In the Dust of the Stars

This colorfully camp, juicily scored treat drops us onto a working-class planet enslaved by decadent rulers. It all begins when a passing ship responds to a distress call—and then gets a surprise invitation to a New Age Disco freak-out complete with harem dancers, aerosol stimulants, and party snakes. But could it all be a ploy to brainwash them? East Germany’s DEFA Studios pulled out all the stops for their final science-fiction production, conjuring gaudy visions of luxury and mobilizing Metropolis-size crowd scenes for the planet’s secret mines. The international cast includes German theater veteran Milan Beli relishing his role as hair-dyed evil ruler, Ronk. Featuring a jazz/pop/futuresound score by the peerless Karl-Ernst Sasse.

“Borrowing liberally from both Zardoz and Logan’s Run, Dust reminds us that the long-promised future of unitards and hovercrafts was a universal dream, even in the German Democratic Republic.” —Travis Miles, Stop Smiling