Borrowing Blockbusters: The Best, Worst and Weirdest Star Wars Knock Offs

[@malcolmsweet3156]

Flash Gordon is a true gem. Must have watched it a hundred times as a kid and imo it holds up. Everything I hear that theme it makes me happy.

[@silvervalleystudios2486]

"We owe everything to Flash"

[@albertstadt9853]

and the Queen soundtrack!

[@davemeads859]

This 💯🔥🔥 It was a huge part of my childhood and I still love it to this day

[@fisharmor]

Yeah It's as much a Star Wars knock off, as Star Wars is a Hidden Fortress knock off. In other words, it transcended the term and became its own thing.

[@WalkerRileyMC]

Flash Gordon the character, series, and background predates Star Wars by several decades. The movie may have been a ripoff of Star Wars, but then Star Wars would have to be considered a rip off of the original Flash Gordon comics

[@dwerggalago]

Buck Rogers & Battlestar Galactica made up so much of my childhood and I still love them to bits.

[@paulnicholson5997]

Those are both some great shows. Battlestar Galactica was 1 million per episode. Buck Rogers definitely had some whacky ideas, but it was a fun show, especially if you were between 8 and 12 when they came out. Both series can be had on DVD for cheap too, so go check them out.

[@frenstcht]

Nor was "Battlestar Galactica" in any way, shape, or form a rip off of "Star Wars." The only connection was that, at the time, it was hyped to have the same special effects team as "Star Wars." How much more different could they be? "Star Wars" was a space opera, and "Battlestar" was a blend of "Wagon Train" and "Rawhide."

[@paulnicholson5997]

@frenstcht Anyone that was a kid when the original Battlestar Galactica came out can tell you how awesome that show was and still is as far as I'm concerned. Dirk Benedict was a total boss as Starbuck, he was definitely a Han Solo type character. Apollo was a mix of Luke and Han, If Han had been a career military officer. Great special effects. Oh, BTW the Colonial Viper and The Starfighter from Buck Rogers were both designed by the great Ralph McQuarrie, which is why they're both so dope. I had some of the Viper toys which were cool. Star Wars was the shit for sure, but as kids, we were happy to have BSG and Buck Rogers, not to mention the fact that both shows were packed with Hot Women.

[@frenstcht]

@@paulnicholson5997 I _WAS_ a kid when "Battlestar" came out, and you are absolutely correct that it was awesome. But it was still a space western and anything but a rip-off of "Star Wars." Because of my mom's dementia, we've been watching way, way too much of the old western television shows. The similarities are too strong to mistake "Battlestar" for "Star Wars." The big difference between "Battlestar" and television westerns is that "Battlestar" doesn't have to spend half it's run time humanizing assumed bad guys just to show us...bla, bla, bla...who the real monsters are, because unlike Comanche, Cylons actually aren't human and really are monsters. Calling "Battlestar" a "Star Wars" rip-off because it's set in space is like calling "A Fistful of Dollars" a superhero movie without considering "Yojimbo" or _Red Harvest._

[@paulnicholson5997]

@frenstcht Bro, I got it that you were a kid when the shows came out. I was alluding to some of the younger kids that came across this thread. All of those shows of that era were a gift to all of us of that age. To be able to watch a weekly show that's got cool stuff happening, there's just no way for the youngsters to understand. There was no internet, atari was basically new, but most kids played outside. Then we got to come in to some awesome space shows. Remember the Buck Rogers show with the little blue dude in the cave and Wilma Derings former love interst has to pull his head off and hold it up on display. The kids right now are all WTF!

[@TheBadMovieBible]

Just a couple of notes: I know I confused MST3K with Rifftrax at one point; and I wanted to say RIP to Topol (Zarkov in Flash Gordon), who's just passed away. I'd have checked the angular vector of the moon for him any time.

[@rogerluna6743]

The Bohemian Rhapsody movie clearly did not spend enough time chronicling the Flash Gordon recording sessions.

[@jamessimon3433]

Not sure if that MST3K comment is an ever so subtle dig. If so I begrudgingly agree.

[@Dragonheart8395]

Hey do you have an email? We would like to talk to you. Any way we can get in touch with you?

[@JukeHighwalker]

What movie is that asian girl shaking her booty in the intro from? It's so familiar...

[@malcolmsweet3156]

That brain washing scene in Flash Gordon where they go into Topols memories messed me up as a child.

[@ciaranponchomann3044]

The Black Hole will always have a special place in my heart. Watched it religiously as a kid. I can certainly see its flaws today: the robot drama, as you mentioned, is plain bizarre (even for a Disney flick), and some of the acting's stiff. But that whole final half hour is gripping as, uh, hell.

[@59thsurvivorofvhs]

YES Broski! I collect ODD OLD Disney and that is one I have yet to find on VHS. I just found "Something Wicked this Way comes" Disney Horror, Ray Bradbury. That film did a # on me as a 5 year old, fear of Carnies LOL Disney did not potray them well in that almost like gypsies. Another was "Watcher in the Woods" totally films that going back would not have been made today.

[@IanFindly-iv1nl]

So, just ANY movie other than frigging big-britched high and mighty Star Wars that happens to feature a robot or a laser or space craft or has anything to do with space must be a "knock off" of THAT movie? NO other flick is allowed to feature any of THOSE things without getting THAT particular charge?

[@michaelpalerino5276]

I love these. You should do a most-dangerous-game-sploitation where humans get hunted for sport

[@whtalt92]

Squid Game ought to be in there.

[@JadisAmalthea]

Omg yes, I have done a lot of research myself and discovered that multiple plot ideas in modern films trace their ideas back to the Connell short story and the 1932 film. Everything from "Hunger Games", to "The Running Man", to recent film "Hunt", even seemingly unconnected films such as "Apocalypto", "Predator", and Stone Cold Steve Austin's "The Condemned" ALL have their roots in MDG! Pleaaaase do a video on this subject!!!!

[@goodlookingcorpse]

Battle Beyond the Stars makes you realize it's not as easy to make Star Wars as it seems.

[@psychodrummer1567]

I appreciate they went with Seven Samurai / The Magnificent Seven route. And I'm surprised that no Dungeons & Dragons movie did that.

[@albertstadt9853]

I hate it when they have missing limbs!

[@scottnelson9]

To be fair Star Wars was almost an entirely different film until George Lucas fired the original editor.

[@firstcynic92]

Particularly when it's NOT a Star Wars ripoff, beyond both being from the same original director/ writer. Star Wars was a ripoff of The Hidden Fortress. Battle Beyond the Stars was a ripoff of The Seven Samurai.

[@IanFindly-iv1nl]

So, just ANY movie other than frigging big-britched high and mighty Star Wars that happens to feature a robot or a laser or space craft or has anything to do with space must be a "knock off" of THAT movie? NO other flick is allowed to feature any of THOSE things without getting THAT particular charge?

[@minaverry]

14:59 Every time I see Jack Palance in a weird role, I feel genuine happiness in my heart.

[@frankuraku5622]

Jack Palance is an absolute legend, especially Compañeros and Il Mercenario.

[@minaverry]

@@frankuraku5622 Yes! Love those two.

[@troychristensen4646]

I liked jack palance in outlaws of gor.

[@59thsurvivorofvhs]

That voice is anxiety medicine LOL I buy every copy of City Slickers I can on VHS for many reasons and he is one of them.

[@jrdanielz]

“The Blackhole” is a masterpiece, easily Disney’s 2nd best “this is Disney?” movie.

[@enriquemedina3631]

What’s the first? The Waterboy?

[@jrdanielz]

@@enriquemedina3631 good answer! But no, my top is “Something Wicked This Way Comes”

[@attackofthecopyrightbots]

The David lynch Disney movie qualifies id say or that one time they made a terrible gamer horror movie and Roger rabbit because of all the innuendos and if you want to get crazy you can include abc and Miramax since they technically count

[@kyleolson8977]

I have a soft spot for "The Black Hole", and I understand why you would want to see it as a "masterpiece" but it's not even "good". The best parts are some of the effects and a couple of clever ideas it can't land or doesn't know what to do with. It makes a great trailer. The Black Hole is directed by someone with no business being given this much money to make a movie. The movie is a tonally inconsistent, switching from 1970 kids TV sci-fi to dark 1970's sci-fi to 2001 ripoff. Despite that it's unfortunately flat and directionless. The plot lacks momentum. What little plot doesn't make sense (and I don't mean that the science is wrong, that doesn't matter). Maximillion is a mincing design, and Maximillian Schell is a great presence; no one else evokes any emotion. The heroes are not given personality, only attributes. The "good robots" have designs from a cartoon, while every non-Max evil robot walks like a parody, destroying all the effort put into making the costumes. The ending might be worthwhile if there was any reason it happened, but it was more like "we're going through the hole, here's our stargate". Why do Max & Max merge in Hell? Who knows!? It's best to watch the highlights and not sit through the whole thing. Something Wicked This Way Comes also doesn't get all the way there, but the source material is strong enough to help get past the director messing with Bradbury's screenplay and Disney's many attempts to fix the movie. Both Bradbury and Disney were very frustrated with the director by the end of shooting. Price is amazing in the role, and Robards was well cast. The core idea of an Robard's old father character being offered youth is very powerful. The "evil carnival" has influence many work, but I think most of them worry too much about the lore of the carnival and not this core idea of temptation. Both movies should be remade, and there have been attempts. One particular director was working very hard for years trying to remake The Black Hole, but he recently gave up trying to deal with Disney and made a little independent movie called "Top Gun: Maverick". I hope that worked out for him.

[@snakes3425]

Then of course Disney just said, "fuck it" and bought the genuine article.

[@smix8780]

I would like to see a video about Matrix clones. In 00s every action movie wanted to be The Matrix. Just like in the 90s every action movie wanted to be Die Hard 😄

[@shoujahatsumetsu]

Don't forget how every action film wanted to do John Woo-style slow-mo bullet time with one pistol in each hand after the Hong Kong action movies got popular in the west.

[@DeathBYDesign666]

Before or after? You have Dark City, Thirteenth Floor, Truman Show, Donny Darko, Minority Report and I'm going with Fight Club as an unexpected candidate since it has the aspect of having the unreliable narrator who might be insane trope. It makes you question reality so it's the same principal basically.

[@dullahan7677]

Equilibrium and Inception come to mind.

[@TheNameisPlissken1981]

Like you said, these foreign filmmakers did not get to SEE Star Wars before they ripped it off, but they did get to READ the translated novelizations! That is why some of their story points and props seem so far out of whack. Imagine only reading about the force or a light saber or a Jedi and NOT being able to SEE them?

[@IanFindly-iv1nl]

So, just ANY movie other than frigging big-britched high and mighty Star Wars that happens to feature a robot or a laser or space craft or has anything to do with space must be a "knock off" of THAT movie? NO other flick is allowed to feature any of THOSE things without getting THAT particular charge?

[@TheNameisPlissken1981]

​​@@IanFindly-iv1nl uh, no. I was really only referring to Starcrash where that the producer himself said it was a blatant rip off of Star Wars and the writer based his screenplay on the novelization of Star Wars b/c the film hadn't come out yet, but I suppose you could also include those that directly followed SW in '78, '79 and '80! By the filmmakers own admissions, they were out to rip off SW because it made so much money. Much like how slasher films popped up after Halloween.

[@mordaciousfilms]

It's so wild how NOT dated a 1977 sci-fi film like STAR WARS is compared to some of this stuff that seems like fucking cave drawings compared to Lucas's films. Give George credit where it's due as much as we like to rag on some of his following Star Wars flicks. He made films that were way ahead of the game as far as the language of film goes. He knew how to handle the tools and resources available and utilize them to craft something that felt tangible and real and took itself seriously enough but balanced the comedy in a masterful way. Granted the prequels missed the mark on all of those levels and they LOOKED and felt pretty awful, but we tend to forget what the typical "low budget sci-fi movies" from the 70s/80s looked like, which makes his earlier output that much more impressive by comparison. Low budgets don't mean low quality. You gotta care about what you're creating, and wherever the tech or talent falls short, it's gotta appear the director knew what they were shooting for.

[@gusty7153]

and some of these knockoffs seem pretty fun in their own right

[@gusty7153]

@@frankesposito2182 1. im pretty sure thats a kind of fallacy you just made. anyone is allowed to be a critic regardless of wether or not theyre capable of producing anything themselves. 2. im pretty sure OP isnt ragging on lucas at all. like seriously reread the post and point out exactly where OP is criticising lucas. if anything, OP is trying to describe star wars as technical marvels when compared to other movies from the same time period and budget level. classic trilogy was a low budget movie, but it was nevertheless a good movie with great technical skill inspite the low budget. that is what was being said.

[@mikemurphy5898]

​@gusty7153 well you're half right. Frank is apparently a fanboy, man-child who has to attack anyone who criticizes even slightly anything about the movie but what he fails to realize is that not allowing criticism from those who have not created a similar work or, fiction .. . P⁰⁰⁰⁰00⁰00⁰01-05 I have 😱 😱

[@GhostofKittyKatDawg]

​@@frankesposito2182Lucas won't marry you dude, calm down.

[@sharpright6887]

@MordaciousFilms. Yes, the fact they looked and felt pretty bad is why they were so successful that it took a years for people to start ragging on them. Lucas always said the story was in 4, 5, and 6.

[@VerveQuest-zc4ri]

The "I find your lack of faith disturbing" line in the Iranian Star Wars in the year 2001 just kinda sounded way more harsh and realistic than necessary

[@brunozeigerts6379]

As I understand it, Space Battleship Yamato came out 2 years before Star Wars and provided inspiration for it. There's a droid that looks like R2 on treads, a battlestation that could only be defeated by a single fighter. Also, one episode featured a giant cannon on Pluto... which likely inspired Gun on Ice Planet Zero, a Galactica episode.

[@Tele.gram.me.at.Solus_Astorias]

Congratulations you're the lucky winner of the ongoing giveaway text me on telegram to claim your prize

[@SammEater]

Star Wars used a lot of imagery from Moebius comics and probably Yamato too.

[@b.felicisimo5937]

Gun on Ice Planet Zero was inspired by the Guns of Navarone.

[@lopony7944]

Leia

[@nowhereman1046]

You are very nearly correct. Uchu Senkan Yamato came out in May (pilot episode) and then premiered as a series in October of 1974. The original story goes back to at least 1973. But still at least THREE full years before Star Wars!

[@CerberusLives]

The instant Hawk The Slayer cropped up, that Spaced clip came immediately to mind. Glad I'm not the only one!

[@DanTheMan2150AD]

Every time I see a new one of these Rob, my excitement goes through the roof. So many cinematic gems I’ve never seen or indeed heard of that open my eyes to a wider world of cinema and I can’t thank you enough for that. Also we love to see the Flash Gordon and Message from Space appreciation.

[@TheBadMovieBible]

Thanks Dan, that's much appreciated. Some of these things deserve that extra bit of love!

[@varsas10]

I have not been having a good week, mainly because I have been up with my very young child a few times a night and am tired....each night I go to bed hoping tonight will be better...now I know it will be! You can wake up any time you like little one, I don't know who will be happier; he with his bottle or me watching this.

[@jessedub]

I come away from these videos wanting to watch every movie listed

[@viceversar-do1cn]

WHAT?!!!! FLASH GORDON is included on THIS list?!! Well, THAT movie is no copy of frigging Star Wars! On the very contrary, THAT flick actually DISTINGUISHES itself pretty successfully from SW and all it's imitators in many significant and obvious ways. Like featuring the ROCK score - instead of another symphony score like SW and all it's wana-be's used. The more HUMOROUS tongue-in-cheek tone. And it's unique VISUAL STYLE - with the weird, eccentric, and original designs of the space crafts, costumes, and sets, how it has the floating kingdoms (instead of planets) and vibrant multi-colored alien sky (instead of regular space). THAT flick actually DEFIED the mold established by big bad SW and set itself apart from all those apes, and does not belong on THIS crappy list.

[@wimwiddershins]

How dare you, Sir! You have made a mockery of my childhood... I'm ashamed to admit I've watched just about all of the aforementioned culprits. Brilliant stuff!

[@Kevin_Kennelly]

9:34 "You will be avenged." .. I feel that they missed an opportunity here. "BY GRABTHAR'S HAMMER, BY THE SONS OF WARVAN, YOU SHALL BE AVENGED." . But I shall content myself with the jumping about in quarries.

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

I love The Black Hole. And Krull and Hawk the Slayer, yeah they're goofy sometimes but there's something very earnest about them that draws me in.

[@paulnicholson5997]

I'm happy to see I'm not the only Krull fan here. Don't forget about the Beastmaster!

[@CinnamonGrrlErin1]

@Paul Nicholson I even love Masters of the Universe, sword and sorcery movies were just better back then, I think mainly because of practical effects and real landscapes. I just read an article by the director of Zardoz, and the way he described how they filmed a certain effect just reminded me of why I even fell in love with movies. And the people who made those movies did it because they loved the pulp Sci fi and fantasy novels and comics of their childhoods. I feel like the last 2 generations have been shortchanged when it comes to this kind of thing.

[@paulsarnik8506]

I forgot about Krull. Now I gotta look it up🤓😎🖖🏻

[@paulnicholson5997]

@Paul Sarnik That's cool. BTW, Krull has Liam Neeson in his very first roll. I'd say the " Glave" weapon is one of the coolest Sci-fantasy weapons you'll ever see.

[@paulnicholson5997]

@TheSpaceBetweenOurHouses I'll be honest, I've got 2 younger brothers and we wore out those VHS tapes that had all of those crap tastic movies from the 80's. I definitely miss some of the practical filming techniques, especially the model work. Great decade for movies.

[@timvanarsdel]

Holy smokes, what an utter fever dream this past hour was. I kept trying to shed any notion of context to whatever I was watching and just bask in the pure spectacle.

[@emitindustries8304]

This video is a gem, a masterpiece of editing, a glorious tribute to shlock. It should get this guy a No-bull Peace Prize.

[@andrewchapman4267]

Great vid again, loved it. How about Moonraker though, not a knock off but definitely a cash in. And featuring our mate Richard Kiel of course.

[@breezyj1800]

Hands down..one of the most underrated channels on this platform. Keep up the great work mate!

[@ColeSlaw-rg1gd]

Personally, I like Flash Gordon (one of the alleged "knock offs" here) more than I ever liked Star Wars.

[@RamFett]

The worst knock off Star Wars movies were the Disney sequel trilogy ones.

[@mg1342mg]

That's genuinely funny, but painfully true.

[@williammatthews693]

The stupidest thing was that Disney bought all this intellectual property known as the Expanded Universe chock full of good stories just waiting to be adapted then Disney does their own thing... and it sucked!

[@Amzizizooza]

You’ve made my night sharing this! Suddenly my to watch list just got a lot longer…

[@TheBadMovieBible]

And hearing that makes my day, thanks!

[@jaysonspann8042]

Dog belly

[@DeusVult838]

I can't wait to watch these!

[@dr.decker3623]

The Black Hole is a gem, don't care what anyone thinks, that score got me when i was a kid, and still does. The Last Starfighter is also one of the better scifi, still have my copy of it on VHS beside me :P

[@jamesschulziii9098]

The Last Starfighter is a hell of a film. ❤️👍💯

[@59thsurvivorofvhs]

@@jamesschulziii9098 RETRO ARCADE! LOL love that one

[@59thsurvivorofvhs]

Yes! Old school Disney films that Disney No Longer Promotes Category!!! "Something Wicked this Way Comes." Ray Bradbury "Watcher in the Woods" and my favorite, "RETURN TO OZ" That movie is freaking anxiety nightmare for adults, yet alone for kids. Alot of the Jim Henson studio people went into making that one, a reason it is superb.

[@jamesschulziii9098]

@@59thsurvivorofvhs yeah I always wished that kind of senario happening. "Greetings starfighter ' 👍💯

[@RaimarLunardi]

There's a Brazillian movie called "Os Trapalhões na Guerra dos Planetas" (The Tramps in the Planet Wars) from 1978, 1 year after the first Star Wars... it's bonkers and low budget as it gets... around 38:25 in the video.

[@SirVicc]

And all of these movies are better and more entertaining than Disney Star Wars.

[@Waldopepper1962]

Your videos are sensational. Filled with brilliant comedic timing of their own. Thank you so much for making them.

[@kingfield99]

RIP Topol, he'll always be Dr Zarkov to me.

[@viceversar-do1cn]

WHAT?!!!! FLASH GORDON is included on THIS list?!! Well, THAT movie is no copy of frigging Star Wars! On the very contrary, THAT flick actually DISTINGUISHES itself pretty successfully from SW and all it's imitators in many significant and obvious ways. Like featuring the ROCK score - instead of another symphony score like SW and all it's wana-be's used. The more HUMOROUS tongue-in-cheek tone. And it's unique VISUAL STYLE - with the weird, eccentric, and original designs of the space crafts, costumes, and sets, how it has the floating kingdoms (instead of planets) and vibrant multi-colored alien sky (instead of regular space). THAT flick actually DEFIED the mold established by big bad SW and set itself apart from all those apes, and does not belong on THIS crappy list.

[@man.actual]

Sounds like a Star Wars ripoff

[@viceversar-do1cn]

@@man.actual Well, simpletons, like yourself, tend to thing just ANY movie that happens to feature ohhhh a robot, or a laser, or a spaceship, or and alien, or having anything to do with space is a Star Wars ripoff, so THAT's typical.

[@fmsyntheses]

Krull's a mess, but I love it. I watch it over Christmas.

[@unreal203]

I would not consider buck rodgers and flash gordon to be star wars rip-offs. Those properties existed long before star wars.

[@Enshohma]

7:04 - Wonderful work as always but it's extremely gratifying seeing Message from Space getting high praise from you. The 1978 film is a huge favorite of mine since first seeing it on TNT in my childhood and is a greatly underrated gem in-my-opinion, often dismissed by science fiction, cult movie, and Japanese fantasy fans alike.

[@krowochron]

Wait, wait... was the bearded guy from the Black Hole once a black and white German Hamlet?

[@MrTheMighty]

Well, I'd never heard the term "Sword and Forcery" until now, but I'm going to go out of my way to use it from now on.

[@monkeymanbob]

I think these are the only long form pieces on KZbin that hold my attention throughout. To many times does the finished article come off as an opportunity for the creator to indulge themselves in verbal twattery while boring the fuck out of me - why use one word when 3 sentences will do, eh? But Rob's scripts are tight and always look forward to a new one.

[@TheBadMovieBible]

Thank you.

[@ELEKTROSKANSEN]

OMG, Pan Kleks W Kosmosie! Actually, it should be translated as "Mr. Inkspot in Space" and the description is totally wrong - it's not an anthology movie, but I can easily see how someone abroad could think so. It's actually a movie with a single plot, but it has a framing device and lots of flashbacks in the story, so I can see it being perceived as an anthology by someone who didn't watch it in its entirety and just browsed through it. It's trippy as hell, has special effects on a budget of an Alf episode and it's also... a musical, because, why not, right? 😂 Yes, it has lots of songs by famous Polish artists, just like its predecessors - because it's a third movie in a trilogy. I know people abroad don't like watching movies with subtitles, but I encourage you: check out "Voyages of Mr. Kleks" or "Mr. Kleks in Space", get high and have an experience you will NEVER forget!

[@iainireland1122]

Thank you for another great video. My very well-meaning babysitting neighbour rented Starcrash from the local video library when I was young, presumably in lieu of Star Wars. I've had a soft spot for it ever since, and have watched it more times than anyone should.

[@ben616socailism]

Fun fact about The Last Starfighter: It was directed by Nick Castle who was the first man to play Micheal Meyers in the Halloween film series.

[@3baxcb]

That is correct. The Shape himself directed that movie which had employed some of the most advanced CGI of its day. If you look at his filmography, you will see how diverse the movie titles he directed over the years.

[@gorevoid691]

Fun fact: in Luigi Cozzi’s The Black Cat/De Profundis he recycles some space footage from Starcrash and there’s at least one scene that wasn’t quite edited properly and if you watch real carefully you can see a spaceship zooming by

[@3baxcb]

I've read that Cozzi was no stranger to making compromises at the request of producers, distributors or a bit of both. He is a sci-fi fan and always like to return to it, including with a feature like Blood On Melies Moon.

[@ColeSlaw-rg1gd]

For the record, some things in Starcrash that I DO find pretty cool and that I LIKE .. . The weird and original DESIGNS of some of the space crafts, especially the CLAW-shaped ship of the villains. The multi-colored stars. The ice planet (which, interestingly, even prefigures “Hoth” in Empire Strikes Back). The monster mask that fires lasers out of its eyes. The touching friendship between the robot character “El” and Stella (particularly in the scene where he suspends her temperature to save her life). Marjo Gortner as “Acton”. Sure, he overacts grossly, but he does bring a ridiculously quirky charm to the character, and I always thought he had a really cool looking FACE too. Robert Tessier as “Thor”” (the real creepy looking bald guy). The actual volcano used as a location for the “third launch”. The very comely and scantily clad Ms. Munro and Nadia Cassini (the “Amazon Queen”), both of whom contribute an aesthetic of feminine beauty. So, yeah, I do like Starcrash just a little bit. So you all can HANG me!

[@RileyDia]

I was just watching your awesome Terminator video *again* & hoping for some new content & here it is!!! Thanks for all the awesome stuff!

[@tommylakindasorta3068]

I love everything about this video series. Your voice, the humor, the research -- it's all top-tier. I hope you will one day make the pilgrimage to Milwaukee and spin the Great Wheel.

[@TheBadMovieBible]

That would be fun.

[@martinrenzhofer8241]

The Last Starfighter is just wonderful. I did see the Japanese knockoff of Star Wars with Vic Morrow at a Denver-based drive-in while tripping. Crazy man.

[@3baxcb]

Did you know that the director of The Last Starfighter was also The Shape in John Carpenter's Halloween?

[@godspeedyoublacknerd]

Mr. Blob in the Universe shook me to my very core

[@martymatic3575]

Would you believe it's a children's movie?

[@x0xlucas]

As always, beautifully written and edited. This channel is a gem.

[@thatbadmovieboy]

I thought I knew about bad movies, but this Rob guy is like the encyclopaedia of them. Bravo

[@nobudgetshortfilms5510]

This channel is absolutely in a league of it's own. Another great, well researched video essay.

[@Tele.gram.me.at.Solus_Astorias]

Congratulations you're the lucky winner of the ongoing giveaway text me on telegram to claim your prize..

[@leoabel524]

Flash Gordan and Buck Rodgers were both comic strips in newspapers all across the US back in the 1930's, the stories have been around a lot longer than Star Wars.

[@viceversar-do1cn]

WHAT?!!!! FLASH GORDON is included on THIS list?!! Well, THAT movie is no copy of frigging Star Wars! On the very contrary, THAT flick actually DISTINGUISHES itself pretty successfully from SW and all it's imitators in many significant and obvious ways. Like featuring the ROCK score - instead of another symphony score like SW and all it's wana-be's used. The more HUMOROUS tongue-in-cheek tone. And it's unique VISUAL STYLE - with the weird, eccentric, and original designs of the space crafts, costumes, and sets, how it has the floating kingdoms (instead of planets) and vibrant multi-colored alien sky (instead of regular space). THAT flick actually DEFIED the mold established by big bad SW and set itself apart from all those apes, and does not belong on THIS crappy list.

[@ColeSlaw-rg1gd]

Personally, I like Flash Gordon (one of the alleged "knock offs" here) more than I ever liked Star Wars.

[@3baxcb]

It is quite obvious that Luigi Cozzi was paying tribute to both of those comic strips along with the serials as well as Barbarella when he was directing Starcrash

[@parkerjanelle7853]

You briefly alluded to it in this video, but have you thought about doing a Borrowing Blockbusters on Mad Max? I’ve seen quite a few Italian “Sad Max” movies, but I’ll bet they barely scratch the surface of how many there really are!

[@TheBadMovieBible]

I'll certainly do it at some point, to me it's kind of the definitive example of a movie that created its own subgenre. The problem is that subgenre is so massive! (there are over 250 movies on my Bad Max list).

[@parkerjanelle7853]

@@TheBadMovieBible I don’t think I could name twenty-five, let alone 250! Your Alien(s) Borrowing Blockbusters videos have been great, so when you get to Bad Max I’m sure it’ll rule. Just walk away!

[@Jerrremy]

Another great video! Definitely going to give some of those Turkish gems a watch on movie night! Also love the gamera shirt, I know you've talked about him in previous videos. Perhaps a video about weird Kaiju films in the future? 👀👀

[@TheBadMovieBible]

Inevitably one day!

[@nathandc]

Exactly how did Tarzan influence A Princess of Mars when ERB started publishing his Mars stories before his Tarzan stories?

[@nowhereman1046]

Um, Uchu Senkan Yamato (Space Battleship Yamato) was NOT a Star Wars ripoff because Star Wars didn't really exist at that time except as very early concept in George Lucas' mind! Yamato first aired in Japan after over two years of work as a pilot episode in May 1974 and then as a series in October of that same year. Three years before Star Wars premiered in May 1977! Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatchaman (Science Ninja Team Gatchaman) is also NOT a Star Wars ripoff! It's original run first aired in October 1972 to September 1974. You could make the case that they were brought to the U.S. and other countries as a way to cash in on Star Wars, but they most certainly are not ripoffs. If anything, it might be the other way around!

[@AyeThatsHandsomePete]

You forgot to add that “The Last Starfigther” is awesome, and that the score absolutely slaps.

[@SquirrelASMR]

Bad old movies are better than most modern good movies. Something about them just feels like I'm in another universe.

[@James-zs5cm]

I tried to explain this somewhere else but couldn't articulate it well. I think its the hidden story telling bonus when it comes to subject matter that is fantasy, when things dont look completely realistic it sucks your brain into it more. You are reminded its just a story and that allows a level of imagination from the viewer to immerse the person deeper, than actually giving complete visual realism where you tend to just sit back and watch the spectacle. Looks great but it just loses that feel of otherworldliness.

[@goodlookingcorpse]

From what I've read, George Lucas never talked about the Journey of the Hero until after Star Wars was released. At the time, he said it was based on serials like Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers.

[@arashimiyazawa8165]

Yeah, the evidence suggests he never read Joseph Campbell until after Star Wars was already made. Of course, the only thing Lucas likes revising more than his movies is his past, so these days he claims it was a heavy influence from the beginning.

[@viceversar-do1cn]

WHAT?!!!! FLASH GORDON is included on THIS list?!! Well, THAT movie is no copy of frigging Star Wars! On the very contrary, THAT flick actually DISTINGUISHES itself pretty successfully from SW and all it's imitators in many significant and obvious ways. Like featuring the ROCK score - instead of another symphony score like SW and all it's wana-be's used. The more HUMOROUS tongue-in-cheek tone. And it's unique VISUAL STYLE - with the weird, eccentric, and original designs of the space crafts, costumes, and sets, how it has the floating kingdoms (instead of planets) and vibrant multi-colored alien sky (instead of regular space). THAT flick actually DEFIED the mold established by big bad SW and set itself apart from all those apes, and does not belong on THIS crappy list.

[@frankuraku5622]

Didn't expect this one! Italians are really good at these, especially the 60s.

[@derworfnet]

Weirdly enough, as a Kid, I saw _Space Raiders_ years before _Battle Beyond the Stars._ My enjoyment of the latter used to be of the ironic kind but has since shifted to genuine. Its impressive what they achieved with a rather limited budget. And Horners' Score is fantastic. I actually kinda like _Wing Commander, Valerian_ and _Jupiter Ascending_ (although its definately of the ironic kind for the latter) but _John Carter_ is a movie I love.

[@TheBadMovieBible]

That was just my experience with Space Raiders. I remember thinking it was funny bad and loved the villain because he's so awful. But watching it now he's the thing that's rubbish in an otherwise nice little movie.

[@LeoInterVir]

I enjoyed Wing Commander, mainly the video games, plus the 4th game had Mark Hamil as more than just a voice over. The 4th game could have been a movie in it's own right.

[@markdavidwelsh3340]

I have to take issue with anyone who says that the quartet of films in the Alfonso Bresica’s Cinematic Universe are ‘horrible.’ They are nowhere near that good.

[@stephenwatson2806]

Worst star wars knock offs are anything disney have done since taking over the franchise

[@wilhelmvongoldmund9697]

Thanx for the space laughter, a true masterpiece

[@NinusMaximus]

First time watching this channel. The monotone delivery of the narrator with the hilarious hand picked movie scenes made me chuckle the whole way through. I was not expecting to watch more than 3 minutes. Ended up wanting more. Kudos to u sir

[@jasondulin7376]

When you realize with dawning horror that the opening theme to Battle Beyond he Stars is literally the same theme and same recording as the opening theme to Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell..... Also, thank you so much for all of your hard work. I love this series for it's nostalgia and also your witty dry delivery. You've got a good thing going on. Hope you keep it up!

[@Moochtv]

This might be your best video presentation yet. Well done. And RIP Hans Zarkov

[@Tele.gram.me.at.Solus_Astorias]

Congratulations you're the lucky winner of the ongoing giveaway text me on telegram to claim your prize…

[@viceversar-do1cn]

WHAT?!!!! FLASH GORDON is included on THIS list?!! Well, THAT movie is no copy of frigging Star Wars! On the very contrary, THAT flick actually DISTINGUISHES itself pretty successfully from SW and all it's imitators in many significant and obvious ways. Like featuring the ROCK score - instead of another symphony score like SW and all it's wana-be's used. The more HUMOROUS tongue-in-cheek tone. And it's unique VISUAL STYLE - with the weird, eccentric, and original designs of the space crafts, costumes, and sets, how it has the floating kingdoms (instead of planets) and vibrant multi-colored alien sky (instead of regular space). THAT flick actually DEFIED the mold established by big bad SW and set itself apart from all those apes, and does not belong on THIS crappy list.

[@TT-md7mm]

I'd be lying if I said I didn't check this channel every day or watch a video to up the view count. Can't wait to check this one out after work, you're the GOAT at this!

[@TheBadMovieBible]

Wow! Thank you.

[@rezasarandongard7805]

What's weird about the 2017 Valerian film is that the original Valerian and Laureline graphic novels were one of George Lucas's many influences - the circular shape of the Millennium Falcon is one example, being based upon Valerian and Laureline's own ship (and Doug Chiang, one the art and VFX designers on the prequels is another big fan of the graphic novels), yet when Luc Besson made the Valerian film he seemed to take more inspiration from Star Wars than Valerian and Laureline itself... (Side note: I would recommend the Valerian and Laureline graphic novels to anyone looking to read new science fiction)

[@rumblehat4357]

Yet valerian’s ship looks more like the Flying Sub from Voyage to the Bottom Of The Sea than the Millennium Falcon looks like it.

[@5timesm]

The millenium falcon‘s design was developed due to other reasons and has nothing to do with valerian… watch any ilm documentary and get to know after problem first the falcon‘s first design being to similar to the „ eagle“ fom „Space 1999“ Lucas told ilm to make it look like a „ hamburger“…..😎

[@Ken_Brooks]

Are they available in English translations?

[@DrWhom]

@@Ken_Brooks yes

[@Ken_Brooks]

@@DrWhom Cheers.

[@josephpatterson1646]

Made my morning coffee and saw a new video. The day is getting started just right.

[@TheGhostOfJohnWicksBeagle]

Quality stuff, glad i found this channel.

[@steveharvey2102]

Imagine, for a second if George had got the rights and we did not get Star Wars. WoW! It's a crazy thought.

[@dcstiger]

Great video Rob! I'm convinced that Marcia Lucas saved Star Wars in the editing. Even George has admitted in old interviews that the footage shot was a dog's breakfast. After multiple failed attempts he could not arrange it in a way that worked. It was only then that he allowed Marcia to step in and try to salvage the project.

[@TheBadMovieBible]

Absolutely. Apparently De Palma set that ball rolling after the first screening, when he restructured the first act on the spot! Dan Akroyd's known for needing sensible people to bring order to his screenplays and I think George Lucas is the same.

[@rumblehat4357]

It was Phil Hirsch, Richard Chew AND Marcia Lucas.

[@rynerlute104]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZ3Uh3qwa9KCjKc&ab_channel=Nerdonymous

[@control_the_pet_population]

To be fair to Lucas (and depending on the particular interview), he also wasn't terribly confident in the first cut.. and had been butting heads with the original editor. There usually seems to be this weird dichotomy on this subject. Either Lucas was a creative uber genius... or Lucas was just some lucky schmutz who was saved from disaster by everyone around him. Marica Lucas or Chew / Hirsch in the edit, Williams with the music, ILM with the SFX, at some point it becomes parody, the opposite extreme of " he's a creative genius".

[@josephwiessner1558]

Whats funny is you could add Rebel Moon to this list

[@vaclav4435]

The funny thing about _Rebel Moon_ is that it feels far closer to those early '70s and '80s knockoffs than the more recent movies he mentioned at the end of the video. Part of that is due to RM starting life as a rejected SW pitch, but Snyder's spoken often about how influential '80s staples like John Boorman's _Excalibur_ and _Heavy Metal_ magazine were for him, and there's a lot of the both of those in RM.

[@maxximumb]

You can tell the original 3 Star Wars movies Lucas was told no from time to time and it was the editing by Marcia Lucas that made the movies what they are. The prequels show us how laboured an unrestrained George Lucas movie can really be. Whilst his vision and skill / luck at piecing together a movie is undeniable he does need people to occasionally say no and to have an editor with a spine that will heavily cut his footage for the sake of the audience.

[@zigzaggreg]

Love your stuff, so glad Hawk the Slayer got a mention, a truely great film

[@ryanfester2824]

I always loved "The Last Starfighter" watched it for the first time as a kid in the early 2000's from a collection of recorded vhs tapes I found in a dumpster.

[@jamesdominguez7685]

The real unsung hero of Star Wars is George's ex-wife Marcia. She took her husband's utterly unwatchable first cut and edited it into something fast and exciting, chopping out a LOT of George's overwrought technobabble.

[@RipOffProductionsLLC]

While I have no doubt that the particulars of tge final edit have an impact of the film, I think the "star wars was saved in the edit" story had to be a bit of an exaggeration. The fact the material used in the edit was already filmed in the first place, not added via reshoots, means that all the lines and preferences already existed, the amazing special effects had already been done, and so on. Maybe it wouldn't have been the insane runaway success that shifted not just the film industry, but wider culture as a whole, but it likely would have still been a widely praised and watched movie. The special effects work alone would still have been a huge impact on the industry, so even in an absolute worst case scenario, Star Wars would at least be remembered as something important in filmbuff trivia circles, and probably no shortage of mentions in making of features for other productions.

[@jamesdominguez7685]

@@RipOffProductionsLLC - Pretty much everyone who was involved at the time said that George's initial edit was nigh on unwatchable, and they all credit Marcia with saving it from George.

[@tentringer4065]

Matthew Lillard: never knowingly underplayed.

[@dieyng]

John Carter is a fun film, not great, but fun. Obviously a lot of care went into designing ERB's version of Mars and the special effects are fine, there's also not much of Star Wars in it. The premise is so close to the basic premise of Star Wars that of course there would be similarities, you explained about the hero's journey yourself, why then dump every SF film that incorporates it, into the Star Wars Knock-Off pile? I don't get that. Valerian is obviously much more reminiscent of the Fifth Element and the comicbook series it is based on, and Jupiter Ascending is glorious stupid trash, with visuals that are at times absolutely fantastic.

[@OMGmyFACE]

I love knock off movies and games so much. The worse the better.

[@favoritemustard3542]

When are you going to clip that musical montage @27:57 into its own vid?! It. Is. Nice. Terms funny &/or new to me: _Darth Faker/Darth Toaster; sword & forcery; Bad Max_

[@FingerBreakerWu]

A lot of these are legit Star Wars knock-offs, but a lot of these are being called knock-offs just because they happen in space. This seems to be a trap a lot of content creators fall into either because they get carried away or because they try to stretch for content. I remember another content creator calling anything with a killer robot a "Terminator knock-off", even though the killer robot concept goes back many decades before Terminator.

[@paulus121212]

I say half flash Gordon came long before starwars for one

[@paulus121212]

Which then terminator could be a Dr who knock off darleks are cybermen

[@FingerBreakerWu]

@@paulus121212 You can make the case the first killer robot was in the 1925 movie “Metropolis”.

[@paulus121212]

@@FingerBreakerWu yep

[@sbcinema]

The biggest irony is that Star Wars itself isn't an original, George just put a samurai film into space (and spiced it up with a little incest)

[@JinzoCrash]

Lorca and the Outlaws looks like it was inspired by Doctor Who's "The Robots of Mars".

[@goldenager59]

Good day to you, sir. ☺️ Firstly, permit me to congratulate you for impressing me in covering the field over a range so wide and deep - starting with the now-adorable Italian films of the late 70's, going on to include the often-obscure contributions of so many other nations, and concluding with the monstrous (interpret _that_ how you like) space operas of recent years. 🧐 Secondly, I should mention that I am a collector of alternate history fiction (that genre which imagines the state of our world had a given historical point swiveled a different way), and I often wonder - so much has the first film given rise to in industries, personal careers, opportunities, trends and so forth - how our society of near five decades later would look, sound and feel had Master Lucas, for whatever reason, never made his _magnum opus_ when he did. (I firmly believe that Hollywood would still be caught up in a mentality that prizes action and special effects; had it not been Lucas who broke the mold in '77, it would surely have been Richard Donner with *Superman* a year later - but would Science Fiction have exploded into the popular consciousness to the extent - and enthusiasm - that it has?) 🤔 And lastly, particular thanks for the kind attention paid to *Space Raiders* and *Wizards of the Lost Kingdom* (two incredibly guilty pleasures from my teen years - the which now seem as far, far away as a certain galaxy I could mention, and which only continue to recede - fortunately). 😉 I wish you much success in your future endeavors - and, again, enjoy your day (or, try to). 😎

[@mercureintlcorps]

Please , don't compare Ulysse 31 with all those crap, Ulysse is a wonderful master piece, way more rich then everything presented here, including Star Wars. Come on man space balls, the whole movie is the point !

[@Monothefox]

And let's not forget that ten years before Flash Gordon got on the big screen with a Queen soundtrack, there was a theatrical, hard-R parody, Flesh Gordon.

[@TheBadMovieBible]

There was also a terrible Turkish rip-off before the official one. Imagine how hard it was not to cover that!

[@ProudOgreDad]

RIP MR. ROGER CORMAN. 😢 98 years old and a wonderful legacy.

[@Rapamaru]

So glad i found your channel,incredible work!🙏

[@Fardawg]

36:26 Looks like "Turkish Star Wars" also ripped off "Master of the Flying Guillotine" as well.

[@feliperodriguez6885]

I watched battle beyond the stars at the movies as a kid, thought it was good.

[@12345.......]

It looks very watchable, and not even in a bad movie way

[@S_raB]

This needs to get another episode with Rebel Moon getting a deep dive & also all the other "Star Wars" rip-off projects from recent years

[@thestokes91]

I know its a cliche youtube comment, but it's amazing that your channel isn't bigger. Fantastic content

[@jasonking3182]

The endless Mad Max ripoffs would make a great video. You could do at least an hour on the ones filmed in the Philippines

[@richardallin7202]

YES! A new BMB video is exactly what I need right now.

[@Hispandinavian]

Coming soon to theaters, Fart Wars: Attack of the Transgender Sith.

[@BrianRRenfro]

Let's not forget the kid from Star Raiders leaned to cuss and drink from that adventure but it was when he later learned to arm wrestle, drink motor oil, and forgive, that he really became a man.

[@illithidlore]

I was getting worried we wouldn't see Starchaser on here.

[@flywheelshyster]

Hells to the yeah! Love your channel, this borrowing blockbusters series is one the greatest things on KZbin!

[@sashaburrow6186]

Ha ha! You featured two of the VFX shots I did for the Asylum movie! (We get about 2 - 3 weeks to do all the VFX shots with 5--10 people)

[@tattooeddragon]

One book you forgot to mention as probably the biggest influence to Lucas and the original trilogy was “30 days to slimmer thighs” a classic that has some very deep parallels to the original film.

[@RollerCoasterLineProductions]

I’m 50. Star Wars has always been there in my memories, I had NO IDEA these knock offs existed. I saw Space balls in the theater lol. I had no idea Hasslehoff starred in a knockoff. Sounds like Disney ripped off some of these knockoffs in the “sequels”

[@Hexon66]

Check out Kurosawa's 隠し砦の三悪人 (The Hidden Fortress). Then you'll see how much of a knockoff Star Wars is to begin with!