Confederates in Space! — Battle Beyond the Stars 1980

They always talk about the great ones from the 1980s.  However they were a lot of little charmers that were, keenly cooked slices of Cheese Cake.  Battle Beyond the Stars is a 1980s film that oozes with 80s Sci-Fi cheese.

It's too bad it didn't get the sub-listed treatment on HBO or syndication, otherwise this movie would have been A-List Cult film of the B-film multiverse.  This film rode the Entertainment Space Wake created by Star Wars 1977.   It stands apart as a secret cinematic love child of Star Wars and Star Trek.  Parts of the movie feel like Star Trek, while others feel like Star Wars.  But there is an overall campy element that echos back to the original Battle Star Galactica.

The hero's ship is famous for having 'boobs' but the Earth Cowboy's ship, just happens to have a Confederate Naval Jack.  Note, a jack is a flag flown at the front of the ship while the ensign is the flag flown at the back/stern.  The 'Cowboy' is flying the Cultural Confederate flag of the South just above his cockpit-bridge.  The flag has worn battle scars on the upper fly quadrant.

Upon watching this B-movie there is a residual sparkle that shines in between the amateur acting and corny dialog.  That sparkle is the imprint of James Cameroon, who was the special effects designer. Really, you can consider Battle Beyond the Stars Cameroon's 'high school film' project before made his master piece in 1984—Terminator.  

Also, the musical score out classes the creamy fondu-B nature of this movie.  James Horner's score gives this movie a clean uplifting feel, that out shines the director's efforts.

Battle Beyond the Stars is a cheesy treasure and guilty pleasure for space fans, that could definitely get a reboot.  The basic plot, themes and structure are there.  Movies are like roller coasters, and this film has all the right turns and hills.  However they are executed on mini Budget.

Notice Insignia on Sash

Unfortunately Hollywood is trapped in the pattern of rebooting classic masterpieces that can not hold a candle to the original masterpiece.  Instead, Hollywood should be looking for movies like Battle Beyond the Stars and give it the royal treatment.

But no, executives only green light on things they know.   No...You can not reboot the Mona Lisa.  The second iteration may be better in 10,000 ways, but it will always be a cheap imitation, no matter how much you invest into the latter day saint cloning of movie masterpieces.  Battle Beyond the Stars is far from a masterpiece, yet if given the right kind of love, its second form would be an awesome re-classic.  This happened with the Wizard of Oz.  The Wizard of Oz 1939 that we know is not the original, it is a reboot (called a remake back then) that got it right. Maybe Battle Beyond the Stars fits into this category. 

Maybe James Cameroon could be pushed to properly re-polish this charmful little gem for modern audiences?  Maybe even have it done is properly with 1980s schtick in the hand of an elegant artist?