Battle Beyond the Stars
1980, New World Pictures et al
Here's a token Roger Corman movie. While I do enjoy so-bad-it's-good fare, I'm not a connoisseur of Corman. One of the reasons this one sticks around in my collection is Robert Vaughn: I've never considered him a particularly good actor, but he's delightfully appalling here (much as he was in Starship Invasions). Notable factoids: At a cost of $2 million, it was Corman's biggest budget film, much of which went into George Peppard's paycheck; to save money, the spaceship corridors were made of spray-painted hamburger boxes. James Cameron ostensibly got his "big break" working on the effects; likewise, film composer James Horner, who pinched some of Jerry Goldsmith's score for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, went on to greatness. It was actually a minor box office success—possibly due in part to its big-boobed spaceship and/or Sybil Danning—earning over $11 million.
Footnote: The Cult Classics DVD release has some excellent extras.
DKS 12/17/17
Rev 2/27/22
GRUMPY OLD FART-O-METER® Rating:
