SIGNALS: A SPACE ADVENTURE / IN THE DUST OF THE STARS (LIMITED EDITION) BLU-RAY [PRE-ORDER]

DUE TO THE WAY DEAF CROCODILE IS HANDLING THIS TITLE YOU CANNOT PICK WHICH ARTWORK YOU WANT. IT WILL BE RANDOM AND WE CANNOT TAKE REQUESTS. IT WILL BE ONE OF THE ARTWORKS SHOWN. 

 

Street Date 2/25/25

All pre-orders will be shipped as soon as they are in stock. Sometimes this is 1-2 weeks early, sometimes this might be a few days after the street date.

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The first and most ambitious of two epic space operas that prolific East German genre director Gottfried Kolditz (1922-1982) made for the state-run DEFA film studios, SIGNALS was DEFA’s cheeky attempt to outdo Kubrick’s 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY behind the Iron Curtain. The film used many of the same tricks: expansive, visually stunning shots of the cosmos … gorgeous Futurist space-design with ergonomic chairs, IBM lookalike computers, Mod mini-dresses and “STAR TREK” space uniforms … even a copycat free-floating in tunnel sequence with a wild electronic Perry-Kingsley type score. Featuring breathtaking 70mm cinematography, recently restored in 6K from the original camera negative by the University of Massachusetts Amherst / DEFA Film Library for its first-ever world Blu-ray release by Deaf Crocodile.

IN THE DUST OF THE STARS (IM STAUB DER STERNE), 1976, DEFA, 95 min. Who could possibly resist an insanely groovy mid-1970s East German space opera with an Ennio Morricone-like theme song, a nonstop underground disco where partygoers spritz hallucinogenic mouth-spray, scantily clad super-models voguing in an abstract sculpture garden, tons of silver glam-rock boots and glittery eyeshadow and red leather space-suits, and dialogue like “Thob, I’ll upload them to the Lambda channel” and “The Temians are fun people – fun and a little crazy”?! Director Gottfried Kolditz’s delirious gem of Socialist eye-candy ranks alongside Mario Bava’s PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES as one of the most eye-popping genre treats of the era, with generous helpings of ZARDOZ, “SPACE: 1999,” and “BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25th CENTURY” thrown in for good measure. In German with English subtitles.

FEATURES:
New commentary by film historian and comics artist Stephen R. Bissette
“Other worlds, strange dreams:  the East German space operas of director Gottfried Kolditz” - new video essay by film historian Evan Chester
Original DEFA trailers for both films
Blu-ray authoring by David Mackenzie of Fidelity In Motion
New art by Beth Morris
Slipcase featuring 4 new alternate covers by Steve Thomas
80-page illustrated book with:
New essay by film historian Rolf Giesen
New essay by Jennifer Barker
New essay by Walter Chaw
New written interview with the director’s son Stefan Kolditz