Dorothy Stratten was the center of attention as the hottest Playmate around. But a jealous husband turns this dream story into a nightmare. This gripping drama is based on a true story.
--George
Star 80
Directors: Bob Fosse
Producers: Wolfgang Glattes, Kenneth Utt
Writers: Bob Fosse, Teresa Carpenter (article)
Features: Fullscreen Format; Audio: Mono
Characters:
Dorothy Stratten - Mariel Hemingway
Paul Snider - Eric Roberts
Hugh Heffner - Cliff Robertson
Aram Nicholas - Roger Rees
Genre: Drama
Review:
"Star 80" is an adaption of Teresa Carpeter's Pulitzer Prize-winning article "Death of a Playmate." Fosse ("Cabaret") put together a frightening look at the life and last days of Dorothy Stratten, before she is murdered by her jealous husband. But just because we know the ending, doesn't mean the story isn't worth watching. Masterfully, Fosse captures the attention of the audience with flashbacks and haunting music that is both foreboding and mezmorizing. In the end, he makes this drama unforgettable.
What is forgettable is Warner Bros. poor job of making this DVD. Without the benefit of a title menu, the movie starts unheeded. You can skip through the 29 chapters, but there isn't a menu to guide you in the effort. The transfer is dirty and full of artifacts, plus it was in fullscreen, and the audio is available only in mono. It's a shame that a movie like "Star 80" would not have gotten a better debut on disc than what the WB put out. Nevertheless, you should still see "Star 80," regardless of the quality of the DVD.
The movie deals with a slimy, small time hustler named Paul Snider (Roberts - "Runaway Train"), who endears himself to a small town girl named Dorothy Stratten (Hemingway - "The Contender"). Recognizing that she is his ticket to stardom and smitten with her beauty, Snider convinces Dorothy to pose nude for Playboy. At first hesitant, Dorothy slowly realizes that this is what she wants to do, and soon becomes a big star. She is taken in by the "fatherly" Hugh Heffner, and becomes the Miss August centerfold.
Unfortunately, as her star rises, Snider becomes more and more jealous, as his failures and temper grow. What the audience witnesses is the interspersing of interviews from Dorothy and people who knew her and Paul, along with a frightening look at what is inevitably going to happen. Despite knowing the ending, the tension is palpable as we see Paul Snider slowly become unhinged even as Dorothy becomes aware of the fear she is experiencing from Paul's abusive episodes. The climax to the film is not one that will be forgotten in my mind for ages to come.
I would rate "Star 80" with four stars out of five, even while I give the DVD "two thumbs down." It is definitely worth the rent as the performances by Roberts and Hemingway are spectacular, as is the direction of the Oscar winning Bob Fosse. But Eric Roberts steals the show in this as the manic Paul Snider. The subject matter is disturbing, the mood thick, but the climax makes this film worth the rent.
---George Castillo