Starcrash (1978)

Director:

Luigi Cozzi

Writers:

Luigi Cozzi (screenplay) &
Nat Wachsberger (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 March 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The ultimate inter-galactic adventure

Plot:

Epic action in outer space when the good guys set out to track the evil Count's secret weapon.

Plot Keywords:

Outer Space | Infra Red | Ray Gun | Time | Space Battle

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Marjoe Gortner	...	Akton
Caroline Munro	...	Stella Star
Christopher Plummer	...	The Emperor
David Hasselhoff	...	Simon
Robert Tessier	...	Thor
Joe Spinell	...	Count Zarth Arn
Nadia Cassini	...	Corelia, Queen of the Amazons
Judd Hamilton	...	Elle / Jiakta
Hamilton Camp	...	Elle (voice: English version)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Salvatore Baccaro	...	Neanderthal Man (uncredited)
Candy Clark	...	Stella Star (voice: English version) (uncredited)
Dirce Funari	...	Amazon woman (uncredited)
Donald Hodson	...	Prisoner (uncredited)
Cindy Leadbetter	...	Amazon woman (uncredited)

Directed by
Luigi Cozzi		(as Lewis Coates)

Writing credits
Luigi Cozzi		(screenplay) (as Lewis Coates) &
Nat Wachsberger		(screenplay)
R.A. Dillon		(additional dialogue)

Produced by
Nat Wachsberger	....	producer
Patrick Wachsberger	....	producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Paul Beeson
Roberto D'Ettorre Piazzoli		(as Roberto D'Ettorre)

Film Editing by
Sergio Montanari

Production Design by
Aurelio Crugnola		(as Aurelio Crugnolla)

Makeup Department
Giancarlo De Leonardis	....	key hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Luigi Nannerini	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Goffredo Unger	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Maria-Teresa Barbasso	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Massimo Anzellotti	....	sound effects (as Massimo Anzelotti)
Stephen Bushelman	....	dialogue editor (as Steve Bushelman)
Don Digirolamo	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Donald O. Mitchell	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tex Rudloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Howard S. Wollman	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Howard Wollman)

Special Effects by
Germano Natali	....	special effects director
Armando Valcauda	....	special effects director
Matteo Verzini	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Ron Hays	....	electronic visual effects supervisor
Paolo Zeccara	....	model maker (uncredited)

Stunts
Ottaviano Dell'Acqua	....	stunts
Goffredo Unger	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Massimo Pau	....	second assistant camera
Fabrizio Vicari	....	assistant camera

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
John Barry	....	music arranger
Kenneth Hall	....	supervising music editor (as Ken Hall)

Other crew
Beatrice M. Thomas	....	dialogue supervisor
Joe Spinell	....	dialogue director (uncredited)

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1979) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• BCI Eclipse (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Charter Entertainment (VHS)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (VHS)
• S'more Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD) (as "Female Space Invaders")
• Shout! Factory (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Shout! Factory (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)

Other Companies

• Claude Carrere International  music published by
• Samuel Goldwyn Studios  sound re-recording
• G.S.E.  titles

Also Known As:

"Starcrash" - International (English title), USA (imdb display title)
"Female Space Invaders" -
"Scontri stellari oltre la terza dimensione" - Italy
"Star Battle Encounters" - Philippines (English title)
"Star Crash" - USA (poster title)
"Stella Star" -
"The Adventures of Stella Star" - USA
"Avaruus sota: Attack I rymden" - Finland
"Avaruussota" - Finland
"Fezada Çarpisanlar" - Turkey (Turkish title) (imdb display title)
"Le choc des étoiles" - France
"Pekel v vsemirju" - Slovenia (imdb display title)
"Star Crash - Sterne im Duell" - West Germany (imdb display title)
"Star Crash, choque de galaxias" - Spain
"Starcrash uchyu dai sensou" - Japan
"Starcrash, le choc des étoiles" - France
"Starcrash: Ataque interstelar" - Mexico
"Sygrousi astron ston trito kosmo" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)

Runtime:

USA:92 min | Italy:94 min

Country:

USA | Italy

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | USA:PG | UK:PG (video rating) | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Bari, Apulia, Italy

Trivia:

The character of Akton was originally devised as a grotesque alien, but Marjoe Gortner refused to wear any heavy make-up.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end of the film, as Stella Star pilots the 'Flying City' to the villain's space ship she is wearing a long black cape - which she has discarded by the time she bails out wearing her space helmet, but which miraculously reappears for her clinch with Simon after he picks her up.

Quotes:

Thor:[to Zarth Arn] Soon I will join you as your prince of darkness.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 42nd Street Forever, Volume 1 (2005) (V)

Great stuff

When it comes to bad movies there are a few different brands of crap that are being served. Mainly it's crap that is funny or crap that is just sad. While "Aeon Flux" for instance is just sad, a movie like "Starcrash" is actually funny.

After the huge success of "Star Wars" it's no real mystery why movies like this one were made. We have the same syndrome now with all the movies made based on comics. While many of them are worthwhile, like for instance X-men and Spiderman, many will also be crap made just to bring in the quick buck (back to Aeon Flux for instance). "Starcrash" is definitely the attempt to bring in the quick buck by riding on the back of "Star Wars". And the fact that "Starcrash" didn't have a big buck to spend is very apparent. This movie has some of the most appalling special effects i have ever seen. They are just terrific in their awfulness! Everything animated looks jerky and stiff, most special effects just look painted on in the style of the phasers in the original "Star Trek". And let me tell you, you haven't truly lived until you've seen a young David Hasselhoff in a light-saber vs. steel sword duel with a dramatically fake robot! Besides the obviously lame special effects there are tons of things to love in this movie. Like the ridiculous outfits and make-up and the plastic-looking props. The real prize-winner though is the acting. It's somewhere between horrible and suicidally horrible. Everyone delivers their lines like it's Shakespeare on acid and the dialog seems to be written by someone with epic ambitions. It's epic comedy at least.

To end this rambling review i just want to say that this movie is a must-see. Perhaps while intoxicated. I think anyone with the tiniest love for b-movies will enjoy this immensely, this is just one of those rare movies that is just so bad it's almost perfect. Great stuff!