Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Jimmy T. Murakami
(more)

Writers:

Anne Dyer (story)
John Sayles (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

13 November 1980 (West Germany)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A battle beyond time, beyond space.

Plot:

Seven futuristic mercenaries are assembled to defend a helpless farm colony from an evil overlord.

Plot Keywords:

Outer Space | Mercenary | Mad Scientist | Spacecraft | Psychotronic

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Richard Thomas	...	Shad
Robert Vaughn	...	Gelt
John Saxon	...	Sador
George Peppard	...	Cowboy
Darlanne Fluegel	...	Nanelia
Sybil Danning	...	Saint-Exmin
Sam Jaffe	...	Dr. Hephaestus
Jeff Corey	...	Zed
Morgan Woodward	...	Cayman of the Lambda Zone
Marta Kristen	...	Lux
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Earl Boen	...	Nestor 1
Larry Broyles	...	Tembo
Ansley Carlin	...	Wok
Daniel Carlin	...	Pez
Lynn Carlin	...	Nell (voice)
Dick Carlos	...	Yago
Doug Carlsson	...	Pez
Dallas Clarke	...	Askew
Lara Cody	...	Kelvin2
Brian Coventry
Rick Davidson
Steve Davis	...	Quepeg
Julia Duffy	...	Mol
Kerry Frank
John Gowan	...	Nestor 2
Ron Henschel
Tom Henschel	...	Talking Android
Terrence E. McNally	...	Gar
Lawrence Steven Meyers	...	Kelvin
Eric Morris	...	Feh
Robert Peace	...	Kalo
Rob Reece
Gary D. Robbins
Ron Ross	...	Dab
Whitney Rydbeck	...	Saunders
Steve Says	...	Quopeg
Kimberly Sommer	...	Kintwarna
Galen Thompson	...	Wok
Dan Vincent
James Dunaway	...	Stretcher-bearer (uncredited)
S.A. Griffin	...	Lettress (uncredited)

Directed by
Jimmy T. Murakami
Roger Corman		(uncredited)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Anne Dyer		story
John Sayles		screenplay
John Sayles		story

Produced by
Ed Carlin	....	producer
Roger Corman	....	executive producer
Mary Ann Fisher	....	associate producer

Original Music by
James Horner

Cinematography by
Daniel Lacambre

Film Editing by
Allan Holzman
R.J. Kizer
Tony Randel
Nina Vlahos

Art Direction by
Charles Breen
James Cameron

Set Decoration by
Forrest Chadwick

Costume Design by
Durinda Wood		(as Durinda Rice Wood)

Makeup Department
Karoly Balazs	....	hair stylist
Sue Dolph	....	makeup artist
Steve Neill	....	makeup artist
Cliff Raven	....	makeup artist
Rick Stratton	....	makeup effects

Production Management
Michael Bennett	....	production manager
Gale Anne Hurd	....	assistant production manager
Aaron Lipstadt	....	assistant production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Frank Martinez	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Isabelle Brightman	....	graphic artist
Tom Campbell	....	miniature construction engineer
Forrest Chadwick	....	carpenter foreman
Sharon Compton	....	art department coordinator
Doug B. Dick	....	construction coordinator
Tom Duffy	....	special props
Steven Elliott	....	graphic artist
Judith Evans	....	graphic artist
Jan Ferris	....	designer: jewelry and some props
Jan Ferris	....	set designer
Dory Forma	....	props
Alex Hajdu	....	assistant art director
Gene Hamm	....	props
Sam Kirson	....	set designer
Rick Moore	....	graphic artist
John Muto	....	graphic designer
Mark A. Shelton	....	art department electrician
Barry Zetlin	....	graphic designer
David Halver	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Jay Koiwai	....	painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alan Howarth	....	sound effects editor
Ron Judkins	....	production sound mixer
Steve Rice	....	dialogue editor
David Lewis Yewdall	....	supervising sound editor

Special Effects by
Marcia Dripchak	....	special effects supervisor
Hal Miles	....	special effects technician
Robert Skotak	....	special effects creator

Visual Effects by
Ed Banks	....	visual effects gaffer
Stephen Barncard	....	special effects lighting
Steve Caldwell	....	visual effects camera operator
Steve Caldwell	....	visual effects camera operator
James Cameron	....	miniature constructor
James Cameron	....	miniature designer
Tom Campbell	....	miniature designer
Jo Carson	....	visual effects production manager
Chuck Comisky	....	visual effects supervisor
Don Dixon	....	visual consultant
George D. Dodge	....	visual effects director of photography
Marcia Dripchak	....	optical effects supervisor
Michele Ferrone	....	visual effects production manager
Alec Gillis	....	miniature constructor
Alec Gillis	....	miniature designer
Rob Maine	....	miniature process projection
Rob Maine	....	special effects camera operator
Austin McKinney	....	visual effects
Michele Perrone	....	visual effects production manager
Tony Randel	....	visual effects editor
Peter Regla	....	optical consultant
Dennis Skotak	....	miniature constructor
Dennis Skotak	....	miniature designer
Dennis Skotak	....	visual effects director of photography
Robert Skotak	....	miniature constructor
Robert Skotak	....	miniature designer
Dan Slater	....	optical consultant
Jonas Thaler	....	optical editorial (as Jon Thaler)
Mike Warren	....	optical effects

Stunts
Kenny Bates	....	stunts
James Rekart	....	utility stunts
Gene Witham	....	utility stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Larry Albright	....	lightning pieces
Chris Brightman	....	additional photographer
James Cameron	....	additional photographer (as Jim Cameron)
Tom Campbell	....	additional photographer
George D. Dodge	....	minature photographer
Randall Frakes	....	additional photographer
Paul Hodara	....	still photographer
Rob Maine	....	additional photographer
Larry Markart	....	assistant camera
Austin McKinney	....	additional photographer
Terry Moore	....	supervising electrician
Josh Morton	....	additional photographer
Eric Peterson	....	additional photographer
David Riley	....	additional photographer
Dennis Skotak	....	minature photographer
Carolyn Strauss	....	additional photographer
Paul Turner	....	effects lighting supervisor
Gary Wagner	....	additional photographer

Animation Department
Isabelle Brightman	....	animator
Steven Elliott	....	animator
Judith Evans	....	animator
John Muto	....	animator
Barry Zetlin	....	animator

Editorial Department
John K. Adams	....	assistant editor
Debra Chiate	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Greg Fulginiti	....	music engineer
David Newman	....	conductor

Other crew
Todd Allan	....	production assistant
Jane Covner	....	unit publicist
Mike Farman	....	production assistant
Clark Henderson	....	craft service
Ken Horn	....	prosthetic assistant
Sharon Kirkpatrick	....	script supervisor
Michael Lavalley	....	prosthetic assistant
Betsy Magruder	....	production coordinator
Robert Skotak	....	effects creator
Robert Skotak	....	special designer
Charles Skouras III	....	production coordinator
Mark L. Witzer	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• New World Pictures

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1982) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• International Film Distributors (Canada)
• New Horizons Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• New Horizons Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Orion Pictures Corporation (non-USA)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Hal Mann Laboratory (visual effects matte processing)

Other Companies

• Cuttlefish  special props
• Elison  motion control system
• Modern Props  computers
• Modern Props  technical Hardware
• Ryder Sound Services  re-recording studio
• West Hills Community Chorus  voice effects

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:12 (2005, DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Norway:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Finland:K-16 (1989) (uncut version) | Finland:K-12 (1980) (cut version)

Company:

New World Pictures

Trivia:

The main character, Shad, hails from the planet Akir. The natives of Akir are known as the Akira. This is no doubt a tribute to legendary director Akira Kurosawa (whose film Shichinin no samurai (1954) served as the inspiration for this film).

Quotes:

[after a dogfight against the Malmori]
Saint-Exmin: Shad, did you see me on the monitor? There was a fighter right on my tail... I pulled up... and smashed him into an asteroid!
Shad: [grimly] I'm glad this is so much fun for you. These aren't YOUR people we're fighting for.
Saint-Exmin: It's not that I don't empathize; That's the Valkyrie Creed: "Live fast, fight well and have a beautiful ending."
Shad: [looking her in the eyes] NO VIOLENT DEATH IS BEAUTIFUL!
Saint-Exmin: [smiling] You've never seen a Valkyrie go down...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Bachelor Party (1984)

Lotta bang for little bucks

Now this is interesting. The movie is another producer's spin on Star Wars; Star Wars obviously being made by George Lucas. The name 'George Lucas' being synonymous with 'epic-scale effects budget.' Battle Beyond the Stars was produced by Roger Corman. The name 'Roger Corman' being synonymous with 'shoe-string budget.'

Let me break from my usual critique style to go over some of the plot - Sador (John Saxon) feels the need to conquer, and he's so powerful that he decides to conquer an essentially helpless (not to mention useless) civilization. But instead of conquering, he courteously shows up to conveniently schedule his conquest a week from now in case they want to mount some sort of defense. (Where's Arnold when you need him? 'I'll be back!')

In response, Shad takes a road trip (space trip?) in Nell the only ship on the planet to round up some misfits (mercenaries--same thing) who happen to be in the neighborhood. Everyone is interestingly (clichély) unique and has their own reasons for wanting to fight, not to mention the actors have a wide range of performances ranging from sliced ham to frighteningly Shakespearian seriousness. And, ah to hell with it, you get the idea. Point is, I have every reason to really hate the plot, hate the characters (Good God, I've hated characters for much much less), hate this movie . . . but I dunno, I don't really mind it.

Through all its narrative faults, Battle Beyond the Stars happens to hit the right goofball mixture of elements from a surprisingly good score by young 'Jamie Horner' to notably weird spaceships and decent effects (for an early 80s low-budget flick) to wacky and tame characters that somehow summons a funky B-movie charm. For the life of me, I can't hate this movie despite the plot that begs me to bash it to oblivion with the Stellar Converter.

The spaceship, Nell, proved to be the highpoint of the film . . . not because of the ship's design, rather because of its personality (no really.)

I've always wanted to see a spaceship with an attitude (the Star Trek equivalent of Kit from Knight Rider?) A perfect counterpoint to the naivety of Shad, flawlessly delivered by Richard Thomas. If I weren't constantly laughing at the characters cluelessness, I'd want to slap that kid around, and I'd sure as hell wouldn't want to charge him with saving my planet. I'd like to die with my dignity, thank you.

Battle Beyond the Stars has a number of positive attributes (especially considering the budget and experience of most people involved on the film at the time), it has a number of reasons to be proud, and it most definitely has a number of charms that surpass its truckload of flaws. I consider Battle Beyond the Stars the spending benchmark for all sci-fi flicks. I mean, if Corman can entertain me with Hollywood pocket change, Lucas, the Wachowskis, and the other heavy spenders better blow my socks off with their ungodly sized budgets . . .