STAR 80  tells the story (with liberties) of Playboy Playmate of the Year Dorothy Stratten, who had the tragic luck to get mixed up with sleazeball Paul Snider.  Written & directed by Bob Fosse, it drew legal action as Playboy-in-chief Hugh Hefner sued the producers of the 1983 film because he didn’t like the way he was portrayed.  Geez, Hef: Cliff Robertson, playing you, is better looking, at least, and this whole being upset about coming off as a…well, what are you, Hef ? Oh, right…a “publisher”.

“I know all the tricks. I know all the con games. I know all the bullshit and there’s plenty of that, believe me. Together – we could be somebody. People would know who we are. People would know our names. People would treat us that special way – the way they treat stars!”

Anyhow, Mariel Hemingway, complete with enhanced bosom, does a decent turn as the ill-fated centerfold, and the cast also features former 60s siren Carroll Baker (back in town for the first time since Euro exile in 1967), David Clennon and the ever-irritating Josh Mostel.  Roger Rees plays a character based on director Peter Bogdanovich, who Hefner also later sued, and who went on to marry Dorothy’s kid sister: it’s all a little too Hollyweird.

The question arises: “Do you really care enough about these celebrities?” What makes the telling work is the riveting and all-too-believable portrayal of the murdering slime Snider by a great conveyor of creepiness: Eric Roberts. He tears it up, you just have to decide whether or not to spend 102 minutes with the rotten bastard he’s impersonating. Watch once: feel better about your life. Produced for $12,000,000, other people’s money only took it to 77th place in 1983, with a gross of $6,473,000, a

Also in the cast: Jordan Christopher, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Neva Patterson, Stuart Damon, Liz Sheridan, Cathy St. George and Gwen Welles.