002 Operazione Luna

002 operazione Luna is a 1965 science fiction comedy film directed by Lucio Fulci. The film stars Franco and Ciccio, Mónica Randall and Linda Sini.[3] The film's Spanish print released in 1968 was titled Dos cosmonautas a la fuerza (transl. Two Unwilling Cosmonauts ) and ran only 76 minutes.[2][1]

KGB 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.

Director Lucio Fulci stated that both 002 operazione luna and The Two Parachutists had more restrictions put on him than usual.[1] Fulci explained that both films were shot in seven weeks.[1] Despite the 002 in the title, the film is not a spy spoof and there are few scenes set in outer space.[4] Along with Warriors of the Year 2072, this film was among the two films that had Fulci attempt a science fiction themed production.[4]

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.[1][4] Fulci referred to this special effect as "a source of pride for me!".[1][4] 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.[4]

002 operazione luna was distributed in Italy on November 25, 1965 and in Spain on August 4, 1968.[2]