Starcrash (1978)

SPOILER WARNING!!! This post spoils movie Starcrash (1978).

Starcrash is cult movie among bad movie fans. Some say even it is worse that Zardoz. Zardoz is quite good so to me that doesn't tell much. Starcrash is low-budget italian scifi movie. Low budget means bad visual effects. I won't rant about those, because I don't want to take cheap shots on low-budget movies. I make one exception to that. I really hated how spaceships run on rails few metres from each other. If first one does something unexpected everyone behind it will crash to it. This was not about money. It was just stupid chose.

This movie has two release dates on internet. I trust IMDB and go with 1978. Other year was 1979. The release year is important because this movie have some scenes that are redone in Empire Strikes Back (1980). Or did great minds think so much alike that it is just coincidence. To be honest this is total rip of from Star Wars with recreated shots and lightsabres. Only reason why this movie was made was that Star Wars made so much money. Most reviews mention how Starcrash goes to ice planet before Empire Strikes Back. I don't remember that anyone has mentioned these rest similarities.

Remember how C-3PO told Han survival estimates when they escaped from Hoth? Starcrash had that scene when Akton tells Stella Star survival estimates when Stella does something dangerous during escape. Remember how Darth Vader reflects laser when Han shoots him in Cloud City? Starcrash had that scene when Akton reflects Thors laser. Remember how Ewoks capture Han, Luke and others and carry them to their village. Starcrash have similar scene when cavemen take Stella Star to their village. You can find other similarities from Star Wars movie that came after Starcrash but those are bit far-fetched.  Easy to guess that Star Wars did all these better than Starcrash. I won't go what Starcrash ripped of from Star Wars. It did that more that Star Wars did otherwise.

Starcrash also copies from other movies too. Judge is from Invaders From Mars. Superweapon effects could be from Barbarella and some sets and costumes are influenced by Barbarella. Superweapon is brings Forbidden Planet to mind. Huge robot is from Jason and the Argonauts. Most entertaining part of watching this movie is trying to guess which movies Starcrash has copied.

"Imperial Battleship, halt the flow of time!" That is actual line in this movie. This movie has strange time. Our heroes move from planet to planet in less than hour and can escape from planet side weapon in less that three minutes. They don't even have to run. There is no panic even when planet side weapon is about to explode in 48 seconds and they are still inside. Evil guy uses term "by sunset" in space. In his spaceship. They go from planet to planet in less than hour. I don't understand which sunset he could refer. Every planet has sunset all the time. What time it is depends on where you are.

This is not that bad movie. Big thanks to that goes John Barry and his score. That is best part of the movie. Christopher Plummer could have been great in this movie if his dialog wasn't such nonsense. His scenes are best in this movie. Caroline Munro is hot. Addition to that we have two larger than life personalities David Hasselhoff and Marjoe Gortner who does not impress by acting but their personalities always bring something. That something may make movie worse but it is something. I guess all of you know the Hoff. If you don't know who Marjoe Gortner is, I suggest you watch document Marjoe. And watch it before you watch this. It makes this movie better. Or more entertaining at least.

I left most of the stupidity out of this post. I recommend watching this movie and seeing it yourself. This is not cult movie among bad movie fans for nothing.