STAR ODYSSEY

STARRING: Yanti Sommer, Gianni Garko, Malisa Longo, Cristea Avram, Ennio Balbo, Roberto Dell'acqua, Aldo Amoroso Pioso, Pino Ferrara, Filippo Perrone

1979, 103 Minutes, Directed by: Alfonso Brescia

Description: A race of aliens is en route to Earth with the intent of enslaving the human race. The world turns to a top scientist in the hope that he and the team he puts together can come up with a plan to drive off the extra-terrestrial invaders. Is there enough time for our hero and his companions to prepare for a fight that will decide the fate of the entire planet? — Amazon.com

A spaghetti rip-off of Star Wars made on a budget probably smaller than your average old Doctor Who episode.

Star Odyssey mixes elements from Star Wars (light sabres) with ideas from the radio broadcast of Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (a neurotic robot which committed suicide in a scrap metal yard serves as the "comic relief") and then remixes it for four-year-olds.

An evil alien overlord who wants to enslave the Earth’s inhabitants buys the planet at an intergalactic auction. Of course Earth itself isn’t too happy about this and asks a dissident scientist in a ridiculous Dr Strange-like costume to assemble a team to fight the alien invasion. Their plan consists of . . . not doing much.

But all this actually makes the movie sound more interesting than it really is. Star Odyssey (Italian title: Sette uomini d'oro nello spazio) is probably one of the worst movies ever made: dull, amateurish and juvenile are only a few more positive adjectives that spring to mind. The only high point in the film is the creative facial hair sported by one of the film’s heroes, which is guaranteed to raise a chuckle . . .