Dark Star (1974)

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

John Carpenter (original story and screenplay) and
Dan O'Bannon (original story and screenplay)

Release Date:

9 February 1979 (West Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

What would you be like after 20 years aboard DARK STAR the spaced-out spaceship. The ultimate cosmic comedy!

Plot:

Low-budget story of four astronauts in deep space, whose mission is to destroy unstable planets in star systems which are to be colonised...

Plot Keywords:

Bomb | Computer | Space | Alien | Spoof

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Brian Narelle	...	Lt. Doolittle
Cal Kuniholm	...	Boiler
Dre Pahich	...	Talby
Dan O'Bannon	...	Sgt. Pinback

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's Dark Star (Australia)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Netherlands:16 | West Germany:6 (f) | Australia:G | Norway:11 | UK:PG | USA:G

Company:

Jack H. Harris Enterprises

Trivia:

During the asteroid storm, when Bomb Number 20 is shown on the computer room monitor emerging from the bomb bay, the monitor shows a single frame of a man's smiling face.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Boiler and Pinback are fighting in the corridor, the gun that Boiler dropped at the beginning of the fight is on the deck not far in front of them, but when they stop fighting and climb the ladder back to the control room, the gun is not there.

Quotes:

Computer: You are now leaving the emergency airlock. Thank you for observing all safety precautions.
Talby: Wooohoooo!
[Talby shoots out of the ship at ludicrous speed]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Men in White (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Benson Arizona

A demented outer space comedy from John Carpenter.

Dark Star (1974) was a student film that John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon worked on while they were in college. They later found a film distributor who asked them to expand it to feature film length. The movie takes place in a small, cramped out of date spacecraft. Several astronauts are on board (who have been around each other to long) trying to complete their mission of destroying unstable planets. I found this film to be very entertaining and bizarre. I enjoyed it very much. The highlight of this film is when a computerized bomb decides that he doesn't want to take orders from the astronauts anymore and ponders the meaning of life. Highly recommended, but it's not your average Sci-Fi film.

A.