I adored Starcrash unriffed, so when Joel announced it would be an experiment, I was overjoyed. The thing I love most about it is that nobody holds back on the enthusiasm; everyone delivers their role like this was the blockbuster to end all blockbusters.
The cynicism of it being a Star Wars cash-in is just buried in pure joyous gusto!
And have you ever seen anyone swish a cape like Joe Spinell?
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Wouldn’t be the last movie with her and Spinell and this definitely won’t be riffed and rightfully so for how disturbing it is.
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That review is pretty spot on. If you want to see for yourself, the whole movie is on YouTube:
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Are you sure you didn’t just hallucinate dream hallucinate their existence?
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Speaking of more dubious claims, IMDB alleges Spinell worked very hard to do a new accent for this role and that that’s his own voice as the villain, dubbing himself. Having seen many films with Joe Spinell I don’t believe that for a moment. No way it’s him.
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Ah, yes. The role previously offered to our own Fred Williamson. But he rejected it and was quoted as saying, “I’m sorry. I like money and free trips as much as the next guy. But this wardrobe you made for me? It’s… kind of silly.”
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Unlike Christopher Plummer, who loved Italy’s capital so much, he once said he’d do porn, if only he could film it in Rome.
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It was in an AV Club (effectively RIP now) Random Roles interview.
Starcrash (1978)—“The Emperor”
CP: [Breathlessly.] Starcrash . Oh, my God. There are two things I can say about that: One, give me Rome any day. I’ll do porno in Rome, as long as I can get to Rome. [Laughs.] Getting to Rome was the greatest thing that happened in that for me. I think it was only about three days in Rome on that one. It was all shot at once. And the girl… What’s her name? Munro?
AVC: Caroline Munro.
CP: Caroline Munro. She was something incredible to look at. That was a great pleasure, too. But beyond those two things… I mean, how can you play the Emperor Of The Universe? What a wonderful part to play. [Laughs.] It puts God in a very dicey moment, doesn’t it? He’s very insecure, God, when the Emperor’s around.
I also loved his answer about The Sound of Music:
The Sound Of Music (1965)—“Captain Von Trapp”
CP: [Sees the publicist at the door.] Ah, there’s the Ghost Of Christmas Past…
AVC: In that case, I’m obliged to close by asking you about The Sound Of Music —
CP: [Sighs.]
AVC: —and I’ll include that you sighed.
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I’m a sucker for a good running joke, and I love all the Southern-fried drawl they put in the mouth of the inexplicably accented robot Elle.
Doubly so when they ran with that friend zone gag with Stella Star.
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What else was cool about this episode was that you had Jonah playing up both sides of the morality fence as the hero and the villain in the host segments.
And all of it worked! It was something that pointed to Jonah’s versatility in the sketches.
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Fandom + Celebrity and SNL Revelry. Those sketches were gold.
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“Live from New York, it’s the torpedo sketch!”
Baron made that SING.
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Early on in the airing of Season 11, countless MSTies professed Starcrash (1978) was the peak of The Return? Is it still?
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That’s boss if that’s the case, glad they dug it as they did! To each their own, I suppose. I can’t/won’t purport to speak for all MSTies or even a large or semi-large or not-even-that-large chunk of them or even one other MSTie.
I can only speak for my own views on Season 11, so I’ll say that it was pretty dang solid stuff, even though I had it in mind that the best was (most likely) to come.
Starcrash is very good, don’t get me wrong. It just feels like I got more out of Cry Wilderness, The Beast of Hollow Mountain, and Avalanche by the time that I got to Starcrash.
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For me, maybe, but I think Cry Wilderness might be the consensus best episode of the season.
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That and Avalanche (1978). Those three are all in the running by a good percentage of fans. They manifest as the running standouts in a fair share of conversations. Past and present.
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Did I land the backflip? 
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I never thought that. It was always Cry Wilderness for me. I would argue it still holds the top spot anecdotally, but then we all hear/see different anecdotes.
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Continuing off Starcrash, I straight up think Cry Wilderness is a mid-table offering from The Return’s super-strong line up of experiments.
I love it, but so many of s11’s episodes are.
Both the Wizards fims, the McClures, the Mia/Rock one, reptilicus, Loves of Hercules, Starcrash and Carnival Magic equally or bettering Cry Wilderness.
I am fine saying there is a 10-way tie for the top spot, but no one would accept that. 
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