Battle Beyond the Stars: A Forgotten Gem

(Originally posted on September 20, 2017) Battle Beyond the Stars came out in 1980, riding the coattails of Star Wars.  Every studio was scrambling to find an equivalent franchise after SW hit the movie scene like a nuclear bomb.  Roger Corman, the king of low-budget schlock, slapped together this movie in short order. The results […]

The Hidden: An Oddball 80s Movie

(Originally posted on July 5, 2017) The Hidden (1987) is an obscure science fiction film starring Kyle MacLachlan after his role in Blue Velvet, but preceding his Twin Peaks fame.  Despite several tropes, the skewed plot line makes it an enjoyable distraction.  Essentially a warped version of the “buddy cop” genre, Michael Nouri plays L.A. […]

Hawk the Slayer: D&D Cheese

(Originally posted on June 28, 2017) Hawk the Friggin’ Slayer.  Yes, I’m going there.  You bet your ass. Cast your mind back (if you’re young enough) to the year of 1980.  There, gifted unto the world was the glorious cheese of Hawk the Slayer.  I first witnessed this wondrous spectacle on HBO (before there were […]

Krull: A Flawed Movie That Could Have Been Great

(Originally posted on May 10, 2017) In the ancient days of yore (1983) I viewed a movie called Krull.  It is a strange tale.  Neither science fiction nor fantasy.  Not great, but not terrible.  I weep for the movie it could have been. This chimera of a movie is the tale of an alien invasion […]