Shot directly after Mario Bava’s Danger: Diabolik, this Roger Vadim-directed movie is based on the comic book of the same name by Jean-Claude Forest. The film stars Vadim’s then-wife Jane Fonda as Barbarella, a United Earth agent sent to find scientist Durand Durand, who has created a weapon that could destroy humanity.

Vadim was hired to direct this film after producer Dino De Laurentiis purchased the rights. This led to Vadim looking to cast several actresses in the title role, including Virna Lisi, Brigitte Bardot (that’s who the character was originally based on) and Sophia Loren before ending up picking his wife.

In case you’re wondering why this movie is such a mess, Charles B. Griffith was the last writer to work on it, saying that he had done uncredited work on the script after fifteen other writers — including Terry Southern — worked on the movie.

This film is packed with fashion, amazing sets — you can credit Bava’s film for some of that, and great characters, like John Phillip Law (who used the break in shooting to be in the aforementioned Danger: Diabolik) as Pygar the angel, Anita Pallenberg (Performance) as the Black Queen, Milo O’Shea as Durand-Durand, Marcel Marceau in a rare speaking role as Professor Ping, David Hemmings (Deep Red) as Dildano and even cameos from Fabio Testi and Antonio Sabato (who was originally to play the role that Hemmings ended up doing).

So yeah. This is a gorgeous film that makes no sense whatsoever. Is that such a bad thing? I first watched this as a child on HBO and I think when the part came in which the birds tear apart Barbarella’s clothes, my parents decided that it was time for me to go to bed. I was hooked on movies that were seen as being wrong for me to watch and Italian-shot films.

A sequel was planned with producer Robert Evans called Barbarella Goes Down, but it never happened. Nor did a 1990 remake, a Robert Rodriguez idea or a potential project with Nicolas Winding Refn, who moved on to other projects, saying, “…certain things are better left untouched. You don’t need to remake everything.”

The Arrow Video release of Barbarella is, as you always expect, overflowing with features. It starts with a brand new 4K restoration from the original negative by Arrow Films, all inside a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tula Lotay. It comes with a double-sided fold-out poster featuring the same artwork, six double-sided postcards and an illustrated book with new writing on the movie by Anne Billson, Paul Gravett, Véronique Bergen and Elizabeth Castaldo Lundén, and select archival material.

There’s audio commentary by film critic Tim Lucas, as well as alternative opening and closing credits in 4K with Dolby Vision and the isolated score.

Extras include an appreciation by film critic Glenn Kenny, a two-hour in-depth discussion between film and cultural historians Tim Lucas and Steve Bissette, a feature on the costume designs, an interview with camera operator Roberto Girometti, actor/director Ricky Tognazzi discussing the life and work of his father Ugo Tognazzi, an interview with Fabio Testi, a video essay by Eugenio Ercolani on producer Dino De Laurentiis, a trailer, U.S. TV and radio commercials and an image gallery.

You can get it on 4K UHD or blu ray from MVD.