Starcrash *** (1978, Caroline Munro, Christopher Plummer, Marjoe Gortner, David Hasselhoff, Joe Spinell, Robert Tessier, Nadia Cassini ) – Classic Movie Review 10,891

Though filmed in Rome, and directed and co-written by Italian filmmaker Luigi Cozzi [aka Lewis Coates], the entertaining space opera film Starcrash (1978) is an American production produced independently by brothers Nat and Patrick Wachsburger. It was released by the Los Angeles-based company New World Pictures after American International Pictures declined to release it on seeing the final cut.

Though it was regarded as a cash-in on Star Wars at the time, enjoyed but critically disregarded, it is now considered an esteemed cult classic. It is very much a film of its campy escapist fun era.

It stars Caroline Munro as young smuggler Stella Star, Marjoe Gortner as Stella’s loyal sidekick Akton, Christopher Plummer as The Emperor, David Hasselhoff as the Emperor’s only son Prince Simon, Joe Spinell as megalomaniac renegade Count Zarth Arn, Judd Hamilton as powerful robot policeman Elle, Robert Tessier as Chief of the Imperial State Police Thor, and Nadia Cassini as Corelia, Queen of the Amazon women.

Cozzi described Starcrash as science fantasy as opposed to science fiction, and said that, although people assumed that Starcrash was an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Star Wars, the design of the picture and its script were developed before the release of Star Wars.

Principal photography began on 15 October 1977 at Cinecittà studios in Rome. Shooting also took place in Morocco, Tunisia and in Hollywood. The budget was $4 million.

Christopher Plummer recalled: ‘Give me Rome any day. I’ll do porno in Rome, as long as I can get to Rome. Getting to Rome was the greatest thing that happened in that for me. I think it was only about three days in Rome on that one. It was all shot at once. How can you play the Emperor of The Universe? What a wonderful part to play! It puts God in a very dicey moment, doesn’t it? He’s very insecure, God, when the Emperor’s around.’

Caroline Munro wrote on Facebook on 6 February 2020: ‘I was so upset to hear about the death of Christopher Plummer. He was a wonderful warm, versatile and charismatic actor with whom I had the absolute honour and privilege to work with on the 1978/9 film Starcrash.

‘The whole cast and crew were in awe of him as an actor. He was such a down to earth, gentle and charming man. I learnt a lot from just watching him work.

‘R.I.P Christopher, you were our Emperor of the Universe and you leave us with an incredible body of work.’

Christopher Plummer died at his home in Weston, Connecticut, on February 5, 2021, aged 91, after suffering complications from a fall.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 10,891

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