Review: Battle Beyond the Stars
When the planet of Akir is targeted by a planet-devouring tyrant named Sador (John Saxon), one of its peace-loving citizens named Shad (Richard Thomas) ventures out in search of space warriors to help defend his planet. George Peppard plays a humanoid named Space Cowboy, Sybil Danning is the feisty and proud Valkyrie, Robert Vaughn is a glum hired killer named Gelt, Morgan Woodward plays the reptilian Cayman, and Earl Boen plays a species of Borg-like alien that inhabits several entities called Nestor. Sam Jaffe turns up as the eccentric Dr. Hephaestus, a cyborg who wants Shad to mate with his daughter (Darlanne Fluegel). The best of the 80s “Star Wars” knock-offs by far, and not just because art director (and future filmmaker) James Cameron created a ship with breasts. It’s a thing that he did here though, and it’s awesome. This 1980 space adventure from director Jimmy T. Murakami (an animator who also directed a segment of the cult classic “Heavy Metal” ) and producer Roger Co