Why So Blu?

In the Dust of the Stars (Blu-ray Review)

Buckle up for brain-melting disco, hallucinogenic mist, and some of the wildest production design ever to blast off from behind the Iron Curtain. In the Dust of the Stars finally arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of The DEFA Film Library in Germany, restoring this 1976 East German cult oddity to its full space-glam glory. Directed by Gottfried Kolditz (Signals: A Space Adventure), this one ditches the buttoned-up seriousness of Signals: A Space Adventure and goes all-in on psychedelic weirdness, synth-heavy grooves, and jaw-dropping costuming that feels equal parts Zardoz, Barbarella, and Space: 1999. It’s outrageous, it’s ridiculous, and somehow — it works. Even when the ship sets wobble and the budget strains, the sheer visual ambition keeps you locked in. And that mouth-spray disco scene? Instant sci-fi canon.

Film 

If Signals was the serious sibling, In the Dust of the Stars is the glam-rock cousin who shows up late to the space party wearing red vinyl and spraying mouth mist. Directed again by Gottfried Kolditz, In the Dust of the Stars Blu-ray takes the restrained DEFA sci-fi style and shatters it across a glitterball.The plot — about a rescue mission that turns into a psychedelic trap on the planet Tem 4 — is almost beside the point. What matters here is the sheer visual audacity: kaleidoscopic lighting, slow-motion dancing, villainous eyebrow raises, and more metallic eyeliner than an ELO concert.

Right away, you know this isn’t your standard sci-fi fare. A woman screams in rhythm to an off-world synth beat. Hallways glow like lava lamps. Dialogue is delivered with the flat seriousness of propaganda while characters twirl in disco bliss or stare blankly into lava-lit voids. It’s a contradiction that works — Barbarella by way of Brecht. And yet, for all its camp, there’s a darker edge under the sparkle. Themes of mind control, memory erasure, and class manipulation bubble up beneath the surface, giving the film a surprisingly sharp bite if you’re willing to look past the gold eyeshadow.

That said, In the Dust of the Stars does show its seams. Some ship interiors wobble, and a few desert scenes feel stretched thin by budget limitations. But honestly? It adds to the charm. The set design in In the Dust of the Stars Blu-ray, no matter how threadbare in places, is always ambitious. Whether it’s a jagged alien staircase carved into a wall or a moody control room bathed in orange light, there’s no mistaking the effort and vision behind every frame. This is a film that may lack polish, but it overdelivers on personality.

In the end, it’s the mood that wins. A surrealist energy pulses through the entire runtime, anchored by a loungey Morricone-lite score that seduces as much as it disorients. It might not hit the emotional highs or narrative cohesion of more mainstream sci-fi, but In the Dust of the Stars is a vibe — and what a vibe it is. For fans of space disco, Cold War oddities, or just movies that dare to go full weird, this one’s essential viewing.

 

Video 

NOTE: Stills are provided for promotional use only and are not from the Blu-ray.

Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1

Region: A

HDR: N/A

Layers: BD-50

Clarity and Detail: For a 1976 DEFA production, the image quality is surprisingly sharp. Fine textures in the elaborate costumes—metallic fabrics, glittered makeup, studded boots — pop with crispness you wouldn’t expect from East German sci-fi. Some soft-focus shots linger here and there (baked into the original photography), but nothing distracts from the film’s gleefully excessive visuals.

Depth: The 1.66:1 framing gives a nice vertical stretch to the environments, especially the interior sets and the surreal garden sequences. While a few ship scenes feel boxed-in due to their limited construction, many wide shots still carry solid depth and spatial layering.

Black Levels: Mostly stable, but not always inky. Some darker scenes veer slightly gray, though shadow detail remains intact. No major crush, and the image holds up even in dim lighting setups.

Color: This is where the disc goes full hyperdrive. Saturated reds, electric blues, and shimmering silvers dominate the palette, and the DEFA Film Library restoration handles it all without blowing out or bleeding. Whether it’s flashing party lights or deep-space matte shots, colors stay punchy and controlled.

Flesh Tones: Skin tones hold to a warm-natural range, sometimes skewing toward the theatrical due to makeup and lighting. The disco scenes, in particular, bathe everyone in bold hues, but natural facial detail remains visible throughout.

Noise and Artifacts: Grain is present but unobtrusive — organic rather than distracting. No DNR, no edge enhancement, and no compression nastiness. Given the film’s age and source, it’s a remarkably clean presentation.

Audio 

Audio Format(s): German DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono

Subtitles: English

Dynamics: The mono mix does what it can — and honestly, it holds up well. That funky theme song has surprising punch, and dialogue doesn’t get buried under effects or score. For a track this old, it feels refreshingly alive.

Height: N/A

Low Frequency Extension: N/A

Surround Sound: N/A

Dialogue: Clear and mostly front-and-center. Sync is solid, and the subtitling is smooth and consistent. Vocals — whether whispered conspiracies or grand space proclamations — come through with clarity.

Extras 

While the bonus content is shared across both films in the double feature set, it still delivers real value. In the Dust of the Stars comes with a lively and informative audio commentary by Steve Bissette, who dives into the film’s campy flair, DEFA production context, and visual madness with clear affection. The disc also includes “Other Worlds, Strange Dreams,” a repeat featurette from the Signals Blu-ray, offering a broader look at Gottfried Kolditz’s East German space operas. Rounding it out is the original 1976 theatrical trailer, a kaleidoscopic blast of vintage sci-fi marketing that perfectly captures the film’s chaotic charm.

Special Features

• Audio commentary by film historian and comics artist Stephen R. Bissette
• “Other Worlds, Strange Dreams: the East German space operas of director Gottfried Kolditz”
• Original 1976 trailer

 

Summary

In the Dust of the Stars isn’t just a slice of East German sci-fi—it’s a full-blown cinematic time capsule from another dimension. It might wobble, it might bewilder, but it never bores. With the DEFA Film Library restoration bringing out every shimmering frame and synth-heavy beat, this Blu-ray gives the film a second life that feels oddly overdue. Whether you’re into cult cinema, Cold War curiosities, or just love your sci-fi served with sequins and subtext, this one earns a spot on the shelf. Curious how this one stacks up against its companion film? Read our full Signals: A Space Adventure Blu-ray review for more Cold War sci-fi from DEFA’s archives.

 

 

 

In the Dust of the Stars is released on Blu-ray June 10, 2025!

PRE-ORDER NOW!

 

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