New Release: StarCrash DVD and Blu-ray

The cult sensation StarCrash, directed by Luigi Cozzi and released theatrically by Roger Corman’s New World Pictures in 1979, debuted on Sept. 14, 2010, in a two-disc special edition Blu-ray and DVD from Shout! Factory, in association with New Horizons Picture Corporation. Part of the popular Roger Corman’s Cult Classic line from Shout! Factory, the StarCrash Blu-ray disc was priced at $26.97, while the DVD carried a price tag of $19.93.

Produced in Italy in the wake of Star Wars’ phenomenal success, StarCrash (also known as The Adventures of Stella Star in overseas territories) became an international blockbuster in its own right. Critics might have laughed, but so did audiences, who grooved to the movie’s campy humor, wildly imaginative special effects (some of them quite good!) and non-stop adventure. Where Star Wars dared not go, StarCrash went — at warp speed!

The film’s story goes something like this: The lasting peace in the galaxy is threatened by the diabolical and relentless Count Zarth Arn (cult icon Joe Spinell, Rocky), who is determined to take the universe for himself and make each planet his plaything, each inhabitant his slave. There is no question that the Count is evil, given his propensity for cackling at every opportunity.

Is there anyone who can save the universe from this megalomaniacal madman? Indeed there is, and she’s quite a beauty.

Brave, bikini-clad star warrior Stella Star (Caroline Munro, The Spy Who Loved Me) and her co-pilot Akton (child evangelist-turned-actor Marjoe Gortner, Earthquake) are pressed into service to thwart the evil Zarth Arn’s plot. If they succeed, galactic peace will be achieved. If they fail, the universe will fall into decay and destruction at the hands of its sadistic new overlord.

The film’s zesty, star-studded cast also includes People’s Choice Award winner David Hasselhoff (Knight Rider, Baywatch) in one of his first big-screen roles, and legendary actor Christopher Plummer (The Last Station) as The Emperor.

Both the two-disc special edition Blu-ray disc and the DVD have been given new anamorphic widescreen transfers and come brimming with special features … and here they are:

interview with writer/director Luigi Cozzi
StarCrash: the music of John Barry, a detailed analysis of the score by Mars of Deadhouse Music
two feature-length commentaries by StarCrash historian Stephen Romano, one on the history of StarCrash, the making of the film and its importance in 1970s fantastic cinema, the other on scene-by-scene production trivia, anecdotes and critical analysis.
behind-the-scenes image gallery, featuring storyboards, art and rare photos
promotional art gallery, featuring photos, posters, lobby cards and early poster designs by Drew Struzan
fan art gallery, featuring an exclusive look at the new, sexy Stella Star art from fantasy illustrator Robin Greenville Evans
theatrical trailer with commentary by Eli Roth from TrailersFromHell.com and a new exclusive trailer commentary by filmmaker/editor Joe Dante
TV spots and radio spots
hour-long interview with actress Caroline Munro
17 deleted and alternate scenes
original StarCrash screenplay, illustrated with original storyboards and early, full-color concept art
exclusive 20-minute behind-the-scenes footage reel, with commentary
featurette on the making of the special effects of StarCrash by Armando Valcauda with exclusive special-effects footage