The Last Starfighter is a 1984 science fiction adventure film directed by Nick Castle. The film tells the story of Alex Rogan (played by Lance Guest), an average teenage boy recruited by an alien defense force to fight in an interstellar war. It also featured Dan O'Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Preston, Norman Snow and Kay E. Kuter.
The Last Starfighter, in addition to Disney's Tron, has the distinction of being one of cinema's earliest films to use extensive computer-generated imagery (CGI) to depict its many starships, environments and battle scenes. This CGI technique, for the time, was a great leap into the future compared to contemporary films such as the previous year's Return of the Jedi, which still used static physical models shot by moving film cameras.
I recommend this film to all. It came out at a time when Arcades were first coming out and video games were getting big.
I own it on blu-ray :P
That movie was pretty awesome. I didn't know it was on DVD though o.o
Good to see some people know about this film.
It's a cult classic now.
I heard they are planning a remake...
Another great movie from my childhood.
DEATHBLOSSOM!
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Exactly. Trilogies and multi-picture deals were more the realm of cheap and profitable slasher films back when Starfighter was released. Outside of horror movies, Lucas and Speilberg were some of the only guys producing serialized films. Nowadays, it seems it's become safer to bank on something that's already proven popular than to strike out blindly with something original so just about anything can turn into a series.
I'll always love the scene in The Last Starfighter where Alex's brother wakes up to find the android Alex repairing its own severed head.
The Last Starfighter...
every boy's fantasy that one day, all these hours (and quarters) spent at the arcade would come-up to some use, like, saving the world you know...
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2008 Top 4, Legendary Games
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Exactly. Trilogies and multi-picture deals were more the realm of cheap and profitable slasher films back when Starfighter was released. Outside of horror movies, Lucas and Speilberg were some of the only guys producing serialized films. Nowadays, it seems it's become safer to bank on something that's already proven popular than to strike out blindly with something original so just about anything can turn into a series.
I'll always love the scene in The Last Starfighter where Alex's brother wakes up to find the android Alex repairing its own severed head.
"Go back to sleep, Lucas!" (I think that was his name)
The whole story of Starfighter was told in one movie unlike Star Wars which was told over the course of 6 movies. Star Wars is more epic in scope by far, but Starfighter is an impressive one hit wonder.
Catherine Mary Stewart...yummy.
Lance Guest...yum yummy.
I always liked the scene that Velcro Zipper mentioned uptread, and the one where Maggie is trying to make out with Alex's doppelganger, to their mutual confusion and dismay...
I actually hope they don't do a remake of this... they would just ruin it, as most remakes do.
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A good and fun film... made better by Robert Preston, pound for pound, a fine actor.
Plus, the main theme music of the movie is awesome and catches the imagination!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdk2hOnuFhk
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I wondered why they never made a sequel when I was younger.Probably because there was no point to one. Big Bad Guy poofed. Boy Got Girl, Boy Grew Up, Boy Got Kingdom. That's essentially the formula end of a Disney story, which for all intents and purposes, the movie was.
Except the Big Bad Guy (would be conqueror, and traitor Xur) DID GET AWAY, hence why I wondered if the would make a sequel.
Robert Preston as Centauri was awesome as well.
This is a prime example of how a good score elevates what is basically a B film.
It's an oft quoted film as at my gaming table. At my last session I was summing up progress in our RotRL campaign with 'So over the winter you've rebuilt Fort Rannick and re-established the rangers to defend the frontier against..' when one player broke in with 'Xorg and the Kodan Armada'.
This prompted the player with the crossbow ranger to bring up a possible Death Blossom feat where he gets to shoot everything within range once.
The Blu-ray is good and cheap.
I remember this film, but not well enough to quote from as well as The Purity of Violence, which, might I say, is the coolest avatar name I've seen in a while.