Amazon Store ItemAvailability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 0736991220935 Format: Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC Label: New Concorde Manufacturer: New Concorde Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: New Concorde Release Date: February 06, 2001 Running Time: 103 minutes Sales Rank: 20938 Studio: New Concorde Theatrical Release Date: 1980
Amazon.com: Twenty-first-century science fiction fans accustomed to special-effects orgies like The Matrix may snigger at the quaint, Flash Gordon-like spaceships in Battle Beyond the Stars. But executive producer Roger Corman's belated entry into the '70s sci-fi craze surpasses expectations with sharp performances and a witty script by John Sayles (his third for Corman, including 1978's Piranha). The story, lifted wholesale from Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954), finds the dictator Sador (John Saxon) threatening the planet of Akira. Its pacifist inhabitants are no match for Sador's devastating weapon, the Stellar Converter, but young Shad (Richard Thomas) decides to fight back. Borrowing the ship of notorious mercenary Zed the Corsair, he recruits a band of mercenaries, each of whom has a personal reason to join the fight. Among them are a lizard-like humanoid (Morgan Woodward), an improbable space cowboy (George Peppard), a zaftig female warrior (Sybil Danning), and brooding killer-for-hire Gelt (Robert Vaughn, reprising his Magnificent Seven role). Battle's final showdown is somewhat anticlimatic, but the surprisingly stellar cast (which includes Sam Jaffe and Darlanne Fluegel) and the indie spunk of Sayles' script, with its light meditations on death and honor, will charm newcomers and repeat audiences alike. New Concorde's digitally remastered DVD features commentary by Sayles and Terminator 2 producer Gale Anne Hurd, Battle's assistant production manager. Oh, and those spaceships? Designed by Titanic director James Cameron. Still laughing? --Paul Gaita
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Not great, but entertaining
BBTS was one of the many films that tried to capitalize on the Star Wars craze of the late '70s and early '80s. Unlike most of those films, this one actually succeeds pretty well.
The legendary Roger Corman was responsible for this film. That fact, in and of itself, is probably why this "poor man's Star Wars" deserves a look.
The special effects (for their time) were actually quite good. They were not of Star Wars caliber, but they were much better than other sci-fi films ... Read More
Rating: - Movie is Great! DVD transfer sucks!
This movie is fun all around. Fun script, Color, Art direction, Music great for its time.
I recomend renting before you buy though if your a collector.
The film print they chose for dvd transfer is horrible.
I am not being picky either. Its worst i have ever scene on dvd especially at beginning and spots in middle.
Lots of scratches to point sometimes that they stand out over the film.
This movie deserves more care and respect I think from all involved in making the dvd.
Rating: - Concerning the shape of that space ship...
Many reviewers have mentioned the breasts on the hero's space ship, some say it's shaped like a female figure, but they're missing the point. Any biology student will realise that the space ship is a pair of breasts attached to a uterus and there are a pair of fallopian tubes with ovaries on them. In short, you have a space ship that is wholly based on the female reproductive system. When I first saw it, I burst out laughing, and the whole movie is a MST3K-style giggle-fest. This is a classic bad-is ... Read More
Rating: - corman strikes gold in this magnificent seven in space tale
producer roger corman struck gold with his "magnificent seven in space" entry into the star wars sci-fi movies of the late 70's!
this great little movie tells the story of a planet threated by evil warlord(john saxon,chewing the scenes like beef jerky)and their mission to find warriors to help fight him. richard thomas(the waltons) is the hero from the planet that sets out to find help! george peppard is a smokeing cowboy truck driver,robert vaughn plays his "seven" gunfighter so famous that he ... Read More
Rating: - seven samurai in space
John Sayles was asked by Roger Corman to adapt The Seven Samurai into a sci fi picture and the result is this delightfully inventive tongue-in-cheek romp.
What's most enjoyable about the film is the fact that every mercenary hired by the peaceful "villagers" has a distinct personality and style and their intentions clearly defined. George Peppard( as the only human among them) is laid back and charming. Morgan Woodward seems to be having a grand old time playing the vengeful lizard-man (dig his ... Read More