Space 1979: The one where they made a Michael Crichton sequel without Michael Crichton

Title: Futureworld

What Year?: 1976

Classification: Runnerup/ Prototype/ Weird Sequel

Rating: For Crying Out Loud!!!

For this installment, we have another new category, the Weird Sequel. This designation will be used for sequels to more famous and successful movies that would get a pass by themselves. A further characteristic of most of the sequels I have considered is that they aren't quite in continuity with their predecessor(s). The undoubted root is that continuity and "cannon" were not yet major considerations, particularly before home video made it easy to compare and dissect every entry in a franchise. This allowed for sequels that were substantially different in concept and tone, like the horror/ zombie film Dawn of the Dead, and others that did little more than slap a name on an unrelated film, like its "sequel" Zombie/ Zombi 2. Sometimes, these entries managed to go in new and creative directions, sometimes they retold the earlier story with varying degrees of success, and sometimes they tried to be different but simply didn't work. And that brings us to the current selection, the original sequel to the 1973 classic Westworld.

The story opens up promisingly with a recap and introduction: After the slaughter of many guests and staff in the first movie, Delos has built a new resort and resumed catering to the wealthy. The attractions include a space simulation, a life-size version of Rock Em Sock Em robots, and prominently and repeatedly mentioned anatomically functional "pleasure" bots. But two reporters are suspicious after a source within the resort is found murdered. An investigation reveals that the robots are in control of the resort, and have begun replacing their most influential guests with perfect duplicates. When our heroes realize that their own replacements are the latest on the assembly line, they must make their escape while trying to be sure who is still human.

After the success of Westworld, there was inevitable interest in a sequel. The first warning sign was that the author Michael Crichton wanted nothing to with it. The other shoe dropped when it became apparent that the producing studio MGM couldn't be bothered to make it. Instead, the rights were snapped up by the infamous B-movie factory AIP, who were left entirely to their own devices. The final product was released in 1976, alongside MGM's new toy Logan's Run, to modest box office and hostile reviews. A subsequent 1980 TV franchise spinoff, Beyond Westworld, is noted to have ignored Futureworld entirely, making it one of the first sequels to be excluded in the course of a "reboot".

This is where I will insert my personal story. I can remember more clearly than usual seeing Westworld for the first time in the middling 1990s (down to the snack I ate while watching it!), and being duly blown away. Despite that history, and in some ways because of it, it was one of the first movies I decided to be unsuitable for this feature. That film was in every sense a success in its own right, laying the way for movies like Blade Runner, The Terminator and even Jurassic Park without in any way diminishing its own legacy and reputation.  The sequel, on the other hand, was the first to stand out for attention even though I had never gotten around to watching it until I decided to do a review. I took particular interest in the fact that available summaries showed about as much resemblance to Blade Runner as to Westworld itself.

I suppose I can't say I was disappointed by what I saw, but I can't say it was a barrel of laughs either. T Futureworld is a whole pile of awkward, but like many of the most frustrating films I have encountered, it rarely if ever builds up the kind of energy needed for a "so bad it's good" romp. This is especially evident in the very direct dialogue about human/ robot sexuality, which is good for a few cringey chuckles but ultimately does less to develop the idea than Battle Beyond The Stars did with a throwaway gag. The even deeper problem is that the film never quite succeeds in making its bots threatening. Just by comparison, Yul Brynner (who returns in a bizarre dream/ fantasy sequence) supplied most of Westworld's best moments as the chillingly inhuman and nearly unstoppable Gunslinger in Westworld. In Futureworld, the bots are so benign they all but politely ask their intended victims to die. On top of that, they prove easy to destroy with conventional weapons, usually perishing in sparks and smoke that completely defeat their purpose. Apart from a replacement who recites her victim's own memories and a totally incongruous band of ninjas, the lot of them are a washout.

That gets us to the one scene, and it is the one sequence that feels like it should belong in a completely different and far better movie. Around the middle act of the film, the reporters are aided by a human maintenance worker who keeps a salvaged bot as his companion and friend. In their quite short time on screen, the man and android have a quite convincing chemistry together, with clear affection from the former and ample signs of mutual respect from the robot. It all culminates in a completely surreal scene where the man and the bot play cards. Of course, the literally faceless machine proves to have the advantage. It's weird, it's clever, it's funny, it's heartfelt, and it's way better than this movie ever deserved.

See my Introduction to the series.

Rogues' Roundup! Marx knights and Timmee Fantasy Guys

Back with another toy review, and this time, I'm covering Medieval and/ or fantasy themed figures. Our entries are knights by Marx and Legendary Battles from Timmee, both in reissue. One is a recent acquisition, the other has been in my collection for some time. Both are of further interest as part of the evolution of fantasy toys. Here's a lineup of the rogues.

"Some of you may die, but it's a chance I'm willing to take."

As might be expected, these sets of figures have very different histories. The Marx knights appear to have been released in 1965, in "army man" and 6 inch sizes as well as the relatively rare 70mm/  3 inch size seen here. The Timmee figures were released as late as 1986, as a presumed knockoff of Masters of the Universe (though by then the MOTU franchise would already have been in decline). These were also released in 70mm size, allowing extra detail. Here's some pictures of the figures with each other and other figures, including a Timmee nuclear guy I've had lying around for literal decades. (I know he's part of the firefighter set, but you can't tell me he doesn't look like it.)

"Sorry, that's not magic, it's gamma radiation."

If some of the Timmee battlers seem suspiciously familiar, it's because at least one was copied from a series of authorized Marvel figures. The Marvel line originally had a gimmick where they coud be moved with string that ran through their hands, which would have had to be entirely replaced. Just how many were directly copied isn't entirely clear. One sculpt is quite clearly a copy of Dr. Doom (top left), and the Viking guy is clearly influenced by Thor. The ogre (middle left) certainly shares a sculpt with a Hulk figure, though the weight of evidence indicates that both were based on an earlier caveman figure. It has been speculated that the cat-creature and sorcerer (bottom left and center) are based on Marvel figures, but I am not convinced. My own suspicion is that it is based on Barlowe's Guide to Extraterrestrials, specifically the Tran from Alan Dean Foster's Icerigger.

For a little extra fun, here's a pic of the knights with a couple dragons we previously met in my post on patchisaurs, from my own investigation originally released by Fleetwood toys for the nominal movie tie-in line for Sword And The Sorcerer. 

"What do you mean `endangered species'???"

Finally, here's a tribute to the Timmee battle mountain, with the Truckstop queen since we haven't heard from her in a little while.

The lineup is Marx reissue Amtrack landing craft, Gundam bear, Click Chicks mermaids, Action Fleet rancor and the Polyfect anime space jet transformer, and a Hoth playset, probe droid, pterosaur and ninja around the background and edges.

That's all for now! Here's the links.

Secret Fun blog post on Legendary Battles and their Marvel predecessors.

Little Weirdos post on LB.

Marx Wild West guide to Marx knights/ Medieval figures.

Space 1979: The one that remade Magnificent Seven in outer space with a star of the Magnificent Seven

Title: Battle Beyond The Stars

What Year?: 1980

Classification: Knockoff

Rating: Downright Decent!

In recent years, plenty has been written about Blockbuster and the role it once had in how people received pop culture, either in celebration or mockery. I have never been drawn into nostalgia for the old video stores, though I have plenty of memories around them. (Hollywood Video was my go-to.) However, I do have a special place in my memory for movies aired on network TV back in the 1980s and 1990s. At any given date and time back in the day, you could turn on the television and probably find a movie on. I can remember seeing major (and completely inappropriate) movies like Robocop, older action/ adventure movies like Dirty Harry and Black Sunday, any number of Westerns, and plenty of semi-obscure science fiction/ fantasy films. The really fun part was that there was a good chance of tuning in in the middle or at the end, and if you didn't catch the station identification or check the TV guide, you might spend years or even decades trying to figure out what the Hell you had watched. With this review, I've finally gotten to one of those movies, an odd little movie titled Battle Beyond The Stars.

This one starts promisingly with a giant warship arriving in orbit around a planet called Akir. The evil overlord announces to the pacifist inhabitants that he will destroy their world if they do not serve him. The ruling elders agree to send a young pilot named Shad into the wider galaxy to look for warriors to aid them. He shortly meets up with a cyborg inventor's naïve daughter and a smuggler named Cowboy whose client was blown up by the warlord. As their misadventures continue, they must escape ambushes from the warlord and various outlaws and renegades, several of whom join up with their band. As the final deadline approaches, the Cowboy tries to arm and train the Akira for surface combat while the rest of the allies meet the warlord's warship in space. And for once, things go about as badly as could be expected.

The most noteworthy thing about this movie is that it was produced by none other than Roger Corman, with effects and production design by one James Cameron. It was unapologetically conceived as an answer to Star Wars,  but the timeframe of the production belies a rushed cash grab. Whether out of respect or legal concerns, the production pointedly drew on The Seven Samurai and its earlier American counterpart The Magnificent Seven, to the point of putting a good part of the budget into casting Robert Vaughn as a mercenary  named Gelt who joins in the adventure. Other cast and characters included George Peppard as The Cowboy, John Saxon as the warlord Sador, and Earl Boen (Dr. Silverman in the Terminator franchise) as a group of hive-mind aliens called Nestor.

Unfortunately, the end result is a well-made film more disappointing than many outright bad ones. I can very clearly recall watching this in the 1990s or very early 2000s (I know I had already heard of it), and being struck by an odd lack of energy. That remained my strongest reaction when I watched it for this review, and I quickly recognized that many of the problems rise from uneven character development.  Peppard, at that time in a rough patch between 1960s film stardom and renewed fame on The A Team, gives a nuanced and vulnerable performance that impressed me then and now. A few other characters gave a pleasant surprise on new viewing, especially Nestor. Others, however, remained just as forgettable, and that definitely includes Vaughn. The script gives him limited screen time, and he delivers most of his dialogue in a near monotone (in hindsight not much different than his performance in Magnificent Seven). The bottom line is that the film continually strains to make us care what happens to anyone in it.

Any redeeming features of the film come from its quite good models and effects and surprising level of world-building. The various ships are superbly built and shot, with variations that hint at differences in the cultures and personalities of their owners. The settings are even more impressive, particularly a space station where the cyborg lives with his robot creations and an abandoned city-state where Shad discovers Gelt. What is most interesting is that there is no sign of an equivalent to Star Wars' Empire or Star Trek's Federation governing the various planets. As a result, the warlord and the rogues who oppose him appear to be on something like equal terms apart from pure firepower. It makes for an effective nod to the feudal setting of The Seven Samurai, and an oddly convincing scenario of what a functioning interstellar civilization might be like.

That brings us to the "one scene", and I had to make a hard choice. I was ready to go with a scene where the Nestor is forced to endure the torture and death of one of his members at the warlord's hands, and this time I will give an honorable mention. But then I took a closer look at the scene in the abandoned city. On arrival, the explicitly religious Shad examines a vending machine for drugs, but discards a single pill that it dispenses. He then sees a machine that clearly offers "adult" entertainment, complete with life-sized images of a selection of companions. He chooses one, and the camera pans upward from the floor as a door opens, revealing one of the most horrifying "practical" effects I have ever seen.

For the postscript, the movie reached theatres in late 1980, a few months after Empire Strikes Back. It gave a reasonable return at the box office, and would have the further distinction of being optioned for cable television. The movie received a further afterlife through Corman's characteristic recycling of footage, notably the Alien ripoff Forbidden World (certainly due for its own installment) and its 1991 remake Dead Space. Because nothing could stop Roger Corman, and judging from the vend-a-woman machine, that might include death.

For links, see my new introduction to Space 1979.

Space 1979 Bonus: "About"' and terminology

Space 1979 is a movie review feature I conceived as a new direction for this blog, and one that I might branch out with. While I have been preparing new material, I decided it was time to lay down some of my ideas, terms, and overall inspiration. This post may further serve as a link for subsequent reviews, particularly for anything that might need a more detailed explanation.

Timeline/ What Year?: As I outlined in earlier reviews, my intention is to cover science fiction and fantasy films between 1975 to 1985. This is, among other things, the period from 2 years before and 2 years after the release of the first and last movies of the original Star Wars trilogy. It also includes a number of other well-known films, notably Alien, Star Trek, E.T., Blade Runner and The Terminator. This has not and will not been an inviolable rule, but almost all considered exceptions will remain within the 1970s and 1980s. I will usually be listing the release date only, but earlier production dates will be noted if it is important to context (see "runnerups").

For the moment, I have two additional exclusions. First, I do not plan to do animation reviews in this feature, which will exclude the likes of Fantastic Planet, Wizards and Heavy Metal. I have also so far limited the field to live-action films that received a contemporary US theatrical release, so TV shows and most foreign films will not be covered. Ironically, this would exclude the inspiration for the feature title, Space: 1999.

Classification: The theme of this series is films rightly or wrongly considered imitations or "ripoffs" of Star Wars and other influential films. To better define them, I have come up with the following classifications:

• Runnerup: These were my chief inspiration for this feature. I created this category for films that were similar to Star Wars and certain other "major" films but known to have been put in production independently and/or at an earlier date. I am prepared to extend the designation to somewhat earlier SF/ fantasy films that may have influenced Star Wars and the genre in general. Examples include Star Crash and The Black Hole.
• Ripoff/ knockoff: These are by comparison inarguable imitations of more successful films. I prefer "knockoff" to "ripoff" in most circumstances, particularly where the movie shows some measure of independence and creativity, as with Battle Beyond The Stars. "Ripoff" will be reserved for films that are exceptionally hasty and crass. The egregious example in that regard is Message From Space, whose producers directly interfered with the release of Star Wars in Japanese markets.
• Evil Twin: Introduced in honor of the late Roger Ebert, this shall be treated as applicable to both "runnerups" and ripoffs/ knockoffs. The defining characteristic is that they appear very similar to much better films, yet take the underlying ideas and themes in extremely bizarre, offensive and flatly wrong directions. Of course, these problems are usually compounded by vastly inferior production values and general incompetence. The egregious example is Inseminoid, as of this writing the worst film I expect to review.
• Irreproducible oddity: This is a category I have considered for the most bizarre of the bizarre. They are for the most part the opposite of a ripoff/ knockoff, though frequently labelled as such at the time. Their primary characteristic is that they are the product of a very specific time and circumstances that could not be repeated. Many under consideration merge science fiction with fantasy and/ or horror. Examples include Zardoz, Krull, Lifeforce, Hercules (1983) and Shanks (previously reviewed on my Exotroopers blog)

At this writing, I have used or considered some secondary designations:

• Prototype: Early films of "major" writers and directors, as well as other minor/ low budget films introducing later themes and ideas. Ex Westworld, Duel, Silent Running and Dark Star.
• Mashup: Mix of multiple genres, common in both knockoffs and oddities, ex Krull and Lifeforce.
• Weird sequel: A lesser known sequel or followup to a more influential film, significantly different in tone, themes and concept as well as quality. Ex Futureworld and Adventures of Hercules.
• Parody: Self-explanatory, potentially including all use of earlier sources and genre conventions in intentional comedy, ex Dark Star, Galaxina, Caveman and Critters.
• Anachronistic outlier: Films that look and feel like they should have been produced at least 5-10 years earlier, or more disconcertingly later. This has a surprising degree of overlap with parodies. Ex Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Message From Space, and Dark Star (again!).

Ratings: And now the fun part! I have attempted to rate movies based on a combination of conceptual creativity, production values and overall execution. On that basis, I subdivided down to the following ratings.

• Pretty Good!: A quality storyline with a unique concept, engaging characters, and good production values. Unusual ideas are presented and developed in a clear and consistent way. Limitations in budget and available technology are compensated for in creative ways.
• Downright Decent!: A good story presented with reasonable competence. Concept and execution are less balanced, with a tendency to stay within already established conventions. Additional problems may arise from plot and character development, limited or (more often) unevenly applied budget, and internal inconsistencies in concept.
• What the Hell???: Unique and potentially good concept, with questionable execution and serious overall flaws. Ideas are presented and developed in inconsistent, strange and/ or confusing ways. Further problems can include uninteresting or wholly unsympathetic characters and a problematic outcome and "moral".
• For Crying Out Loud!!!: Any and all of the problems outlined above become severe. Existing problems are compounded by dated effects, production design and story and genre conventions. Some interesting ideas and entertaining elements remain intact.
• Dear God WHY??!!: Has no reason or right to exist. The concept, development and execution are bizarre, incoherent and/or flatly offensive. Virtually all element of production are egregiously flawed and incompetent. Other issues routinely compounded by dated, exploitative and hypocritical treatments of violence and sexuality.

Space 1979: The one where the man-eating aliens do the least damage

Title: Critters

What Year?: 1986

Classification: Knockoff/ Parody

Rating: Pretty Good!

As I completed the previous entry in this feature, I have given thought to many more movies I might cover. My most important decision has been on the time frame, and my settled preference is around 1975 to 1985. I have further reflected just how many movies I've considered fail or come close that criteria alone, especially on the 1980s side. Westworld, 1973. Zardoz, 1974. Lifeforce and The Falling, 1985. Terrorvision, 1986. The Gate and The Hidden, 1987. Mac And Me, Deep Space and  Killer Clowns From Outer Space, 1988. Dead Space, 1991. I will probably cover at least some of these. But the one I would definitely bend the rules for is this film.

As usual with this subgenre, the story is simple and quickly set up. In the far reaches of the galaxy, a group of aliens called the Crites hijack a ship taking them to an interstellar prison, and a warden sends two shape-shifting bounty hunters to pursue them. The next stop is a farm on planet Earth where the Crites go to ground, revealing themselves as fast, voracious and venomous terrier-sized predators. While the monsters proceed to lay siege to the farm and devour several humans, the bounty hunters arrive and tear up a nearby town. As the battle continues, the surviving humans kill several Crites but are left wounded and drugged. A plucky kid escapes for help, and inevitably returns with the bounty hunters, just in time to team up against a Crite that has eaten enough to grow to giant size and run off with a human hostage. It all ends with charm and a few decent twists, followed by the completely predictable closing shot to set up a sequel franchise.

Critters was the best of a crop of ripoffs and knockoffs in the wake of Gremlins. I rate it as a knockoff separate from a ripoff because it is moderately later than the evident source material, and especially because of the high level of creativity invested in the final product. The best touches come from creature effects by the Chiodo Brothers, who went on to direct Killer Clowns. The Crites/ Critters look as satisfyingly nasty as they act, and they have a level of agility that was especially elusive with "practical" creature effects. Their signature moves are shooting poisonous quills and rolling along like tumbleweeds when they advance or retreat. In a further nuance, they have a believable level of vulnerability. They take losses to ordinary weapons, mainly a mother's shotgun, while holding the clear advantage in a battle of attrition. It's all livened up by short bits of dialogue between Critters. If I had to pick the usual "one scene", it would be an encounter between two Critters and the mother, already so iconic I got an auto complete when I started to enter the line in a search.

But I'm going to make another departure from form and talk about those bounty hunters. The Critters are fun, but these two make the movie a thing of beauty. There's no one scene I will point to, because only the full movie together will show just how totally and bizarrely incompetent they are. The best frame of reference is the Prime Directive from Star Trek, simply because they do the opposite at every opportunity in the most egregious possible way. The mind can boggle trying to figure out what their manual looks like. Don't acquire or imitate native dress. Don't seek help from local authorities, including friends and family of people you are specifically impersonating. Openly use advanced technology in view of the populace, regardless of whether you need it. If you must communicate with the natives, don't explain terms known only to you, and don't hesitate to threaten them when they don't give an answer to questions they couldn't possibly understand.

In hindsight, Critters was the beginning of the end of an era. It proved that even a low-budget film could have top-notch special effects, and it also showed that a "knockoff" production could still give its source(s) a serious and original treatment. I personally find Critters better than Gremlins in many ways, in large part because its creatures could be funny without being forced to act "cute". But few of the movies that would follow, including its own sequels, would equal it, and soon enough the advent of CGI would sweep them all away. So enjoy it for what it is, because we won't soon see its like again.

Unidentified Found Objects: Space Raiders!

Of all the "generic" toys in circulation at any given time, none are more ubiquitous yet ephemeral than novelty erasers. The whole idea seems to have been to motivate kids by giving them erasers in the same shape as toys, on the theory that it would keep them interested in school rather than just playing with the eraser. In the long run, it was always a Catch 22. If you used them for their intended purpose, they were literally rubbed away into oblivion. If you tried to save them, then sooner or later they would shrink into dark, cracked and distorted husks of themselves. This installment is about a little line that beat the odds, at least for a while, Diener Space Raiders. And while we're at it, here's a couple more pics:

I first caught wind of Diener products during semi-random searches for vintage toys. I quickly realized the company was responsible for a number of toys I was long familiar with, including a line of rubber dinos I expect to get to another time. I quickly confirmed their status as a very prolific manufacturer of novelty erasers and other rubbery generic toys. Their finest hour was producing toys for McDonald's Happy Meal toys (something else that should fill many installments to come), and these included the present selection, which first turned up in 1978. This consisted of both ships and an assortment of rather generic robots and aliens. For the moment, naturally, I will focus on the ships.

Moving forward to my personal story, I knew of these guys for a very long time without trying to obtain them. I did finally acquire them recently in an uncontested online auction. My first and immediate reaction was that the lot was almost certainly of recent manufacture, due to the very soft rubber. I have found handling somewhat unpleasant, due to the soft and almost (but not quite) sticky feel of the rubber, but I had seen badly aged erasers far too often to look a gift horse in the mouth. What interested me was the ships.

As seen above, there are four ships, each with a name and number imprinted on the toy: Altair (2), Ceti (3), Lyra (4) and Krygo (5). Whether the absence of a ship numbered 1 means anything is unknowable. Of these, Ceti is the one I deemed a dud from the beginning; it was clearly intended to be "realistic" but merely looks clunky and not in the style of the others. Altair is far more interesting. It has the lines of a "classic" rocket ship and details that hint at a much larger scale, particularly a nose that looks like it could be a detachable smaller ship. Then there are Lyra and Krygo, which I knew as the basis of two ships covered in the last installment. Here are the Space Raiders ships with their counterparts.

What was surprising about these was the inconsistency in size. Krygo is clearly larger than the plastic ship, but the two saucers are identical in diameter, though the rubber one is greater in depth and mass. It will also be apparent that the plastic ships have substantially greater detail, undoubtedly in part because the rubber versions were effectively disposable, but I think also because they were influenced by an older aesthetic. Before Star Wars and its ornately detailed ships, science fictional vessels were clean and sleek (and in many ways more realistic), and that is what we still see here. One more rabbit trail to cross my mind is that Krygo would be just about the right shape to dock with the front of Altair, if the latter were vastly greater in size. This was clearly not what the designers intended, given the clear presence of windows, but it's exactly the kind of thing I might have thought of if I had grown up playing with these things.

I can't avoid some comment on the creatures with the set. The lot I received included 3 out of 4, called Brak, Zama and Horta (!), and all that I have to say is that I found them oddly uninteresting. In fact, I find them inferior in detail and quality to  the slightly later Diener Space Creatures (which will be covered in the reference links), which even feel more creative despite being fairly obvious knockoffs of TV and movie monsters. Here are pics of my group.

For the usual postscript, Diener thrived for a very long time, and they kept the Space Raiders and related toys alive. Various accounts record sightings of the things throughout the 1980s and even to the 1980s, including examples given away with kids' meals at the in-house restaurants department/ big box stores. As for Diener itself, it survives today, albeit as part of a larger company, and continues to offer erasers and other rubber toys for sales. Some things change, some things stay the same, and some always find a way to turn a profit.

For reference links, here's Little Weirdos posts on Space Raiders, Space Creatures and Mythological Creatures. Again, they have everything.

You can also see, among many, Retro Dad and Neato Coolville posts on the Diener Happy Meal releases; a 2 Warps to Neptune lineup of packaged Diener Raiders/ Creatures, with some info on the company's (relatively) recent history; and another 2 Warps post on Space Raiders notebooks.

Finally, you can see previous installments on arcade prize ships and the Spaceman Spiff ship.

Space 1979: The one where the Italians ripped off Star Wars before Star Wars technically came out

Title: Star Crash

What Year?: 1977 (pre production)/ 1978 (release)

Classification: Runnerup/ knockoff

Rating: Pretty Good!

This feature is back with another of the films it was made for. In the realm of ripoffs and independently conceived "runnerups", a certain proportion end up on a razor's edge between the two. These are the films that may technically have begun production before what they reputedly ripped off, but certainly owe their release if not their final form to more successful projects. These are projects like the hare of fable, rushing to catch up with the tortoise without quite succeeding, almost always due to executive neglect rather than any fault or failing of those directly involved in their creation. No example is more egregious than Star Crash.

Like its more famous counterpart, this movie opens with a ship under attack, except this time it's a warship of a galactic Empire that is destroyed by a mysterious weapon. A survivor is rescued by a female smuggler/ space pirate and her not-quite-human co pilot, who are shortly captured by a robot police officer. The outlaws are offered a pardon if they join a search for a renegade Count's secret base and a missing prince. The ensuing adventures see them pitted against amazons, cavemen, a pair of deadly stop motion robots, and finally the evil Count's giant headquarter's ship, all with maximum campiness.

As usual, the circumstances of Star Crash's production are at least as interesting as the movie ever was. This time around, there is no question that the project was around well before the release of Star Wars, but did not advance very far in production until as late as May 1977, the same time the first movie came out. Its real roots were in the Italian-American system that had previously produced the likes of the Steve Reeve "Hercules" movies and several of Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion effects films. This is reflected in heavy use of effects that were "old school" even for the 1970s. It is further evident that the production ended up under pressure to look more like Star Wars than it was. Fortunately, this mostly

came out in the advertising (complete with the ripoff Millennium Falcon in the featured poster), while certain sequences featuring a lawsuit-worthy laser sword manage to loop back around as reverent references to earlier movies (especially by Harryhausen).

As for overall quality, we finally have a ripoff/ runnerup that can stand on its own merits. The acting (and for that matter the script) is competently hammy, backed up by reasonable production values. The ships are what give the film personality, mostly art deco style with somewhat clunky hard-SF ships here and there. (The first to appear is named Murray Leinster after the influential Asounding/ Analog writer.) Most of the designs charm without standing out, except for the utterly bizarre flagship of the Count. This ship is built in the shape of a half-clenched clawed hand, with little or no further rationalization, and the outside is fully matched by the very retro interior and the gloating Count himself.

I have settled on trying to give a more detailed account of a scene in each review, and while good moments abound (especially when the police robot is on screen) there was never any question in my mind that it would be  battle between the Count's claw ship and a fleet sent by the Emperor. As the Imperial ships attack, they launch torpedoes filled not with nukes, or explosives, or bioweapons, or the battle bots we have already seen, but two troopers with ray guns. As torpedo after torpedo crash through the ship's main viewport without a hint of decompression, a battle breaks out between the troopers and the Count's loyal guards. It's impossible and willfully absurd, and utterly delightful.

This review might be coming up shorter than others, because this movie is good enough that there isn't a lot to say that it can't say for itself. Call it a ripoff, call it a runnerup, it's good fun.

See previous installments on Message From Space and Inseminoid, and an Introduction to this series.But Dear Logos, do NOT see Inseminoid.