Battle Beyond the Stars *** (1980, Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, John Saxon, George Peppard, Sam Jaffe) – Classic Movie Review 8592

Director Jimmy T Murakami’s 1980 movie Battle Beyond the Stars is a cheeky and entertaining slice of sci-fi from executive producer Roger Corman and New World Pictures, cheerfully mixing The Magnificent Seven with Star Wars. It stars Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, John Saxon, George Peppard, Sam Jaffe, Darlanne Fleugel, Sybil Danning, Jeff Corey, Julia Duffy and Morgan Woodward.

A decent budget provides attractive special effects, there is a welcome B-cast at their most energetic, and a lively, jokey screenplay by John Sayles about warriors taken on to stop space invaders attacking a vulnerable planet.

Richard Thomas plays the young farmer Shad, who sets out to recruit mercenaries to defend his peaceful planet threatened by the tyrant Sador (John Saxon).

Robert Vaughn reappears from The Magnificent Seven, but now playing assassin Gelt. To recoup the high costs, Corman recycled the effects, sets and costumes throughout the 80s in films like Android. The high costs were only relative to Corman’s usual budgets, It cost a mere $2,000,000 and grossed a very healthy $11,000,000 in the US.

James Cameron and future partner and producer Gale Anne Hurd met on this film.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8592

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