What if John Boy from The Waltons played Luke Skywalker? Could George Peppard or Robert Vaughn have played Han Solo? Find out what might have been in Battle Beyond the Stars.
JediShua and shazbazzar call SuperFriend Paul Bateman for more Star Wars Aftershocks and some rather interesting costumes and ship designs in 1980’s Battle Beyond the Stars.
After Star Wars thrilled audiences in theaters, everyone wanted to tap into the collective consciousness of pop culture that had embraced that galaxy far, far away. Some saw an opportunity to for storytelling in an exciting new way while others simply rushed out to cash in with anything somewhat similar to Star Wars. How Battle Beyond the Stars fits into those categories must be judged by the eye of the beholder, however, shazbazzar, JediShua, and SuperFriend Paul Bateman agree that without Star Wars, Battle Beyond the Stars would never have seen the light of day.
Battle Beyond the Stars
On the surface, Battle Beyond the Stars is a fitting tribute to the popularity of Star Wars. A tyrant with a planet destroying “super-weapon” threatens to destroy Akir, a planet populated by peaceful folk with no weapons. A young “farm boy” named Shad (Richard Thomas) volunteers to find willing fighters for his aged mentor, the last Akira warrior (Jeff Corey) before Sador (John Saxon) returns. Add a rogue’s gallery of a space cowboy (George Peppard), a Valkyrie (Sybil Danning), a dangerous-looking creature (Morgan Woodward), a wealthy assassin (Robert Vaughn), five hive-minded clones (Earl Boen et al), and a beautiful love interest (Darlanne Fluegel) and you get a Magnificent Seven worthy of Kurosawa’s namesake.
Beyond the caricatures, names, and concepts similar to the original Star Wars (1977), Battle Beyond the Stars borrows heavily from Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954). Those familiar with the origins of Star Wars will immediately recognize that George Lucas based his initial space opera on The Hidden Fortress (1958), another Kurosawa film. In this regard, Battle Beyond the Stars delves deeply into the planetary crust in this spacey adaptation of a Star Wars influence.
Share and enjoy this special episode of TechnoRetro Dads as Paul Bateman joins shazbazzar and JediShua for a fun, loving, and fun-loving look back at Battle Beyond the Stars.
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Join shazbazzar and JediShua each week for a look back at the ’70s and ’80s as they share the fun and also fandom of their youth with their families, friends, and EarBuds. Topics include TV, film, music, toys, and games of the ’70s and ’80s as well as franchises which have continued into the 21st Century, like Star Wars, TRON, Winnie the Pooh, and Christopher Robin. TechnoRetro Dads creates new stories as old legends are passed down from one generation to the next.
If you’re a TechnoRetro Dad, the child of one, or just appreciate the ’70s and ’80s, then this podcast is definitely for you!