: A machine named Wiz that provides "logic" and often bizarre commentary throughout the mission.
While often dismissed as a Star Wars "wannabe," the film actually preceded the Italian release of Lucas's epic. It stands as a testament to a time when Italian filmmakers could pivot an entire industry toward a new trend in weeks, creating a unique sub-genre of psychedelic, synth-heavy space adventures that feel entirely untethered from reality. Anno zero - guerra nello spazio(1977)
Released the same year as Star Wars , Alfonso Brescia’s (internationally known as Cosmos: War of the Planets ) offers a fascinating, albeit low-budget, glimpse into the Italian "Spaghetti Sci-Fi" boom of the late 1970s . While George Lucas was revolutionizing special effects, Brescia was working in the trenches of Italian genre cinema, delivering a film that is now celebrated—and often roasted—as a cult classic of the "so bad it's good" variety. A Galactic Misadventure : A machine named Wiz that provides "logic"
Critics have often labeled it a "remake" of Mario Bava's 1965 classic Planet of the Vampires , though it swaps Bava's atmosphere for flashing lights and "scientific bollocks". Despite a dismal rating on IMDb , it remains a staple for fans of trash cinema for its nonsensical plot and endearingly cheap "potato-class" special effects. Why It Matters Released the same year as Star Wars ,
The film follows Captain Hamilton (played by ) and his multicultural crew aboard the MK-31. After Earth receives a mysterious deep-space signal, the crew is dispatched to an unstable planet where they encounter a race of green-skinned aliens enslaved by a megalomaniacal computer. Key elements that define the experience include:
: The ultimate antagonist is a giant, stationary robot that looks remarkably like a 1950s jukebox, which has enslaved the local humanoid population. Production & Cult Status