Search - In the Dust of the Stars on DVD

Substandard or just cheap budget? You decide

bernie | Arlington, Texas | 08/31/2007

(2 out of 5 stars)

"A hokey implausible design space ship picks up a distress signal from an unvisited planet TEM4. Naturally they rush to the rescue to find ambivalent papules. "No we did not send a distress call; we were just playing around with the radio."



While the crew is out hobnobbing with the friendly natives, the security officer back at the ship makes a subterranean discovery.



Id the spaceship Cyrno and its crew going to be good buddies with the BOS or are they doomed due to lack of flood insurance?



Maybe the pre-sci-fi or 50's feel is due to the film being produced at DEFA studios (East Germany) in the 70's.



The version I watched was German with English sub-tittles. Very liberal sub-tittles that can be annoying if you know any German at all (or English for that matter). In an attempt to paraphrase, they do not quite match the speech or intent.



"

Different kind of movie

Thoughtful person | Texas, USA | 10/18/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There is some socio-political message but i'm not quite sure what it is.

I do not understand german so my review is from the subtitles.

There is classic 60-70s sci-fi rocket stuff and sets. There is crazy music and some weird dancing scenes (the synchronized dancing might have been more interesting if they weren't wearing bikinis). There is some dancing nudity. There are lots of shots of a python slithering with the music - not sure what that is all about (decadence of the oppressors who only care about power?) The captain is a woman. Her 'social' relationships with the crew are a bit strange/confusing. The crew, even with suspicious happenings, are inclined to hob-knobbing and careful conversation with 'the enemy' rather than the use of any weapons. However, this is in context of their society of 'we all help each other'. They are not pushovers though - which is good. Some of the actors are really great. This is not a real 'talky' movie and has more 'artsy' shots which leave a lot up to the viewer to decide.

The best part, is the 'extras' (sorry, there are NO outtakes) where they explain the sci-fi scene (books and movies) in Eastern Germany during the communist reign right after sputnik up to the 80's. They also have an interview with one of the original cameramen who helped with the movie and he explains about the cast from many nations.

*spoiler*

The story does turn on a pickle of a dilemma of how to free the

subjugated natives without starting a forever war - or getting the natives wiped out altogether.

The ending is badly edited (from my point of view) so its not quite apparent why the 'slaves' are not immediately subjugated again or why they will never be as compliant as before. That the 'foreman' is an idiot needs no translation and its fun to hear him called stuff in German."