1 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 1: Hey, welcome to Weird House Cinema. Rewind. This is Rob Lamb, 2 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:10,960 Speaker 1: and we have an episode for you here today that 3 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 1: originally published six twenty four, twenty twenty two, so relatively 4 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 1: early in the weird House cinema cycle. This is Battle 5 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: Beyond the Stars, a wonky space opera kind of Star 6 00:00:23,720 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: Wars knockoff. It features a number of B movie mainstays 7 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: and future stars. Let's sail right into it. 8 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:40,159 Speaker 2: Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind, a production of iHeartRadio. 9 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 3: Hey, welcome to Weird House Cinema. 10 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 4: This is Rob Lamb and this is Joe McCormick. 11 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 3: It's time once more to venture into the realm of 12 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 3: Star Wars knockoffs, films that, regardless of their creative integrity, 13 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 3: were clearly getting funded, made, and or released in an 14 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 3: attempt to cash in on the juggernaut that was nineteen 15 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 3: seventy seven Star Wars. 16 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 4: I think this will be our third blatant Star Wars 17 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 4: reboff movie. 18 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:11,319 Speaker 1: Yeah. 19 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,479 Speaker 3: Yeah, last year we watched nineteen seventy nine's The Humanoid 20 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 3: and you also brought up that, Yeah, that Message from 21 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 3: Space was also technically in this wheelhouse as well. 22 00:01:21,880 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 4: I would say that I'm going to rank today's film 23 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 4: second among our Star Wars knockoffs, I think Message from 24 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,119 Speaker 4: Space is probably my favorite. I'd go with Battle Beyond 25 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 4: the Stars and then the Humanoid, though I enjoyed all three. 26 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I don't know. I might have to give 27 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 3: Battle Beyond the Stars the top honors of these three. 28 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:45,960 Speaker 3: But but all three, all three of them, I would say, 29 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,600 Speaker 3: had things going for them that, like I say, stand 30 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 3: apart from the whole Star Wars craze. So it's not 31 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,240 Speaker 3: like they were just entirely you know, Star Wars ripoffs. 32 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 3: There were creative folks involved, But when you start looking 33 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 3: at like the funding and the production, like these things 34 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,200 Speaker 3: came to these films came to the surface because somebody 35 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 3: was chasing that Star Wars money. 36 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 4: Oh and in this case, you don't even have to 37 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,040 Speaker 4: wonder because this movie was produced by Roger Corman. And 38 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:17,440 Speaker 4: you can watch interviews with the people who worked on 39 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,080 Speaker 4: the special effects and other behind the scenes jobs on 40 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 4: this movie who said, yeah, Corman went to us and 41 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 4: said I want to make a Star Wars movie. 42 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:28,160 Speaker 1: So yeah. 43 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:29,680 Speaker 3: But one other big difference I would say is that 44 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 3: while the Humanoids certainly had definitely had its Vader knockoff 45 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 3: definitely had its. You know, we have Darth Vader at 46 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 3: home moment. This film does not, and I think that 47 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,680 Speaker 3: alone makes it feel a little more authentic. 48 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: But we'll get into all that. 49 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 4: That's actually a major distinction of this as a Star 50 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 4: Wars among Star Wars knockoffs. And yeah, we'll have to 51 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:51,399 Speaker 4: get into more detail on that later. 52 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 3: But the movie today is nineteen eighties Battle Beyond the Stars. 53 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,640 Speaker 3: And you know, we had a listener right in and said, hey, 54 00:02:57,720 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 3: you guys should tell us where to get the movie 55 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,800 Speaker 3: early in the episode in case we want to watch 56 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 3: it before you get into all the details. So I 57 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 3: don't know, I guess we can try that. So, hey, 58 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:11,399 Speaker 3: we watched this movie on an excellent Shout Factory Blu 59 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 3: ray that came out. This is one that comes in 60 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 3: a limited edition steel book. For some reason, we rented 61 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 3: it from Videodrome here in Atlanta for protection protection. He 62 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 3: has to protect it from the elements or from bandits 63 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 3: and spacefaring warlords. But anyway, beautiful picture quality, some fun extras. 64 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:33,600 Speaker 3: You can also rent or buy this movie from most 65 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 3: of your digital sources. 66 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 4: Yes, and that'll be on the stars. Is a good 67 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 4: one to watch in high definition, even if not every 68 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 4: frame of the movie is necessarily worth it. The movie 69 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 4: as a whole is because it's really a mixed bag 70 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 4: on art design, on art design, costumes and sets. Some 71 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,520 Speaker 4: stuff in this movie is kind of phoned in, kind 72 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 4: of z grade cheese. I would single out maybe some 73 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,760 Speaker 4: of the spaceship interiors but not others and so. And 74 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 4: then on the other hand, there are some sets and 75 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 4: costumes and things that are eye poppingly weird or just 76 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 4: absolutely gorgeous. It varies wildly from scene to scene. 77 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think that has I've seen people comment 78 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 3: on the film where they're like, yeah, each ship has it. 79 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:19,599 Speaker 3: It feels like it's truly from another planet, from another 80 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 3: culture entirely. But yes, sometimes it feels like maybe the 81 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 3: people who designed the ship interiors were also from other planets, 82 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 3: from different effects studios and other planets. 83 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 4: Yeah. 84 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 3: Now we mentioned that the Star Wars connect I also 85 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:35,839 Speaker 3: should point out that I think there are some of 86 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 3: those ship interiors that also draw some inspiration from nineteen 87 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 3: seventy nine's Alien as well. You know, certainly not from 88 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 3: the film doesn't have much to do with Aliens from 89 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 3: ap plotting or character point of view, but as far 90 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 3: as some like lived in space environments go, and maybe 91 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 3: one of the planetary surfaces that we see it made 92 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 3: me think of Alien. And it's kind of noteworthy, right 93 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 3: because this film involved the talents of a particular Alien 94 00:05:02,080 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 3: fan and future Alien franchise director James Cameron. 95 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 4: Yes, and I think you can really see the James 96 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:14,320 Speaker 4: Cameron influence in things like the beautiful set of the 97 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 4: planet where Shad finds Robert Vaughan. We'll get into the 98 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 4: plot details about that later, but also the design of 99 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 4: the main character's ship, Nell, which looks very weird on 100 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 4: the outside and very alien esque on the inside, despite 101 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 4: the fact that this is a back talking, two D 102 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:36,279 Speaker 4: grandma kind of ship. 103 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: Yeah. 104 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,839 Speaker 3: We have a character in this film called Cowboy. He is, yes, 105 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,040 Speaker 3: a space cowboy. He's the only character from Earth and 106 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:46,960 Speaker 3: as goofy as his character is, and we'll get into him. 107 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,920 Speaker 3: The interior of his spaceship I thought felt very alien esque. 108 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 3: It felt lived in in a way that reminded me 109 00:05:54,680 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 3: of the Nostromo. 110 00:05:57,040 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's got crushed beer cans and magazine cutouts on 111 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:02,679 Speaker 4: the walls and stuff like that, and it's dirty. 112 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, now I have to share just a little bit 113 00:06:06,120 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 3: from Michael Weldon's ride up on this film, from the 114 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 3: nineteen eighty three book The Psychotronic Encyclopedia Film. I just 115 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 3: found this amusing, So if you've listened to Weird Out Cinema, 116 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 3: you know I love Weldon. I'm always interested in his 117 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 3: take on movies, exploring and finding new movies through his writings. 118 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 3: But I think I'm gonna have to agree to disagree 119 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 3: with him on this one because in his review of 120 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 3: Battle Beyond the Stars, he writes, some of the gags 121 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:33,679 Speaker 3: were cut out and the editing could have been better, 122 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 3: but it's a lot more memorable and more fun than 123 00:06:36,720 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 3: the Empire strikes Back. 124 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 4: And the thing I don't know about that. 125 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 3: The funny thing is, at least in the reviews in 126 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 3: this book and the follow up book. It's not like 127 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:52,279 Speaker 3: he says anything bad about Star Wars or Empire or 128 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:57,359 Speaker 3: even Return of the Jedi ultimately, but yeah, he was 129 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 3: just like, well, Battle Beyond the Stars is just more fun. 130 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 3: So I guess fair enough. 131 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 4: I can't tell you what to have fun with, but 132 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 4: I don't think I would agree there. I'm sorry, but 133 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 4: Battle Beyond the Stars is great. Fun. 134 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: It is. 135 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 3: It is absolutely so let's get into the elevator pitch here. 136 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 3: It's The Seven Samurai as a space opera, Yeah, which 137 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 3: is a pretty smart move. It's a great structure to 138 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 3: thrust into a different setting or genre. The locals are 139 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,440 Speaker 3: facing a bandit threat, so what do they do? They 140 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 3: hire up some lawyers to defend them. 141 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:30,400 Speaker 4: Yes, And I just want to note an interesting double 142 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 4: input of Kurusawa on this movie. So Battle be on 143 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 4: the Stars was clearly and if you listen to the 144 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 4: interviews with the filmmakers from Corman's perspective, it was explicitly 145 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 4: supposed to be a combination of two influences, the Magnificent 146 00:07:45,600 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 4: Seven from nineteen sixty and Star Wars. Both of these 147 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 4: movies could be considered Western adaptations of different movies by 148 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 4: Akira Kourasawa. So the connection with The Magnificent Seven is overt. 149 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 4: It's just a remake of Seven sam with cowboy gun 150 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 4: slingers instead of mercenary swordsman. And I haven't seen Magnificent 151 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,760 Speaker 4: Seven in probably ten years or so, I recall it 152 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:11,680 Speaker 4: being pretty fun. Of course, it's hard to compete with 153 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 4: the source material, right. This is a case of an okay, 154 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 4: remake of an original masterpiece. 155 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 3: It's certainly a famous film, but I've actually never seen 156 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 3: The Magnificent Seven. I've seen The Seven Samurai, but not 157 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 3: Magnificent Seven. 158 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 4: Great cast though, oh yeah, including Robert Vaughan who's in 159 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 4: this movie. So he was in Battle Beyond the Stars 160 00:08:28,840 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 4: and the movie that it's based on. So yeah, So 161 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 4: that's a two step there, Seven Samurai adapted into a 162 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 4: Western as Magnificent Seven, and then adapted into a space 163 00:08:39,040 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 4: opera by Battle Beyond the Stars. Now, the other half 164 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 4: of this, of course, is Star Wars, and Star Wars 165 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 4: itself has elements that are loosely based on a nineteen 166 00:08:48,960 --> 00:08:53,320 Speaker 4: fifty eight Corrosolwa film called The Hidden Fortress. Rob Have 167 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 4: you seen this one? 168 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 3: I never have, but I've often been tempted to check 169 00:08:58,080 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 3: it out because of this connection. 170 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 4: I think it's fantastic. It's about two peasants and a 171 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 4: princess and a general played by Toshiro Mufune, who are 172 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 4: trying to survive in the middle of a war between 173 00:09:10,679 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 4: two provinces. And if you watch Star Wars and Hidden 174 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:17,040 Speaker 4: Fortress together, a lot of similarities really pop out, and 175 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:20,680 Speaker 4: the most obvious I think are the parallels between the 176 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 4: two peasants in the Hidden Fortress, who are sort of 177 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 4: traditional rustic clowns, like the gaggle that runs along with 178 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 4: Bottom in Midsummer Night's Dream. They're rustic, comedic relief, and 179 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:36,320 Speaker 4: that's in The Hidden Fortress. And then you've got the 180 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 4: droids R two, D two and C three po in 181 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:43,679 Speaker 4: Star Wars. They're a very similar duo. In both movies, 182 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 4: the action begins with the sort of lowly bumbling, down 183 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 4: on their luck characters who are mostly there for comic relief, 184 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:55,080 Speaker 4: trying to escape the crossfire of two armies, and then 185 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:59,240 Speaker 4: they become wrapped up in a lofty plot involving an 186 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 4: older general trying to save a princess. 187 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: In both cases interesting. 188 00:10:04,200 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 4: So I thought it was notable that Battle Beyond the 189 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 4: Stars is not just a Star Wars ripoff. It is 190 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:14,160 Speaker 4: a mashup of two popular Western movies that are both 191 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 4: downstream from Kurosawa. So exactly how does the mashup come together? Well, 192 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 4: I would phrase it like this. I would say the 193 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 4: plot broadly is Magnificent seven slash seven Samurai, and the 194 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 4: details and the texture are from Star Wars. That sounds fair, 195 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 4: so I think you could, in a way look at 196 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 4: this movie as like the original Magnificent Seven, which was 197 00:10:35,120 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 4: seven Samurai but as a Western, and Battle Beyond the 198 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 4: Stars is seven Samurai but as a Star Wars knockoff. 199 00:10:42,280 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 4: Now there's another thing I'm always on the lookout for 200 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 4: when I watch Star Wars knockoffs. I think we may 201 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 4: have talked about this in our episode on the Humanoid, 202 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:54,679 Speaker 4: but I'm always curious which elements from Star Wars get 203 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,559 Speaker 4: lifted and which do not, Right, because you know, you're 204 00:10:57,600 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 4: not just making an exact copy of the movie. You 205 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 4: pick some things about it to copy and you leave 206 00:11:03,559 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 4: you leave out others. And for some reason it's interesting 207 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 4: to me, like, what are the features that people find 208 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 4: salient or worth copying about Star Wars? 209 00:11:12,880 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 1: Yeah? 210 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:17,280 Speaker 3: And also what what line designates going too far? Like 211 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:21,200 Speaker 3: it seems it seems as if most filmmakers would agree 212 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 3: that you cannot have a lightsaber in your film if 213 00:11:24,280 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 3: you're not a Star Wars property. There are some glaring exceptions. 214 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 4: Star Crash does. 215 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, And when you when. 216 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 3: You break that rule, when you cross that line, I 217 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:37,280 Speaker 3: think everybody kind of you know, has to sort of 218 00:11:37,280 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 3: look away. There's a there's a deep shame falls apt. 219 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 3: Everyone viewing and participating in the film totally agree. 220 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 4: So a couple of things along these lines. I wanted 221 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:48,960 Speaker 4: to mention right at the top, but maybe we can 222 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 4: mention some more details that were copied or not as 223 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 4: we go along. But first thing I wanted to draw 224 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 4: attention to is Darth Vader design. I believe one of 225 00:11:58,520 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 4: the most universal features to be carried over into a 226 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 4: Star Wars copycat is the Darth Vader design. Almost all 227 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 4: of these movies have a menacing space lord villain who 228 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 4: wears a shiny black suit with some kind of robotic 229 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 4: entanglements and a Samurai inspired helmet, and this movie is 230 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:23,080 Speaker 4: an exception. It clearly has a Darth Vader inspired character 231 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 4: whose name even rhymes with Vader, but this character does 232 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 4: not wear a Darth Vader type suit. And I think 233 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:32,439 Speaker 4: there's a reason for this. Rob We can get to 234 00:12:32,520 --> 00:12:34,000 Speaker 4: it when we talk about the actor, but I wonder 235 00:12:34,040 --> 00:12:36,000 Speaker 4: if you'll agree with me about the reasoning. 236 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: Okay, all right. 237 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:40,040 Speaker 4: Second thing that is very often copied from a Star 238 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:43,600 Speaker 4: Wars movie and is clearly and is present in this 239 00:12:43,679 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 4: one a planet killer weapon. This movie does not have 240 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:49,080 Speaker 4: a death star, but it does have a space ship 241 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 4: that can shoot a beam that can destroy an entire planet. 242 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 3: All right, well, let's go ahead and listen to the trailer. 243 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:18,679 Speaker 5: Ruthless Invaders a defenseless planet. Battle Beyond the Stars. A 244 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 5: bone youth escapes on a last ditch mission that begins. 245 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:26,880 Speaker 4: At the edge of the universe. 246 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 5: The story of a boy who finds more than he 247 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 5: expected the herd and all he can handle. Does your 248 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 5: species have kissing? Oh? 249 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:47,559 Speaker 1: Yes, we have that. 250 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 5: What that's a hot dog that comes a merit? 251 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 1: Do you like it? 252 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 5: There's no dog in this mm M soybean meal, Niason 253 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 5: diextus and sodium nitrate flavoring. 254 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:07,000 Speaker 4: That's we call meat. 255 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 5: Back home. Battle Beyond the Stars. 256 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 3: All right, sounds like a lot of fun, right sure, 257 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 3: All right, let's talk about the people who brought this together. 258 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:26,040 Speaker 3: First of all, the director Jimmy T. Murakami, who lived 259 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 3: nineteen thirty three through twenty fourteen, American Irish animator of 260 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 3: Japanese American heritage. He was also a director on nineteen 261 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:39,000 Speaker 3: eighty one's Heavy Metal, filming the soft Landing sequence alongside 262 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:43,040 Speaker 3: John Bruno, and this segment was based on a comic 263 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 3: pinned by Dan O'Bannon of Alien Fame, and was adapted 264 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:52,000 Speaker 3: for the film by Dan O'Bannon. Murakami's other directorial credits 265 00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 3: include uncredited directorial work on nineteen eighties Humanoids from the Deep, 266 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 3: another Corman production, and very animated credits, including directing the 267 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 3: Tutsi Pop How Many Licks short commercial from nineteen sixty nine. 268 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:09,960 Speaker 4: Oh, is this the one with the owl? 269 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 3: Yep, this is the one of the owl. 270 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 4: Wow. 271 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 3: Our producer Seth will also he probably already knows this, 272 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 3: but Murakami also produced six episodes of the original Teenage 273 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 3: Mutant Ninja Turtle's cartoon. He also directed Win the Wind 274 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 3: Blows from nineteen eighty six, about an elderly British couple 275 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 3: who survived a nuclear war, and he was the co 276 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 3: founder of Murakami Wolf Productions later known as just fred 277 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 3: Wolf Films. Who did that original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show? 278 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 4: Well, folks, Seth just filled us in with all kinds 279 00:15:42,680 --> 00:15:46,320 Speaker 4: of animation connections. I don't think he was recording what 280 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:50,160 Speaker 4: he said so unfortunately, but suffice to say, apparently Fred 281 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 4: Wolf is important in a whole seventies animation scene. 282 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 3: Now, Joe, you dived into the making of stuff on 283 00:15:57,920 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 3: this one a little more than I did. I noticed 284 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 3: that on Internet movie database Roger Corman is listed as 285 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 3: not only a producer, but an uncredited He has an 286 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 3: uncredited director's credit. I am to believe he would he 287 00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 3: would at least show up and fire people and so forth. 288 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:17,000 Speaker 4: I think that's a common dynamic with Corman, that he 289 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 4: is he directing this movie, not really but sort of. 290 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 4: I think this wouldn't even be the first Corman produced 291 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 4: movie that was like this. 292 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:24,440 Speaker 3: Oh. 293 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:28,280 Speaker 4: I think it was the case with what was it, 294 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 4: The Brain Eaters. It was sort of half directed by 295 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 4: Corman or at least produced by Corman without a credit. 296 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 4: So yeah, I think that kind of thing happened a lot. 297 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:41,520 Speaker 4: There are a lot of great stories about Corman. So 298 00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 4: I watched part of a making of documentary that comes 299 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 4: on the Blu ray if you pick this, pick up 300 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 4: the New Blue Array of this one, which mostly featured 301 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:54,480 Speaker 4: interviews with the visual effects crew, and so they had 302 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 4: a lot of great stories about working with James Cameron 303 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,440 Speaker 4: and what that was like on But one of the 304 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 4: things that stuck out to me was, well, first of all, 305 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:06,320 Speaker 4: a lot of talk about Corman ended up having to 306 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 4: do with the budget, of course, like how can we 307 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 4: get costs down? Because they pitched this as you know, 308 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 4: this was going to be like the biggest budget Corman 309 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 4: movie of all time. It was going to be a 310 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:20,159 Speaker 4: Corman's finally making a movie with like a mainstream level budget. 311 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 4: But I think in actual fact, the budget just kept 312 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,920 Speaker 4: shrinking during production until this really was kind of done 313 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:27,919 Speaker 4: on a shoe string compared to how it looks in 314 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 4: the end. But one of the stories, for example, is 315 00:17:32,080 --> 00:17:35,359 Speaker 4: that I think major parts of this were shot on 316 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:41,040 Speaker 4: a studio that Corman had purchased that was formerly a lumberyard, 317 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 4: and they said that Corman didn't change the signs on 318 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:48,920 Speaker 4: the studio lot it still said lumberyard because he reasoned 319 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 4: that the sets were less likely to get burglarized if 320 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,440 Speaker 4: it was labeled the lumberyard instead of a movie studio. 321 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 4: And then they ended up hiring people for the production 322 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:01,440 Speaker 4: because carpenters would show up looking by lumber not realizing 323 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 4: it wasn't a lumberyard anymore, and they'd be like, hey, 324 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 4: you want to work on a movie. 325 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:09,480 Speaker 3: Oh that's good. Yeah, all right, Well let's get into 326 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 3: the writing credits on this. So there is there's a 327 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 3: writer by the name of Ann Dyer who has a 328 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:19,159 Speaker 3: story credit, one of only two writing credits alongside nineteen 329 00:18:19,160 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 3: seventy nine's Up from the Depths that Say Charles B. 330 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:27,199 Speaker 3: Griffith Jaws knockoff starring Sam Bottoms, and also one of R. 331 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:32,679 Speaker 3: Lee Ermey's first screen roles. It's supposedly about a giant 332 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 3: sturgeon looking fish attacking what's supposed to be Hawaii, but 333 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:38,919 Speaker 3: it is a Roger Corman production filmed in the Philippines. 334 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:41,040 Speaker 4: How have I never seen this one? I thought I'd 335 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:43,600 Speaker 4: seen every Jaws knockoff one. 336 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 3: Cannot I don't think there's enough time in a life, 337 00:18:45,760 --> 00:18:48,520 Speaker 3: in a single lifetime to do that, not yet, not 338 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:54,440 Speaker 3: until science catches up with us. But the main screen 339 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 3: writing credit on this one is pretty noteworthy because it 340 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 3: is John Sayless born nineteen fifty. This was only the 341 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 3: fourth screen credit for Seylas, who would go on to 342 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,399 Speaker 3: be an award winning screenwriter and director, noted for such 343 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,600 Speaker 3: films as nineteen ninety six's Lone Star, which earned him 344 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 3: an Academy Award nomination, nineteen ninety two's Passion Fish, which 345 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:20,000 Speaker 3: also earned him in a nomination, nineteen eighty eights eight 346 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 3: Men Out, nineteen eighty four's The Brother from Another Planet, 347 00:19:23,400 --> 00:19:26,359 Speaker 3: ninety seven's Men with Guns, and eighty seven's May Twan, 348 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:29,400 Speaker 3: which I remember watching in film class. That's a solid 349 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 3: and serious film about union efforts in nineteen twenties West Virginia, 350 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:38,400 Speaker 3: starring Chris Cooper, James Earl Jones, and David Straithan. 351 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 4: Oh, that's interesting because I know Chris Cooper was also 352 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:43,199 Speaker 4: in Lone Star, which I haven't seen, but I was 353 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 4: looking at. 354 00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's a good one. Very serious. These 355 00:19:48,560 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 3: are you serious and prestigious films. But before he did 356 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 3: any of that, he also wrote the screenplays for nineteen 357 00:19:55,760 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 3: seventy eight's Piranha, directed by Joe Dante, nineteen eighties Alligator 358 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,800 Speaker 3: that starred Robert Forrester, and nineteen eighty one's The Howling, 359 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:07,879 Speaker 3: which was also directed by Joe Dante. So he definitely 360 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,240 Speaker 3: has horror roots. He also wrote the screenplay for nineteen 361 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 3: eighty six as The Klan of the Cave Bear, and 362 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 3: he directed not one, not two, but three Bruce Springsteen 363 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,359 Speaker 3: videos Born in the USA, I'm on Fire and Glory Days. 364 00:20:20,720 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: Wow. 365 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:23,880 Speaker 4: I don't think I knew there were music videos for 366 00:20:23,960 --> 00:20:25,160 Speaker 4: any of those three songs. 367 00:20:25,480 --> 00:20:29,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, well, in some form or another he directed at 368 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:31,720 Speaker 3: least something like a music video for them. 369 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 4: Uh huh, I got to look that up. I haven't 370 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:37,919 Speaker 4: seen Alligator in many years, but if I'm remembering the 371 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 4: right movie, I think that's the one where they cast 372 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 4: Richard Lynch in the quint role. 373 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 3: Ooh, I don't remember. I think I saw Alligator when 374 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:49,560 Speaker 3: I was a kid. I think this is a sewer 375 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 3: Gator movie. 376 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 4: I could wait, I may be thinking of Alligator to 377 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:57,159 Speaker 4: the Mutation. Yeah, but yes, yes, yes, it is a 378 00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:58,199 Speaker 4: sewer Gator movie. 379 00:20:58,400 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: Ah. 380 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 3: No, all right, let's get into the cast on this one, 381 00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:13,800 Speaker 3: and we're gonna take the cast in the order that 382 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 3: they're build, which is I think. I think is quite 383 00:21:16,080 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 3: telling because the top two names also apparently absorbed a 384 00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:21,560 Speaker 3: great deal of the budget for the movie. 385 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:24,199 Speaker 4: Oh really, this next guy did? I feel like he 386 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 4: kind of phoned it in if you took that much money. 387 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,679 Speaker 3: Oh, it's George Papard, who plays our space Cowboy, the 388 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 3: only character from Earth who goes by the name Cowboy. 389 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,159 Speaker 4: He is called Cowboy, and he is a cowboy or 390 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:40,439 Speaker 4: actually I think he sort of LARPs as a cowboy 391 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:43,880 Speaker 4: because he talks about how he spends all of his 392 00:21:43,920 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 4: time watching old Western movies, and so I think he 393 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:50,880 Speaker 4: may maybe he is actually just a space trucker who 394 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,719 Speaker 4: puts on the persona of a cowboy. 395 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:57,479 Speaker 3: He's a space trucker who's gone insane in deep space, 396 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:01,520 Speaker 3: all by himself, with only West TV Westerns to keep 397 00:22:01,600 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 3: him company, and has thus taken on this this insane persona. 398 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 3: He basically dresses like a late seventies texts and trucker, 399 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 3: and he just drinks and smokes constantly and frankly does 400 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,000 Speaker 3: little else in the film. 401 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:15,120 Speaker 1: Yeah now. 402 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:19,240 Speaker 3: Georgia papard Here was born in nineteen twenty eight died 403 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 3: in nineteen ninety four, probably best remembered for playing the 404 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 3: struggling writer Paul Varjak in the nineteen sixty one film 405 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:30,480 Speaker 3: Breakfast at Tiffany's, and also for playing Hannibal on TV's 406 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 3: The A Team. They made a movie out of it, 407 00:22:33,160 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 3: a remake, But I don't recall who was in. 408 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: The Hannibal role. 409 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 3: Oh now I'm reminded, it's Nissan's. It's Liams and is 410 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:41,200 Speaker 3: Liam okay? 411 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 1: Yeah? 412 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 4: Oh, this guy is the I love it when a 413 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:45,040 Speaker 4: plan comes together guy. 414 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:48,600 Speaker 3: Yes, so yeah, our he's our space cowboy and he 415 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:53,480 Speaker 3: has he has top billings, so he's kind of it's 416 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:56,160 Speaker 3: it's kind of one of the many Han Solo esque 417 00:22:56,280 --> 00:22:59,960 Speaker 3: characters in this without being quite as cool as Han Solo. 418 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,760 Speaker 4: Not even close. This movie has several Han Solos. This 419 00:23:02,840 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 4: guy is I think they think that he works as 420 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:10,920 Speaker 4: Han Solo because he's a scoundrel. But just scoundrelness does 421 00:23:11,000 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 4: does not a Han Solo make. You got to have 422 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:13,720 Speaker 4: that charm as well. 423 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:16,680 Speaker 3: Well, we have another shot at pulling off that charm 424 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 3: because the next actor of note here, who also I 425 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 3: think was paid pretty heavily compared to the rest of 426 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 3: the cast, is Robert Vaughn playing Gelt. Everyone I think 427 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:31,440 Speaker 3: has seen Robert Vaughan in something Oh yeah, he lived 428 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 3: nineteen thirty two through twenty sixteen, and in this he 429 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:39,639 Speaker 3: plays an emotionless assassin with a thousand enemies, which is 430 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 3: essentially this is basically the same role he played in 431 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 3: The Magnificent Seven. 432 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 4: Right, Yes, so he's in the Magnificent Seven. Is one 433 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:48,400 Speaker 4: of the mercenaries, and I would say that he even 434 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 4: kind of dresses in this movie like his character in 435 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 4: Magnificent seven. 436 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, Yeah, he's a fun character in this film. Unlike Cowboy, 437 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:59,200 Speaker 3: who's just kind of a one note gag that hangs 438 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:03,080 Speaker 3: out a little bit too long. Gelt feels, you know, authentic. 439 00:24:03,119 --> 00:24:05,399 Speaker 3: I buy into the idea that here's this guy that 440 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:08,359 Speaker 3: has that is totally emotionless, but also he has this 441 00:24:08,440 --> 00:24:11,320 Speaker 3: loneliness to him, like he's all he's done is earned 442 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:15,840 Speaker 3: himself riches and enemies, and now he has like maybe 443 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:18,639 Speaker 3: one shot at doing something good with his life. I 444 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 3: can buy into all this. 445 00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 4: I will say Vaughan actually makes a couple of interesting 446 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:26,120 Speaker 4: acting choices, if you can believe me saying that about 447 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 4: this movie. Maybe maybe we'll get to those during the 448 00:24:29,560 --> 00:24:32,639 Speaker 4: plot section, but yeah, he's doing something with it. 449 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:36,240 Speaker 3: So, like I say, if you watched films or TV, 450 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:39,440 Speaker 3: you've seen Robert Vaughan in something. He's probably most notable 451 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 3: for his roles in nineteen sixties The Magnificent Seven, of course, 452 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 3: nineteen sixty eight's Bullet starring Steve McQueen, who was also 453 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:51,439 Speaker 3: in the Magnificent Seven, seventy fours, The Towering Inferno, and 454 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:55,119 Speaker 3: nineteen eighty three Superman three. So he always had a 455 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 3: great screen presence, you know, he was, you know, a 456 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 3: bit smooth, a bit menacing, and this I think allowed 457 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 3: him to play a wide variety of villains and authority figures. So, 458 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:08,440 Speaker 3: for instance, you'll find him as the voice of the 459 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:12,960 Speaker 3: Proteus four in nineteen seventy seven's Demon Seed, but you'll 460 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 3: also find him in the nineteen seventy Chuck Heston Julius 461 00:25:16,359 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 3: Caesar film. You'll also see him pop up in things 462 00:25:19,560 --> 00:25:23,920 Speaker 3: like Joe Diamato's Zombie five or the movie Pootie Tang. 463 00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,879 Speaker 3: On TV, He's done everything from Coronation Street to The 464 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:31,679 Speaker 3: A Team. He played a vampire in Jim Warnarski's nineteen 465 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:35,920 Speaker 3: eighty nine film Transylvania Twist. And of course he's also 466 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:37,879 Speaker 3: America's favorite lawyer. 467 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:40,639 Speaker 4: Oh man, this is what I've been waiting to get to, 468 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:44,119 Speaker 4: So if you're not familiar. Later in his career, Robert 469 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 4: Vaughan the actor had an extensive run as a quote 470 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:52,520 Speaker 4: spokesman in personal injury lawyer commercials. I think, with the 471 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:56,760 Speaker 4: implicit intention of tricking people into thinking that this classy 472 00:25:56,840 --> 00:26:00,600 Speaker 4: yet tough looking attack dog was one of the lawyers 473 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 4: who worked at the firm being advertised. I remember years 474 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 4: ago we had some kind of had something on our fridge. 475 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:08,399 Speaker 4: It was either a magnet or a cutout of a 476 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:11,639 Speaker 4: magazine ad or something, but it was for a local 477 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:14,200 Speaker 4: law firm and it had a picture of this guy 478 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:16,800 Speaker 4: of Robert Vaughan, and then down at the bottom and 479 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:20,920 Speaker 4: find print it said Robert Vaughan spokesman. And you know, 480 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:23,800 Speaker 4: I think in this picture he was jacket off, wearing 481 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 4: suspenders and to tie, so a real ready to tussle. Look, 482 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 4: I think they're going for a feeling of that. This 483 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:33,760 Speaker 4: guy makes claims. Adjusters just wet their pants like they 484 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:36,439 Speaker 4: are terrified of him. And if you look it up 485 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 4: on YouTube, you can find tons of Robert Vaughan lawyer commercials. 486 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:47,880 Speaker 6: Millions of dollars. That's knowledge, that's experience, that's success. You've 487 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 6: got one opportunity for justice. Why except less put the 488 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 6: law firm with a proven track record to work for you. 489 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:00,000 Speaker 4: And I would say, I want, I want to pause 490 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 4: that Robert Vaughan's success as a spokesman in lawyer commercials 491 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 4: is almost perfectly aligned with the quality that got him 492 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:12,240 Speaker 4: cast at least two times as a mercenary who is 493 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 4: hired to defend a bunch of farmers. From an evil 494 00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:18,479 Speaker 4: bandit king in the Western End in the Space Opera, 495 00:27:18,880 --> 00:27:23,480 Speaker 4: because he just seems like the tough, cutthroat sob that 496 00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:26,719 Speaker 4: in an alternate timeline might be working for the bandit 497 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 4: king or for the insurance company. But you just happen 498 00:27:30,560 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 4: to have been lucky enough to get him on your side, 499 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:34,960 Speaker 4: and now he fights for you. 500 00:27:37,480 --> 00:27:40,119 Speaker 3: Yeah. I memory serves they used to show one of 501 00:27:40,160 --> 00:27:43,479 Speaker 3: these in the Atlanta area, some firm or another, and 502 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:46,359 Speaker 3: maybe they still do. I don't know, it's possible that 503 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,080 Speaker 3: these I mean, just because he's dead doesn't mean he 504 00:27:49,119 --> 00:27:51,320 Speaker 3: can't be the spokesman for a. 505 00:27:51,320 --> 00:27:53,600 Speaker 4: Law firm, right, right, Sure, I. 506 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:54,440 Speaker 1: Mean I'm assuming. 507 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:59,439 Speaker 4: I'm assuming Robert Vaughan had all these interesting characteristics that 508 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:01,800 Speaker 4: I didn't even know about until I started reading up 509 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:04,560 Speaker 4: on him for this episode. Like, at some point he 510 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:08,280 Speaker 4: was interested in politics, and I imagine probably the same 511 00:28:08,359 --> 00:28:11,480 Speaker 4: quality that makes him appealing as a lawyer commercial spokesman 512 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:15,879 Speaker 4: probably would have made him a successful political candidate. I 513 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:19,840 Speaker 4: found even an old episode of firing Line where he's 514 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:23,080 Speaker 4: like arguing with William F. Buckley, He's arguing against the 515 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:28,200 Speaker 4: Vietnam War. So he's a strange and complex figure. 516 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I mean I mentioned Coronation Street earlier, that, 517 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:34,360 Speaker 3: of course, is a long running British TV series. It's 518 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:36,600 Speaker 3: interesting to see that he's a guy that I guess 519 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 3: worked predominantly in the United States, but then you'll see 520 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 3: him pop up in not just European or British films, 521 00:28:42,520 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 3: but like British TV series for periods of time, so 522 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:47,360 Speaker 3: he certainly worked a lot. 523 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:50,000 Speaker 4: Another thing I want to point out about his lawyer 524 00:28:50,080 --> 00:28:53,120 Speaker 4: spokesman persona. So I said the image. I remember he's 525 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 4: wearing suspenders, and I think I'm right about that. But 526 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 4: if you look up these commercials today, in almost all 527 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 4: of them, he's wearing a vest. And I think his 528 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,760 Speaker 4: character wears a vest in The Magnificent Seven, just like 529 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 4: Han Solo wears a vest. So I don't know there's 530 00:29:10,040 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 4: something going on here. There's a through line from Han 531 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,360 Speaker 4: Solo to this guy who's gonna fight for you and 532 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 4: against the against the greedy insurance companies. 533 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:24,120 Speaker 3: All right, well, let's get to our actual central character here, 534 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:28,160 Speaker 3: our Luke Skywalker, if you will. It's a character named Shad, 535 00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 3: and Shad is played by Richard Thomas born nineteen fifty one. YEP, 536 00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,800 Speaker 3: this is this is John Boy from The Waltins. This 537 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:39,080 Speaker 3: is the grown up Bill Denbro from the nineteen ninety 538 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 3: TV adaptation of the It. 539 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:44,200 Speaker 4: This is good casting because young Richard Thomas does kind 540 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 4: of have that naive, likable farm boy charm like Mark Hamill. 541 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:54,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, there's there's also in general, there's often a sweaty 542 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:57,080 Speaker 3: intensity to Richard Thomas that I tend to like in 543 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:00,680 Speaker 3: a performance. Yeah, and you see it in this film too. 544 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 3: He's good at that, uh, that sort of you can 545 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 3: see the gears moving in a performance. And I feel 546 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 3: like even in this film, a film that does not 547 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 3: demand any kind of, uh, you know, an earnest performance 548 00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:15,200 Speaker 3: from its various players, I felt felt like Richard. 549 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 1: Thomas was able to bring it. Yeah. 550 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,479 Speaker 3: Yeah, Now more I guess a lot of viewers out 551 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 3: there might know him better from some recent television series 552 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:24,240 Speaker 3: is that he was a series that he was a 553 00:30:24,240 --> 00:30:26,880 Speaker 3: part of. He was was on Ozark, he was on 554 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:31,600 Speaker 3: The Americans, and uh. The anthology round up for Thomas 555 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:34,040 Speaker 3: is actually kind of fun for me because he was 556 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:36,479 Speaker 3: in a Tales from the Crypt episode, a pretty good one, 557 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 3: as I recall, titled Mute Witness to Murder, in which 558 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 3: he plays a demented psychologist with slick back hair. 559 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, the type. 560 00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:47,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, oh he was. He was a fun villain in that, 561 00:30:47,840 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 3: Like memory serves, he's killing somebody in in his own 562 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:58,360 Speaker 3: apartment and somebody across the street in another apartment building, 563 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 3: rear windows, the whole situation. But then she's show so 564 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:04,680 Speaker 3: shocked by the murder that she goes mute, and then 565 00:31:04,800 --> 00:31:08,520 Speaker 3: she winds up in an asylum situation. Who is her doctor, 566 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:12,520 Speaker 3: But it's the murderer. It's it's uh, it's Richard Thomas. 567 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 3: And so anyway, typical tales from the cryptionnanigans ensue. But 568 00:31:17,960 --> 00:31:20,160 Speaker 3: he was also in an episode of the nineties Outer 569 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 3: Limits titled The New Breed. This was about mutation inducing 570 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 3: nanobots and it had some some pretty nasty horror elements 571 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:30,880 Speaker 3: in it. And in that Richard Thomas plays a mad scientist. 572 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:34,080 Speaker 4: Oh wow, against type again. So I kind of like 573 00:31:34,160 --> 00:31:38,080 Speaker 4: that move though, of taking somebody who seems very good 574 00:31:38,160 --> 00:31:40,800 Speaker 4: hearted and innocent in casting them as a villain, Like 575 00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 4: I think Ron Howard should have played villains more when 576 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:45,720 Speaker 4: he was, you know, in his forties fifties. 577 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:50,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, all right, speaking of villains, though, our main 578 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:55,720 Speaker 3: villain in this is is this this Sador Sador? Yeah? 579 00:31:55,840 --> 00:31:57,800 Speaker 4: Sador Sador? What does that rhyme with? 580 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:04,400 Speaker 3: They's like Vador but with something sadistic added to it. 581 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 3: A sadistic Vader is a Sador. 582 00:32:06,600 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 4: What if Darth Vader was sadistic or. 583 00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:12,600 Speaker 3: If Vader was with saidor I don't know, but anyway, 584 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:15,560 Speaker 3: played by John Saxon, the Great John Saxon, who lived 585 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 3: nineteen thirty six through twenty twenty. So bust out your 586 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:22,120 Speaker 3: John Saxon punch card, because we've got more Saxon action 587 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 3: for you in this film. I'll refer you back to 588 00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:28,080 Speaker 3: our episode on Cannibal Apocalypse from more of a breakdown 589 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,640 Speaker 3: on Saxon himself and his work, but suffice to say 590 00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:34,440 Speaker 3: he plays an evil warlord and master of mutants in 591 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 3: this film. And oh, he's got some wonderful lines, lines 592 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:41,760 Speaker 3: that I'd heard in a mix before actually off the 593 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 3: album Si Fu by wax Factor, But like there's one 594 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:47,840 Speaker 3: where he's saying, I possess a stellar converter, the most 595 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:51,640 Speaker 3: powerful weapon in the universe. And then another great line 596 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:54,080 Speaker 3: is Daco is expert at inflicting pain. 597 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 4: Now, what do you make of John Saxon's accent? In 598 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 4: this movie. He's not speaking with his natural voice, but 599 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 4: he's also not really affecting the accent of like any 600 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:09,240 Speaker 4: other region or country. I would. It's not a British accent, 601 00:33:09,320 --> 00:33:12,880 Speaker 4: but it's like he adopts a formal accent. Do you 602 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:13,440 Speaker 4: know what I mean? 603 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:17,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, he's it's it's like a formal American villain. 604 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:18,240 Speaker 1: I guess. I don't know. 605 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:22,760 Speaker 4: Another thing, Saxon clearly was not able to convince them 606 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 4: to give him a shirtless scene in this movie. I 607 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 4: don't think he had one. 608 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:28,920 Speaker 3: No, no, he didn't, which which is is kind of 609 00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 3: a rarity for for the Saxon films we've been watching anyway, 610 00:33:34,000 --> 00:33:36,160 Speaker 3: And it is interesting that, yeah, he doesn't have a 611 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:38,959 Speaker 3: Darth Vader heilmet he Also, he has a little bit 612 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:41,360 Speaker 3: of makeup on his face, like some sort of a 613 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:44,600 Speaker 3: scar effect that's been added to over one of his eyes, 614 00:33:45,200 --> 00:33:48,160 Speaker 3: but he's not nearly as made up as his legion 615 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:52,600 Speaker 3: of mutant underlings, who all have very pronounced disfigurements and 616 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 3: like a cleft in their face. 617 00:33:54,920 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 1: Yeah. 618 00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:58,280 Speaker 4: So I was wondering, why does this movie not do 619 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 4: the thing that every other Star Wars knockoff does and 620 00:34:01,640 --> 00:34:05,080 Speaker 4: have a Darth Vader suit. And I don't know, but 621 00:34:05,120 --> 00:34:07,760 Speaker 4: if I had to guess, I would guess it's because 622 00:34:07,880 --> 00:34:10,480 Speaker 4: they had John Saxon in this role and they wanted 623 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:12,839 Speaker 4: to show his face on screen, or because Saxon wanted 624 00:34:12,840 --> 00:34:14,960 Speaker 4: to show his face on screen. You just you don't 625 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:17,360 Speaker 4: hide your Saxon under a helmet. That's ludicrous. 626 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:18,080 Speaker 1: Yeah. 627 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:21,200 Speaker 3: Plus, you know, thinking back to Cannibal Apocalypse, there are 628 00:34:21,239 --> 00:34:24,200 Speaker 3: some details about that movie where Saxon did put his 629 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:25,839 Speaker 3: foot down about certain things that. 630 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:28,040 Speaker 1: You know, he didn't want to do. He didn't think 631 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 1: we're the right choice for him. 632 00:34:29,239 --> 00:34:30,960 Speaker 3: So I don't know, I don't know the story, but 633 00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:34,279 Speaker 3: I can imagine a scenario in which Saxon's like, I 634 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:36,200 Speaker 3: just I don't want to wear that much makeup or 635 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:37,759 Speaker 3: I don't want to wear that helmet. Can you do 636 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:40,960 Speaker 3: something else that works? And maybe they found that middle ground. 637 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:43,319 Speaker 3: And ultimately, yeah, if you're paying for John Saxon, put 638 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:44,000 Speaker 3: him on the screen. 639 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:47,160 Speaker 4: I know how Corman budgets work. You wouldn't put you 640 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:49,439 Speaker 4: wouldn't have John Saxon in a role where you gotta 641 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:51,759 Speaker 4: have a helmet on him. You just get you know, 642 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:54,440 Speaker 4: some pa to do that. Then maybe you'd cast a 643 00:34:54,520 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 4: voice actor. 644 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:58,520 Speaker 3: All right, Well, more on Saxon's performance here in a bit. 645 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:03,040 Speaker 3: But moving on to other characters, we have Darlene Flugel 646 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:07,760 Speaker 3: playing Nanelia. This is the central love interest for Shad. 647 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 3: Flugel lived nineteen fifty three through twenty seventeen, and she 648 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:14,640 Speaker 3: was in some major films of the nineteen eighties, including 649 00:35:14,719 --> 00:35:17,399 Speaker 3: To Live and Die in La, Once Upon a Time 650 00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:20,920 Speaker 3: in America, Running Scared. Later in her career, she also 651 00:35:21,000 --> 00:35:25,320 Speaker 3: appeared in pet Cemetery two, Scanner Cop, and Dark Man three. 652 00:35:25,760 --> 00:35:27,439 Speaker 4: Wow we got a scanner cop in here. 653 00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:31,520 Speaker 3: Yeah. Her first film was nineteen seventy eight's Eyes of 654 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:35,000 Speaker 3: Laura Mars, which I've been tempted to check out. I've 655 00:35:35,040 --> 00:35:37,080 Speaker 3: not seen it, but it has a number of wonderful 656 00:35:37,080 --> 00:35:40,520 Speaker 3: connections in it, and John Carpenter has a screenplay. 657 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:40,640 Speaker 1: Credit on it. 658 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:41,960 Speaker 4: Oh I didn't know that. 659 00:35:42,360 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, Okay, move over because the next character is what 660 00:35:46,800 --> 00:35:48,359 Speaker 3: is a Saint Saint X mean? 661 00:35:48,840 --> 00:35:55,239 Speaker 4: Saint x Mean played by Sybil Danning? Wow Wow wow? 662 00:35:55,719 --> 00:35:55,959 Speaker 1: Yeah. 663 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:58,600 Speaker 3: This born nineteen fifty two. This, of course is the 664 00:35:58,640 --> 00:36:02,800 Speaker 3: Austrian born b Move Queen Civil Danning who we previously 665 00:36:02,800 --> 00:36:08,800 Speaker 3: talked about in Hercules she played Audrianna in that and boy, 666 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:14,120 Speaker 3: this is just an absolutely ridiculous performance and costume and character. 667 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:17,080 Speaker 4: This is one of the most ludicrous roles I have 668 00:36:17,200 --> 00:36:18,920 Speaker 4: ever seen in any movie. 669 00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 3: It is. It's just completely outrageous. Saturn Award winning, by 670 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:25,400 Speaker 3: the way, a Saturn Award winning performance. 671 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:28,440 Speaker 4: I didn't even know where to begin talking about this character. 672 00:36:29,000 --> 00:36:31,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, because even for a civil Danning role, this character 673 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:36,040 Speaker 3: is a lot and she you know, I'll credit discibil 674 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:39,520 Speaker 3: to Sibil Danning for committing to the character because oh yeah, 675 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:42,360 Speaker 3: they managed to squeeze her into some of the silliest 676 00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:47,000 Speaker 3: costumes in the whole film. And then she's so her 677 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:49,200 Speaker 3: character is to back up a little bit, her her 678 00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:56,560 Speaker 3: character is basically an amorous space Amazonian warrior valkyrie type character. 679 00:36:56,680 --> 00:37:01,160 Speaker 3: You know, like all those tropes just mashed together. She's 680 00:37:01,360 --> 00:37:05,160 Speaker 3: often dressed in this kind of space valkyrie costume that 681 00:37:05,200 --> 00:37:07,440 Speaker 3: looks like it's made out of dried silly string. 682 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:11,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's kind of a like it's a skeletal bone 683 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:18,520 Speaker 4: corset with like with like grimlin ear headwear. It is 684 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:19,240 Speaker 4: so weird. 685 00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:24,319 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's it's completely ridiculous. And then she's a she's 686 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:27,600 Speaker 3: a hot shot space pilot, and so you have all 687 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:30,600 Speaker 3: these scenes where she's piloting the cockpit, but they have 688 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:33,560 Speaker 3: her in this cockpit environment that makes it look like 689 00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:36,640 Speaker 3: she's getting a dental exam, like shooting there from this 690 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:40,880 Speaker 3: really unflattering angle, and an unflattering angle for just any 691 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 3: member of the human species. 692 00:37:42,600 --> 00:37:45,000 Speaker 4: So it's nothing the up the nose angle. 693 00:37:45,239 --> 00:37:47,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, so this like this does not I can't I 694 00:37:47,719 --> 00:37:50,280 Speaker 3: can't imagine how anyone thought this was a great shot 695 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:54,239 Speaker 3: and needed to be used in the film. But here 696 00:37:54,280 --> 00:37:57,040 Speaker 3: she is, and when she's not piloting that spaceship, she's 697 00:37:57,080 --> 00:37:59,960 Speaker 3: coming on to shad in some of the cringiest moments. 698 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:01,120 Speaker 3: It's in the entire film. 699 00:38:01,320 --> 00:38:04,320 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, nothing like a like a double entendrous sex 700 00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:07,799 Speaker 4: joke that's based on machinery metaphor that goes on for 701 00:38:07,840 --> 00:38:11,240 Speaker 4: like seventy seconds. It's unbearable. 702 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:15,839 Speaker 3: Yeah, all right. The next human of note in this 703 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:19,399 Speaker 3: is a Sam Joffey playing doctor Hephestus. 704 00:38:20,600 --> 00:38:24,640 Speaker 4: Wow. I mean we're going from weirdest to almost on 705 00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:25,680 Speaker 4: par weirdness. 706 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:28,200 Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, this one I think is a close second 707 00:38:28,280 --> 00:38:32,200 Speaker 3: to Saint x Men in terms of just ludicrous screen presence. 708 00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:33,960 Speaker 3: I don't even know how much we want to get 709 00:38:33,960 --> 00:38:37,520 Speaker 3: into this. But basically, he's an android scientist who has 710 00:38:37,880 --> 00:38:41,040 Speaker 3: done some silly things to his own body. And oh, 711 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:45,040 Speaker 3: it's just so I don't want to say it's embarrassing, 712 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:49,960 Speaker 3: but it's just so silly. It's just laughing Ucy. 713 00:38:50,280 --> 00:38:51,960 Speaker 4: Well, I want to be clear. You said he's an 714 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:56,040 Speaker 4: android scientist, so he makes androids, but he is originally human. 715 00:38:56,640 --> 00:39:02,040 Speaker 4: He has become essentially when we eat him, he is 716 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:05,040 Speaker 4: a head, a human head on top of a cabinet 717 00:39:05,120 --> 00:39:07,160 Speaker 4: full of synthetic organs. 718 00:39:07,280 --> 00:39:10,960 Speaker 3: Right, and the cabinet opens in a way that feels 719 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:14,120 Speaker 3: kind of dirty, like he's a flasher and a trench coat. 720 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:18,520 Speaker 3: But I want to stress too, the cabinet is really 721 00:39:18,560 --> 00:39:21,400 Speaker 3: well designed as well. So it's one of these moments 722 00:39:21,400 --> 00:39:24,560 Speaker 3: where on one level, yes, this looks really good, this 723 00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:26,320 Speaker 3: is a great shot, and this is a great prop 724 00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:29,720 Speaker 3: you created for Sam jaffe here, but on the other hand, 725 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:34,879 Speaker 3: just looks completely ridiculous, and he's just giving this kind 726 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:39,120 Speaker 3: of like smiling, super happy Grandma Grandpa performance as well. 727 00:39:40,120 --> 00:39:42,239 Speaker 3: It's a weird one to process. 728 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:45,319 Speaker 4: Yeah, but I would say, exactly like Sybil Danning, I 729 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:48,359 Speaker 4: give Sam Jaffee credit here for committing. Both of these 730 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:53,120 Speaker 4: people were given absolutely unbelievably weird stuff to do and 731 00:39:53,160 --> 00:39:54,160 Speaker 4: they just go all in. 732 00:39:54,760 --> 00:39:55,800 Speaker 1: Yeah. 733 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:58,799 Speaker 3: Sam Jeffey lived eighteen ninety one through nineteen eighty four, 734 00:39:59,239 --> 00:40:02,320 Speaker 3: actor of state and screen, best known for The Asphalt Jungle, 735 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:05,759 Speaker 3: The Day the Earth Stood Still, bed Knobs and broomsticks 736 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:07,120 Speaker 3: and Ben her. 737 00:40:07,440 --> 00:40:10,040 Speaker 4: I want to highlight what you just said, which is 738 00:40:10,040 --> 00:40:12,479 Speaker 4: that this is an actor born in eighteen ninety one, 739 00:40:12,960 --> 00:40:16,680 Speaker 4: a product of the nineteenth century, who, in this Star 740 00:40:16,719 --> 00:40:20,360 Speaker 4: Wars ripoff, plays ahead on a cabinet full of organs yep, 741 00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:25,239 Speaker 4: who wants to imprison a young Luke Skywalker clone in 742 00:40:25,360 --> 00:40:27,480 Speaker 4: order to produce grandchildren for him. 743 00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:33,279 Speaker 3: Yes, all right, the next actor of note this. This 744 00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:36,279 Speaker 3: is a more of a I guess a small role, 745 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:39,640 Speaker 3: but it's worth noting because so you have these nesters 746 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:42,560 Speaker 3: Nest Tour. It's kind of like it sounds like it 747 00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:44,440 Speaker 3: should be a brand of like cheap coffee that you 748 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:48,120 Speaker 3: encounter in a hotel, but no, these are like four 749 00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:53,000 Speaker 3: pale white aliens that all like, think and speak and 750 00:40:53,080 --> 00:40:56,359 Speaker 3: taste in unison. And so it's yeah, yeah, so it's 751 00:40:56,360 --> 00:40:59,120 Speaker 3: four different actors, you know, dawled up the same way. 752 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:02,719 Speaker 3: One of them is played by Earl Bowen, who was 753 00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:06,640 Speaker 3: born in nineteen forty five and is probably best known 754 00:41:06,640 --> 00:41:09,880 Speaker 3: to everyone out there as a Silberman Doctor Silberman. In 755 00:41:09,920 --> 00:41:11,360 Speaker 3: the Terminator films. 756 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:15,360 Speaker 4: He's the crooked psychiatrist who keeps Sarah Connor in the institution. 757 00:41:15,920 --> 00:41:16,840 Speaker 1: Yeah. 758 00:41:16,840 --> 00:41:19,160 Speaker 3: He was also in The Man with Two Brains, and 759 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:21,480 Speaker 3: he's done a lot of voice work. He also appears 760 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:23,880 Speaker 3: in the Dead Right episode of Tales from the Crypt, 761 00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:26,320 Speaker 3: which starred Demi Moore and Jeffrey Tamber. 762 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:29,280 Speaker 4: I wonder if this is where he met James Cameron 763 00:41:29,440 --> 00:41:31,360 Speaker 4: and how he ended up in the Terminator movies. 764 00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:34,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it seems I would bet that is the 765 00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:40,680 Speaker 3: case because so speaking of the James Cameron acting ensemble, 766 00:41:40,719 --> 00:41:44,920 Speaker 3: Bill Paxton allegedly did carpentry work on this film. Oh okay, 767 00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:46,960 Speaker 3: so I guess you know. He's like, hey, you you're 768 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:47,799 Speaker 3: in how about you? 769 00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:48,160 Speaker 1: All right? 770 00:41:48,360 --> 00:41:50,800 Speaker 3: Put down that put down that hammer. You're going to 771 00:41:50,880 --> 00:41:53,920 Speaker 3: be in a film of mine. Can you grow a mohawk? 772 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:56,280 Speaker 3: He did have a mohawk and Terminator right. 773 00:41:56,200 --> 00:41:59,279 Speaker 4: Oh yeah he did, Yeah, but didn't he wasn't. There 774 00:41:59,280 --> 00:42:04,200 Speaker 4: also a story about how Harrison Ford was originally working 775 00:42:04,239 --> 00:42:07,200 Speaker 4: as a carpenter on set for Star Wars before he 776 00:42:07,280 --> 00:42:08,480 Speaker 4: was cast. Am I wrong about that? 777 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:09,400 Speaker 6: No? 778 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:12,520 Speaker 4: No, oh, Seth just set us straight. I think he 779 00:42:12,560 --> 00:42:15,959 Speaker 4: was in American Graffiti with Lucas before Star Wars, which, 780 00:42:16,239 --> 00:42:18,759 Speaker 4: but being a carpenter had something to do I think 781 00:42:18,760 --> 00:42:19,959 Speaker 4: with getting him in there. 782 00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:20,759 Speaker 1: All right. 783 00:42:21,040 --> 00:42:25,120 Speaker 3: Another credit of note here, Kathy Griffin plays an uncredited 784 00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:28,000 Speaker 3: alien extra in this So yeah, this is the first 785 00:42:28,040 --> 00:42:31,200 Speaker 3: screen appearance of actor and comedian Kathy Griffin. Blink and 786 00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:34,040 Speaker 3: you'll miss it, and you'll miss it unless you're actively 787 00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:36,439 Speaker 3: looking for it. But yes, she is in there. Born 788 00:42:36,520 --> 00:42:39,240 Speaker 3: nineteen sixty. She's an uncredited alien. 789 00:42:39,600 --> 00:42:40,600 Speaker 4: I did not catch her. 790 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:43,840 Speaker 3: Yeah, she's part of She's on Shad's home planet. So 791 00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:46,280 Speaker 3: she's multively early in the film, and I don't think 792 00:42:46,520 --> 00:42:48,759 Speaker 3: you see her in the background anymore after that. 793 00:42:49,160 --> 00:42:51,640 Speaker 4: Okay, So she's walking around, she's hanging out with the 794 00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:55,600 Speaker 4: guys who look like they're in Leonard skinnerd Yeah. Yeah, okay. 795 00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:57,880 Speaker 3: Oh, now it's time to talk about the music on 796 00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:01,120 Speaker 3: this one, because the score for this film by James Horner. 797 00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:05,480 Speaker 4: Oh wow, Okay, I believe this would be yet another 798 00:43:05,600 --> 00:43:07,160 Speaker 4: James Cameron connection, right. 799 00:43:07,360 --> 00:43:11,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, Yeah. James Horner lived nineteen fifty three through twenty fifteen. 800 00:43:11,920 --> 00:43:15,120 Speaker 3: This was one of the first scores that he composed. 801 00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:18,040 Speaker 3: He would go on to score a number I mean 802 00:43:18,320 --> 00:43:23,080 Speaker 3: so many classic scores films such as James Cameron's Aliens, 803 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:27,200 Speaker 3: Star Trek, to the Wrath of Kahn, Willow, Field of Dreams, 804 00:43:27,719 --> 00:43:32,799 Speaker 3: Apollo thirteen, Titanic, A Beautiful Mind, and Avatar. And when 805 00:43:32,800 --> 00:43:34,760 Speaker 3: I think of Horner, I have to say I often 806 00:43:34,760 --> 00:43:38,920 Speaker 3: think of that great tension building bit from the Aliens score. 807 00:43:39,160 --> 00:43:41,239 Speaker 3: I think of various blockbusters like some of the ones 808 00:43:41,280 --> 00:43:44,120 Speaker 3: I mentioned. But you know, I have to say the 809 00:43:44,160 --> 00:43:46,680 Speaker 3: score that he did for the nineteen eighty six adaptation 810 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:48,600 Speaker 3: of the Name of the Rose, I think is really 811 00:43:48,680 --> 00:43:53,400 Speaker 3: quite excellent. It's a superb mix of choral, electronic and 812 00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:59,440 Speaker 3: orchestral themes that kind of come together in a perfect 813 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:01,759 Speaker 3: way for a film like this that is supposed to 814 00:44:01,840 --> 00:44:04,359 Speaker 3: be about, you know, monastery on sort of the edge 815 00:44:04,360 --> 00:44:09,479 Speaker 3: of the world. Now this is kind of interesting as well. 816 00:44:09,680 --> 00:44:13,719 Speaker 3: Horner's last film score was a twenty sixteen remake of 817 00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:14,880 Speaker 3: The Magnificent Seven. 818 00:44:15,120 --> 00:44:15,600 Speaker 1: How about that? 819 00:44:16,280 --> 00:44:17,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, I never saw that. 820 00:44:18,360 --> 00:44:19,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. Oh. 821 00:44:19,200 --> 00:44:21,759 Speaker 3: And prior to Battley On the Stars. He also worked 822 00:44:21,800 --> 00:44:25,000 Speaker 3: on the scores for Humanoids from the Deep and Up 823 00:44:25,000 --> 00:44:28,200 Speaker 3: from the Depths, the Killer Sturgeon movie. 824 00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:28,600 Speaker 1: In the Philippines. 825 00:44:28,640 --> 00:44:32,359 Speaker 3: But I referenced earlier, and finally, like we've been pointing out, yes, 826 00:44:32,480 --> 00:44:36,160 Speaker 3: James Cameron has art, direction, and visual effects credits on 827 00:44:36,239 --> 00:44:40,000 Speaker 3: this film. Now, obviously he would go on to be 828 00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:45,440 Speaker 3: quite a big deal. But Cameron's big directorial writing break 829 00:44:45,560 --> 00:44:48,920 Speaker 3: wouldn't come till the following year after this film with 830 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:52,280 Speaker 3: Piranha two The Spawning and that was followed by nineteen 831 00:44:52,280 --> 00:44:54,040 Speaker 3: eighty four as the Terminator, And of course at that 832 00:44:54,040 --> 00:44:56,400 Speaker 3: point you're just off to the races. But at this 833 00:44:56,640 --> 00:45:00,920 Speaker 3: point he'd done a short film titled Ze Genesis, and 834 00:45:01,080 --> 00:45:04,480 Speaker 3: seventy eight he'd been a production designer on Galaxy of Terror, 835 00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:08,279 Speaker 3: which he also did second unit director duties on, and 836 00:45:08,360 --> 00:45:11,680 Speaker 3: the following year in eighty one, would see him serve 837 00:45:12,360 --> 00:45:17,520 Speaker 3: in a capacity for special visual effects and matt artwork 838 00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:19,600 Speaker 3: on John Carpenter's Escape from New York. 839 00:45:19,960 --> 00:45:22,080 Speaker 4: Hmm. Well, yeah, so there are a lot of stories 840 00:45:22,080 --> 00:45:25,360 Speaker 4: in the making of documentary about James Cameron's work behind 841 00:45:25,360 --> 00:45:29,279 Speaker 4: the scenes on this movie. He like, there are a 842 00:45:29,320 --> 00:45:31,480 Speaker 4: lot of just little details about him wanting to do 843 00:45:31,600 --> 00:45:35,000 Speaker 4: really ambitious things that some of which did end up 844 00:45:35,000 --> 00:45:37,279 Speaker 4: in the movie ended up looking amazing. But I think 845 00:45:37,320 --> 00:45:40,640 Speaker 4: we're sort of pressing up against the budget constraints that 846 00:45:40,719 --> 00:45:44,120 Speaker 4: this movie was operating on, and so like some of 847 00:45:44,160 --> 00:45:47,319 Speaker 4: the other production designers and visual effects people who worked 848 00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:49,279 Speaker 4: on the movie said, you know, we'd be working on 849 00:45:49,320 --> 00:45:51,479 Speaker 4: this and then somebody would come to us and say, hey, 850 00:45:52,200 --> 00:45:55,520 Speaker 4: you know, jim Is, he's got this idea and it's 851 00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:57,440 Speaker 4: going to cost a lot more than we expected, So 852 00:45:57,520 --> 00:46:00,319 Speaker 4: can you do what you're doing now much cheaper? And 853 00:46:00,360 --> 00:46:03,520 Speaker 4: so forth. But there was also a story one person 854 00:46:03,560 --> 00:46:07,600 Speaker 4: on there told about an argument that James Cameron got 855 00:46:07,640 --> 00:46:10,320 Speaker 4: into with the director. I think it was the director 856 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:12,640 Speaker 4: of photography on Battle Beyond the Stars, who was a 857 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:15,640 Speaker 4: unfortunately I forget his name at the moment, but he 858 00:46:15,680 --> 00:46:18,560 Speaker 4: was a French guy, and they were arguing about the 859 00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:23,120 Speaker 4: science of twinkling stars, because the DP was saying, okay, 860 00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:26,880 Speaker 4: from the spaceship's cockpit, we should have the stars twinkling, 861 00:46:27,200 --> 00:46:31,200 Speaker 4: and Cameron was like, no, because stars only twinkle because 862 00:46:31,239 --> 00:46:33,760 Speaker 4: of the atmosphere of a planet, and that is true, 863 00:46:33,920 --> 00:46:36,799 Speaker 4: like the reason of star twinkles has to do with 864 00:46:36,880 --> 00:46:41,120 Speaker 4: how the light from a point like source is affected 865 00:46:41,200 --> 00:46:44,279 Speaker 4: by you know, drafts and the gases of the atmosphere. 866 00:46:44,280 --> 00:46:45,880 Speaker 4: Before it reaches your eyes, it takes a kind of 867 00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:50,200 Speaker 4: wiggly zigzag pattern and that causes the twinkling. And according 868 00:46:50,239 --> 00:46:53,840 Speaker 4: to this interview, this ended with the the DP getting 869 00:46:53,880 --> 00:46:57,319 Speaker 4: up in Cameron's face and pulling his beard and saying like, 870 00:46:57,960 --> 00:47:00,319 Speaker 4: Monsieur Cameron, you are a brat. 871 00:47:02,760 --> 00:47:05,279 Speaker 3: So James Cameron easy to work with right from the 872 00:47:05,640 --> 00:47:06,280 Speaker 3: get gap. 873 00:47:06,200 --> 00:47:11,200 Speaker 4: Basically, but he was right, he was right about the story. Yeah, 874 00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:12,520 Speaker 4: each one is the setting sun. 875 00:47:21,600 --> 00:47:24,200 Speaker 3: All right, well, let's get into the Let's get properly 876 00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:26,160 Speaker 3: into the plot of this film and flesh out some 877 00:47:26,239 --> 00:47:30,120 Speaker 3: of these just weird choices and weird moments, then make 878 00:47:30,200 --> 00:47:30,879 Speaker 3: up the run time. 879 00:47:31,239 --> 00:47:33,120 Speaker 4: Okay, well, this is one of those where we're not 880 00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:34,759 Speaker 4: going to do every scene in the movie, but I 881 00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:38,239 Speaker 4: want to focus on some highlights and some themes. But 882 00:47:38,320 --> 00:47:41,200 Speaker 4: we will start with the beginning, because in a Star 883 00:47:41,200 --> 00:47:43,440 Speaker 4: Wars knockoff movie, what's your opening going to be? You 884 00:47:43,480 --> 00:47:45,239 Speaker 4: know exactly what it's gonna be. In fact, I think 885 00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:49,919 Speaker 4: almost all of these begin with a shot of a starfield, 886 00:47:50,160 --> 00:47:52,200 Speaker 4: and then what's it going to be? 887 00:47:52,400 --> 00:47:55,080 Speaker 1: What's it gonna be? Spaceship moving in. 888 00:47:55,280 --> 00:47:59,239 Speaker 4: Spaceship pans comes over the top of the camera, and 889 00:47:59,360 --> 00:48:01,800 Speaker 4: in this case, the first space ship we see, I 890 00:48:01,840 --> 00:48:05,879 Speaker 4: would say, is shaped pretty much like the Blockade Runner 891 00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:08,000 Speaker 4: we see at the beginning of Star Wars. You know, 892 00:48:08,040 --> 00:48:11,200 Speaker 4: it's the horizontal cylinder at the bow and then an 893 00:48:11,280 --> 00:48:13,560 Speaker 4: array of parallel rocket engines in the stern. 894 00:48:14,160 --> 00:48:16,919 Speaker 3: Right off the bat though, this ship looks really good, 895 00:48:17,000 --> 00:48:17,480 Speaker 3: I have to. 896 00:48:17,440 --> 00:48:21,720 Speaker 4: Say, yeah, yeah, I agree. And here though, the interesting 897 00:48:21,760 --> 00:48:24,240 Speaker 4: thing is that the allegiance of this ship is flipped 898 00:48:24,560 --> 00:48:27,680 Speaker 4: because in Star Wars that ship is the ship with 899 00:48:27,800 --> 00:48:30,719 Speaker 4: this shape is Princess Leah's corvette. It's being chased by 900 00:48:30,719 --> 00:48:34,480 Speaker 4: the Imperial Star Destroyer, and in this movie there's no 901 00:48:34,640 --> 00:48:37,320 Speaker 4: chase going on. The ship just is the Star Destroyer, 902 00:48:37,400 --> 00:48:39,480 Speaker 4: and it's also sort of the Death Star. It is 903 00:48:39,520 --> 00:48:43,600 Speaker 4: the flagship of the wicked and treacherous Melmory, who have 904 00:48:43,760 --> 00:48:45,960 Speaker 4: arrived in your star system to do evil. 905 00:48:46,480 --> 00:48:46,680 Speaker 1: Yeah. 906 00:48:47,160 --> 00:48:52,240 Speaker 3: Essentially, Space Warlords an army of of what failed mutants 907 00:48:52,320 --> 00:48:55,399 Speaker 3: kind of like messed up clones or something, and they 908 00:48:55,400 --> 00:48:57,240 Speaker 3: are led by John Saxon. 909 00:48:57,280 --> 00:49:00,640 Speaker 4: Right, and so they approach, They approach a plan and 910 00:49:00,680 --> 00:49:03,799 Speaker 4: we hear technicians on this evil capital ship discussing what 911 00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:06,680 Speaker 4: they see on the viewscreen. They say, this is a kir, 912 00:49:07,200 --> 00:49:10,720 Speaker 4: a planet of stone with a single green spot, life 913 00:49:10,719 --> 00:49:14,560 Speaker 4: forms compatible with ours, oxygen forms with radial symmetry. I 914 00:49:14,600 --> 00:49:18,279 Speaker 4: think they say radial symmetry. They have a solar technology, 915 00:49:18,400 --> 00:49:22,840 Speaker 4: no known defense capacity, and then I think somebody, John Saxon, 916 00:49:22,880 --> 00:49:26,799 Speaker 4: I think, says interesting, let's check that. And so oh no, 917 00:49:26,960 --> 00:49:29,560 Speaker 4: first thing, the star Destroyer just rolls up on this 918 00:49:29,680 --> 00:49:33,600 Speaker 4: kind of twittering weather satellite. It is crewed by a 919 00:49:33,600 --> 00:49:37,000 Speaker 4: couple of extremely polite boys from a gir and they're 920 00:49:37,080 --> 00:49:40,319 Speaker 4: staring down this doom ship and the minor chords are 921 00:49:40,360 --> 00:49:43,520 Speaker 4: swelling and they're like, hello there, welcome to our atmosphere. 922 00:49:44,560 --> 00:49:47,080 Speaker 4: This is the planet of here. Could you identify yourself please? 923 00:49:47,160 --> 00:49:51,759 Speaker 4: And then the ship just vaporizes. But I like how 924 00:49:52,719 --> 00:49:56,000 Speaker 4: the sort of sweet Midwestern corniness of the guys from 925 00:49:56,040 --> 00:50:00,520 Speaker 4: a GIR in this satellite is immediately contrasted by weird 926 00:50:00,680 --> 00:50:03,200 Speaker 4: imagery when we see what the planet surface looks like. 927 00:50:03,880 --> 00:50:08,440 Speaker 4: So we only get these brief glimpses, but what we 928 00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:13,440 Speaker 4: see is like that the infrastructure of the civilization on 929 00:50:13,480 --> 00:50:17,360 Speaker 4: this planet surface seems to be built out of flesh 930 00:50:17,400 --> 00:50:21,640 Speaker 4: trees that are also giant screaming skulls. So it's like 931 00:50:21,719 --> 00:50:25,800 Speaker 4: the Ewok village, but imagine the forest instead of wood, 932 00:50:26,200 --> 00:50:29,759 Speaker 4: is warped flesh and the bones of whatever species pac 933 00:50:29,880 --> 00:50:30,360 Speaker 4: Man is. 934 00:50:31,239 --> 00:50:34,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's really quite cool looking. It reminds me a 935 00:50:34,600 --> 00:50:37,960 Speaker 3: little bit of Salvador Dali. It reminds me a bit 936 00:50:38,040 --> 00:50:43,200 Speaker 3: of Fantastic Planet. Overall, it has a wonderful, like weird 937 00:50:43,239 --> 00:50:44,920 Speaker 3: seventies sci fi vibe to it. 938 00:50:45,400 --> 00:50:47,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, and I already mentioned this, but a lot of 939 00:50:47,440 --> 00:50:50,960 Speaker 4: the locals have a distinct classic rock vibe that the 940 00:50:51,080 --> 00:50:53,080 Speaker 4: dudes look like the Almond Brothers. 941 00:50:54,800 --> 00:50:56,839 Speaker 3: This is a film, you know, you look back at 942 00:50:56,840 --> 00:50:59,960 Speaker 3: Star Wars. Star Wars is a product of the nineteen seventies, 943 00:51:00,480 --> 00:51:02,800 Speaker 3: and yeah, if you look hard enough, you can see 944 00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:06,520 Speaker 3: the seventies in it, but not nearly as strongly as 945 00:51:06,560 --> 00:51:09,360 Speaker 3: the seventies often bleeds through into a picture like this. 946 00:51:09,520 --> 00:51:13,719 Speaker 3: And yeah, the seventies is strongly manifested even though this 947 00:51:13,800 --> 00:51:15,359 Speaker 3: is the early eighties, of course, but you know, we're 948 00:51:15,360 --> 00:51:17,960 Speaker 3: still very much a product in the late nineteen seventies. 949 00:51:18,880 --> 00:51:20,960 Speaker 3: The decade is strongly present in this film. 950 00:51:21,080 --> 00:51:25,160 Speaker 4: Oh it was the seventies until nineteen eighty four, that 951 00:51:25,280 --> 00:51:28,680 Speaker 4: is canon anyway. So the evil capital ship it slides 952 00:51:28,719 --> 00:51:31,000 Speaker 4: over the city, blots out the sun and they are 953 00:51:31,040 --> 00:51:34,840 Speaker 4: treated to a message. You see John Saxon's face projected 954 00:51:34,880 --> 00:51:38,319 Speaker 4: in the sky and he says, I am Sador of 955 00:51:38,360 --> 00:51:41,680 Speaker 4: the Malmory. I've come here with my forces to conquer you. 956 00:51:41,760 --> 00:51:44,840 Speaker 4: If you resist, I will crush you. I possess a 957 00:51:44,880 --> 00:51:48,640 Speaker 4: stellar converter, the most powerful weapon in the universe. In 958 00:51:48,719 --> 00:51:52,920 Speaker 4: the universe, how would he know that? Anyway? You cannot 959 00:51:53,040 --> 00:51:55,840 Speaker 4: resist me. I want your planet to be my colony. 960 00:51:56,000 --> 00:51:59,240 Speaker 4: Your harvest comes in seven risings of your red giant. 961 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:01,879 Speaker 4: I will reach turn, then you will accept me as 962 00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:04,799 Speaker 4: your master. If you do not submit, your planet and 963 00:52:04,960 --> 00:52:09,480 Speaker 4: all life on it will be burned to ash. And 964 00:52:09,520 --> 00:52:12,160 Speaker 4: I think this kind of opening would probably work better 965 00:52:12,320 --> 00:52:15,759 Speaker 4: if you were to see the least bit of the 966 00:52:15,800 --> 00:52:19,600 Speaker 4: flavor of everyday life before the evil space lord shows up. 967 00:52:19,680 --> 00:52:22,319 Speaker 4: Like this seems kind of clumsy plodding to me, because 968 00:52:22,360 --> 00:52:25,520 Speaker 4: here we get absolutely nothing. We meet the good guys 969 00:52:26,080 --> 00:52:29,280 Speaker 4: at the exact moment that they're being threatened with death. 970 00:52:29,320 --> 00:52:30,200 Speaker 4: By the Big Bad. 971 00:52:30,640 --> 00:52:30,879 Speaker 1: Yeah. 972 00:52:31,040 --> 00:52:33,440 Speaker 3: The other interesting thing is that you watching this film, 973 00:52:33,480 --> 00:52:35,920 Speaker 3: you would think okay, and then they surrender, right, I 974 00:52:35,920 --> 00:52:40,040 Speaker 3: mean they have no defense capabilities. The overlord just showed 975 00:52:40,120 --> 00:52:43,800 Speaker 3: up full force in their orbit. He has orbital superiority 976 00:52:43,880 --> 00:52:46,839 Speaker 3: over the planet. Like, that's it, the game's over. There's 977 00:52:46,960 --> 00:52:48,640 Speaker 3: there's what are you? What are you going to even 978 00:52:48,680 --> 00:52:49,160 Speaker 3: try to do? 979 00:52:49,520 --> 00:52:51,880 Speaker 4: Yeah? And then like just to be mean, he starts 980 00:52:51,880 --> 00:52:54,920 Speaker 4: like blasting them with lasers. Also, yeah, that are that 981 00:52:54,960 --> 00:52:57,279 Speaker 4: are manned by what he calls snipers. Who are these 982 00:52:57,400 --> 00:52:59,880 Speaker 4: the zombies that work for him? I guess they're they're mutants. 983 00:53:00,719 --> 00:53:02,839 Speaker 3: Yeah, They're a little vague on it, but I kind 984 00:53:02,840 --> 00:53:06,160 Speaker 3: of got the the sense that theyah the failed mutants. 985 00:53:06,200 --> 00:53:09,040 Speaker 3: But they're also kind of clones. I don't know if 986 00:53:09,040 --> 00:53:12,040 Speaker 3: they're supposed to be clones of John Saxon's character or not. 987 00:53:12,440 --> 00:53:15,319 Speaker 3: There is that similarity between like the red scar on 988 00:53:15,400 --> 00:53:15,920 Speaker 3: the face. 989 00:53:16,360 --> 00:53:17,840 Speaker 1: Yeah. 990 00:53:17,840 --> 00:53:23,120 Speaker 3: Overall, yeah, I would say that that Sador's character is 991 00:53:23,120 --> 00:53:26,080 Speaker 3: is weird and keeps you questioning what exactly his whole 992 00:53:26,080 --> 00:53:27,759 Speaker 3: deal is, which which I kind of liked. 993 00:53:27,800 --> 00:53:28,440 Speaker 1: I kind of like that. 994 00:53:28,719 --> 00:53:32,399 Speaker 4: Yeah, Yeah, I was kind of wondering if all of 995 00:53:32,440 --> 00:53:36,839 Speaker 4: the mutants on the ship are like clones of himself 996 00:53:36,960 --> 00:53:40,040 Speaker 4: that he created so he could harvest their organs, because 997 00:53:40,040 --> 00:53:42,760 Speaker 4: we see about him later that he's constantly getting parts 998 00:53:42,760 --> 00:53:44,000 Speaker 4: of his body replaced. 999 00:53:44,520 --> 00:53:48,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I think that's that's a very strong, strong theory. 1000 00:53:48,760 --> 00:53:48,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1001 00:53:49,080 --> 00:53:51,240 Speaker 3: It Ultimately he doesn't care where he gets those parts. 1002 00:53:51,280 --> 00:53:54,440 Speaker 3: He's like, that's a nice arm you got there, doctor, 1003 00:53:54,640 --> 00:53:55,200 Speaker 3: Strap it on. 1004 00:53:55,680 --> 00:53:55,919 Speaker 1: Right. 1005 00:53:57,080 --> 00:53:59,920 Speaker 4: So down on a kere, we're about to actually hear 1006 00:54:00,040 --> 00:54:01,680 Speaker 4: the locals talk to each other. Oh and just I 1007 00:54:01,719 --> 00:54:04,799 Speaker 4: wanted to flag one thing quickly. I suspect that this 1008 00:54:04,840 --> 00:54:07,319 Speaker 4: planet is called a kir and the people on it 1009 00:54:07,360 --> 00:54:11,600 Speaker 4: are called Akira because Vie is an adaptation of Seven 1010 00:54:11,640 --> 00:54:17,040 Speaker 4: Samurai via Magnificent Seven. Nice anyway, So we hear the 1011 00:54:17,200 --> 00:54:20,360 Speaker 4: Akira discussing their situation, and the very first thing we 1012 00:54:20,400 --> 00:54:23,960 Speaker 4: get is this whiny sounding guy making a passionate case 1013 00:54:24,000 --> 00:54:27,520 Speaker 4: that they should not defend themselves in any way. He says, 1014 00:54:27,560 --> 00:54:30,080 Speaker 4: so we live by the Varda. The varda is not 1015 00:54:30,280 --> 00:54:33,600 Speaker 4: to fight. And this is the first reference in the 1016 00:54:33,600 --> 00:54:36,720 Speaker 4: movie to the Varda, which will be brought up many, 1017 00:54:36,760 --> 00:54:39,319 Speaker 4: many more times. I think it's supposed to be the 1018 00:54:39,360 --> 00:54:42,600 Speaker 4: stand in for the force but I don't know if 1019 00:54:42,600 --> 00:54:45,799 Speaker 4: it quite works. It works differently than the Force. So 1020 00:54:46,600 --> 00:54:49,960 Speaker 4: the Varda seems to be some kind of formalized creed 1021 00:54:50,160 --> 00:54:52,839 Speaker 4: like it. You can quote the Varda. It is a 1022 00:54:52,880 --> 00:54:56,600 Speaker 4: set of dogmas, rules and proverbs, and our young hero 1023 00:54:56,719 --> 00:54:59,719 Speaker 4: frequently does quote from the Varda as if it were 1024 00:55:00,080 --> 00:55:02,480 Speaker 4: were like a book that is supposed to guide your life, 1025 00:55:02,920 --> 00:55:05,239 Speaker 4: whereas the Force is not like that, Like you can't 1026 00:55:05,280 --> 00:55:07,400 Speaker 4: quote the Force. So I would say the Force is 1027 00:55:07,440 --> 00:55:10,239 Speaker 4: more like the Tao or like the Holy Ghost. It 1028 00:55:10,360 --> 00:55:14,160 Speaker 4: is a substance and a being, a type of divine 1029 00:55:14,280 --> 00:55:16,880 Speaker 4: power or will permeating all things. 1030 00:55:17,440 --> 00:55:21,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, Varda. I guess they're kind of alluding to Veda here, so. 1031 00:55:22,000 --> 00:55:25,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, So I'm not sure if this incongruity between 1032 00:55:25,440 --> 00:55:27,600 Speaker 4: the Force and the Varda is like a deliberately a 1033 00:55:27,640 --> 00:55:32,080 Speaker 4: deliberate choice to do something different or if I don't know, 1034 00:55:32,320 --> 00:55:34,200 Speaker 4: but I don't know if it was a deliberate choice. 1035 00:55:34,239 --> 00:55:36,080 Speaker 4: I guess that's kind of interesting, But I'm not sure 1036 00:55:36,120 --> 00:55:37,840 Speaker 4: exactly what that cash is out to. 1037 00:55:38,280 --> 00:55:41,680 Speaker 3: But in any rate, a strong theological slash legal argument 1038 00:55:41,880 --> 00:55:45,280 Speaker 3: for simply surrendering to the Malmoury Empire. 1039 00:55:45,080 --> 00:55:47,040 Speaker 4: Right, He says the Varda is not to fight, and 1040 00:55:47,040 --> 00:55:50,200 Speaker 4: he says the Akira haven't fought for centuries. And then 1041 00:55:50,320 --> 00:55:55,600 Speaker 4: immediately we hear somebody offscreen bellowing, I have fought, and 1042 00:55:55,960 --> 00:55:59,360 Speaker 4: this bearded guy wanders and this is Z the Corsair 1043 00:55:59,480 --> 00:56:02,600 Speaker 4: and old man who is nearly blind, who used to 1044 00:56:02,640 --> 00:56:06,560 Speaker 4: fly a spaceship and has experience with war, and he 1045 00:56:06,719 --> 00:56:12,279 Speaker 4: cantankerously explains that the way to defeat violence is with violence. 1046 00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:15,799 Speaker 3: He's like, I fought once, it worked, Let's do that. 1047 00:56:16,440 --> 00:56:19,720 Speaker 4: Yes, he says that in order to fight creatures of violence, 1048 00:56:19,760 --> 00:56:24,160 Speaker 4: you must use creatures of violence, and everybody's just kind 1049 00:56:24,160 --> 00:56:27,080 Speaker 4: of like, oh, okay. So it's immediately decided that they 1050 00:56:27,120 --> 00:56:31,360 Speaker 4: need to hire mercenaries. And here's our seven samurai recruitment situation. 1051 00:56:32,160 --> 00:56:34,919 Speaker 4: So somebody's got to go recruit them, but who can 1052 00:56:34,960 --> 00:56:38,680 Speaker 4: do it well. Immediately, a young character played by Richard 1053 00:56:38,719 --> 00:56:43,400 Speaker 4: Thomas volunteers, and emotional music plays as if we know 1054 00:56:43,520 --> 00:56:47,080 Speaker 4: something about this character, but we don't, because this is 1055 00:56:47,120 --> 00:56:50,719 Speaker 4: the first time he's talked. And I think this is 1056 00:56:50,760 --> 00:56:52,879 Speaker 4: a good place to point out it probably hasn't been 1057 00:56:52,880 --> 00:56:55,680 Speaker 4: clear in our explanation so far, but to point out 1058 00:56:55,680 --> 00:56:59,400 Speaker 4: how fast everything is happening in this sequence, Like, you 1059 00:56:59,520 --> 00:57:02,839 Speaker 4: do not really have time for any of these developments 1060 00:57:02,880 --> 00:57:06,280 Speaker 4: to cause emotions or mean anything. It's just I'm sad 1061 00:57:06,400 --> 00:57:09,040 Speaker 4: or I will kill you. We cannot fight, We must 1062 00:57:09,120 --> 00:57:13,400 Speaker 4: hire mercenaries who can do it this guy and it's 1063 00:57:13,440 --> 00:57:15,799 Speaker 4: you know. Of course, I enjoyed this movie very much 1064 00:57:16,320 --> 00:57:18,439 Speaker 4: despite all this, But I think it's also a good 1065 00:57:18,440 --> 00:57:23,040 Speaker 4: opportunity to point out things that make good storytelling really work, 1066 00:57:23,160 --> 00:57:26,960 Speaker 4: like one thing Star Wars actually does quite well. By contrast, 1067 00:57:27,160 --> 00:57:30,840 Speaker 4: before Luke Skywalker is called to adventure, you get to 1068 00:57:30,880 --> 00:57:34,040 Speaker 4: see like the dreariness and the boredom of his life 1069 00:57:34,040 --> 00:57:36,320 Speaker 4: on the farm, and you see him staring at the suns. 1070 00:57:36,680 --> 00:57:41,520 Speaker 4: He's yearning for more. He's feeling that ineffable, almost irrational 1071 00:57:41,640 --> 00:57:45,720 Speaker 4: angst of frustrated youth, which makes it emotional and meaningful 1072 00:57:45,840 --> 00:57:49,480 Speaker 4: when his life is actually up ended and he has 1073 00:57:49,560 --> 00:57:51,720 Speaker 4: to go out and answer the pleas of the princess 1074 00:57:51,800 --> 00:57:55,160 Speaker 4: and you know, respond to the death of his guardians. Here, 1075 00:57:55,280 --> 00:57:58,040 Speaker 4: I think the first time the young hero speaks is 1076 00:57:58,080 --> 00:58:00,400 Speaker 4: when he's volunteering to go on a mission. You don't 1077 00:58:00,400 --> 00:58:01,240 Speaker 4: really get any of. 1078 00:58:01,120 --> 00:58:04,680 Speaker 3: That in this movie. The call to adventure is answered 1079 00:58:04,720 --> 00:58:07,800 Speaker 3: immediately yeah, which is kind of an interesting sharp contrast 1080 00:58:07,840 --> 00:58:10,840 Speaker 3: to Message from Space, in which the call to adventure 1081 00:58:11,040 --> 00:58:13,200 Speaker 3: seemed to take most of the film to roll out 1082 00:58:13,240 --> 00:58:16,160 Speaker 3: and then yeah was mulled over and finally accepted with 1083 00:58:16,280 --> 00:58:18,240 Speaker 3: like in the last ten minutes of the film. 1084 00:58:18,520 --> 00:58:21,480 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's sending out those magic nuts that fly over 1085 00:58:21,520 --> 00:58:22,480 Speaker 4: the galaxy. 1086 00:58:22,800 --> 00:58:23,040 Speaker 1: Yep. 1087 00:58:24,000 --> 00:58:27,400 Speaker 4: But when Richard Thomas volunteers, the whiny guy from the beginning, 1088 00:58:27,440 --> 00:58:31,640 Speaker 4: he says, you you're a boy, and he says, and 1089 00:58:31,760 --> 00:58:34,320 Speaker 4: Richard Thomas says, but the Varda teaches us that each 1090 00:58:34,440 --> 00:58:36,880 Speaker 4: form has its function. So I guess the point is, 1091 00:58:37,200 --> 00:58:39,120 Speaker 4: even when you're a boy, you can still go on 1092 00:58:39,200 --> 00:58:42,800 Speaker 4: an adventure. And so it basically has to be Shad 1093 00:58:42,800 --> 00:58:45,440 Speaker 4: who does this. That's the character's name because he's the 1094 00:58:45,480 --> 00:58:49,360 Speaker 4: only one who can fly Z's ship. Nell. Now Nell 1095 00:58:49,560 --> 00:58:52,040 Speaker 4: will be I would say, one of the other main 1096 00:58:52,240 --> 00:58:55,800 Speaker 4: characters of the movie. Nell is a talking spaceship that 1097 00:58:55,840 --> 00:58:58,160 Speaker 4: I would say looks like a cross between a flayed 1098 00:58:58,240 --> 00:59:00,560 Speaker 4: horse and a bosomy hammer shark. 1099 00:59:02,600 --> 00:59:06,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it it's It's an impressive ship design reminds 1100 00:59:06,640 --> 00:59:10,360 Speaker 3: me of of a particular World War two like Super 1101 00:59:10,400 --> 00:59:13,919 Speaker 3: glider that the Germans used. I wouldn't be surprised if 1102 00:59:14,320 --> 00:59:15,680 Speaker 3: I don't know if there was a model kit of 1103 00:59:15,720 --> 00:59:17,160 Speaker 3: that at the time, but I wonder if that was 1104 00:59:17,200 --> 00:59:21,160 Speaker 3: potential but possibly adapted into this model for this spaceship. 1105 00:59:21,240 --> 00:59:25,760 Speaker 3: But yeah, the ship has character. It's uh, it's pretty 1106 00:59:25,760 --> 00:59:28,160 Speaker 3: cool looking. I like the coloration of it. It has 1107 00:59:28,200 --> 00:59:30,520 Speaker 3: this kind of a what is like a deep rusty 1108 00:59:30,960 --> 00:59:34,160 Speaker 3: kind of brown slash crimsony color. 1109 00:59:34,440 --> 00:59:36,400 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I'd say that's right, and it clearly has 1110 00:59:36,520 --> 00:59:40,040 Speaker 4: it has biomechanical design, like it doesn't look like sharp 1111 00:59:40,120 --> 00:59:43,000 Speaker 4: angles and metal like a lot of the other spaceships do. 1112 00:59:43,040 --> 00:59:46,640 Speaker 4: This looks like a like a naked body with a 1113 00:59:46,640 --> 00:59:47,840 Speaker 4: hammerhead shark head. 1114 00:59:48,240 --> 00:59:48,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1115 00:59:48,840 --> 00:59:51,360 Speaker 4: Oh but then also, so you say the ship, the 1116 00:59:51,360 --> 00:59:54,600 Speaker 4: ship has character, and it has character quite literally because 1117 00:59:54,640 --> 00:59:57,400 Speaker 4: it's not just design. It talks and it's not just 1118 00:59:57,440 --> 01:00:00,400 Speaker 4: saying like you know, engage thrusters. It has a two dude, 1119 01:00:00,440 --> 01:00:03,720 Speaker 4: it's like a root and tutin back talking robot grandma. 1120 01:00:04,080 --> 01:00:06,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, it's a little bit sassy and. 1121 01:00:06,120 --> 01:00:09,680 Speaker 4: It encourages young Shad to kill. This was a strange 1122 01:00:09,720 --> 01:00:13,880 Speaker 4: theme that's repeated throughout the movie. But you know, Shad like. 1123 01:00:13,960 --> 01:00:16,320 Speaker 4: He first leaves the planet on his mission, which is 1124 01:00:16,520 --> 01:00:18,720 Speaker 4: at first he's going to get weapons from a guy 1125 01:00:18,800 --> 01:00:23,280 Speaker 4: named doctor Hephaestus, and he is attacked by some guards 1126 01:00:23,360 --> 01:00:26,760 Speaker 4: left behind. There's a big space battle. He's trying to 1127 01:00:26,840 --> 01:00:29,480 Speaker 4: escape and he refuses to shoot back at the guards, 1128 01:00:29,480 --> 01:00:32,080 Speaker 4: and Nell is urging him. She's like, do it, shoot them, 1129 01:00:32,800 --> 01:00:37,440 Speaker 4: And later Nell will blast spaceships without Shad's consent. But 1130 01:00:37,480 --> 01:00:40,000 Speaker 4: then after that, Shad gets a real like taste for 1131 01:00:40,160 --> 01:00:44,440 Speaker 4: war and starts to love blasting. That's kind of strange. 1132 01:00:44,200 --> 01:00:47,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, especially since again the Varda is not to violence, 1133 01:00:47,800 --> 01:00:50,120 Speaker 3: and yet here they are violencing all over the place. 1134 01:00:50,440 --> 01:00:52,760 Speaker 4: All right, So I'm not going to do super detail 1135 01:00:52,800 --> 01:00:55,840 Speaker 4: on this, but the sequence with doctor he Fastus is 1136 01:00:56,000 --> 01:00:59,360 Speaker 4: so weird. So Shad goes to a space station seems 1137 01:00:59,360 --> 01:01:02,520 Speaker 4: to be popular entirely by androids. But then he meets 1138 01:01:02,560 --> 01:01:06,640 Speaker 4: one human Naneilia, the daughter of doctor Hephaestus, and she's 1139 01:01:06,760 --> 01:01:10,760 Speaker 4: like a brilliant scientist who repairs androids and she can 1140 01:01:10,760 --> 01:01:13,880 Speaker 4: do all the technical wizardry, but she's also very naive 1141 01:01:13,920 --> 01:01:17,080 Speaker 4: about the world because she has never left this space station. 1142 01:01:17,840 --> 01:01:21,440 Speaker 4: And so they meet and then he is taken to 1143 01:01:21,560 --> 01:01:25,000 Speaker 4: doctor Hephaestus himself, who was supposed to supply them with 1144 01:01:25,440 --> 01:01:28,840 Speaker 4: arms to defend their planet. But oops, doctor Hephastus is 1145 01:01:28,880 --> 01:01:31,160 Speaker 4: no longer a human body. He's now just a head 1146 01:01:31,240 --> 01:01:35,480 Speaker 4: on this cabinet full of organs, and his plan is like, well, 1147 01:01:35,720 --> 01:01:39,080 Speaker 4: I'm not interested in defending your planet. Instead, Chad, I'm 1148 01:01:39,080 --> 01:01:41,600 Speaker 4: going to imprison you on this space station and make 1149 01:01:41,640 --> 01:01:46,480 Speaker 4: you father children with Nanelia. Chad is reasonably creeped out 1150 01:01:46,520 --> 01:01:50,480 Speaker 4: by this, but then together he and Annelia they decide 1151 01:01:50,480 --> 01:01:53,360 Speaker 4: to flee the station, so they break out together and 1152 01:01:53,680 --> 01:01:57,080 Speaker 4: in this scene they seem to bond by sharing scientific 1153 01:01:57,120 --> 01:02:00,640 Speaker 4: and anthropological facts about other planets in the gap. They 1154 01:02:00,720 --> 01:02:02,440 Speaker 4: like bond over learning. 1155 01:02:03,000 --> 01:02:05,640 Speaker 3: I have to say, this whole sequence to reminded me 1156 01:02:05,720 --> 01:02:07,840 Speaker 3: a lot of Logans Run. It had a real Logan's 1157 01:02:07,920 --> 01:02:09,080 Speaker 3: Run kind of feel to it. 1158 01:02:09,400 --> 01:02:11,960 Speaker 4: Yeah, But now, of course this is sort of our 1159 01:02:12,000 --> 01:02:14,919 Speaker 4: first recruit. Nenelia is now on board for the cause 1160 01:02:14,960 --> 01:02:17,520 Speaker 4: of protecting a Keir, and they're going to split up 1161 01:02:17,560 --> 01:02:20,480 Speaker 4: and both go try to recruit mercenaries. 1162 01:02:20,240 --> 01:02:23,200 Speaker 3: Right right, So, on the quest to recruit mercenaries, he 1163 01:02:23,240 --> 01:02:27,280 Speaker 3: has so far recruited this this one woman who has 1164 01:02:27,360 --> 01:02:28,920 Speaker 3: no combat experience that we know of. 1165 01:02:29,400 --> 01:02:32,320 Speaker 4: Oh, but she has like that's true, but she has 1166 01:02:32,360 --> 01:02:36,400 Speaker 4: like scientific testical e. She can like do stuff with androids, 1167 01:02:36,400 --> 01:02:38,600 Speaker 4: though I don't recall if she ever does anymore in 1168 01:02:38,640 --> 01:02:39,040 Speaker 4: the movie. 1169 01:02:39,560 --> 01:02:41,560 Speaker 3: But they're prepared just in case that comes up. 1170 01:02:41,800 --> 01:02:44,080 Speaker 4: Yeah, of course they are going to fall in love 1171 01:02:44,200 --> 01:02:47,360 Speaker 4: because of course. And in the sequence there are also 1172 01:02:47,720 --> 01:02:50,480 Speaker 4: there are several really funny moments. One of them that 1173 01:02:50,600 --> 01:02:52,880 Speaker 4: made me laugh out loud was the scenes of them 1174 01:02:53,000 --> 01:02:56,840 Speaker 4: riding around on these carts in the space station, because 1175 01:02:56,920 --> 01:03:00,040 Speaker 4: like the cart will seat too. It's like Shad and 1176 01:03:00,040 --> 01:03:02,400 Speaker 4: Neelia sitting next to each other on a love seat 1177 01:03:02,440 --> 01:03:05,600 Speaker 4: on a cart, and the carts are extremely slow and 1178 01:03:05,640 --> 01:03:18,040 Speaker 4: they're almost as wide as the hallway they're in. Now, 1179 01:03:18,040 --> 01:03:20,080 Speaker 4: I think a lot of the fun in seven Samurai 1180 01:03:20,120 --> 01:03:22,919 Speaker 4: type movies is the rounding up of the gang. Right, 1181 01:03:23,040 --> 01:03:24,960 Speaker 4: you know, you got to pick all the mercenaries who 1182 01:03:24,960 --> 01:03:26,720 Speaker 4: are going to come back and help protect the village. 1183 01:03:27,320 --> 01:03:29,760 Speaker 4: So I guess we should talk a bit about each 1184 01:03:29,800 --> 01:03:33,480 Speaker 4: of the recruits. Now, we've already mentioned a cowboy played 1185 01:03:33,480 --> 01:03:37,920 Speaker 4: by George Peppard. How exactly is he recruited? Well, Shad 1186 01:03:38,000 --> 01:03:41,200 Speaker 4: like runs up on his spaceship as he's being attacked 1187 01:03:41,240 --> 01:03:44,800 Speaker 4: by pirates and the question is should Shad intervene and 1188 01:03:44,840 --> 01:03:48,560 Speaker 4: blast the pirates. He again says the Varda prohibits taking life, 1189 01:03:48,960 --> 01:03:51,280 Speaker 4: and then Nell says ah, but the Varda says, we 1190 01:03:51,320 --> 01:03:55,400 Speaker 4: can take life to save life, and then he hesitates, 1191 01:03:55,440 --> 01:03:58,000 Speaker 4: but Nell blasts on his behalf. So they blow up 1192 01:03:58,040 --> 01:04:01,800 Speaker 4: the pirates and it turns out they've saved this guy 1193 01:04:01,880 --> 01:04:05,280 Speaker 4: named Cowboy. So, as we said earlier, this is a 1194 01:04:05,320 --> 01:04:09,240 Speaker 4: space trucker who loves watching old Western movies. He has 1195 01:04:09,360 --> 01:04:12,480 Speaker 4: much experience fighting, and then Shad asks him, hey, well 1196 01:04:12,560 --> 01:04:15,440 Speaker 4: then will you fight for us? Well, Cowboy says there's 1197 01:04:15,440 --> 01:04:17,760 Speaker 4: a problem with that. He says, you're fighting Sator, and 1198 01:04:17,800 --> 01:04:20,920 Speaker 4: Sador never loses and never quits, so fighting on your 1199 01:04:21,000 --> 01:04:23,440 Speaker 4: side that's a losing game. I'm not going to do it. 1200 01:04:23,800 --> 01:04:27,760 Speaker 4: But then suddenly Nell shares a video feed of a 1201 01:04:27,800 --> 01:04:31,400 Speaker 4: totally different planet somewhere else where. I guess they have 1202 01:04:31,680 --> 01:04:37,280 Speaker 4: refused Sador's ultimatum, and then Sador just blows up the planet. 1203 01:04:37,320 --> 01:04:40,640 Speaker 4: He vaporizes it with his stellar converter, and as luck 1204 01:04:40,680 --> 01:04:43,640 Speaker 4: would have it, that planet that just got blowed up, 1205 01:04:43,960 --> 01:04:48,000 Speaker 4: that was where Cowboys buyer was stationed, so he can't 1206 01:04:48,000 --> 01:04:51,640 Speaker 4: take his cargo anymore, and what he was transporting just 1207 01:04:51,720 --> 01:04:54,920 Speaker 4: happens to be blasters. So Shad is like, yes, we 1208 01:04:55,000 --> 01:04:58,080 Speaker 4: need those, take them to my planet, and so Cowboy agrees. 1209 01:04:58,520 --> 01:05:02,360 Speaker 3: So he wasn't interested and doing good until it messed 1210 01:05:02,400 --> 01:05:05,560 Speaker 3: up with his arms deal. Yes, garns deal. So he's like, 1211 01:05:05,600 --> 01:05:06,360 Speaker 3: now it's personal. 1212 01:05:07,320 --> 01:05:11,960 Speaker 4: Can't stand no, he's taken it too personal. And Cowboy 1213 01:05:12,000 --> 01:05:14,840 Speaker 4: there's so much weirdness about Cowboy one thing that I 1214 01:05:14,880 --> 01:05:18,480 Speaker 4: was like, what, I guess it? I don't know. So 1215 01:05:19,040 --> 01:05:21,760 Speaker 4: there's one part where I think he has a Confederate 1216 01:05:21,840 --> 01:05:23,720 Speaker 4: flag on the side of his spaceship. 1217 01:05:23,840 --> 01:05:26,880 Speaker 3: There is definitely a Confederate flag blastered to the side 1218 01:05:26,880 --> 01:05:27,680 Speaker 3: of his spaceship. 1219 01:05:28,040 --> 01:05:31,360 Speaker 4: I'm not sure what the significance of that, thousands of 1220 01:05:31,440 --> 01:05:34,320 Speaker 4: years into the future is supposed to be, but a 1221 01:05:34,560 --> 01:05:39,560 Speaker 4: weird choice, to say the least. Cowboys belt buckle, though 1222 01:05:39,680 --> 01:05:43,920 Speaker 4: in a more charming touch, includes a Scotch and soda dispenser. 1223 01:05:44,040 --> 01:05:47,160 Speaker 4: So he literally like puts a glass under his belt 1224 01:05:47,200 --> 01:05:51,320 Speaker 4: buckle and you hear like a water sound, and it's 1225 01:05:51,400 --> 01:05:53,320 Speaker 4: like whiskey or soda coming out of it, and I 1226 01:05:53,320 --> 01:05:55,640 Speaker 4: think he can also plink down cubes of ice from 1227 01:05:55,680 --> 01:05:56,320 Speaker 4: his buckle. 1228 01:05:56,440 --> 01:05:57,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, he can do. 1229 01:05:57,120 --> 01:05:59,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, the ice, the soda, and the whiskey, all three 1230 01:05:59,800 --> 01:06:02,960 Speaker 3: come out of the belt buckle. And so I guess 1231 01:06:03,040 --> 01:06:05,440 Speaker 3: we're to lee. We're led to believe this is just 1232 01:06:05,480 --> 01:06:09,080 Speaker 3: a fancy bit of technology that allows him to drink constantly. 1233 01:06:09,320 --> 01:06:12,320 Speaker 3: But I also wonder what if what if Cowboy is 1234 01:06:12,360 --> 01:06:16,800 Speaker 3: no longer human and this is him just simply recycling 1235 01:06:17,120 --> 01:06:22,040 Speaker 3: the ice cubes, soda and whiskey that he actually can't 1236 01:06:22,200 --> 01:06:24,600 Speaker 3: can't really process. It just comes back out again into 1237 01:06:24,640 --> 01:06:24,959 Speaker 3: the cup. 1238 01:06:25,240 --> 01:06:27,320 Speaker 4: Oh, he's like a fountain, you know, it goes down 1239 01:06:27,360 --> 01:06:28,800 Speaker 4: and then it like shoots back out. 1240 01:06:29,440 --> 01:06:29,680 Speaker 1: Yeah. 1241 01:06:29,800 --> 01:06:32,200 Speaker 3: No, no, but no, he's just supposed to be an 1242 01:06:32,200 --> 01:06:35,040 Speaker 3: earth dude, an earth dude who drinks and smokes and 1243 01:06:35,080 --> 01:06:38,320 Speaker 3: again little else. Thinking back on it, it's hard for 1244 01:06:38,320 --> 01:06:41,960 Speaker 3: me to remember what he truly contributed to the film, 1245 01:06:41,960 --> 01:06:46,120 Speaker 3: except for the occasional bursts of comic relief and hooking 1246 01:06:46,160 --> 01:06:47,280 Speaker 3: everyone up with blasters. 1247 01:06:47,560 --> 01:06:50,680 Speaker 4: Well, in the final battle, he shows the he he 1248 01:06:50,840 --> 01:06:55,320 Speaker 4: plans the ground defense, so he helps them like defend 1249 01:06:55,360 --> 01:06:57,760 Speaker 4: the trenches they dig on the planet's surface. So there's 1250 01:06:57,760 --> 01:07:00,680 Speaker 4: like spaceship battles and battles on the ground with Sador's 1251 01:07:00,760 --> 01:07:04,320 Speaker 4: troops and he helps them defend on the ground. Oh 1252 01:07:04,320 --> 01:07:07,200 Speaker 4: and then there's one part where Shad is talking to 1253 01:07:07,280 --> 01:07:10,360 Speaker 4: Cowboy and Cowboy is smoking a cigarette and Shad says, 1254 01:07:10,480 --> 01:07:13,000 Speaker 4: is that real smoke you're putting in your lungs? And 1255 01:07:13,080 --> 01:07:17,240 Speaker 4: cowboys like yep, and it's not good for you. And 1256 01:07:17,280 --> 01:07:19,520 Speaker 4: then Shad says, I don't think you should do it. 1257 01:07:20,320 --> 01:07:22,080 Speaker 4: A little anti smoking message. 1258 01:07:22,640 --> 01:07:23,040 Speaker 1: Nice. 1259 01:07:23,640 --> 01:07:26,400 Speaker 4: Okay, next recruit, how about how about a lizard guy? 1260 01:07:26,640 --> 01:07:30,640 Speaker 4: Do we want to boss skin this movie? This is 1261 01:07:30,760 --> 01:07:34,280 Speaker 4: Cayman of the Lamb Deazone, as well as a few 1262 01:07:34,280 --> 01:07:38,560 Speaker 4: other allies portrayed by Morgan Woodward. So this is a 1263 01:07:38,600 --> 01:07:42,920 Speaker 4: fighter recruited by Nanelia. This again, this recruitment happens sort 1264 01:07:42,960 --> 01:07:47,080 Speaker 4: of by accident. So Nanilia is captured by this bosslike 1265 01:07:47,200 --> 01:07:50,280 Speaker 4: lizard man named Cayman, who seems to be planning to 1266 01:07:50,800 --> 01:07:55,160 Speaker 4: sell her like as meat to an alien butcher shop, 1267 01:07:55,200 --> 01:08:00,120 Speaker 4: I think. But then she's like, you're heartless, just like Sador. 1268 01:08:00,160 --> 01:08:03,600 Speaker 4: And then this was a laugh out loud moment, immediate 1269 01:08:03,680 --> 01:08:07,960 Speaker 4: music sting. He goes Sator of the Melmory and when 1270 01:08:08,000 --> 01:08:11,440 Speaker 4: he finds out they're fighting Sador, his tune changes immediately 1271 01:08:11,560 --> 01:08:13,840 Speaker 4: and he's like, I will fight with you because I 1272 01:08:13,920 --> 01:08:14,640 Speaker 4: hate Sador. 1273 01:08:15,000 --> 01:08:15,200 Speaker 1: Now. 1274 01:08:15,360 --> 01:08:18,360 Speaker 3: Fun fact about Morgan Woodward though I didn't include him 1275 01:08:18,360 --> 01:08:20,920 Speaker 3: in the original line up here, but he lived nineteen 1276 01:08:20,960 --> 01:08:24,360 Speaker 3: twenty five through twenty nineteen. He was on Dallas. But 1277 01:08:24,439 --> 01:08:26,960 Speaker 3: the most notable thing is he's the man with no 1278 01:08:27,120 --> 01:08:31,599 Speaker 3: eyes from nineteen sixty seven's Cool Hand Luke that oh, 1279 01:08:31,200 --> 01:08:34,240 Speaker 3: the guard with the silver shades that you know, for 1280 01:08:34,320 --> 01:08:36,960 Speaker 3: most of the film you can't see his eyes because 1281 01:08:36,960 --> 01:08:39,360 Speaker 3: of those, and he's kind of this, you know, this 1282 01:08:40,240 --> 01:08:43,840 Speaker 3: very threatening presence in the film that it's rather iconic. 1283 01:08:43,880 --> 01:08:46,839 Speaker 3: You see this reference till later on in the Coen Brothers, 1284 01:08:46,840 --> 01:08:49,800 Speaker 3: Oh Brother where Art thou it has a similar character whose. 1285 01:08:49,560 --> 01:08:51,080 Speaker 1: Eyes you never seem. 1286 01:08:51,680 --> 01:08:55,479 Speaker 4: Yeah, but yes in this lizard Man, well, but the 1287 01:08:55,520 --> 01:08:58,919 Speaker 4: lizard Man also comes with buddies. He has a blonde 1288 01:08:59,000 --> 01:09:02,400 Speaker 4: muscleman who like a lot of times his butt's hanging out. 1289 01:09:02,439 --> 01:09:05,880 Speaker 4: He's wearing like like sort of chaps and leather suspenders, 1290 01:09:05,920 --> 01:09:08,639 Speaker 4: and he has a face tattoo. And then there are 1291 01:09:08,680 --> 01:09:12,320 Speaker 4: two creatures with giant bald heads wearing silver suits. They 1292 01:09:12,320 --> 01:09:15,040 Speaker 4: have no ears, and they speak by emitting heat rays 1293 01:09:15,080 --> 01:09:15,960 Speaker 4: that burn people. 1294 01:09:16,520 --> 01:09:19,200 Speaker 3: Yes, those are his public relations guys. 1295 01:09:19,600 --> 01:09:26,759 Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly. Okay, So next recruit the nest is nestor 1296 01:09:26,840 --> 01:09:29,759 Speaker 4: one through Nest five. I think this is Earl Bowen 1297 01:09:29,840 --> 01:09:33,599 Speaker 4: and others. This is once again just like the last one. 1298 01:09:33,680 --> 01:09:38,880 Speaker 4: It's recruitment via capture. So Shad is captured in space 1299 01:09:38,960 --> 01:09:41,960 Speaker 4: by a gang of five psychic clones who are dressed 1300 01:09:42,000 --> 01:09:44,600 Speaker 4: in white robes and look like a cross between the 1301 01:09:44,640 --> 01:09:48,160 Speaker 4: brain guy and Old Mangary Oldman Dracula. 1302 01:09:47,760 --> 01:09:49,920 Speaker 1: With their it's true. 1303 01:09:50,000 --> 01:09:53,599 Speaker 4: Yeah, so Shad, when they capture him, they bring him 1304 01:09:53,600 --> 01:09:56,320 Speaker 4: onto their ship. Shad points a blaster at them, but 1305 01:09:56,360 --> 01:09:58,919 Speaker 4: then they psychically force him to point it at himself, 1306 01:09:58,960 --> 01:10:02,519 Speaker 4: and he's like, my mistake. And then they say, oh, 1307 01:10:02,560 --> 01:10:04,840 Speaker 4: it's okay. We know you're not of a violent form. 1308 01:10:04,920 --> 01:10:07,880 Speaker 4: We've scanned everything you're doing. We scan everything, we scan 1309 01:10:08,000 --> 01:10:11,839 Speaker 4: all and we've been brain scanning you from the astral 1310 01:10:11,840 --> 01:10:14,120 Speaker 4: plane and know all about your quest for mercenaries, and 1311 01:10:14,160 --> 01:10:17,840 Speaker 4: well we want to join, and of course shats like, well, 1312 01:10:17,880 --> 01:10:19,720 Speaker 4: we don't have any money, we can't pay you, and 1313 01:10:19,760 --> 01:10:22,639 Speaker 4: they say, no need, we're self sufficient. We are nestor. 1314 01:10:23,160 --> 01:10:26,200 Speaker 4: So they explain that they are a group of clones 1315 01:10:26,280 --> 01:10:30,120 Speaker 4: of a species that are all that all have one 1316 01:10:30,280 --> 01:10:34,360 Speaker 4: unitary shared consciousness. But there's a problem with having a 1317 01:10:34,479 --> 01:10:37,840 Speaker 4: unitary shared consciousness, which is that life can become very dull. 1318 01:10:38,400 --> 01:10:40,840 Speaker 4: And it turns out they have to seek adventure in 1319 01:10:40,960 --> 01:10:43,639 Speaker 4: order to avoid being literally bored to death. 1320 01:10:44,120 --> 01:10:46,920 Speaker 3: We also find out that they have no tolerance for pain, 1321 01:10:47,280 --> 01:10:50,360 Speaker 3: Like basically you said the word pain, they've already had 1322 01:10:50,360 --> 01:10:50,760 Speaker 3: too much. 1323 01:10:51,160 --> 01:10:53,639 Speaker 4: Oh and you know what, I thought this was actually 1324 01:10:54,120 --> 01:10:56,639 Speaker 4: so this movie is fun, not much about it as 1325 01:10:56,720 --> 01:11:00,719 Speaker 4: thought provoking, but weirdly after these characters kind of were Okay. 1326 01:11:00,760 --> 01:11:04,160 Speaker 4: So the idea of sort of individual drones of a 1327 01:11:04,200 --> 01:11:09,040 Speaker 4: species that have a synchronous shared consciousness throughout the galaxy. 1328 01:11:09,800 --> 01:11:13,520 Speaker 4: They cannot become bored. They have to be constantly stimulated 1329 01:11:13,840 --> 01:11:17,880 Speaker 4: and they cannot bear pain, I guess because that would 1330 01:11:17,920 --> 01:11:21,040 Speaker 4: like share both of those states with all of them 1331 01:11:21,120 --> 01:11:24,880 Speaker 4: throughout the galaxy. So they have to be constantly like 1332 01:11:25,000 --> 01:11:29,640 Speaker 4: stimulated with interesting stuff and never in pain. And I 1333 01:11:29,720 --> 01:11:31,840 Speaker 4: was like, wow, that okay, you could like write a 1334 01:11:31,840 --> 01:11:33,200 Speaker 4: really interesting story about that. 1335 01:11:33,800 --> 01:11:37,439 Speaker 3: I felt like they were the most interesting characters that 1336 01:11:37,479 --> 01:11:40,160 Speaker 3: we encounter in the film, and they get two things 1337 01:11:40,160 --> 01:11:42,000 Speaker 3: that are great. They get I think one of the 1338 01:11:42,000 --> 01:11:44,880 Speaker 3: best comedic scenes in the film when they try to 1339 01:11:44,880 --> 01:11:46,840 Speaker 3: eat a hot dog. I mean, well, they don't just try, 1340 01:11:46,920 --> 01:11:49,680 Speaker 3: they succeed, and they have feedback on hot dogs. And 1341 01:11:49,720 --> 01:11:52,040 Speaker 3: then they also have a really fun and I thought 1342 01:11:52,080 --> 01:11:55,640 Speaker 3: creative assassination attempt on Sador. 1343 01:11:55,520 --> 01:11:58,240 Speaker 4: Tell the hot dog scene story cowboys eating a hot dog. 1344 01:11:58,320 --> 01:12:01,240 Speaker 3: Cowboys eating a hot dog, and I can't remember if 1345 01:12:01,240 --> 01:12:03,080 Speaker 3: he offers the hot dog or they're like, what's that? 1346 01:12:03,240 --> 01:12:03,960 Speaker 1: Can we try that? 1347 01:12:04,240 --> 01:12:06,280 Speaker 3: At any rate, hot dog gets handed off to the 1348 01:12:06,320 --> 01:12:08,960 Speaker 3: nest doores and we get a fun, just visual gag 1349 01:12:09,240 --> 01:12:11,920 Speaker 3: where one of them is of course holding up the 1350 01:12:11,960 --> 01:12:13,720 Speaker 3: hot dog and taking a bite out of it, but 1351 01:12:13,920 --> 01:12:17,800 Speaker 3: all four of the heads are chewing and experiencing the 1352 01:12:17,800 --> 01:12:20,479 Speaker 3: hot dog. They then give a readout on all the 1353 01:12:20,640 --> 01:12:24,080 Speaker 3: ingredients and if I remember correctly, none of the ingredients 1354 01:12:24,080 --> 01:12:24,920 Speaker 3: are meat, right. 1355 01:12:24,840 --> 01:12:27,759 Speaker 4: No, it's all just like soy proteins, and then names 1356 01:12:27,760 --> 01:12:31,120 Speaker 4: of chemicals, and then cowboys like on Earth, that's what 1357 01:12:31,160 --> 01:12:31,920 Speaker 4: we call meat. 1358 01:12:33,760 --> 01:12:36,280 Speaker 3: So I enjoyed that, Like, Okay, I think this scene 1359 01:12:36,400 --> 01:12:40,640 Speaker 3: landed like it was supposed to. But yeah, then They 1360 01:12:40,640 --> 01:12:46,840 Speaker 3: also have this wonderful kind of complicated and surprising assassination 1361 01:12:46,880 --> 01:12:50,320 Speaker 3: attempt on Sador where one of them is captured. They 1362 01:12:50,360 --> 01:12:53,559 Speaker 3: allow one of them, their clones, to be captured by Sador. 1363 01:12:53,920 --> 01:12:55,639 Speaker 3: What Sator are going to do, Well, he's of course 1364 01:12:55,640 --> 01:12:58,800 Speaker 3: going to torture said clone. This is where we get 1365 01:12:58,800 --> 01:13:03,960 Speaker 3: that line about about the his his doctor is expert 1366 01:13:03,960 --> 01:13:09,000 Speaker 3: at inflicting pain, and so they torture him to death 1367 01:13:09,120 --> 01:13:11,920 Speaker 3: rather quickly. But then Sator is like, that's a pretty 1368 01:13:11,920 --> 01:13:14,479 Speaker 3: good arm. Let's go ahead and put that on my body. 1369 01:13:14,760 --> 01:13:17,160 Speaker 3: They do. His doctor does that, and he's like trying 1370 01:13:17,200 --> 01:13:19,000 Speaker 3: it out. You know, it's like it's got good reach, 1371 01:13:19,160 --> 01:13:21,960 Speaker 3: good muscle, only got these He's got a weird number 1372 01:13:22,000 --> 01:13:23,840 Speaker 3: of fingers. We'll have to fix that later. But you know, 1373 01:13:24,040 --> 01:13:26,040 Speaker 3: they're not the two concern But then what did the 1374 01:13:26,040 --> 01:13:29,839 Speaker 3: nesters start doing? They start controlling the arm and trying 1375 01:13:29,880 --> 01:13:33,799 Speaker 3: to like like cut Sador's throat with his own hand. 1376 01:13:35,080 --> 01:13:37,800 Speaker 3: They're narrowly able to stop them and cut the arm 1377 01:13:37,840 --> 01:13:40,960 Speaker 3: off with a crystal chainsaw. It was a great sequence. 1378 01:13:41,000 --> 01:13:41,479 Speaker 1: I loved it. 1379 01:13:41,600 --> 01:13:44,760 Speaker 4: Yeah, really good. Okay, I gotta mention a couple more 1380 01:13:44,840 --> 01:13:47,800 Speaker 4: recruitments before we wrap up. So one is Gelt. Robert Vaughan. 1381 01:13:47,880 --> 01:13:50,320 Speaker 4: We're back to Robert Vaughan, and I gotta say the 1382 01:13:50,360 --> 01:13:54,680 Speaker 4: planet where they pick up Gelt looks awesome. Mountain spires 1383 01:13:54,720 --> 01:13:56,919 Speaker 4: made out of rocks that look kind of like veins, 1384 01:13:57,160 --> 01:14:00,439 Speaker 4: dark skies and lightning. This is like LV four twenty 1385 01:14:00,479 --> 01:14:04,680 Speaker 4: six from Alien. It's beautiful. It's I feel like I 1386 01:14:05,080 --> 01:14:09,040 Speaker 4: detect some camera and influence here, though I can't be sure, 1387 01:14:10,000 --> 01:14:13,040 Speaker 4: but to describe the setup to this scene, we're being 1388 01:14:13,120 --> 01:14:15,720 Speaker 4: set up as if the next stop for Shad is 1389 01:14:15,720 --> 01:14:19,719 Speaker 4: going to contain the most slicely Cantena scene because he's 1390 01:14:19,760 --> 01:14:22,960 Speaker 4: headed to a wretched hive of scum and villainy full 1391 01:14:22,960 --> 01:14:26,160 Speaker 4: of the best mercenaries in the galaxy. So you think 1392 01:14:26,200 --> 01:14:27,880 Speaker 4: that's what you're getting, you know, a bar full of 1393 01:14:27,920 --> 01:14:30,080 Speaker 4: criminals and he's gonna have to you know, recruit one 1394 01:14:30,120 --> 01:14:33,320 Speaker 4: of them. But in a twist, when he gets there, 1395 01:14:33,600 --> 01:14:37,479 Speaker 4: there's nobody there. It's like this abandoned underground bunker that 1396 01:14:37,520 --> 01:14:40,200 Speaker 4: looks like it used to be kind of a pleasure palace. 1397 01:14:40,640 --> 01:14:43,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's right, and there's there's no one else here. 1398 01:14:43,040 --> 01:14:46,639 Speaker 3: We encounter Gelt, and Gelt is just he's the only 1399 01:14:46,680 --> 01:14:50,320 Speaker 3: living human, only living being left. He's there with all 1400 01:14:50,320 --> 01:14:54,760 Speaker 3: his treasures, all his ill gotten gains. But he's like, 1401 01:14:54,840 --> 01:14:57,360 Speaker 3: clearly he has nothing to do. He's just he's like 1402 01:14:57,400 --> 01:15:01,080 Speaker 3: a prisoner in his own golden cell here, right. 1403 01:15:01,120 --> 01:15:03,680 Speaker 4: He explains in a twist that all the planets the 1404 01:15:03,720 --> 01:15:07,880 Speaker 4: galaxy bound together and created a defense alliance which they 1405 01:15:08,000 --> 01:15:10,880 Speaker 4: use to wipe out all of the mercenaries and criminals 1406 01:15:10,880 --> 01:15:13,720 Speaker 4: on this planet, and only Gelt is left. He says, 1407 01:15:13,720 --> 01:15:17,680 Speaker 4: there's nothing left but me in the lower forms, and 1408 01:15:17,720 --> 01:15:19,800 Speaker 4: then he says there's a bounty on his head on 1409 01:15:19,880 --> 01:15:23,400 Speaker 4: every planet in the galaxy. So he's in this Catch 1410 01:15:23,479 --> 01:15:27,320 Speaker 4: twenty two. He has wealth and he has like he's 1411 01:15:27,360 --> 01:15:29,840 Speaker 4: got all this treasure for himself, but nowhere he can 1412 01:15:29,880 --> 01:15:31,920 Speaker 4: spend it and know where he can go, no where 1413 01:15:31,960 --> 01:15:32,639 Speaker 4: he can rest. 1414 01:15:33,120 --> 01:15:35,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, and there's this wonderful shot. There are a lot of 1415 01:15:35,080 --> 01:15:38,000 Speaker 3: screenshots of this on the internet. But he's seated at 1416 01:15:38,000 --> 01:15:41,000 Speaker 3: this throne and yeah, you see all his treasure chests 1417 01:15:41,040 --> 01:15:43,800 Speaker 3: around him and it's gloriously lit. He's got this kind 1418 01:15:43,800 --> 01:15:47,040 Speaker 3: of stylish outfit on, he's got his laser blaster out 1419 01:15:48,120 --> 01:15:50,600 Speaker 3: and oh and the throne that he's seated upon. It 1420 01:15:50,640 --> 01:15:54,599 Speaker 3: has these two cherubs built into it, and they're holding 1421 01:15:54,600 --> 01:15:57,280 Speaker 3: a crown and it's as if they are holding the 1422 01:15:57,280 --> 01:15:59,920 Speaker 3: crown over his head or lowering it onto his head. 1423 01:16:00,000 --> 01:16:01,160 Speaker 1: It's wonderful shot. 1424 01:16:01,520 --> 01:16:03,960 Speaker 4: It's great. And so of course he ends up getting 1425 01:16:03,960 --> 01:16:07,639 Speaker 4: recruited because mainly because on a keyar he can rest. 1426 01:16:07,760 --> 01:16:09,920 Speaker 4: It's a place where there's not a bounty on his head, 1427 01:16:09,960 --> 01:16:13,080 Speaker 4: so he can go there. So that's what he does. 1428 01:16:13,120 --> 01:16:16,080 Speaker 4: But I wanted to say about Robert Vaughan's performance in 1429 01:16:16,120 --> 01:16:19,400 Speaker 4: this movie. It's actually kind of interesting the way he 1430 01:16:19,439 --> 01:16:21,599 Speaker 4: plays the character and what he does with his body. 1431 01:16:21,640 --> 01:16:27,000 Speaker 4: For example, Gelt never moves his head really, he only 1432 01:16:27,040 --> 01:16:30,200 Speaker 4: moves his eyes. There are scenes of him talking and 1433 01:16:30,320 --> 01:16:34,000 Speaker 4: scenes of him like in battle, piloting his spaceship, and 1434 01:16:34,360 --> 01:16:37,880 Speaker 4: he almost never moves his head at all. Is completely still. 1435 01:16:37,960 --> 01:16:40,479 Speaker 4: He just you see his eyes going back and forth, 1436 01:16:40,800 --> 01:16:46,080 Speaker 4: and that creates a kind of reptilian quality that really works. 1437 01:16:46,560 --> 01:16:49,719 Speaker 3: Yeah, even though he is he's not the reptile man. Yeah, 1438 01:16:49,800 --> 01:16:53,639 Speaker 3: and the mercenary gang here. But yeah, that's a good 1439 01:16:53,640 --> 01:16:56,760 Speaker 3: point about the particulars of his performance. One wonders was 1440 01:16:56,800 --> 01:16:59,200 Speaker 3: that like a choice that he made or did he 1441 01:16:59,280 --> 01:17:02,040 Speaker 3: have just did he have Frankenstein neck during the pain? 1442 01:17:02,240 --> 01:17:02,400 Speaker 5: Yeah? 1443 01:17:02,439 --> 01:17:05,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, and just you know, ended up using it at 1444 01:17:05,920 --> 01:17:08,240 Speaker 3: any rate. Yeah, I really I really like his performance, 1445 01:17:08,280 --> 01:17:10,000 Speaker 3: and I have to say I was not expecting to 1446 01:17:10,080 --> 01:17:12,559 Speaker 3: like his performance. I was expecting it to be a 1447 01:17:12,600 --> 01:17:14,439 Speaker 3: lot more phoned in than this, but it was. 1448 01:17:14,520 --> 01:17:15,040 Speaker 1: It was fun. 1449 01:17:15,320 --> 01:17:18,920 Speaker 4: Okay, one last mercenary. It is Saint x Men played 1450 01:17:18,920 --> 01:17:22,519 Speaker 4: by Sybil Danning. Oh, so we meet her because she 1451 01:17:22,680 --> 01:17:26,640 Speaker 4: starts basically she's harassing Shad's ship in space. She's like 1452 01:17:26,720 --> 01:17:31,160 Speaker 4: zipping around, taunting him, shooting blanks at him, and he 1453 01:17:31,240 --> 01:17:34,720 Speaker 4: can't hit her because she's moving too fast. And then 1454 01:17:34,800 --> 01:17:37,280 Speaker 4: she finally explains, like, it has been great fun jousting 1455 01:17:37,320 --> 01:17:40,240 Speaker 4: with you. I want to join your mission. I'm part 1456 01:17:40,240 --> 01:17:43,960 Speaker 4: of a warrior culture. We must fight. And Shad is 1457 01:17:44,040 --> 01:17:47,200 Speaker 4: just infinitely annoyed with her at all times. 1458 01:17:47,640 --> 01:17:51,599 Speaker 3: Yeah, She's just constantly coming on to him and he's 1459 01:17:51,680 --> 01:17:54,479 Speaker 3: He's basically like, this is inappropriate. You should not be 1460 01:17:54,560 --> 01:17:57,240 Speaker 3: doing this. I am not interested. 1461 01:17:57,360 --> 01:18:00,680 Speaker 4: I already have a space girlfriend, and I find you 1462 01:18:00,760 --> 01:18:04,599 Speaker 4: incredibly irritating. But she's just like, but I want to fight. 1463 01:18:06,920 --> 01:18:09,520 Speaker 4: And of course, the rest of the structure is somewhat predictable. 1464 01:18:09,560 --> 01:18:12,839 Speaker 4: You know, the mercenaries gather together, they gather for battle 1465 01:18:12,880 --> 01:18:15,760 Speaker 4: against Sador, and they all contribute in various ways to 1466 01:18:15,800 --> 01:18:20,080 Speaker 4: the effort. But all of the I think, do all 1467 01:18:20,160 --> 01:18:23,280 Speaker 4: of the mercenaries get slain in battle except maybe Cowboy? 1468 01:18:23,360 --> 01:18:24,400 Speaker 4: Does Cowboys survive? 1469 01:18:25,240 --> 01:18:28,280 Speaker 3: I thought he bought it too. But this is kind 1470 01:18:28,320 --> 01:18:30,120 Speaker 3: of this is the model, right, Like they all have 1471 01:18:30,240 --> 01:18:32,200 Speaker 3: to perish. 1472 01:18:31,800 --> 01:18:35,479 Speaker 4: Well, not all of the most of them, but eventually 1473 01:18:35,520 --> 01:18:38,240 Speaker 4: the young heroes Shad and Aelia they have to save 1474 01:18:38,240 --> 01:18:40,960 Speaker 4: the day. They're flying around in Knell the spaceship, and 1475 01:18:41,320 --> 01:18:43,479 Speaker 4: they got to save the day in the end, and 1476 01:18:43,520 --> 01:18:45,200 Speaker 4: it's kind of like, you know, you get some kind 1477 01:18:45,200 --> 01:18:47,400 Speaker 4: of similar to the trench run scene in Star Wars. 1478 01:18:47,680 --> 01:18:52,880 Speaker 3: The Stellar Converter is destroyed, the ship is destroyed. We 1479 01:18:52,920 --> 01:18:56,559 Speaker 3: don't have to endure some sort of a lightsaber knockoff battle, 1480 01:18:56,600 --> 01:18:57,320 Speaker 3: which was nice. 1481 01:18:57,600 --> 01:19:00,760 Speaker 4: Yeah, does anybody fight hand to hand with Sor I 1482 01:19:00,800 --> 01:19:02,880 Speaker 4: don't recall that. I don't think it happens now. 1483 01:19:02,920 --> 01:19:04,640 Speaker 3: He's just like a straight I guess he's more in 1484 01:19:04,680 --> 01:19:06,559 Speaker 3: the mold of Peter Cushing in that regard. 1485 01:19:06,800 --> 01:19:08,880 Speaker 4: Yeah, they just blow up the ship and he's there. 1486 01:19:09,400 --> 01:19:11,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's more and more like the mof. 1487 01:19:11,400 --> 01:19:13,160 Speaker 4: Well, there's a ton more that happens in the movie 1488 01:19:13,200 --> 01:19:15,360 Speaker 4: that we did not have time to get into. But Rob, 1489 01:19:15,400 --> 01:19:17,679 Speaker 4: I have greatly enjoyed talking about Battle Beyond the Stars 1490 01:19:17,720 --> 01:19:17,960 Speaker 4: with you. 1491 01:19:18,400 --> 01:19:21,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, this this is a fun one, just just a 1492 01:19:21,360 --> 01:19:21,880 Speaker 3: fun flick. 1493 01:19:22,640 --> 01:19:22,880 Speaker 1: Again. 1494 01:19:22,920 --> 01:19:24,920 Speaker 3: I don't know if it's more fun than an Empire 1495 01:19:24,920 --> 01:19:29,080 Speaker 3: strikes Back, but fair enough, it's a really fun film, 1496 01:19:29,080 --> 01:19:31,479 Speaker 3: and I can I if someone likes this more thann Empire, 1497 01:19:31,560 --> 01:19:33,040 Speaker 3: then more power to them. 1498 01:19:34,040 --> 01:19:37,640 Speaker 1: We need films in our lives there that are this enjoyable. 1499 01:19:37,479 --> 01:19:41,000 Speaker 4: Better, more fun, more fun than Seven Samurai. 1500 01:19:42,439 --> 01:19:43,479 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I would say that. 1501 01:19:43,680 --> 01:19:46,080 Speaker 4: I would say that, of course, not. 1502 01:19:46,760 --> 01:19:50,840 Speaker 3: I would I think since seven Samurai better film, Battle 1503 01:19:50,920 --> 01:19:52,719 Speaker 3: Beyond the Stars more fun? 1504 01:19:53,160 --> 01:19:58,120 Speaker 4: Okay for me certainly? Yeah, lower investment, it's not as 1505 01:19:58,160 --> 01:19:59,799 Speaker 4: long and it's not as serious. 1506 01:20:00,600 --> 01:20:02,160 Speaker 3: I've I've reached the point in my life where I 1507 01:20:02,160 --> 01:20:05,360 Speaker 3: have to realize, am I going to watch Seven Samurai again? Probably? 1508 01:20:05,360 --> 01:20:05,479 Speaker 6: Not? 1509 01:20:05,840 --> 01:20:08,320 Speaker 3: Am I gonna watch Battle Beyond the Stars again? Yeah, 1510 01:20:08,360 --> 01:20:13,320 Speaker 3: it's probably gonna happen. Sorry, Chris, I don't know. 1511 01:20:13,360 --> 01:20:15,680 Speaker 4: If you make time for seven Samurai. It's a very 1512 01:20:15,720 --> 01:20:16,559 Speaker 4: rewarding experience. 1513 01:20:16,560 --> 01:20:18,240 Speaker 3: It's a great film. I mean, I love a care 1514 01:20:18,200 --> 01:20:21,520 Speaker 3: at Krosawa's. I can envision myself going through a Krosawa 1515 01:20:22,240 --> 01:20:24,519 Speaker 3: phase where I like suddenly have to get back into 1516 01:20:24,560 --> 01:20:28,080 Speaker 3: all these films. But yeah, there's some great stuff. Thrown 1517 01:20:28,160 --> 01:20:31,120 Speaker 3: of Blood? Who Thrown of Blood is good? All right, Well, 1518 01:20:31,120 --> 01:20:33,320 Speaker 3: we're gonna go ahead and close it out here, but 1519 01:20:33,880 --> 01:20:36,640 Speaker 3: as always, right into us, let us know what you 1520 01:20:36,760 --> 01:20:41,240 Speaker 3: think about Battle Beyond the Stars, various other Star Wars 1521 01:20:41,360 --> 01:20:44,200 Speaker 3: knockoffs as well. We would love to hear from everyone 1522 01:20:44,280 --> 01:20:47,240 Speaker 3: out there. In the meantime, will remind you that, yes, 1523 01:20:47,280 --> 01:20:49,479 Speaker 3: Weird House Cinema publishes every Friday and the Stuff to 1524 01:20:49,479 --> 01:20:52,640 Speaker 3: Blow your Mind podcast feed. We're primarily a science podcast, 1525 01:20:52,800 --> 01:20:55,120 Speaker 3: but on Fridays we put most of that aside and 1526 01:20:55,160 --> 01:20:58,519 Speaker 3: we just talk about a weird film. I blog about 1527 01:20:58,520 --> 01:21:02,920 Speaker 3: these episodes that Simmuta music dot com. You can go 1528 01:21:02,960 --> 01:21:05,519 Speaker 3: there for a blog post about this movie. I also 1529 01:21:05,520 --> 01:21:08,120 Speaker 3: did a blog post about that name of the Rose 1530 01:21:08,200 --> 01:21:09,759 Speaker 3: score from Horner. 1531 01:21:10,400 --> 01:21:11,840 Speaker 1: Check that out if you would like. 1532 01:21:11,920 --> 01:21:14,840 Speaker 3: Also, we have a letterboxed account. I think that's that's 1533 01:21:14,840 --> 01:21:17,400 Speaker 3: pretty much our only active social media account these days, 1534 01:21:17,640 --> 01:21:19,799 Speaker 3: where once a week I go in there and add 1535 01:21:20,320 --> 01:21:22,360 Speaker 3: the film that we've covered to Weird House Cinema or 1536 01:21:22,400 --> 01:21:25,880 Speaker 3: the film we're about to cover onto our list there. 1537 01:21:25,920 --> 01:21:29,719 Speaker 3: So if you want just an easy, one glimpse look 1538 01:21:29,760 --> 01:21:32,559 Speaker 3: at what we've covered and are covering, that's a good 1539 01:21:32,560 --> 01:21:33,040 Speaker 3: place to go. 1540 01:21:33,439 --> 01:21:36,120 Speaker 4: Hus Thanks as always to our excellent audio producer Seth 1541 01:21:36,200 --> 01:21:38,639 Speaker 4: Nicholas Johnson. If you would like to get in touch 1542 01:21:38,680 --> 01:21:40,840 Speaker 4: with us with feedback on this episode or any other, 1543 01:21:40,880 --> 01:21:43,240 Speaker 4: to suggest topic for the future, or just to say hello, 1544 01:21:43,400 --> 01:21:45,760 Speaker 4: you can email us at contact at stuff to Blow 1545 01:21:45,800 --> 01:21:53,920 Speaker 4: your Mind dot com. 1546 01:21:54,080 --> 01:21:57,040 Speaker 2: Stuff to Blow Your Mind is production of iHeartRadio. For 1547 01:21:57,120 --> 01:21:59,920 Speaker 2: more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app. 1548 01:22:00,080 --> 01:22:03,320 Speaker 2: Apple podcasts are wherever you listen to your favorite shows.