''002 operazione Luna'' is a science fiction comedy film directed by

Lucio Fulci Lucio Fulci (; 17 June 1927 – 13 March 1996) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. Although he worked in a wide array of genres through a career spanning nearly five decades, including comedies and Spaghetti Westerns, he garn ...

. The film stars Franco Franchi, Ciccio Ingrassia,

Mónica Randall Mónica Randall (born 1942) is a Spanish film actress. Randall has made some 110 appearances in film and TV since 1963. She appeared in numerous Spaghetti Westerns in the 1960s in films such as '' One Hundred Thousand Dollars for Ringo'' and ...

and

Linda Sini Linda Sini (13 February 1924 – 5 February 1999) was an Italian film actress. She made 75 appearances between 1950 and 1979 and several appearances after this, mostly in film. Debuting in '' Sigillo rosso'' in 1950, she went on to star in ...

. The film's Spanish print released in 1968 was titled ''Dos cosmonautas a la fuerza'' () and ran only 76 minutes.

Plot

KGB The KGB (russian: links=no, lit=Committee for State Security, Комитет государственной безопасности (КГБ), a=ru-KGB.ogg, p=kəmʲɪˈtʲet ɡəsʊˈdarstvʲɪn(ː)əj bʲɪzɐˈpasnəsʲtʲɪ, Komitet gosud ...

authorities abduct two criminals (Franco and Ciccio) who look precisely like missing spacemen and pretend they are the returning cosmonauts. They launch them in a rocket so that they can land in public view, leading the populace to believe it was the original spacecraft that had returned. The two criminals look so much like the astronauts that they even fool the astronauts' wives. Later, however, the actual spacecraft returns to Earth undamaged, and the plan goes all to pieces. In the end, Franco and Ciccio stay in Russia, and the real astronauts relocate to Italy.

Cast

* Franco Franchi as Franco / Colonel Paradowsky * Ciccio Ingrassia as Ciccio / Major Borovin *

as Mishca Paradowsky *

as Leonidova * María Silva * (credited as Hélène Sedlak) * Emilio Rodríguez *

Francesca Romana Coluzzi Francesca Romana Coluzzi (20 May 1943 – 15 July 2009) was an Italian actress. A respected dramatic actress on stage, she is probably best known for her roles in the commedia sexy all'italiana. Life and career Born in Tirana, Albania of Italia ...

as Russian Agent * Chiro Bermejo *

Ignazio Leone Ignazio Leone (19 April 1923 – 30 December 1976) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 105 films between 1952 and 1976. Selected filmography * '' The Walk'' (1953) * ''I Chose Love'' (1953) * ''Amici per la pelle'' (1955) * '' A Woma ...

as Sergio *Franco Morici * Enzo Andronico as Ivan * as soviet

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

Lino Banfi Lino Banfi (born Pasquale Zagaria; 9 July 1936) is an Italian film actor and presenter. He has appeared in more than 100 films since 1960. Biography He was born in the Apulian city of Andria and at the age of three, moved to Canosa di Puglia. Li ...

as Policeman (credited as Pasquale Zangaria)

Production

Director

stated that both ''002 operazione luna'' and ''

The Two Parachutists ''The Two Parachutists'' or ''I due parà'' is a Italian films of 1965, 1965 Italy, Italian war comedy film directed by Lucio Fulci, starring the comic duo Franco and Ciccio. Plot Franco and Ciccio are two Sicilian street artists who are forced ...

'' had more restrictions put on him than usual. Fulci explained that both films were shot in seven weeks. Despite the 002 in the title, the film is not a spy spoof and there are few scenes set in outer space. Along with ''

Warriors of the Year 2072 ''Warriors of the Year 2072'' ( it, I Guerrieri dell'anno 2072) is a 1984 Italian science fiction film directed by Lucio Fulci. The film is set in the 21st century, where Romans have found a new way to handle criminals: by having them fight each o ...

'', this film was among the two films that had Fulci attempt a science fiction themed production. Fulci has proclaimed that to film the scene where a space ship takes off in the film, he used four lights and a black cloth over a stage with a lot of little bulks on the floor for stars, all filmed in slow motion. Fulci referred to this special effect as "a source of pride for me!". Troy Howarth, a Fulci biographer, commented that Fulci's memory must have been faulty, since he claims that scene in the film was all done using stock footage.

Release

''002 operazione luna'' was distributed in Italy on November 25, 1965 and in Spain on August 4, 1968.

Footnotes

References

* *

External links

* 1960s buddy comedy films Spanish films Spanish science fiction comedy films 1960s science fiction comedy films Films about astronauts Films directed by Lucio Fulci Films set in Russia Italian films 1960s Italian-language films Italian black-and-white films Italian buddy comedy films Italian science fiction comedy films {{1960s-Italy-comedy-film-stub