Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)

5.5PG104 minDirector: Roger Corman

1980 American space opera film by Jimmy Murakami, Roger Corman

Battle Beyond the Stars is a 1980 American space opera film directed by Jimmy T. Murakami, produced and distributed by Roger Corman's New World Pictures. It is a science fiction-themed interpretation of The Magnificent Seven (1960; itself a Western film version of Seven Samurai; 1954) in outer space. The film stars Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, George Peppard, John Saxon, Sybil Danning, Darlanne Fluegel, Sam Jaffe, Jeff Corey, Morgan Woodward, Earl Boen, and Lynn Carlin.

In keeping with Corman's longstanding cultivation of emergent talents, the screenplay was written by John Sayles (then transitioning from an aborted literary career under the producer's aegis), with an early score from James Horner and special effects designed by nascent filmmaker James Cameron.

The film was theatrically released by New World Pictures on July 25, 1980. It was a decent box office success, despite receiving mixed reviews from critics. It was nominated for five Saturn Awards, including Best Science Fiction Film and Best Special Effects, with Sybil Danning winning a special award for Outstanding Achievement.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is Battle Beyond the Stars about?
Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) — Shad, a young farmer, assembles a band of diverse mercenaries in outer space to defend his peaceful planet from the evil tyrant Sador and his armada of aggressors. Among the mercenaries are Space Cowboy, a spacegoing truck driver from Earth; Gelt, a wealthy but experienced assass
Is Battle Beyond the Stars based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is Battle Beyond the Stars scary?
Content rating: PG. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.