A while back, I spent a whopping $5 on this 50-movie set, Sci-fi Invasion. That adds up to 10 cents per movie. 1981’s Escape from Galaxy 3 is an outer space epic set to disco music. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD SOMEONE TURN OFF THE DISCO MUSIC.

Here’s what happens: In outer space, a peaceful starship is on the run from the sinister dictator Ureklon. A studly, heroic pilot and the sexy princess escape at the last minute. They make their way to a backwards planet populated with primitive humans. Love blossoms for our two heroes on this new world, while Ureklon is still out there, pursuing them.

Speculative spectacle Tell me if this plot twist sounds familiar: It turns out that the primitive planet is actually future Earth, having reverted back to a caveman-like existence after a nuclear holocaust.

Sleaze factor: The princess runs around in a skintight green bodysuit, with about half of it missing. Later, among the hippy-ish Earthlings, she’s introduced to the whole “free love” thing.

Quantum quotables: Every other line of dialogue has some sort of technobabble, such as “activate the laser barrier” or “throw up a shield of mega-rays” or “prepare the 15th dimension.” Until some hack publishes a tie-in book called The Science of Escape From Galaxy 3, I have no idea what any of this is supposed to mean.

What the felgercarb? Our villain wears bright red tights with lightning bolts on his legs. Did I mention the disco influence?

Microcosmic minutiae: Several (all?) of the special effects shots are lifted from the 1979 sci-fi trash flick Starcrash. In some parts of the world, Escape From Galaxy 3 was even released as Starcrash II. Except that Starcrash had David Hasselhoff’s epic afro and Caroline Munro in that outfit. (You know the one.) You’re not going to find anything of that caliber here.

 Worth 10 cents? Everybody disco dance!

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