The Spectacular Sci-Fi Visions of East German Director Gottfried Kolditz: Standard Edition – Deaf Crocodile (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: East Germany/Poland, 1970 (Signals: A Space Adventure), East Germany, 1976 (In the Dust of the Stars)
Director: Gottfried Kolditz (Both Films)
Cast: Piotr Pawlowski, Evgeniy Zharikov, Gojko Mitic, Alfred Müller, Helmut Schreiber, Irena Karel, Soheir El-Morshidy, Karin Ugowski, Iurie Darie (Signals: A Space Adventure), Jana Brejchová, Alfred Struwe, Ekkehard Schall, Milan Beli, Silvia Popovici, Violeta Andrei, Leon Niemczyk, Regine Heintze, Mihai Mereuta (In the Dust of the Stars)

Release Date: June 10th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 92 Minutes 6 Seconds (Signals: A Space Adventure), 100 Minutes 7 Seconds (In the Dust of the Stars)
Aspect Ratio: 2.20:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (Signals: A Space Adventure), 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (In the Dust of the Stars)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 German (Signals: A Space Adventure), DTS-HD Mono German (In the Dust of the Stars),
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

Signals: A Space Adventure: "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.” - synopsis provided by the distributor

In the Dust of the Stars: "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." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Signals: A Space Adventure, In the Dust of the Stars)

Here’s the information provided about Signals: A Space Adventure's transfer, "recently restored in 6K from the original camera negative by the DEFA Foundation in Berlin for its first-ever world Blu-ray release by Deaf Crocodile."

Signals: A Space Adventure comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.8 GB

Feature: 20.3 GB

In the Dust of the Stars comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.9 GB

Feature: 19.4 GB

Fidelity In Motion delivers a solid encode for both films. This release presents Signals: A Space Adventure in a 2.20:1 aspect ratio, where Eureka Video’s release was presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. This release of In the Dust of the Stars does not have the AI issues that Eureka Video’s does. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is solid.

Audio: 4.5/5 (Signals: A Space Adventure, In the Dust of the Stars)

Signals: A Space Adventure comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in German with removable English subtitles. In the Dust of the Stars comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in German with removable English subtitles. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should.

Extras:

Extras on the disc with Signals: A Space Adventure include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German, no subtitles), a video essay by film historian Evan Chester titled Other worlds, strange dreams: the East German space operas of director Gottfried Kolditz (17 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for German film clips), and an audio commentary with film historian and comics artist Stephen R. Bissette and Dr. Mariana Ivanova of the DEFA Film Library.   

Extras on the disc with In the Dust of the Stars include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German, no subtitles), a video essay by film historian Evan Chester titled Other worlds, strange dreams: the East German space operas of director Gottfried Kolditz (17 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for German film clips), and an audio commentary with film historian and comics artist Stephen R. Bissette and Dr. Mariana Ivanova of the DEFA Film Library. Despite running 14 seconds longer, this is the same video essay on both discs.

Other extras include an insert with a URL that has a PDF for the video essay.

There is a deluxe release of Gwen and the Book of Sand that comes in a slipcase, and a 60-page booklet with rare production artwork, a newly translated essay by director Jean-François Laguionie about the making of the film, an essay by film historian Jennifer Lynde Barker), and an essay by film critic Walter Chaw (Film Freak Central).

Summary:

Signals: A Space Adventure: A Space Adventure: A commander and his crew search for a missing spaceship that lost its bearings.

In 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey forever changed sci-fi cinema, and in its wake many films tried to mimic it; case in point, Signals: A Space Adventure. While there are numerous similarities between these two films, one key area of distinction is that Signals: A Space Adventure is rife with exposition, whereas 2001: A Space Odyssey utilizes dialogue sparingly.

The most unusual aspect of Signals: A Space Adventure is its moment on Earth, where characters walk upside down and have fun on a beach. These moments really stick out, and they add nothing to the narrative's main focal point, the search for the missing ship. That said, an area where the narrative is very effective is its use of flashbacks to flesh out characters.

Though the performances support the story that unfolds well, the special effects are the main attraction. The special effects, mostly miniature effects, hold up well considering their limitations. Another area where the production design of Signals: A Space Adventure excels is in the depiction of the wrecked missing spaceship.

The narrative is well-constructed, and despite its deliberate pacing, there are no major lulls. The visuals do a remarkable job creating a credible world, especially when it comes to how they accentuate characters' movements in outer space. Another strength is an exemplary score that does an excellent job of reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Signals: A Space Adventure's positives far outweigh its few negatives.

In the Dust of the Stars: A spaceship and its crew are trapped on a planet after receiving a distress call from its inhabitants.

Despite its futuristic setting, In the Dust of the Stars has many elements that connect it with 1970s disco culture, notably some of the clothing. Also, to pass the time, the inhabitants of the planet Tem 4 like to have Roman-like orgies and perform choreographed dances. Content-wise, In the Dust of the Stars is a campy sci-fi film cut from the same mold as films like Logan’s Run and Flash Gordon.

When it comes to the performances, one thing that can be said is that the cast all give enthusiastic performances. The most surprising aspect of In the Dust of the Stars is how unintentionally funny it is, especially when it comes to Chief, the leader of the planet, and his main henchman, Ronk. Ekkehard Schall’s flamboyant portrayal of Chief is the most memorable performance.

Where Gottfried Kolditz’s previous sci-fi film Signals: A Space Adventure featured wondrous visions of space and the future, In the Dust of the Stars lacks all of these things. The special effects look crude, and even the production design has less to work with this time around. That said, this does not appear to be a case of running out of money but instead just a filmmaker working with limited resources.

Though In the Dust of the Stars deals with social commentary, it is too silly of a film for any of its themes to really stick. There are an abundance of WTF moments, none more head-scratching than a silhouetted nude dancing sequence. And at 100 minutes in length, there are a few lulls, which are fortunately not difficult to look past since the narrative is overflowing with weirdness. Ultimately, In the Dust of the Stars is an outlandish film that lacks the highbrow ambitions of other East German sci-fi cinema.

The Spectacular Sci-Fi Visions of East German Director Gottfried Kolditz is an excellent release from Deaf Crocodile, highly recommended.

Note: There is a deluxe release of The Spectacular Sci-Fi Visions of East German Director Gottfried Kolditz that comes in a slipcase featuring 4 new alternate covers, and a 80-page booklet with an essay written by film historian Rolf Giesen, an essay written by Jennifer Barker, an essay by film critic Walter Chaw (Film Freak Central), and an interview with the director’s son Stefan Kolditz.

Written by Michael Den Boer