The Last Starfighter

THE LAST STARFIGHTER
40th Anniversary Screenings
9/12 and 9/16 with co-stars Lance Guest & Catherine Mary Stewart and screenwriter Jonathan Betuel in person. Director Nick Castle joins them on 9/16 only.

Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series present the 40th anniversary of the sci-fi action adventure The Last Starfighter (1984) in two locations: NoHo on 9/12 and the Royal on 9/16. Actors Lance Guest and Catherine Mary Stewart along with screenwriter Jonathan Betuel will participate in Q&As after each screening; they will be joined by director Nick Castle on 9/16 only at the historic Royal Theatre. The movie also stars veteran actors Dan O’Herlihy and Robert Preston in his memorable final film performance.

The Last Starfighter is significant as one of the earliest films, along with Tron, to demonstrate the then-new CGI (computer generated imagery) technology that has come to dominate Hollywood today. The story involves a teenage video game whiz, Alex (Lance Guest). He's stuck in a small-town trailer park with no prospects, but his prowess on the arcade game “Starfighter” triggers recruitment by the game’s fast-talking inventor, Centauri (Preston, channeling his iconic role from The Music Man). Centauri turns out to be an alien who enlists Alex to help save his planet, leaving a doppelganger android, Beta Alex (Guest), behind on earth before whisking the real Alex away to engage in space battle against the Ko-Dan Armada. Catherine Mary Stewart as Alex’s girlfriend delivers some of the more amusing moments as she unknowingly cozies up to Beta Alex, and O’Herlihy as Alex’s wing commander Grig (unrecognizable under craggy makeup) also scores with “lighthearted affability.”

The movie’s story elements evoked comparisons to the sci-fi behemoth Star Wars, which did not go unnoticed by critics and commentators of the day. Paul Taylor in the Financial Times pointed out that the film was still “an engaging enough comic fantasy for the post-60s generation,” while Variety noted “the action is suitably fast and furious, but what makes the movie especially enjoyable are the quirky character touches given to Guest and his fellow players.” Gene Siskel cut to the chase, calling it “the best of the Star Wars imitators.” Duane Byrge of Hollywood Reporter lauded the writer: “Jonathan Betuel, to his credit, has invested a very human element in this film, an ingredient that all too many sci-fi hardware presentations lack,” adding “where The Last Starfighter soars is in its humor, in its view of life in the trailer park -- that is its strongest force.” Jake Cole of Slant magazine cited it as a “nerd-centric extravaganza,” but added, “still, there is a certain whimsical charm on display that feels unique to the film...it’s hard not to feel warmth for a film so markedly optimistic.”

The film was later adapted as a novelization, a video game, and an off-Broadway musical while over the years building a cult following. There are two opportunities to join the filmmaking talent and reminisce about an important movie in their careers: on September 12 in North Hollywood, and September 16 at the historic Royal Theatre in West Los Angeles, celebrating its 100th year of continuous operation as a movie theater. Both screenings are at 7:00 pm, with a special VIP presentation starting at 6:00 pm.