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Star 80

Play trailer Poster for Star 80 R Released Nov 10, 1983 1h 44m Biography Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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81% Tomatometer 16 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
When sleazy Paul Snider (Eric Roberts) stumbles upon pretty high school beauty Dorothy Stratten (Mariel Hemingway), he knows she is star material. Paul becomes her manager and husband, and under his guidance Dorothy grows to fame as a Playboy Playmate. But when Dorothy begins pursuing an acting career, the jealous Paul finds himself elbowed out of the picture by more famous men. Dorothy's career rises as Paul's mental state declines, leading ultimately to tragedy.
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Star 80

Critics Reviews

View All (16) Critics Reviews
Peter Rainer Los Angeles Herald Examiner Star 80 is a classic example of a movie that exemplifies what it attacks. Aug 9, 2022 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The movie seems to be saying: These things happen. After it was over, I felt bad for Dorothy Stratten. In fact, for everybody. Rated: 4/4 Oct 23, 2004 Full Review Nell Minow Movie Mom Rated: 4/5 Nov 13, 2003 Full Review David Reddish Queerty Star 80 doesnt always make for pleasant viewing, but whether shining or morose, it captivates with every frame. Just as Virgil led Dante through Hell, Fosse wants to guide viewers into Hollywoods seedy underside. Rated: 4/4 Mar 20, 2022 Full Review Tom Meek Cambridge Day The film frames domestic abuse and an American tragedy with forensic detail. Rated: 3/4 Apr 6, 2020 Full Review Octavi Marti El Pais (Spain) Certain splendid details... justify, in part, the director's ambitions. [Full Review in Spanish] Feb 10, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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CodyZamboni Z Movie is disturbing, Fascinating, And sadly true. A tale of the pursuit of fame, Hollywood's exploitative machine, and how it attracts society's low lifes and hustlers. Movie hits all the right emotional notes, Bob Fosse dials back the glitz, to let the story unfold naturally, Anchored by a scary performance by Eric Roberts, Film's weakness is Mariel Hemingway's amateurish performance. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/04/25 Full Review Mason M Star 80 is a disturbing and depressing film in the best way. A masterclass in a sense of impending doom, due to showing the ending repeatedly throughout the film, and great performances from the two leads, especially Eric Roberts. Not your typical Fosse film but great nonetheless. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/08/24 Full Review Lorenz L Fosse was a legendary, history-making choreographer. His work as a stage director was mostly mediocre with a few bursts of brilliance, but he was most definitely NOT a film director and/or screenwriter. "Cabaret" is kept afloat by its stars; "All That Jazz" is an insanely overlong,overinflated egomaniacal paean to himself. "Star 80" is a mere embarrassment (Eric Roberts is so consistently over-the-top it's exhausting watching him drown is this mess of a screenplay) and should just be forgotten. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 06/09/24 Full Review Jeff M Before the emergence of the late Anna Nicole Smith, one could argue that Dorothy Stratten was the most famous Playboy Playmate of all time. Sadly, a big chunk of that notoriety was due to her untimely death. Fosse's biopic is expertly made - there are individual components here that are 4-5 star material. And while I recommend it beyond a shadow of a doubt, it's a case where the whole is a bit less than the sum of its parts. Perhaps 38 years ago, this would have felt a bit more shocking and original. Today, with the onslaught of crime procedurals, murder documentaries, CSIs, Laws and Orders...well, it seems a bit tame and under-nourished. That being said, there are elements here undeniably great, the most obvious being Roberts in what should have been an Oscar-nominated performance. He plows through this film like a hurricane and obliterates everything in his path. There was a short period of time when Julia was Eric's sister rather than Eric being Julia's brother. This is a reminder - he is spellbinding. Hemingway is less so, and I'm on the fence about her performance. It feels wooden and stiff, particularly compared to Roberts, but giving her the benefit of the doubt, I'm trying to determine whether it's the performance itself or the role. On the other hand, I was mightily impressed by Carroll Baker as Dorothy's mom - had she another big scene or two, I think she would have been a Best Supporting Actress candidate. Fosse only made a handful of movies before his untimely death, and his scorecard is quite remarkable. This isn't atop the list of his achievements, but it's imminently watchable and extremely well made. And Roberts alone makes it a must-see. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/24 Full Review Georgan G Not a bad bio drama, except I didn't like that it began after Dorothy was killed. It certainly was better than the made-for-TV movie version. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/24 Full Review Alec B Eric Roberts melds charm, sleaze, and volatility into one unsettling performance. That said, If the movie was a little more focused on Hemingway it could have been a masterpiece. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/05/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Star 80

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Movie Info

Synopsis When sleazy Paul Snider (Eric Roberts) stumbles upon pretty high school beauty Dorothy Stratten (Mariel Hemingway), he knows she is star material. Paul becomes her manager and husband, and under his guidance Dorothy grows to fame as a Playboy Playmate. But when Dorothy begins pursuing an acting career, the jealous Paul finds himself elbowed out of the picture by more famous men. Dorothy's career rises as Paul's mental state declines, leading ultimately to tragedy.
Director
Bob Fosse
Producer
Wolfgang Glattes, Kenneth Utt
Screenwriter
Teresa Carpenter, Bob Fosse
Distributor
Warner Bros., Warner Home Vídeo
Production Co
The Ladd Company
Rating
R
Genre
Biography, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 10, 1983, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Runtime
1h 44m
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