Talk about two hours of my life I'll never get back. Battle Beyond the Stars has got to be one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Clearly an effort to cash in on the Star Wars success, Roger Corman directed this train wreck, which was unleashed on the populace September 8, 1980. Its only redeeming qualities are John Saxon and Robert Vaughn. It also stars a poorly cast Richard Thomas as the Skywalker-type hero, and although George Peppard is a great actor, he doesn't sell the cowboy image.
Thomas plays Shad, who is trying to recruit allies against the evil forces threatening his planet. Along the way, he meets a number of colorful characters. It was produced on a low budget and the quality of the "special effects" shows it.
The movie did help with the careers of James Cameron, who worked on the special effects, and Bill Paxton, who worked on movie sets as a carpenter and painter.
