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

Tagline:

What Do You Say To A Talking Bomb? All Systems Snafu!!!

Plot:

In the far reaches of space, a small crew, 20 years into their solitary mission, find things beginning to go hilariously wrong.

Plot Keywords:

Space | Bomb | Computer | Alien | 2001

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Brian Narelle	...	Lt. Doolittle
Cal Kuniholm	...	Boiler
Dre Pahich	...	Talby
Dan O'Bannon	...	Sgt. Pinback
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Adam Beckenbaugh	...	Bomb #20 (uncredited)
John Carpenter	...	Talby voice (uncredited)
Nick Castle	...	Alien (uncredited)
Cookie Knapp	...	Computer / 'Mother' (uncredited)
Joe Saunders	...	Commander Powell (uncredited)
Alan Sheretz	...	Bomb #19 (uncredited)
Miles Watkins	...	Watkins - Mission Control (uncredited)

Directed by
John Carpenter

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

Produced by
John Carpenter	....	producer
J. Stein Kaplan	....	associate producer
Jack H. Harris	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Carpenter

Cinematography by
Douglas Knapp

Film Editing by
Dan O'Bannon

Production Design by
Dan O'Bannon

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
J. Stein Kaplan	....	assistant director

Art Department
David Seal	....	chief carpenter
Tommy Lee Wallace	....	associate art director (as Tom Wallace)

Sound Department
John Brasher	....	sound effects
Nina Kleinberg	....	sound
Leslie Shatz	....	sound effects re-recordist
Nick Spaulding	....	sound effects editor

Visual Effects by
Ron Cobb	....	special effects
Bob Greenberg	....	special effects
Gregory Jein	....	special effects (as Greg Jein)
Dan O'Bannon	....	special effects supervisor
Bill Taylor	....	optical effects
Bill Taylor	....	visual effects consultant
Harry Walton	....	special effects
John C. Wash	....	special effects (as John Wash)
Jim Danforth	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Dale Beldin	....	additional photographer
Nick Castle	....	assistant camera
Cliff Fenneman	....	additional photographer
Les Rumsey	....	key grip

Other crew
Jack H. Harris	....	presenter
Jack F. Murphy	....	production associate (as Jack Murphy)
Craig Portman	....	creative consultant
Craig Portman	....	engineer
Terence H. Winkless	....	production assistant: Terry Winkless

Production Companies

• Jack H. Harris Enterprises
• University of Southern California (USC)

Distributors

• Jack H. Harris Enterprises (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (1975) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Bryanston Distributing (1975) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Cupido Films (1978) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmwelt (1979) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Astro Distribution (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• BijouFlix Releasing (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1992) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Liberty Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Pole Vídeo Comunicações Ltda. (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• VCI Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (hyperdrive edition)
• VCI Entertainment (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-Ray)
• VCI Home Video (1999) (USA) (DVD) (widescreen)
• VCI Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Dimensions (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Jack H. Harris Enterprises

Trivia:

A computer screen flashes "FUCK YOU HARRIS" during the film. This was to Jack H. Harris, the producer, who annoyed director John Carpenter during filming and this was his revenge.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Pinback says, "Now it's time to go sleepy-bye, you worthless piece of garbage" before shooting the alien, his mouth actually says "worthless piece of crap."

Quotes:

Pinback:[to the alien] When I brought you on this ship, I thought you were cute.

Movie Connections:

Featured in First Works (1989) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Benson Arizona

A silly little film

John Carpenter's first film. Must be horror you say, but you'd be wrong in that account. Dark Star is a parodied view of future, in where a group of astronauts travel in space, destroying unstable planets in danger of hitting in to the sun, thus making them in to novas.

One would think there's lots of special effects in a movie like this, and one would be right. Those special effects just aren't extremely good in any standard, but they do have lots of charm. And I actually do believe, that if this movie would have any better specials it wouldn't be as funny as it's now.

I won't spoil the movie for you, but if you like sci-fi this just might suit for you then. It gave me couple of laughs.