiana now in Los Angeles. Jessica (Kersh) has become a high-priced callgirl, while newly arrived Julie (Kristen) is an aspiring actress in town for her first screen test. Both have a warring relationship with the housekeeper (played by vet character actress Anne Seymour), taking care of a lavish mansion where Jessica lives as a "kept woman".

Producer-director Matt Cimber, moe famous for his star vehicles for late wife Jayne Mansifeld, Pia Zadora and latterly Laurene Landon, errs in rooting almost the entire film at the mansion, giving a claustrophobic (read cheap) effect. The heroines talk about casting sessions and going out for tricks, but nothing is staged. After Julie unsuccessfully tries out prostitution, there is a rather tamely handled lesbian subplot between the two women, leading to an open ending implying each person has to find and be herself.

Gauche and smutty dialog (credited to a writer with the phony-sounding name of "Harry Houdydu") has Kersh swearing enough to qualify for Brian DePalma's recent "Scarface" remake. Acting and technical credits are okay, with "Gemini" containing one outstanding sequence in its latter half when Marta Kristen recalls an erotic incident of years ago, shot outside in one continuous take. This scene works in the same way as Bibi Andersson's erotic monologue in Ingmar Bergman's classic "Persona", and is almost strong enough to justify one's perusal of this minor failure.

Matt Cimber is one of the most underrated low-budget 1970's exploitation directors, responsible for such minor classics as "The Witch Who Came from the Sea". This film is kind of a disappointment, however. First off, it's very talk-y and stage-y, relying on a lot of theatrical-style acting, which is almost never a good thing in a movie, even with great dialogue and very talented performers. To make things worse, however, the two main performers are definitely not very talented. Marta Kristen (from the 1960's "Lost in Space" TV show) comes to LA to visit a friend (Kathy Kersh). Both of them are trying to make it in Hollywood, but they both learn that it's not such a nice place to be. They eventually decide to lead town, but not, of course, before having a steamy lesbian sex scene!

I know some may want to see this just to see "Will Robinson's" older sister engaging in full-frontal lesbian sex. Well, it occurs about 55 minutes in--use chapter-skip/fast-forward etc. and save yourself from having to watch the rest of the movie. I initially thought Marta Kristen was playing both roles, partly because the two actresses intentionally look a lot alike (thus the title), but also because it was hard to believe two different actresses could both be this bad. Kristen, at least was a lot better in "Lost in Space" so perhaps, Cimber deserves some of the blame. But then he got a great performance out of another TV actress, Millie Perkins, in "Witch". It's unfortunate also that his regular character actor, George "Buck" Flowers, who was so great in "Witch" only has a small part here as a cabdriver.

If you're just looking for "celebrity skin", you probably won't be too disappointed with this, but if you're a Matt Cimber fan (or you're more interested in thespians than lesbians), you almost certainly will be.

Why would a beautiful woman like Marta Kristen be reduced to doing this kind of sleazy junk? I had no problem with her being nude, but why with another woman?! Marta was above this kind of thing. She was so much sexier on Lost in Space.