by Drew Deitch
| Published
star wars It is arguably the most influential film of all time. The space fantasy epic became the biggest blockbuster in the history of cinema and changed the entire landscape of the movie business.
Naturally, this led to many attempts to capitalize on George Lucas's science fiction success. While some of these films are best left in the past, there are actually a number of films that have managed to stand the test of time and provide more than their fair share of entertainment.
I'm Drew Deitch and this is her star wars Tricks really worth watching.
Starcrash (1978)
Leave it to the biggest cinema fraud culture in the world, the Italians, to get what they want star wars It cashed in theaters less than a year later star wars It was shown for the first time. I love Italians very, very much. And this spaghetti space lark from Beautiful Shoes is a blast in a B movie.
Directed and co-written by the famous Italian actor Luigi Cozzi, Starcrash It's a whirlwind of low-budget delight, and from the delightful costumes to the cheesy but charming effects, Starcrash revels in its theatrical goofiness in such a good-hearted way that you can't help but laugh at it.
And if you want some extra laughs Starcrashyou can watch Mystery Science Theater 3000 An episode of the reboot series, not bad, but worth watching StarcrashDeliberate absurdity on its own.
Black Hole (1979)
Although we know now Disney As the overlord of all entertainment, the Mouse House was actually in dire financial straits in the 1970s and 1980s. So much so that even Mikey needed to get in star wars Scam game, but the movie Disney made ended up being more like Event horizon Family space adventure movies.
Black hole It sees the crew of an exploratory spaceship encounter a projected black hole and discover a famous lost ship with one survivor, Dr. Hans Reinhardt, a brilliant scientist who has built an army of terrifying robots. Reinhardt, played with perfect flair by Maximilian Schell, plans to pilot the ship into a black hole and when the film delivers on that promise, you'll experience a psychedelic nightmare unlike anything you'd expect from the studio that brought you in. Home on the run.
You'll get some tonal punches between the googly-eyed robot sidekicks and Anthony Perkins' cold-blooded death, however Black hole It's so bizarre that everyone should give it a chance.
Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)
Roger Corman got a lot of mileage out of stealing blockbuster hits like Alien and star wars It was no different. Battle beyond the stars It takes the concept of Akira Kurosawa's classic story Seven samurai And it takes him to the stars. I'm sorry, beyond the stars.
What sets Battle beyond the stars Apart from others star wars Scams are the talent collected in front of the camera but especially behind it. The cast includes many of the cast's favorite characters – take your pick! It's written by John Saxon – but the screenplay is from famed screenwriter John Sayles, the score is by sci-fi icon James Horner, and… James Cameron I worked on production design and special effects. This is truly a parade of young and creative talent being released.
It's rare that a picture produced by Roger Corman isn't entertaining on some level, however Battle beyond the stars It is easily one of his must-see films.
The Man Who Saved the World (1982)
He has been known for years to be Turkish star wars In fan circles, The man who saved the world It has the advantage of being a literal scam for star wars Because it contains real footage from the original 1977 film! This madness would make the truth The man who saved the world A fair amount of trivia in the movie, but the actual movie is even weirder.
Two space fighter pilots crash land on a desert planet and must do battle with an evil wizard and his minions while music from Star Wars and… Indiana Jones He plays! The way they got away with it is one of the joys of world cinema history.
The man who saved the world It's better to watch it than discuss it, and if you thought Starcrash was low budget, this is underground budget but it's so cheap that it ends up being more entertaining than most big budget films.
Kroll (1983)
Now here's a great one. Nevertheless Kroll It does not use science fiction trappings star wars Like all of our previous films, it still uses the heroic fantasy template that made George Lucas so famous, and it definitely tries to be an influences showcase.
But real star wars compare to Kroll Comes with the idea of an iconic weapon. star wars He had a lightsaber and Kroll He had a Glaive. If nothing else, Kroll has managed to showcase a memorable and imaginative weapon.
Although it was a box office and critical flop, Kroll He has built a healthy cult following over the decades. I'm telling you, it's that Glaive.
Yor, the Hunter from the Future (1983)
Well, I promise this is our last true B movie, but it's probably my favorite of them all. Based on an Argentine comedy series that already preceded it star wars, Yor, hunter from the future It's another Italian schlockfest that feels like another cheap caveman – and it's really fun! – But he reveals a Science fiction A shocking twist and things get even goofier from there.
The big one star wars Rupture element ur What it really takes is the villain, The Overlord. He and his robot army definitely have the Italian beat 'em up style we saw in Starcrash. The truth is that it's both urOverlord and Return of the JediEmperor which was in theaters the same year should tell you exactly what they were doing.
In all seriousness, ur It has plenty of amazing entertainment for anyone with what Joe Bob Briggs calls a driving spirit. If I can't enjoy the scene where Yor uses a dead flying dinosaur as a hang glider, then I know I'm done with this world.
And that song “Your World”? He is the man.
The Last Starfighter (1984)
star wars He took a classic idea – a young hero thrust into a fantastic world in the midst of war – and gave it a genre twist with a touch of special effects that audiences had never seen before. The last starfighter He took the same simple structure and brought it to the present.
Imagine playing a video game so well that it's revealed to be a recruitment tool for space pilots in an intergalactic conflict. This is the idea behind The last starfighterand it really sells the excitement that this juvenile fantasy brings to life. And the movie is worth it just for Dan O'Herlihy as the navigator, Greg. You gotta love Greg.
It may not be the smartest movie yet The last starfighter It is still an adventure worth discovering.
Masters of the Universe (1987)
Ten years later star wars On the big screen, legendary 1980s exploitation studio Cannon Films tried their best to create their own sci-fi/fantasy pop culture hit with an adaptation Masters of the universea toy line and animated series that achieved great success in the mid-1980s.
Look, I'll be honest with you: Masters of the universe It's not a great movie, and it may not even be a good one, but it has another great clash of Emperor Palpatine with a mad but committed Frank Langella facing off against the evil skeleton. Honestly (see what I did there?), it's totally worth the price of admission.
Even bad movies have their bright spots, and… Masters of the universe Not without some brilliant stupidity.
Flash Gordon (1980)
The last entry on our list star wars Scams bring the whole concept full circle star wars It was directly inspired by the original Flash Gordon Film serials of the 1930s and 1940s. So when? star wars It was crushing, we got a new one Flash Gordon Main film production.
Unfortunately, the tone and style of the animation is more retro Flash Gordon It seemed trite and hackneyed to critics at the time. compared to star warsIt seemed very old. Fortunately, time has been very kind to the film's brilliant production and overwhelming joy. in many ways, Flash Gordon It may have started as a rip-off but it has cemented itself as its own colorful sci-fi treat for fans of multiple generations.
And you know we love that Queen song.
Are there others? star wars Forgeries you think we need to see? Drop your recommendations in the comments! Make sure to subscribe to our website YouTube Channel for more groups like this.
