Battle Beyond the Stars
Encyclopedia
Battle Beyond the Stars is a Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...

-produced science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...

, directed by Jimmy T. Murakami and released in 1980. The film, intended as a "Magnificent Seven in outer space," is a pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...

 of The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven is an American Western film directed by John Sturges, and released in 1960. It is a fictional tale of a group of seven American gunmen who are hired to protect a small agricultural village in Mexico from a group of marauding Mexican bandits...

, the Western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...

 remake of Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...

's film Seven Samurai. The screenplay was written by John Sayles
John Sayles
John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"...

, the score was composed by James Horner
James Horner
James Roy Horner is an American composer, orchestrator and conductor of orchestral and film music. He is noted for the integration of choral and electronic elements in many of his film scores, and for frequent use of Celtic musical elements...

, and the special effects were directed by James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...

.

Several of the effects shots and clips were re-used for other films throughout the 1980s, including Bachelor Party, while the spaceship model was re-used in the film Space Raiders.

Plot

The farmers of the peaceful planet Akir (named in honor of Seven Samurai director Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...

) are threatened by the space tyrant Sador and his army of mutants, the Malmori. Sador's huge ship carries a weapon called a "Stellar Converter", which literally turns planets into small suns, destroying all life on their surface. He threatens to use the Converter on the planet unless the people of Akir submit to him when he returns to Akir in several days. Zed, the last Akira warrior, now old and blind, suggests they hire mercenaries to protect the planet. Lacking any valuable resources, the Akira can only offer food and shelter in payment. Unable to go himself, Zed offers his ship, Nell, for the job if they can find a pilot. A young man named Shad, who has often piloted the ship and is well known by her artificial intelligence system, volunteers to recruit the mercenaries. Shad takes to the skies, unaware that Sador has left a fighter behind to watch over the planet. The evil mutants Kalo and Tembo pursue Shad, but the youth is able to outrun them and the mutants return to Akir to continue their orbit of the planet.

Shad's first stop is the run-down Hephaestus space station which repairs androids. Expecting to find potential allies, Shad instead finds only two organic lifeforms among the androids, the old Doctor Hephaestus kept on life support, and his beautiful daughter Nanelia. The Doctor attempts to keep Shad there against his will to mate with his daughter. Unable to abandon his people, Shad escapes, with Nanelia following in her own ship. Although her ship offers no weapons, her computer systems are highly advanced and might be used in the coming fight. The two split up to look for more mercenaries.

Shad comes across Space Cowboy of the planet Earth, essentially a spacegoing truck driver with a fondness for old western films. Shad saves Cowboy and his ship from hijackers. Shad learns that Cowboy is late delivering a shipment of handguns to a planet which, as they watch on a viewscreen, Sador destroys using the Stellar Converter. Lacking the fuel to carry the weapons home with him, Cowboy offers to deliver them to Akir. Shad talks him into staying on to teach the Akira to use the weapons.

Shad is then approached by a set of five alien clones
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...

 who share a group consciousness named Nestor. These aliens say their life is incredibly dull, since their whole race shares one mind. In order to be entertained, they have sent five members in a ship to join Shad's cause. Nestor asks no payment, saying they are completely self sufficient.

Back orbiting Akir, Kalo and Tembo are bored and observe a wedding ceremony which is being conducted by Shad's sister Mol on the planet's surface. The mutants swoop down in their fighter, beam her up and return to orbit. Meanwhile, Shad's next stop is on a planet known for criminal activity in Zed's day. He discovers a nearly abandoned world being used as a hideout for Gelt, a wealthy assassin who became too well-known to even show his face on any civilized planet. Gelt gladly offers his services in trade for the ability to live among the Akira without being hunted.

Shad is then approached by Saint-Exmin, a member of the Valkyrie warriors. She is a pushy young adventuress looking to prove herself in battle. She pilots a small, but fast ship. Shad finds her annoying and wishes she would go away, but she tags along.

While awaiting Shad's return, Nanelia had been captured by a reptilian slaver named Cayman of the Lambda Zone. Caymen possesses a powerful, if old ship with an odd crew of aliens. She quickly recruits Cayman to their cause when he learns that they are looking for mercenaries to fight Sador, saying all he wants in payment is Sador's head.

The band of seven ships makes their way back to Akir. In the orbiting Malmori fighter, Tembo is raping Mol when Kalo detects the approaching fleet of mercenaries. They try and escape, but their ship is destroyed by the pursuing Gelt. Shad takes the mercenaries down to the surface, but they are greeted with caution by the natives, who are not used to violent lifeforms. Eventually, Sador returns but his fleet of fighters is intercepted by Shad and his new friends. Despite taking several enemy ships down skillfully, Gelt is shot down and critically injured in the initial dogfight. Meanwhile, on the surface, Cowboy and the Akiran natives, armed with his laser guns, fight off a ground invasion. Shad having won the first round, the two sides withdraw.

Sador survives an attempt on his life by one of the Nestors he has captured, and in anger, launches all his remaining ships against the planet. There is another huge battle and the mercenaries are all killed one by one, including Cowboy who leads a strafing run on Sador's flagship. However, the mercenaries are successful in destroying most of Sador's forces and the Stellar Converter. With only Shad and Nanelia left in Shad's ship, they are captured in a tractor beam by Sador. The pair escape in a lifepod with Nell self-destructing to blow up Sador's ship and Shad and Nanelia return to Akir, where the natives will remember the sacrifices made by the mercenaries.

Cast

  • Richard Thomas
    Richard Thomas (actor)
    Richard Earl Thomas is an American actor, best known for his role as budding author John-Boy Walton in the CBS drama The Waltons.- Early life :Thomas was born Richard Earl Thomas in New York,...

     - Shad, a young Akira farmer who looks for mercenaries to save his people.
  • Robert Vaughn
    Robert Vaughn
    Robert Francis Vaughn, , is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. His best known roles include the suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., wealthy detective Harry Rule in the 1970s television series The Protectors, Albert Stroller in...

     - Gelt, an experienced assassin with a price on his head looking for a place to hide. Vaughn played Lee in The Magnificent Seven, who is essentially the same character as Gelt.
  • John Saxon
    John Saxon (actor)
    John Saxon is an American actor who has worked on over 200 projects during the span of sixty years. Saxon is most known for his work in horror films such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Black Christmas, both of which feature Saxon as a policeman in search of the killer...

     - Sador, leader of the evil Malmori raiders. Very old, keeps himself alive using transplants to renew his body. His character is similar to the character of Calvera from The Magnificent Seven.
  • George Peppard
    George Peppard
    George Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...

     - Space Cowboy, the only character from Earth, who has many one liners and becomes Shad's good friend. George Peppard was originally considered to play Vin, Steve McQueen
    Steve McQueen
    Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...

    's character, in The Magnificent Seven.
  • Darlanne Fluegel
    Darlanne Fluegel
    Darlanne Fluegel born is an American actress.Fluegel appeared in the TV series Crime Story and the final season of Hunter. She was featured in Sergio Leone's 1984 film Once Upon a Time in America as Robert De Niro's girlfriend Eve , and in 1986's Tough Guys as Kirk Douglas' girlfriend...

     - Nanelia, Dr. Hephaestus' beautiful daughter and Shad's love interest.
  • Sybil Danning
    Sybil Danning
    Sybil Danning is an Austrian actress known for her many roles in B movies, science fiction films, and action films.-Early life:Danning was born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria as Sybille Johanna Danninger...

     - Saint-Exmin, a Valkyrie warrior looking to prove herself in battle.
  • Sam Jaffe
    Sam Jaffe (actor)
    Sam Jaffe was an American actor, teacher, musician and engineer. In 1951, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Asphalt Jungle and appeared in other classic films such as Ben-Hur and The Day the Earth Stood Still...

     - Dr. Hephaestus, an old man on life support who wants his grandchildren to inhabit his space station.
  • Jeff Corey
    Jeff Corey
    Jeff Corey was an American stage and screen actor and director who became a well-respected acting teacher after being blacklisted in the 1950s.-Biography:...

     - Zed, a blind old Akira who used to be a warrior. Former pilot of Nell.
  • Morgan Woodward
    Morgan Woodward
    Morgan Woodward is an American actor.He is probably best known for his recurring role in Dallas as Marvin "Punk" Anderson...

     - Cayman of the Lambda Zone, a Zymer and slaver who has a score to settle with Sador for destroying his species.
  • Marta Kristen
    Marta Kristen
    Marta Kristen is an American actress.The naturally blonde-haired Kristen is best-known for her role as Guy Williams's and June Lockhart's beautiful daughter, Judy Robinson, in the television series Lost in Space...

     - Lux, an Akira who works the early warning system and starts a relationship with Space Cowboy.
  • Earl Boen
    Earl Boen
    Earl Boen is an American actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known as criminal psychologist Dr. Peter Silberman in the Terminator series...

     - Nestor 1, usually speaks for the five clones.
  • John Gowens - Nestor 2.
  • Lynn Carlin - Nell (voice) computer of Shad's ship, protective of the kid, who she thinks is "wet behind the ears".
  • Larry Meyers - Kelvin 1, one of Cayman's crew, communicates by radiating body heat.
  • Lara Cody
    Lara Cody
    Laura Ann Cody , better known as Lara Cody, is an American voice actress. She also goes under the name "Deanna Morris." She is best known for her role for playing "Rosemary" in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of The Patriots.-Anime:*A Little Snow Fairy Sugar -...

     - Kelvin 2.
  • Steve Davis
    Steve Davis
    Steve Davis, OBE is an English professional snooker player. He has won more professional titles in the sport than any other player, including six World Championships during the 1980s, when he was the world number one for seven years and became the sport's first millionaire...

     - Quepeg.
  • Julia Duffy
    Julia Duffy
    Julia Duffy is an American actress from Minneapolis, Minnesota, specializing in character roles, best known as the spoiled rich girl and Dick Loudon's inn maid, Stephanie Vanderkellen, on the 1980s sitcom, Newhart.-Career:Duffy's early caeer included parts in soap operas such as One Life to Live,...

     - Mol, an Akira woman who is kidnapped by the Malmori.

Production

Prior to production, a Hollywood trade paper announced that John Wayne
John Wayne
Marion Mitchell Morrison , better known by his stage name John Wayne, was an American film actor, director and producer. He epitomized rugged masculinity and became an enduring American icon. He is famous for his distinctive calm voice, walk, and height...

 would star in the film, under the direction of Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...

. In all likelihood, this was a joke either by the trade paper or the film's publicist. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film produced by Roger Corman. Much of the budget allegedly went toward paying the salaries of George Peppard
George Peppard
George Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...

 and Robert Vaughn
Robert Vaughn
Robert Francis Vaughn, , is an American actor noted for stage, film and television work. His best known roles include the suave spy Napoleon Solo in the 1960s television series The Man from U.N.C.L.E., wealthy detective Harry Rule in the 1970s television series The Protectors, Albert Stroller in...

, since screenwriter John Sayles
John Sayles
John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"...

 was known for low-budget productions and the film was produced in Corman's own studio, his "renowned lumberyard facility" in Venice, California.

Roger Corman hired James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...

 as a model maker in his studio, and after the original art director for the film had been fired, Cameron became responsible for the special effects in Battle Beyond the Stars, or, as Cameron later put it, "production design and art direction." This was Cameron's first "big break" in the entertainment industry, and it helped propel his career. While he initially worked on camera rigging, he soon started working on special effects, and designed spaceship's corridors, for instance—out of spray-painted McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...

 containers. Cameron paid great attention to detail, and hardly slept for weeks while working on the film; however, his hard work paid off since it opened the door for his later success.

The production sound mixer
Production sound mixer
A production sound mixer, location sound recordist, location sound engineer or simply sound mixer is the member of a film crew or television crew responsible for recording all sound recording on set during the filmmaking or television production using professional audio equipment, for later...

, also responsible for special effects (such as Robert Vaughn's "laser shot," which was based on Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...

's .44 Magnum
.44 Magnum
The .44 Remington Magnum, or simply .44 Magnum, is a large-bore cartridge originally designed for revolvers. After introduction, it was quickly adopted for carbines and rifles...

 from Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry
Dirty Harry is a 1971 American crime thriller produced and directed by Don Siegel, the first in the Dirty Harry series. Clint Eastwood plays the title role, in his first outing as San Francisco Police Department Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan....

), was David Yewdall
David Yewdall
David Lewis Yewdall is an American production sound mixer. He worked with Roger Corman on Battle Beyond the Stars and as the co-supervising sound editor on Talvisot...

, a regular contract-worker for Corman films. Yewdall later remarked on the "film's frugal sound editorial budget" in his Practical Art of Motion Picture Sound, and explained some of the movie's sounds: each of the seven spaceships had its own sound. The Nester ship's sound was made from human voices generated by the community choir from his hometown college in Coalinga, California
Coalinga, California
Coalinga is a city in Fresno County, California. The population was 13,380 at the 2010 census, up from 11,668 at the 2000 census. It is the site of both Pleasant Valley State Prison and Coalinga State Hospital. Coalinga is located southwest of Fresno, at an elevation of 673 feet .-Early...

; Robert Vaughn's ship was based on the recording of a dragster
Drag racing
Drag racing is a competition in which specially prepared automobiles or motorcycles compete two at a time to be the first to cross a set finish line, from a standing start, in a straight line, over a measured distance, most commonly a ¼-mile straight track....

.

Recycled material

The spaceship used in the film was recycled for another science fiction film blasted by critics, the Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...

 film Space Raiders. Footage from the film was used in later films and games: a clip from the film (in 3-D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...

) is shown during the movie theater fight scene at the end of Bachelor Party
Bachelor Party (film)
The soundtrack album from Bachelor Party was released in 1984.Side one:# "American Beat '84" – The Fleshtones # "Something Isn't Right" – Oingo Boingo # "Crazy Over You" – Jools Holland # "Little Demon" – Adrian Zmed...

, and footage was also used for the laser disk game Astron Belt
Astron Belt
Astron Belt is an early laserdisc video game and third-person space combat rail shooter, released in 1983 by Sega in Japan and licensed to Bally Midway for release in the United States. Developed in 1982, it is commonly cited as the first laserdisc game...

. The soundtrack was later recycled by Corman for Raptor and other films.

Reception

Battle Beyond the Stars grossed $1.7 million in its opening weekend, and reportedly earned $11 million fairly quickly. However on Rotten Tomato reported 40% rating.

Battle Amongst the Stars

A prequel comic book, set 30 years before the BBTS film, was launched by Bluewater Productions in March 2010. It is a 4 part mini-series that tells the story of how Zed, the old man played by Jeff Corey in BBTS, began his adventures from the planet Akir with Nell. It also has the character of Dr. Hepheastus and Sador of the Malmori.
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