Starcrash / Stella Star (Luigi Cozzi, 1978)

[WaveCrest]

Are there any plans for the Caroline Munro sci-fi/fantasy film Starcrash to be re-released on DVD? I've heard this on the Caroline Munro: First Lady of Fantasy DVD and could have read it on the web, an interesting story about the making of Starcrash. Caroline's voice was dubbed by another actress. And I think the version available on DVD already or just on VHS dosen't have a very good picture.

[jacksmith1983]

Hasn't there been a couple of DVD releases of Starcrash in Mainland Europe?

Or am I just imagining things again?

[Phill]

I think it was released in France at some point ? Well according to Mrs Munro who I met last year it was. I have the Vipco pre-cert which will do for now, where's Starcrash 2 ? :)

[PeteMc]

I've got the US release on the Substance label, not seen it yet but I've read that the quality is not brilliant. I believe the French release is better and someone released Starcrash 2 in France as well but there's currently no English Language version.

[robste]

I have the French 2-discer, and it is a very nice set indeed. The first disc contains the original Starcrash in anamorphic widescreen. The second disc contains Starcrash 2, an 80 minute making of Starcrash documentary and a 40 minute Luigi Cozzi Documentary. Sadly disc 2 is FRENCH ONLY...

Robert

[WaveCrest]

That's a shame. If the whole French DVD release package was in English I would have considered getting it.

[jacksmith1983]

I've got the US release on the Substance label, not seen it yet but I've read that the quality is not brilliant. I believe the French release is better and someone released Starcrash 2 in France as well but there's currently no English Language version.

Substance is another alias of the infamous Televista label, meaning that this is therefore a completely unauthorised, unlicensed bootleg.

I really do need to track down the French release pronto even though according to the review link below, it is less than stellar in terms of print quality.

www.dvdmaniacs.net/Reviews/Q-T/starcrash.html

[Gattaca]

A quote from that review asks the following.....

" What do you get when you combine terrible special effects, low grade production values, Caroline Munro in skimpy leather outfits"

My reply is a bloody good watch actually :D as Caroline did look quite stunning in that erm film.;) :)

[jacksmith1983]

Caroline Munro would have looked good in a potato sack back then mate! :p

Incidentally I have no wish to be pedantic but as this was an Italian produced film do people not think this belongs in the Euro Cult forum as opposed to Sci-Fi and Fantasy?

Generally I would have thought the appeal of Starcrash would primarily lie with those into continental trash more so than anything else?

[the13thman]

Just got this through from Amazon France, had to resort to a used copy on account of my finances not being what they were (came to just under 10 euros), am looking forward to watching it this weekend.

[JAMIOUSE]

Starcrash is one film I really wish Severin or Blue Underground would pick up, if they can of course depending if it's owned by a major. I've been tempted to buy the French disc myself but keep holding out for a UK or US release.

[jacksmith1983]

Would there be much market following two previous, unauthorised US DVD releases?

Personally I would still fork out for a definitive DVD version.

[CJ34]

Now this is a movie I've been meaning to catch up with for a looooong time, but never have.

I too hope for a good, legit release of this.

[the13thman]

If you don’t want to wait for an extras-packed UK/US release or pay silly money for imports, see if you can get the French single-disc edition. It is missing all the French-language extras from the later double-disc version but has the film in English and anamorphic widescreen, which is all that matters. I’d love to have Starcrash 2 of course, but its no good to me in a French dub.

I got mine for €2.99 via amazon fr, there are a few there going for not much more than a fiver.

[fredzilla]

Boys and girls, isn't it time to reevaluate Starcrash? I recently saw it again, the french DVD-release by the way, and after I sat down to do some research what other people write about it. It as tragic reading. Not from this forum, but generally.

They laugh at it. They think it's the worst film ever made. They try to make Cozzi look like an idiot. And so on, it's not worth counting every thing they wrote about how awful Starcrash is, it just makes me sad.

But personally, I think they're missing the point. Luigi Cozzi (or Cozzilla as some of his friends call him) is a big fan of old american science fiction, japanese monstermovies and Ray Harryhausens fantasyflicks. He's a well known fan of these, and other parts of the sci fi and fantasy-world. When you see Starcrash it's obvious that he likes Star Wars to... but not even close to the degree that he loves old style movies.

Cozzis work in cinema is weird. Almost every movie has their own style and feeling. The scripts are always a bit (some time much more than that) naive, but that's his style. But no other movie - I think so anyway - of his work looks remotely like Starcrash. He obvious had a strong vision with this project - and he really dosen't care about the strings holding the spaceships being visible.

There's hints to Inoshiro Honda, to Mario Bava, to Harryhausen and Flash Gordon. You have a playfulness that very few of these lesser-loved italian directors could reach. But I say that most of what happens and sees in this movie is a consciously choice by Cozzi. He knew what he was doing. He wanted to the ultimate cheesy matiné-adventure and he just didn't care about logic or being cool, gritty, seventies or with the cinematic in-crowd. He just wanted to do HIS movie.

I don't want to sound like the character David Brent in The Office, but it's time we laugh with Cozzi - not at him.

So it makes me sad to see how many people that actually missing the point with Starcrash. I'm not saying it's a masterpiece, because it's not. It's exploitation, it's a cash-in on something more popular and wellmade. But it's a cash-in with love.

There's a very honest moment in the end where Christopher Plummer (who seems to be the only actor in the movie not understand that this isn't a new Star Wars) sits on his throne and speaks directly to the camera:

Well, it's gone. It's happen. The Stars are clear. The planets shine.
We've won. Oh, some dark force no doubt, will show it's face once more.
The wheels will always turn. But for now it's calm.
And for a little time, at least, we can rest...

That's not The Emperor speaking. It's Luigi Cozzi the storyteller that sits by his childrens beds. He just told an amazing fairytale of princes, princesses, evil people, monsters and adventures. The children are both amazed and sceptical, but they will sleep very good after that. In a galaxy far far away.

[Dave Jay]

BCI were going to release this to DVD in the US earlier this year as a Grindhouse double bill with GALAXINA, weren't they? Not sure what happened there, and there's obviously no chance now that they've gone down the tubes... :(

[jacksmith1983]

Presumably the BCI release was cancelled due to rights issues? To be honest I have no real idea...

It was a shame at any rate as I had planned on picking up the Starcrash / Galaxina double bill. I will have to finally nab the French release now I think when I next come into some funds.

[MarcMorris]

The French release is sadly unauthorized. Review here (http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/star-crash-collectors-edition.html?post_id=67256)