I wonder if Shout! Factory has any plans to bring the 1983
Space Raiders out on DVD as part of the "Roger Corman Cult Classics" line? This sci-fi variation on
Treasure Island recycles
all of its special effects footage (and most of James Horner's music) from Corman's
Battle Beyond the Stars and
Android, but I remember it being kinda fun. Not good, of course, but kinda fun - in that low-budget, Sunday afternoon and I'm single and bored VHS rental sorta way.
As I recall - and mind you, I haven't seen the film since the mid-80s - the plot, such as it might be, revolves around an annoying little kid who falls in with a bunch of space pirates, led by the imaginatively named Captain Hawk, played by Vince Edwards (best known as Dr. Ben Casey on the 60s' TV series of the same name). Interestingly (at least to a trivia-minded Star Kid like me) one of his crew is an alien played by Thom Christopher, who played an alien named Hawk on
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century a couple years earlier.
The crew of Hawk's ship (
Nell, from
Battle Beyond the Stars, with a new and vastly less-imaginatively designed interior) are the usual motley assortment of basically good-hearted rogues, whose criminal activities are forced upon them by the inherent inequities of the galactic economy, which is dominated by an evil corporation known only as The Company. (Looking at these stills, they sorta remind me of the cast of
Firefly, actually... hmmmm...) I remember that for what was ostensibly a "kid's film," a lot of characters died... and it was almost always because of some stupid thing the kid did.
Anyway, I'm sure it's a pretty bad movie, but it
would make a good candidate for the Shout! line. Hell,
I'd buy it. It was released through Corman's short-lived "Millennium" company, though, and I don't know if any of those titles are included in the film package that Shout! has the rights to.
I remember going to the theater to see this with my friends and we all agreed that it was pure cheese to recycle the BBTS footage. I only have bad memories of the film, especially the kid.
ReplyDeleteSomehow, I coerced my sister and cousins to come see this movie with me. They all thought it was garbage, but to my ten-year-old mind, it was awesome.
ReplyDeleteFlash-forward about fifteen years, when I stumbled upon this movie in a remote corner of a mom-and-pop video store. I was curious if it was as much fun as I remembered... well, I should probably have left that one alone.
The poster says music by Murphy Dunne even though it was Horner, besides isn't Murphy Dunne one of the Blues Brothers band ?! My DVD of Battle Beyond the Stars has a photo of the Thom Christoper alien in it's photo gallery, always puzzled me as to why !?
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see this movie mentioned I read it as SPACE RAIDERS OF THE LOST EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL SHARK from an old Bloom County comic strip. And boy, that's a movie I'd watch in a second....
ReplyDeleteDying to get this on DVD! Have really fond memories of it from when I was a kid and is probably one of my favourite movies of all time. I saw Battle Beyond the Stars recently for the first time, but didn't like it.
ReplyDeleteSpace Raiders and Krull, my two favourite movies from my childhood :)
Damn!!!I remember watching this movie at a friend´s house in the late 80´s!!!I seriously disliked it,and thought-hoped,actually-i was the only human being that remembered it!Now i know i´m wrong!!
ReplyDeleteI actually saw this before Battle Beyond the stars. So, I prefer it. I transferred this movie to dvd a few years ago and it looks really good. I hope that it is released on Blu Ray at some point.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this movie. I thought the characters were very well done and likable.
ReplyDelete