Roger Corman Tried To Copy Star Wars & Gave Us Peak '80s Cheesy Sci-Fi

If you make a successful, genre-defining film, chances are that someone will try to replicate it. The success of The Avengers not only proved that the Marvel Cinematic Universe could work, but the blockbuster sent every studio into a race to create their own "cinematic universe". Barbie has already led Hasbro to start developing a plethora of toy-related movies — including Uno, for some reason. However, nowhere is this phenomenon more prominent than with Star Wars. George Lucas' vision of a galaxy far, far away has spawned many imitators. Some of them were surprisingly good, like Spaceballs, while others reek of hubris, particularly Max Landis's Bright, which he believed would be "his Star Wars" (the reception proved otherwise.) Perhaps the biggest Star Wars imitation is the 1980 space Western Battle Beyond the Stars. Not only did it take overt influence from Star Wars, but it also came right on the tail of The Empire Strikes Back. In the end, the Roger Corman-produced film has a unique charm, as well as some major science fiction legends behind its production.