Battle Beyond the Stars

Last updated

Battle Beyond the Stars
Battlebeyondthestars.jpg
Theatrical release poster by Gary Meyer
Directed by Jimmy T. Murakami
Screenplay by John Sayles

(after Akira Kurosawa Shinobu Hashimoto

Hideo Oguni)
Story byJohn Sayles
Anne Dyer
Produced by Ed Carlin
Roger Corman
Starring
Cinematography Daniel Lacambre
Edited byAllan Holzman
Robert J. Kizer
Music by James Horner
Distributed by New World Pictures (United States)
Orion Pictures [1] (International; through Warner Bros.)
Release date
  • July 25, 1980 (1980-07-25)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2 million [2]
Box office$11 million [3] or $3.6 million [4]

Battle Beyond the Stars is a 1980 American space opera film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Jimmy T. Murakami, [5] and starring Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, [6] [7] George Peppard, John Saxon, [8] [9] [10] Sybil Danning [11] and Darlanne Fluegel. [12] Intended as a futuristic "Magnificent Seven (itself a western version of Seven Samurai ) in outer space", [13] the screenplay was written by John Sayles with the score by James Horner and special effects designed by filmmaker James Cameron. [5] The film was theatrically released by Corman's New World Pictures and was a moderate box office success, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics.

Contents

Plot

Farm world Akir is threatened by the tyrannical warlord Sador, ruler of the Malmori Empire, whose body parts are deteriorating and he is stealing organs from others. Sador demands that the peaceful Akira submit to him when he returns in "seven risings". Zed, last of the famous Akira Corsairs, suggests they hire mercenaries to protect them. Since Akir lacks valuable resources, its people can offer only food and shelter in payment. Unable to go in person, Zed offers his ship. Shad, a young man who has piloted the ship and is well known to its AI Nell, volunteers.

Shad goes to the space station of Doctor Hephaestus, an old friend of Zed. The station is populated mostly by androids, except for two humans: Hephaestus, whose numerous life support-systems have turned him into a cyborg, and his beautiful daughter Nanelia, who looks after him and the androids. The doctor wants Shad to mate with his daughter, by force if necessary. Shad persuades Nanelia to help him escape. She follows in her own ship; although it has no weapons, her highly advanced computer systems might be useful. The two split up to look for more mercenaries.

Shad encounters Cowboy, a freighter-pilot from Earth who is ambushed by Space Jackers while delivering a shipment of laser-handguns to the planet Umateal. Shad saves Cowboy from the Jackers. They arrive at Umateal too late to stop Sador's destruction of the planet with his Stellar Converter. Lacking the fuel to carry his weapons back home, Cowboy offers them to Akir instead. Shad talks Cowboy into sharing his gunslinging experience with the Akira.

Shad meets a set of five alien clones who share a group consciousness named Nestor. They admit their life is incredibly dull, since their whole race shares one mind. In order to be entertained, they have sent five members to join Shad's cause. Nestor does not require payment, saying they are completely self-sufficient. Next, Shad recruits Gelt, a wealthy assassin who cannot show himself on any civilized planet for fear of retribution. Gelt offers his services in return for being allowed to live peacefully among the Akira. On his way back to Akir, Shad is approached by Saint-Exmin of the Valkyrie. She is a headstrong woman looking to prove herself in battle. She pilots the Dart, a small but extremely fast ship with enhanced firepower. Shad finds her annoying and wishes she would go away, but she tags along.

While passing through the Lambda Zone, Nanelia's ship is attacked by a light creature called a "zyme" which is killed by the powerful Gator ship of Cayman of the Lazuli. Cayman and his eclectic crew of aliens are "zymers," who hunt zyme as whalers hunt whales. After Cayman implies he could cook her down for protein or sell her, Nanelia accuses Cayman of being as heartless as Sador. An enraged Cayman joins their cause in return for the head of Sador, as he destroyed Cayman's homeworld long ago. [14] Back on Akir, Shad's sister Mol is captured by Malmori pilots Kalo and Tembo, with the intent to rape her. As Shad and Company return, their approach frightens the Malmori into attempting to escape. Mol, in retaliation, interferes with their controls, allowing Gelt the opportunity to destroy their ship, killing all three. On the planet's surface, the heroes are greeted with caution by the natives, who are wary of violent species. When Sador returns, his Malmori forces are intercepted by Shad's hired warriors. Gelt dogfights his way to Hammerhead, which shoots him down. Cowboy and the laser-toting Akira ward off an invasion backed by a Malmori Sonic Tank. Many of Sador's troops are killed, and their Sonic Tank is destroyed; however, many Akira die as well, including Zed.

After surviving an assassination attempt by Nestor, Sador launches the remainder of his fleet in a retaliatory strike against Akir. Saint-Exmin blows herself up to knock out Sador's Stellar Converter. Although Sador's aerospace forces are wiped out, Hammerhead picks off all the remaining mercenaries with laser battery-fire and nuclear missiles. Only Nell, piloted by Shad and Nanelia, survives the Malmori onslaught. Crippled and unable to fight, Nell is captured by Hammerhead's tractor beam. Nanelia and Shad activate Nell's self-destruct program, then flee their ship in an escape pod. Sador commands Nell to surrender. Instead she detonates, causing his Stellar Converter to backfire and disintegrate Hammerhead. As Shad and Nanelia return to Akir, Nanelia despairs over their friends' deaths. Shad shares with her the teachings of Akir's "Varda": nobody is truly dead when they have been loved and are celebrated by the living. The Akira will always remember the sacrifices made by the mercenaries, who will forever be honored in the legends of Akir.

Cast

Production

Development

Battle Beyond the Stars was budgeted at an estimated $2,000,000. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film produced by Roger Corman. [15] [2] Much of the budget allegedly went toward paying the salaries of George Peppard and Robert Vaughn, since both of screenwriter Sayles' previous films were low-budget productions. [16]

To save on costs, the film was produced in Corman's own studio, his "renowned lumberyard facility" in Venice, California. [17] Initially, the film came out of producer Roger Corman's desire to make a space opera-style film in the wake of the massive worldwide success of Star Wars. Up-and-coming screenwriter John Sayles had already written the Corman-produced The Lady in Red and Piranha, the latter of which was both a financial and critical success. At one point, Australian director Richard Franklin (Patrick, Psycho II ) was attached to direct. [18] However, he was replaced by Jimmy T. Murakami, a veteran animator who had previously been an uncredited co-director on Corman's Humanoids from the Deep .

The film was co-financed by Orion Pictures who distributed the film in Europe. (Corman had a relationship with those executives when they worked at United Artists and had done a similar thing with them on Piranha.) [19]

The planet Akir and its inhabitants, the Akira, a peaceful alien race at the center of the conflict, were named in honor of director Akira Kurosawa, [11] whose film Seven Samurai provided the framework for the plot. [20]

Corman initially hired James Cameron as a model maker for his studio after being impressed with his short film Xenogenesis. When the original art director for the film was fired, Cameron became responsible for the majority of the film's special effects, or, as Cameron later put it, "production design and art direction". [21] This was Cameron's first "big break" in the entertainment industry, and it helped to propel his career. [22] He was recommended by long-time working partner and future wife Gale Anne Hurd, who was at the time working for Corman. [23]

While Cameron initially worked on camera rigging, he soon started working on special effects and production design of interior sets. The low-budget led to Cameron's designing the spaceship's corridors out of spray-painted McDonald's containers. [24] Cameron paid great attention to detail, and hardly slept for weeks while working on the film. His hard work paid off, as the special effects were one aspect of the film highly received by both fans and critics, opening the door for his later successes. [25]

According to Hurd, actor Bill Paxton was employed on the set as a carpenter, which is where she first met him, before working with him and Cameron on Aliens : "So my first memory of Bill was him pounding nails and cracking everybody up. I mean, we’d be working at three or four in the morning and he would be the one who kept all our spirits up. He was that person on and off set". [26]

Score

This was composer James Horner's third film score. He had previously worked on Roger Corman's Humanoids from the Deep and The Lady in Red , and the producer brought him back for Battle Beyond the Stars. The score features several elements that would become regular staples of Horner's many science fiction and adventure film scores. Several fans have noted similarities between these scores and those for later films, such as Krull and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . Horner was to go on to become a regular collaborator with James Cameron, eventually winning an Academy Award for Best Original Score for Titanic.

Sound

The supervising sound editor, also responsible for special sound effects, such as Robert Vaughn's "laser shot" – based on Clint Eastwood's .44 Magnum from Dirty Harry [27]  – was David Yewdall, a regular contract-worker for Corman films. [28] 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 Nestor ship's sound was made from human voices generated by the community choir from his hometown college in Coalinga, California; Robert Vaughn's ship was based on the recording of a dragster. [29]

Casting

Prior to production, a Hollywood trade paper announced that John Wayne would star in the film, under the direction of Ingmar Bergman. In all likelihood, this was a joke, either by the trade paper or the film's publicist.[ citation needed ]

Reused material

The starship footage was reused in another Roger Corman science fiction film, Space Raiders , blasted by critics, [30] as well as in the ultra-low budget Corman features Starquest II , Vampirella , The Fantastic Four , Dead Space , and Forbidden World . This same footage was also reused in later films and video games: a clip from the film (in 3-D) is shown during the movie theater fight scene at the end of Bachelor Party , [31] and footage was also used for the LaserDisc game Astron Belt . [32] The soundtrack was later recycled by Corman for Raptor and other films. [33] Sections of Horner's score were reused in Space Raiders and other Corman films.

Release

Battle Beyond the Stars was released into 330 theaters on July 25, 1980, grossing $1.732m in its first three days. Corman recouped his costs upon selling the foreign distribution to Orion Pictures and Warner Bros. for $2.5 million. He also resold cable rights to HBO for $750,000. [1]

The film was released on DVD on February 6, 2001, by New Concorde. [34] The film was later picked up by Shout! Factory, who released it on DVD and Blu-ray in 2011 as part of the Roger Corman's Cult Classics series.

Reception

Battle Beyond the Stars received mixed reviews from critics due to its similar space opera styling, capitalizing upon the success of Star Wars. Cameron's special effects were praised as being impressive, considering the film's low budget, and helped to open the door for his future success.

In Creature Feature, John Stanley gave the movie three and a half stars, recommending the film for its fun script, special effects and its spirit of fun. [35]

Christopher John reviewed Battle Beyond the Stars in Ares Magazine #5:

There is a lot to be pointed up in this picture. There is the fact that every different technology shows different lines of development. Every ship and the way it is operated is distinctly unique. [36]

The film review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of 50%, based on reviews from twelve critics. [37]

Awards and nominations

Awards

Saturn Awards

Nominations

Saturn Awards [39]

Battle Amongst the Stars comic book

A prequel comic book, set 30 years before the film, was launched by Bluewater Productions in March 2010. [40] Battle Amongst the Stars is a four-part miniseries that tells the story of how Zed began his adventures from the planet Akir with Nell. It also has the characters of Dr. Hephaestus and Sador of the Malmori.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Sayles</span> American film director

John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He is known for writing and directing the films The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Matewan (1987), Eight Men Out (1988), Passion Fish (1992), The Secret of Roan Inish (1994), Lone Star (1996), and Men with Guns (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Corman</span> American film director, producer, and actor (1926–2024)

Roger William Corman was an American film director, producer and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he was known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Dante</span> American filmmaker (born 1946)

Joseph James Dante Jr. is an American film director, producer, editor and actor. His films—notably Gremlins (1984) alongside its sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)—often mix the 1950s-style B movie genre with 1960s radicalism and cartoon comedy.

<i>The Brother from Another Planet</i> 1984 film by John Sayles

The Brother from Another Planet is a 1984 low-budget American science fiction film, written and directed by John Sayles.

<i>Piranha</i> (1978 film) 1978 film by Joe Dante

Piranha is a 1978 American horror film directed and co-edited by Joe Dante from a screenplay by John Sayles, based on a story by Richard Robinson and Sayles. The film stars Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Barbara Steele, and Dick Miller. It tells the story of a river being infested by lethal, genetically altered piranha, threatening the lives of the local inhabitants and the visitors to a nearby summer resort.

<i>Forbidden World</i> 1982 science fiction film

Forbidden World, originally titled Mutant, is a 1982 American science fiction erotic horror film. The screenplay was written by Tim Curnen, from a screenstory by R.J. Robertson and Jim Wynorski. It was co-edited and directed by Allan Holzman, who had edited Battle Beyond the Stars two years earlier. The cast includes Jesse Vint, Dawn Dunlap, June Chadwick, Linden Chiles, Fox Harris and Michael Bowen. Forbidden World has also been released under the titles Mutant and Subject 20.

<i>Piranha II: The Spawning</i> 1982 horror film by James Cameron

Piranha II: The Spawning is a 1982 monster horror film directed by James Cameron in his feature directorial debut. It is the sequel to the 1978 film Piranha, and the second installment in the Piranha film series. The screenplay was written by Cameron and Charles H. Eglee, under the shared pseudonym "H.A. Milton". The film stars Tricia O'Neil, Lance Henriksen, Steve Marachuk, Ted Richert, Ricky Paull Goldin, and Leslie Graves.

Queen of Blood is a 1966 American science fiction horror film produced by George Edwards and Samuel Z. Arkoff, directed by Curtis Harrington, that stars John Saxon, Basil Rathbone, Dennis Hopper, and Judi Meredith. The film is based on the screenplay for the earlier Soviet feature film Mechte Navstrechu. Director Harrington also reused special effects footage from that film, as well as footage from the Soviet science fiction film Nebo Zovyot.

<i>Battle Beyond the Sun</i> 1959 science fiction film

Battle Beyond the Sun is a 1962 science fiction film. It is an English-dubbed and re-edited American version of Nebo Zovyot, a 1959 Soviet science fiction film. Roger Corman acquired the Soviet film for US distribution and hired a young film-school student named Francis Ford Coppola to "Americanize" it.

<i>Lords of the Deep</i> 1989 film

Lords of the Deep is a 1989 American science-fiction horror film co-produced by Roger Corman, about an underwater colony being attacked by alien life forms. Actors included Bradford Dillman and Priscilla Barnes.

<i>The Hunt for Eagle One</i> 2006 film

The Hunt for Eagle One is a 2006 direct-to-video war film directed by Brian Clyde and produced by Roger Corman, starring Mark Dacascos, Theresa Randle, Ricardo Cepeda, Rutger Hauer, Joe Suba, and Zach McGowan. Set during Operation Enduring Freedom in the Philippines, the film follows a team of U.S. Marines who attempt to rescue a captured U.S. Marine Corps captain and an Armed Forces of the Philippines major, while tracking down a group of al-Qaeda terrorists intent on launching biological weapons.

<i>Space Raiders</i> (film) 1983 film

Space Raiders, also known as Star Child, is a 1983 space Western film written and directed by Howard R. Cohen and produced by Roger Corman. The film was made during the time when many studios were releasing space opera films following the success of Star Wars. However, the film was panned by critics, especially for its reuse of special effects footage and music taken from Corman's 1980 film Battle Beyond the Stars.

<i>The Lady in Red</i> (1979 film) 1979 American crime film

The Lady in Red is a 1979 American crime drama film directed by Lewis Teague and starring Pamela Sue Martin and Robert Conrad. It is an early writing effort of John Sayles who became better known as a director in the 1980s and 1990s.

<i>Night of the Blood Beast</i> 1958 American science-fiction horror film by Bernard L. Kowalski

Night of the Blood Beast is a 1958 American science-fiction horror film about a team of scientists who are stalked by an alien creature, which implants its embryos in an astronaut's body during a space flight. Produced by exploitation filmmaker Roger Corman and his brother Gene, it was one of the first films directed by Bernard L. Kowalski and was written by first-time screenwriter Martin Varno, who was 21 years old. It starred several actors who had regularly worked with Roger Corman, including Michael Emmet, Ed Nelson, Steve Dunlap, Georgianna Carter and Tyler McVey. The film was theatrically released in December 1958 as a double feature with She Gods of Shark Reef.

<i>Galaxy of Terror</i> 1981 film by Bruce D. Clark

Galaxy of Terror is a 1981 American science fiction horror film directed by Bruce D. Clark and produced by Roger Corman through New World Pictures. It stars Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Ray Walston, Taaffe O'Connell, and future horror film stars Sid Haig and Robert Englund. Set in a dystopian future where humanity is a spacefaring race ruled by a sole person called "The Master," the film features a space crew confronting primal fears after they are marooned on a distant planet.

<i>The Beast with a Million Eyes</i> 1955 American film

The Beast with a Million Eyes is a 1955 independently made American black-and-white science fiction film, produced and directed by David Kramarsky, that stars Paul Birch, Lorna Thayer, and Dona Cole. Some film sources have said that the film was co-directed by Lou Place. The film was co-produced by Roger Corman and Samuel Z. Arkoff. and was released by American Releasing Corporation, which later became American International Pictures.

<i>Dead Space</i> (film) 1991 American film

Dead Space is a 1991 American science-fiction horror film directed by Fred Gallo and produced by Mike Elliott for Roger Corman's Concorde Pictures. It was a remake of Corman's Forbidden World (1982). According to writer Chris Koetting, "The plot was essentially the same— although this time the scientists were trying to find a cure for an AIDS-type virus— but the sex and gore quotient was substantially reduced, and the monster was even less convincing than the one that was fabricated by Steve Neill in 1982."

<i>Atlas</i> (1961 film) 1961 film

Atlas is a 1961 peplum film directed by Roger Corman and starring Michael Forest and Frank Wolff. It was filmed in Greece. Corman called it "my last attempt to do a big picture on a low budget." Writer Charles B. Griffith said "Atlas was a mess. It was a doomed project. "

<i>A Time for Killing</i> 1967 film by Roger Corman, Phil Karlson

A Time for Killing is a 1967 Western film directed originally by Roger Corman but finished by Phil Karlson. Filmed in Panavision and Pathécolor, it stars Glenn Ford, George Hamilton, Inger Stevens, and Harrison Ford in his first credited film role.

Xenogenesis is a 1978 Canadian-American science fiction short film directed by James Cameron and Randall Frakes. It stars William Wisher Jr. and Margaret Umbel.

References

  1. 1 2 "Battle Beyond the Stars". American Film Institute . United States. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Naha, Ed; Corman, Roger (1982). The films of Roger Corman: brilliance on a budget (1st ed.). New York City: Arco Publishing Company, Inc. p. 81. ISBN   978-0668053082.
  3. ↑ Gray 2004, p. 148.
  4. ↑ Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 294. ISBN   9780835717762. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
  5. 1 2 "Battle Beyond the Stars". Turner Classic Movies . Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  6. ↑ Evans, Greg; Pedersen, Erik (November 11, 2016). "Robert Vaughn Dies: 'Man From U.N.C.L.E' Star Was 83". Deadline Hollywood . United States: Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  7. ↑ Verswijver, Leo (2003). Movies Were Always Magical: Interviews with 19 Actors, Directors and Producers from the Hollywood of the 1930s through the 1950s. New York City: McFarland & Company. p. 27. ISBN   978-0786411290.
  8. ↑ Ryan 1998, p. 33.
  9. ↑ Julius, Marshall (1997). Action! the Action Movie A--Z (1st ed.). Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. p. 1. ISBN   978-0253332448.
  10. ↑ Sayles, John (1999). Diane Carson (ed.). John Sayles: Interviews (Conversations with Filmmakers) . Jackson, Mississippi: University Press of Mississippi. p.  xxxii. ISBN   978-1578061372. John Saxon – Sador.
  11. 1 2 "Battle Beyond the Stars Movie Trivia – The 80s Movies Rewind". Fast-Rewind. Eberswalde, Germany. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  12. ↑ Ryan 1998, p. 23.
  13. ↑ Gray 2004, p. 147.
  14. ↑ Sayles, John, "Battle Beyond the Stars" screenplay. Undated but final page has date of 1-21-1980.
  15. ↑ Molyneaux, Gerry (2000). John Sayles: An Unauthorized Biography of the Pioneer Indy Filmmaker (Renaissance Film Biography). Milwaukee: Renaissance Books. p.  92. ISBN   978-1580631259.
  16. ↑ "John Sayles Finishes Shooting a Low-Budget Sci-Fi Comedy". The Philadelphia Inquirer . Philadelphia: Philadelphia Media Network. November 20, 1993. p. K.03.
  17. ↑ Yewdall 2011, p. 412.
  18. ↑ "Oz in LA", Cinema Papers, May–June 1979 p332
  19. ↑ "He backs B movies". Fort Lauderdale News. August 24, 1980. p. 12G.
  20. ↑ Beale, Lewis (September 23, 2016). "Why Akira Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai' keeps inspiring new retellings like 'The Magnificent Seven'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  21. ↑ Emery, Robert J. (2002). The directors: take one, Volume 1. New York City: Allworth Press. p. 117. ISBN   978-1581152180.
  22. ↑ Nathan Southern (2007). "James Cameron: Full Biography". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times . New York City. Archived from the original on December 11, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  23. ↑ Nashawaty, Chris (2013). Crab Monsters, Teenage Cavemen and Candy Stripe Nurses - Roger Corman: King of the B Movie. New York City: Abrams Books. p. 175. ISBN   978-1419706691.
  24. ↑ Gray 2004, p. 150.
  25. ↑ Gray 2004, p. 151.
  26. ↑ Leon, Melissa (April 26, 2017). "Game Over, Man: 'Aliens' Cast Remembers the 'Irreplaceable' Bill Paxton on Alien Day". The Daily Beast . United States . Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  27. ↑ Yewdall 2011, p. 257.
  28. ↑ Yewdall 2011, p. 192.
  29. ↑ Yewdall 2011, p. 256.
  30. ↑ Moorhead, Jim; Beamon, William (November 24, 1983). "Uninspired Turkeys: Our Reviewers Gobble Up Year's Worst Flicks". Evening Independent . St. Petersburg, Florida: Times Publishing Company. p. 17. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  31. ↑ "Movie connections for Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)". Internet Movie Database . Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  32. ↑ "astron belt video game, sega enterprises, ltd. (1983)". arcade-history.com. April 24, 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
  33. ↑ Gray 2004, p. 222.
  34. ↑ "Battle Beyond the Stars". New Concorde . Los Angeles: New Horizons Picture Corp. February 6, 2001. ASIN   B000055ZF1 . Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  35. ↑ Stanley, J. (2000) Creature Feature 3rd Edition
  36. ↑ John, Christopher (November 1980). "Books". Ares Magazine (5). Simulations Publications, Inc.: 34.
  37. ↑ "Battle Beyond the Stars". Rotten Tomatoes . United States: Fandango . Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  38. ↑ 1981 Saturn Awards
  39. ↑ 1981 IMDb Saturn Awards
  40. ↑ "Bluewater Productions March Releases Archived February 10, 2010, at the Wayback Machine " bluewaterprod.com. Retrieved September 26, 2010.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.