21

The story was basically the Seven Samurai, plucky local boy goes in search of help to defend his homeworld from bad invaders.

I remember the plucky-local-boy's spaceship looked like a flying moose's head when viewed head on.

I saw it on TV in the early eighties, and that flying moose head cracked me and my big brothers up, even though overall we thought the movie was dead cool :)

2
  • Do you realise that the 'moose head' spaceship is actually modelled on the torso of a woman? Breasts and all...
    – user11295
    Jan 3, 2013 at 8:35
  • 1
    I thought it looked like a moose's head too. I hadn't hit puberty yet at the time. Feb 12, 2016 at 1:14

2 Answers 2

29

Is it Battle Beyond the Stars (1980)?

From IMDb:

The evil tyrant Sador and his army of the mutants Malmori threatens the peaceful Akira farmers of the planet Akir with his Stellar Converter weapon and tells that he will return to collect their harvest. The former Akira warrior Zed advises that they should hire mercenaries to protect them from Sador and offers his spaceship to seek them out. However, the Akira can only pay with food and lodging. The young Shad offers to pilot the ship with the computer Nell to look for mercenaries. He meets Dr. Hephaestus and his beautiful daughter Nanelia in a space station where he unsuccessfully tries to find weapon. Nanelia comes with Shad and he teams up with the earthling Cowboy, who was going to deliver weapons to a planet that was destroyed by Sador and offers to give them to Shad. Then he meets five clones that share the mind of one entity called Nestor that join him. Shad also recruits the lonely and wealthy assassin Gelt that accepts the proposed payment. Then the sexy and annoying Valkyrie warrior St. Exmin joins the group since she wants to battle. Shad also recruits Cayman that wants to kill Sador and does not require any payment. They return to Akir and Sador also returns to attack the planet. Who will win the battle?

4
  • Oh, no! I think you're right! The one with John-boy from the Waltons... what a terrible movie. Jan 19, 2011 at 17:44
  • Robert Vaughn was also effectively reprising his role from the 'original Seven Samurai spinoff', The Magnificent Seven. Jan 19, 2011 at 18:58
  • Yup, that's it. I wonder when they sat around in production meetings, how many different ways they paraphrased "Star Wars" before coming up with "Battle Beyond the Stars". This is going on my "Sky Nevermiss" right now. Thanks Anna :)
    – user296
    Jan 20, 2011 at 13:12
  • @RodgerCooley Hey! That's a classic movie you're knocking
    – user11295
    Jan 3, 2013 at 8:36
2

There's Message from Space (1978), an old Japanese sci-fi with the same "seven samurai" story. I was 5 when I saw it.

From IMDb:

In this Star Wars take-off, the peaceful planet of Jillucia has been nearly wiped out by the Gavanas, whose leader takes orders from his mother (played by a comic actor in drag) rather than the Emperor. King Kaiba sends out eight Liabe holy seeds, each to be received by a chosen one to defend the Gavanas. Each recipient, ranging from hardened General Garuda to Gavana Prince Hans to young Terrans Meia, Kido, and Aaron all have different reactions to being chosen.

More info in this review on Nerdist.