CORMAN DELIVERS A CAMPY GALACTIC CONFLICT!

Shout! Factory continues to unleash an invasion of rarely seen Roger Corman Cult Classic titles, many appearing on DVD and Blu-ray for the first time and loaded with all-new bonus features. Corman built his career directing 50 films and producing over 350 on the foundation of truly independent filmmaking, sidestepping the restrictions of Hollywood's studio system to promote the creative talents of many leading directors, actors and writers. Making the most out of low-budget sensational films spanning a wide array of action-packed, titillating genres and concepts, Corman and his legacy of talented proteges made an indelible mark on filmmaking history of the latter 20th century and continue blazing trails today.

FilmEdge reviews the latest new DVD/Blu-ray title additions to the growing library of Roger Corman Cult Classics which fans of indie cinema and rare releases will definitely want to add to their collection.

As one of the oddest and most iconoclastic entries in Roger Corman's New World release catalogue, STARCRASH is a film which must be seen to be believed, though perhaps not entirely understood. This Italian production directed and co-written by Luigi Cozzi (credited on the disc under the Americanized moniker Lewis Coates) plays largely like a European-styled rip-off of STAR WARS, but give it a look and you'll find it's more than that. It's also highly 'inspired' by a wide swath of classic sci-fi/fantasy adventures ranging from 1930s FLASH GORDON matinee serials to the allegorical classic FORBIDDEN PLANET. Of course such influences are filtered through the very reductive filter of a miniscule budget which still refuses to hamper the brash, outrageous imaginations forging this mashup of comic book adventure and oh-so-Italian cinematic styling.

One look at the posters and stills from the film make it clear that the sultry, leather bikini-clad Caroline Munro is the main attraction here, yet STARCRASH boasts more cult film surprises. The always unpredictable and edgy Marjoe Gortner plays a telepathic navigator Akton who harbors hidden mystic powers, and David Hasselhoff is the lost son of the galactic Emperor whom the seek across the stars. Many might best recognize actor Joe Spinnell as a hit man in THE GODFATHER or the creepy serial killer in MANIAC, but here he's content to gnaw on the space scenery as the evil Count Zartharn, the slick-haired, thick-waisted version of Darth Vader. Christopher Plummer drops in for a cameo as the benevolent Emperor Who Makes Many Stoic Speeches and vows to defeat Zartharn's dark armies.

Yet boiling STARCRASH down to its inspired, borrowed or outright stolen elements actually shortchanges the film, strangely enough. It's the exotic, dreamlike and often plain wacky execution and combination of these influences which yield an utterly unique, if often highly flawed, hybrid of space battles, front-projection monsters and hyperbolic melodrama. The galaxy's stars glow like a rainbow of megawatt Christmas tree lights, and the kit-bashed spaceship models redefine shoestring budget limitation.

It all makes sense within its own warped universe of internal logic, though definitely not outside it should viewers dwell on the nonsensical plot and weird flow of its pacing. In short, STARCRASH — which in truth bears no direct involvement by Roger Corman beyond his purchase of the American distribution rights and a slightly tighter edit — lives on its deserved if limiting reputation as a rare cult classic which Corman and Shout Factory have now restored to all its former glory and far beyond that to thrill the narrow but wildly devoted audience awaiting its remastered arrival on home video.

Corman's print having langoured in a vault for decades, the Blu-ray and DVD editions of STARCRASH, restored for high-definition presentation, are undoubtedly the best the film has ever looked or sounded since it's 1978 release. A new anamorphic widescreen transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio preserve the big screen look of the film to match its bombastic, heightened sense of drama. Color timing and contrast correction provide a vivid glow to the space scenes, though the high-def resolution often betrays the low-budget shortcuts evident in several stop-motion process shots. The new DTS HD 5.1 Surround Sound audio on the Blu-ray disc and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound on the DVD edition separate and clarify the dialogue, sound effects and music sources with surprising richness. This serves John Barry's original score quite well as the composer blends the heroism of John Williams-style scoring with his own rich legacy of action-oriented and epic James Bond music — another surprising asset found in this unlikeliest of films which increased its cinematic value significantly.

Aside from the restored feature film, Disc One of the set offers hours of Bonus Materials as direct supplements to the film's production:

• Two feature-length commentaries by STARCRASH historian and lifelong devotee Stephen Romano: the first defining the film's own production history and where it's ranked in post-STAR WARS cinema context, and the second track a scene-by-scene revelation of production trivia and anecdotal stories gained from cast/crew interviews along with Romano's own personal evaluations of the film.
• An interview with director/co-writer Luigi Cozzi who recounts his own recollections and experiences making the film
• Music producer Mars of Deadhouse Music offers a detailed audio exploration of Starcrash: The Music of John Barry, offering some background on the main musical leitmotifs the Award-winning composer's lively, stirring score.
• The original theatrical trailer for STARCRASH along with two trailer commentary tracks by director Joe Dante (who actually created the trailer as one of his last assignments for Corman and New World) and filmmaker/actor Eli Roth, as seen on the tribute website Trailers From Hell. The French language theatrical trailer, plus TV and Radio promotional spots are also included.
• Five photo galleries play in slideshow format, illustrating the film's Designs, Storyboards, Behind-the-Scenes and Publicity Artwork along with Fan-created art.

Most low-budget but notable films from this era would be delighted to receive that much loving attention in their Blu-ray/DVD releases, but Shout! Factory has packed Disc Two with even more extras, many of which are new and exclusive to this Roger Corman Cult Classic release:

• A contemporary interview with Caroline Munro spends an hour with the actress who discusses her film career and life before, during and since STARCRASH, having gone on to appear in memorable films including THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD and THE SPY WHO LOVED ME among others. She offers a very humorous and fond recollection of making this film, and it's a highlight of the bonus materials if marred by the incredibly static videography of the interview itself.
• 17 deleted and alternate scenes demonstrate how distributor Roger Corman edited down STARCRASH for his American distribution to tighten the action and pacing of the story.
• An exclusive 20-minute reel of raw behind-the-scenes footage with commentary
• Armando Valcauda hosts his own making-of visual effects featurette including never-before-seen unused creature footage from cut scenes.

The Blu-ray/DVD editions also include collectible, reversible cover art of two poster designs, plus a 12-page booklet insert with liner and history notes by expert Stephen Romano and a detailed disc menu listing.

The bonus-packed special features crowding this 2-Disc release ensure the collectible value of STARCRASH for its unceasingly devoted fans as well as those film students willing to explore one of the most notorious and unique genre knockoffs which appeared in the cinematic wake of STAR WARS. Representative of the late '70s kitschy comic-styled action of international cinema and blatant imitation of the burgeoning blockbuster era in America, this is a worthy and rather zany addition to the Roger Corman Cult Classic library which no doubt will find a home in many fans' video libraries upon it's release September 14th. Luigi Cozzi's infamous and impetuous venture into laser-blasting space opera is definitely an acquired cinematic taste, but there's no arguing that Shout! Factory's 2-disc presentation offers astounding value to devotees and collectors. FilmEdge rates STARCRASH: 3 STARS.

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