Sure, George Lucas may have changed every aspect of modern filmmaking—from special effects, sound design, and editing to computer graphics, marketing, and financing—but he’s also responsible for inspiring the biggest load of crap in film history: Star Wars rip-offs.

After Star Wars shocked the movie industry in 1977 by making bantha-loads of cash, every studio in Hollywood had one goal: To get its own Star Wars, fast. The result was a sudden explosion of science fiction and fantasy productions as had never been seen before. And they all mostly sucked.  Here’s what fans had to deal with in the years following their Star Wars high—a hangover of pure sci-fi hell:

Battlestar Galactica (1978): Producer Glen A. Larson had a vision for a weekly television series: What if a rebel force of humans had to battle an evil empire of robots with jet-like space fighters? George Lucas thought this vision was so familiar that he considered suing, but finally decided it wasn’t worth his while. He was right; Battlestar Galactica didn’t last long. Although nostalgic fans continue to declare the series (and theatrically released pilot movie) a “classic,” Battlestar Galactica was noteworthy mostly for its expensive special effects (created by Star Wars’ John Dykstra) that went beyond anything previously made for TV. The writing, on the other hand, was dreadful: dumb plots, bad dialogue, and annoying contrivances like the cyborg teddy bear Muffit. Nevertheless, the Cylons were pretty cool and the show’s scenario was strong enough to support a vastly superior remake currently airing on the Sci-Fi Channel. When Battlestar Galactica got the axe, Larson came back with Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), a self-knowingly cheesy series where everyone in the future wears spandex and has a lot more fun.

The Black Hole (1979): The 1970s weren’t exactly a great era in filmmaking for Walt Disney Pictures. Considering that their most adventurous productions at the time were probably The Cat From Outer Space and Unidentified Flying Oddball, The Black Hole actually represented a big step up for the studio that Mickey built. But as science fiction entertainment? Yeesh! In order to latch onto the humongous audience of teens primed by Star Wars for more outer space adventure, Disney executives wisely cast their big-budget epic with… Anthony Perkins? Maximilian Schell? Robert Forster? Ernest Borgnine? Yes, there’s nothing kids love more than watching geriatrics battle in zero-G. But don’t worry—Disney had another ace up its sleeve: its own wacky robot duo! There’s the fussy V.I.N.CENT. (Vital Information Necessary CENTralized) and the fun-loving cowpoke Bob. What an odd couple! It’s this kind of blazing originality that doomed The Black Hole to the pits of mediocrity.

Battle Beyond the Stars (1980): Hollywood producer Roger Corman is one of the legends of B-movies, giving aspiring directors like Martin Scorsese and James Cameron creative freedom (if not much money) to make their first movies. Unfortunately, Battle Beyond the Stars’ director, Jimmy T. Murakami, was no James Cameron. Budgeted at $2 million, BBTS was the most lavish Roger Corman production of all time—which meant it still looked really crappy compared to Star Wars’ next-generation effects. The Waltons’ Richard Thomas starred as a rural farmboy who must defend his little planet from an evil emperor. Sound familiar? Yes, but in this case, Corman was copying Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai instead of The Hidden Fortress, like Lucas. In fact, Robert Vaughn plays the exact same mercenary character he portrayed in The Magnificent Seven, another Seven Samurai “homage.” But his performance pales in comparison to perennial B-movie actor John Saxon’s turn as the villain “Sador”—you know he’s evil because he has a big blue splotch on his face.