tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post4587745253031053055..comments2024-03-27T10:27:59.266-04:00Comments on John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV: CULT MOVIE REVIEW: Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)John Kenneth Muirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-5255728802378460892011-05-31T12:48:25.746-04:002011-05-31T12:48:25.746-04:00It's finally coming this July: Battle Beyond t...It's finally coming this July: <i>Battle Beyond the Stars</i> 30th Anniversary Edition DVD and Blu-Ray!<br /><br />Shout Factory's even throwing in a free iron-on decal!<br /><br />Go to:<br /><a href="http://www.shoutfactorystore.com/prod.aspx?pfid=5257422" rel="nofollow">http://www.shoutfactorystore.com/prod.aspx?pfid=5257422</a><br /><br />New review at FilmFather: <a href="http://filmfather.blogspot.com/2011/05/class-of-1984-1982.html" rel="nofollow"><i>Class of 1984</i></a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/FilmFather" rel="nofollow">Follow me on Twitter</a>FilmFatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16572370403623288465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-51513087943698214652011-04-27T12:48:21.829-04:002011-04-27T12:48:21.829-04:00Well I'm going to have to grab this on its DVD...Well I'm going to have to grab this on its DVD release! I notice there was a prequel made as a comic too - might have to track that down as well! <br /><br />Might be worth a look John if its all about Zed!James McLeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05883672062720983648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-47221445978141727822011-04-26T21:40:19.794-04:002011-04-26T21:40:19.794-04:00This review was a terrific, thorough examination a...This review was a terrific, thorough examination and gives me hope in seeing it and enjoying it when it arrives.<br /><br />By the way Lucas really does have some balls ddesn't he? I'd love to comment more. Time is tight my friend and I know I'm terribly late to your party.<br /><br />All the best<br />SFFSFFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04256589316922398158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-22871684105721267042011-04-23T13:39:01.979-04:002011-04-23T13:39:01.979-04:00The production design is impressive for such a low...The production design is impressive for such a low budget film, especially the variety of ships and planetscapes (love the shot where the ships are all parked against the orange sky). Nell's design shows the influence of Giger's 'organic' look from 'Alien' (James Cameron would even more obviously evoke the Giger look in 'Galaxy of Terror'). I remember the rounded shapes of Nell brought about some different reactions at the time. The kids I saw it with laughingly called it the 'scrotum ship'. One letter to Starlog described it as a 'pregnant Enterprise flying backwards'. You noted the similarity to the Enterprise too!<br /><br />This film is indeed fondly remembered. Going into the film in '80, the kids knew it was a low buget film. We were won over by the wit, fast pace, and special effects. Even the casting of 'John Boy Walton' wasn't too bothersome. One thing that didn't get past us was New World recycling SFX footage and music for other films (Space Raiders, Forbidden World, Sorceress). Some sci-fi cable films were even using 'Battle' effects in the 1990's.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-42438288684563362542011-04-23T10:31:00.921-04:002011-04-23T10:31:00.921-04:00The site somehow ate my comment and I don't ha...The site somehow ate my comment and I don't have time to retype it all just this second - but suffice it to say I love this - and thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-39457181739208643892011-04-22T16:35:38.046-04:002011-04-22T16:35:38.046-04:00Hi James,
Great comment! I think you have a good ...Hi James,<br /><br />Great comment! I think you have a good point here, on several fronts. It stinks to lose Nell, and we definitely have more emotion invested in Cowboy, Gelt, St. Exmin and Cayman than we do in the villagers on Akir. <br /><br />But on the other hand, at least this time around, I kind of liked Shad and Lux, and was more intrigued by Zed than ever. There are some interesting faces amongst those folks, and it is good to spend the time with them. <br /><br />I understand there's a comic book prequel out there featuring the adventures of Zed and Nell, and I'd certainly be interested in tracking that down...<br /><br />Best,<br />JKMJohn Kenneth Muirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-67700844318840975842011-04-22T13:33:01.007-04:002011-04-22T13:33:01.007-04:00It's a horrible truth, but we enjoy narratives...It's a horrible truth, but we enjoy narratives - dramas - for the larger than life, rather than ordinary. This is a film where those larger than life sacrifice themselves for those you don't really have any interest in.. the dull, kind, nice little people. So I always feel a little guilty that the upbeat ending - those who can't fend themselves who don't deserve to die actually survive - a little downbeat. Despite the fact that those who die - even the "good guys" don't really warrant much sympathy - especially Gelt. But we fall in love with Gelt and perhaps the partial redemption he finds. I must say as I've gold older, Gelt's death no longer feels as downbeat because to him, there is a cold reward in it.<br /><br />It's a good film - I love it, I saw it when I was six in the cinema and I cried at Nell's death - again another large than life character, unfortunately more interesting than Shad. I think if the 6 year old had his way, Shad would have been left to self destruct and Nell would have taken to the escape pod. Not sure how that would have worked though...James McLeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05883672062720983648noreply@blogger.com