Blu-ray cover
Starcrash, Luigi Cozzi, USA/Italy, 1978, 94 mins, New World Pictures/Shout Factory (blu-ray release)
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The late 70s and early 80s era of science fiction will always be remembered fondly by those of us who were old (or young) enough to attend theaters back then. For an all-too-brief period, we were exposed to such riches as the original Star Wars trilogy, Disney’s bizarre voyage into The Black Hole (1979), and the first two Star Trek movies. This was a time before CGI, when men carried laser swords, robots talked in effeminate voices, and women bought their spacesuits from fetish catalogs. The success of Star Wars in 1977 brought an onslaught of imitations and cash-ins, with varying degrees of success. U.S. television productions like Battlestar Galactica (1978) and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) have secured their place in pop culture history. Yet far away from the Hollywood empire, other markets were producing their own version of family friendly science fiction entertainment. These included Canada’s The Shape of Things To Come (1979), Japan’s Message From Space (1978), and Italy’s Starcrash (1978). Starcrash stands out from the pack for several reasons. As campy, sexy, visually outrageous science fiction movies go, it can be seen as the missing link between Barbarella (1968) and Flash Gordon (1980). Italian productions of the 1970s are famous for their visual flair, and this film is no exception. The lovingly restored print now available on Blu-Ray and DVD via Shout Factory’s Roger Corman Cult Classics line throws these details into high definition. In contrast to the overused computer graphics employed by almost all science fiction films today, the models and stop motion effects of Starcrash are quite refreshing and often beautiful to look at. Also easy on the eyes is Caroline Munro. While she certainly deserves her position as a scream queen, it’s obvious that in this instance she was hired less for her acting skills than for her ability to fill out a leather Vampirella costume. Nonetheless, her iconic portrayal of space explorer Stella Star is one of the highlights of the film. Starcrash features its share of notable supporting actors in addition to Munro. The most famous is obviously David Hasselhoff, in a rare pre-Knight Rider appearance as a handsome space prince. Joe “Maniac” Spinell gives a fantastic turn as the mustache-twirling villain. B-movie heavy Robert Tessier plays a green-faced turncoat named Thor. Nadia Cassini makes an all too brief appearance as a slinky villainess, and a slumming Christopher Plummer is on hand to class things up a bit. Somewhat less appealing is Marjoe Gortner, the former child evangelist who starred in a slew of 70s drive-in movies such as Food of the Gods. Gortner’s ridiculous perm and painted-on tan add to the absurdity of his appearance. To make matters worse, his character spends most of the film sitting onboard the ship saying prophetic things while Stella Star’s trusty robot sidekick does most of the heroic ass-kicking. Director Luigi Cozzi is famous to cult movie fans for directing exploding parasites in Contamination and a bear-tossing Lou Ferrigno in Hercules. This release of Starcrash should cement his reputation as a master of Italian science fiction. Campiness aside, few directors today are making films with this much style and sheer mind-blowing excess. The Blu-Ray features the U.S. theatrical cut of Starcrash, fully restored and remastered. A second disc is crammed full of special features, including documentaries on Luigi Cozzi, Caroline Munro, and the making of the film. Reviewed by Ryan Orvis |
